2B Learner Safety Gear for Women (raincoat, gloves & footwear)

[tanified]

Hi everyone,

 

It's my first post! Am newly enrolled at CDC for the 2B course. I'm really nervous about embarking on this journey. When it comes to gear, I think it's really hard to know what to buy and where to buy stuff so I'm here to seek some help on certain aspects of gear purchase that I'm not as sure about.

 

A bit of my background when it comes to motorcycle/riding safety in general:

• I've seen my close uncle get into skidding accident while he was riding, had a concussion and alot of his flesh from his face and arms gone, pants also tear and his leg got really bad abrasions. That kinda stuck with me.
  
• 
  
• I'm also quite clumsy, abit slow when it comes to coordination too. Have ever fallen off my bicycle at standstill even after unclipping cos I leaned to wrong side.
  

 

So I think personally, I'd rather err on the side of caution when it comes to safety gears. Especially as a learner, I do expect I might fall, slide, maybe even roll and skid while on this journey. Coupled with my height (1.56m on a good day), I am not too sure of how well I'd be able to handle an almost 100kg monstrosity.

 

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Have bought my beginners' set incl. helmet, knee & elbow guards and arm sleeves already. To my knowledge (from this forum), it seems that learners won't need a riding jacket, pants or a fancy, expensive FF helmet (not allowed at school anyways) as we are going at low speeds and also it's too hot.

 

Footwear

The instructor was recommending to wear covered shoes, best if covers ankles, even better if it's boots, and best if it's riding boots with shin protection. He also did mention that the engine is near the leg there, which kinda freaked me out, as I've seen my friend in pri school get a burn on her leg from her dad's motorbike and it left bad scarring. I don't own any appropriate footwear for riding, so either way I'd still need to buy something. I'm just wondering whether it'd be overkill to purchase a pair of riding boots for class. I'd probably feel safer with them but also I'm wondering as a beginner would it be uncomfortable to learn while wearing them? And would love to have that added safety of ankle reinforcement, grippiness, shin protection and also protection from burns/abrasions. Could I get some opinions of whether purchasing a pair would have any negative impact on my training? If not, then where can I find women's riding boots and what should I be looking out for? I see that there are different categories, like racing, track, touring. It's kinda confusing so idk which one is appropriate for my needs. Any specific recommendations would be great. My feet are wide in the front but narrow in the heel area, size EU37.5.

 

The other two items I'm looking for would be a pair of riding gloves and raincoat/rainsuit.

 

Gloves

I've kinda small hands, not sure if I'd need an XS size (do they exist?) or are there women-specific gloves as well? Same questions, what should I be looking for? From what I've read it seems leather is the superior choice with knuckle and palm protection. Is that right? But there's some kind of tradeoff with feel of the throttle or something along those lines? What would be good that would provide me sufficient protection but not impact learning too much? My hands tend to get sweaty and they're also quite fussy about seams, especially the seams at the webbing in between fingers. Specific recommendations would be appreciated too.

 

Raincoat/Rainsuit

I'm not as bothered about a good raincoat (or should I?! Please enlighten me). But I'm not sure what is acceptable for riding in the rain. I'd totally be okay with wearing some cheap DAISO disposable raincoat but idk if it will be a safety hazard when it's flapping around or blocking the view of the rider behind me. Don't wanna get into trouble with the instructor or threaten the safety of another learner too. Suggestions for something that can provide sufficient protection especially in the rainy weather that occurs so much during this part of year would be helpful.

 

In conclusion, I'm willing to pay more for proper footwear and gloves. But raincoat, I'd save on it if I could, unless there is reason for me spend more on it.

 

Finally, with regards to the shops to buy these accessories, I used to hear about LAB and Regina for purchasing stuff. And now I also see Chong Aik, Chiap Lee, Motoworld. Are these the places I should be going to for my purchases? Do I have to bargain or are the prices fixed there?

 

Sorry if the post is long, but I've worked really hard in the past 9 years to finally get to enrol, so I don't want to blow this opportunity. Thanks for reading and appreciate any advice that y'all can share!

[kaiq]

A bit overkill, considering you are a learner trying to accustom to the controls, the boots and leather gloves may hinder you.

 

Raincoat, if you don't mind the smell, use the training centers one first ba.

 

A lot of things are still new to you. If can, borrow from your friends to try the feeling in case of buying and dump it later. For me, I invest in bike stuff after I get my license.

[crashburner]

My suggestion is go for the lesson first. You might not like it after the first few lesson (like my wife).

 

 

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