Bklyn.X wrote:
Holy crap, that's a lot o gear...about $1200?
Somewhere around that. The bulk of the expense is in the helmet - $600+ - but for me it is a good investment. I'm very particular about my helmet (and it is hard to find a helmet in this country that is not Snell certified but meets the EU standards). I appreciate the fact that the interior is fully replacable when it has too much wear (before this, I was replacing helmets about every 5 years) and there is no way in hell it can come off in a crash (it is the most secure helmet I have ever worn). I also love the ratchet latch on the chin strap instead of the usual D-rings. The boots, mesh jacket, and mesh pants were around $200 each.
Then there is the other riding gear I have - the heavy weight leather and ballistic nylon (non-mesh) colder weather jacket, the leather jeans, and the rain gear.
I ride a lot - so for me it is worth the investment. I will usually be riding from at least April and into November - sometimes as many as 6 days a week. In addition, I do enjoy taking mini-tours on the bike of 3-4 days. The gear gets used.
k_enn
(P.S., a number of years ago I had a significant crash while touring the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina. My injuries were relatively minor, but would have been a lot worse without quality riding gear. That is one reason why I don't skimp on the gear.)