Kit & Tyres

[Marathon Man]

I'm very new to off-road riding (been a road biased rider for my twenty years of riding) so whilst I'm fairly well clued up regarding what to wear on-road, I'm a bit vague as to what the options are off-road...

So far, I've got myself a smart Shark helmet and Oakley goggles (so far they've been fine) but am looking at boots, gloves, trousers, jacket and body armour to complete the look. My Aplinestars two-piece leathers and SMX boots just don't look right on the DRZ 400....

So advice would be appreciated on all fronts.

I've tried a pair of Alpinestars Tech 3 boots and they feel and look the part, but has anyone got any experience of them?

What about body armour? A Dainese heated kevlar vest looked nice but at £250 seemed a bit much for my first foray into off-roading...

And trousers / jerseys... I could wear my all weather Richa kit (warm, waterproof) but it may be a bit much when I go off-road (bulky, might get too hot). Any recommendations...?

Also, what tyres do you all recommend. I've got Bridgestone Trailwings for the tarmac but what are the options for knobblies?

Hope you can put some decent advice my way....

[lilredmachine]

It depends on what you are doing. if you are tackling green lanes, then you may want to keep it simple. A good piece of body armour under a large, warm coat may suffice, as you are only likely to come off at low speed whilst 'laning.
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[Korn]

In my opinion the single most important bit of kit off road is a sturdy pair of boots. Spend as much as you can afford on boots; a proper pair should feel like ultra stuff ski boots and not allow you to bend your lower leg very far. The Alpinestars range are very good, if you've been looking at those you can't go far wrong.

After that you will want to get yourself a set of knee pads, preferably ones which flex at the knee joint. You should be able to pick up a good set for under £40. Next up an armoured vest: this should have elbow, chest and back protectors all built in; some also include a kidney belt. Again look to pay around £50 - there are plenty of bargains on eBay.

For a final layer you can either go with a motocross combo (fabric pants & jersey) which will keep you nice and cool or, if you want a bit more protection on tarmac, a light set of textile trousers and a jacket. The same applies to gloves: MX gloves are very light and comfortable but will do nothing to protect your hands in a spill on the hard stuff, so some lightweight textile gloves might be a good choice.

If you find yourself getting too hot & sweaty, simply remove layers as appropriate...

https://www.kornel.com/gallery/albums/Chilterns5/normal_P1010011.jpg
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3516 Miles, 11 Countries

[feef]

Tech 3 boots are a good start.. stiff enough for support, flexible enough you can walk in them (and you will, when you fall off)

I got UFO articulated knee armour, and UFO pants I have an armoured vest I wear under a HG Tuareg jacket (with the armour and lining removed) and UFO Neoprene gloves (neoprene keeps your hands warmer when they get wet)...
I picked up an HJC lid for £60, and have E marked Scott goggles (some goggles aren't road legal)

Under that lot, I wear a thin base layer. I'd not worry about heated stuff.. I usually end up taking layers off if I wear anything but the minimum.

a
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[G]

I believe the offroad show is coming up - I went last year and got pretty much a full set of kit for around £300. Spent the whole day wandering around and trying on everything, then started to pick out the best value/fit things and buy them towards the end.

Oh and two piece leathers a problem? Try one piece with road helmet (I have worn my race boots in the past) and road boots .

https://www.evilbendy.co.uk/gallery/albums/offroad/normal_PICT0061.JPG