Invisible Riding Gear

Leaving the Dork at Home

I have to admit, a brand new touring jacket and a tight pair of riding pants makes me feel like a boss. But there are times when I’m just going out for some grub and I don’t want to look like a storm trooper at the burger joint. So where do you get riding gear that looks casual?

I could just wear regular clothes but I’ve destroyed too many of my good jeans that way. Not to mention that if I do go down, those regular clothes really feel like... regular clothes. They are probably more useful as a tourniquet. I’m always on the lookout for something discrete but with some of the same protection I get from my regular riding gear. These are a few options that I liked over at Revzilla.

For The Girls:

• Speed and Strength True Romance Women's Armored Moto Shirt is a good looking flannel hoodie that is still feminine.


• Oxford Super Leggings look like regular leggings but with moto protection. They have sleeves for additional padding inserts and are thin enough to fit underneath regular pants when needed.


• SIDI Gas Lei Women's Shoes look good enough to wear all the time. They are suede leather with inverted laces and footpeg-ready soles.

For The Guys:

• Merlin, Oxford, Trenton and Marksman make shirts and hoodies lined with Kevlar. They look just like a regular flannel shirt or hoodie but have a water resistant coating and removable back foam.


• Speed and Strength’s Dogs of War riding jeans have Kevlar padding in the rear and at the knees. They weigh about 2 pounds and there are optional armored pads for the knees that can be added or removed via the front flaps.


• Speed and Strength’s Black 9 Moto Shoes look a lot like a pair of high top Vans but they are more durable and have enough protection for riding. The inverted laces don’t snag on the gearshift and the soles are specially designed for better grip on the pegs, but mostly I just think they look cool.

All of this stuff was pretty affordable. For about $400 bucks you can get a protective hoodie, pants and some decent looking shoes.