ATGATT: build your first full kit for under $1,200

Here is the truth nobody tells new riders

You do not need to spend three grand to ride protected. You also cannot ride in a hoodie and running shoes and call it gear.

ATGATT means All The Gear, All The Time. Helmet, jacket, gloves, pants, boots. Every ride. No exceptions, not even the quick run to the corner store where most crashes actually happen.

The good news? A full, legitimately protective kit fits inside $1,200 Canadian if you shop smart. Here is exactly how to spend it.

The $1,200 breakdown

Allocate your money where the protection matters most. Your head and your hands hit the ground first, so they get priority.

• Helmet: $350 to $450. A DOT and ECE certified full face. This is the one place you never go bargain bin. Look at brands like HJC, Bell, or Scorpion in the mid tier.
• Jacket: $250 to $300. Textile with CE rated armour at shoulders and elbows, plus a back protector pocket. All season liners are a bonus in our climate.
• Gloves: $80 to $120. Full gauntlet, knuckle protection, leather palm. Your hands are fragile and you will instinctively throw them out in a slide.
• Pants: $180 to $250. Riding jeans with Kevlar lining and knee armour, or textile overpants. Regular denim shreds in under a second on pavement.
• Boots: $150 to $200. Over the ankle, oil resistant sole, a real shifter pad. Skate shoes are not boots.

Add it up and you land between $1,010 and $1,320. Trim the jacket and pants to the lower end and you are comfortably under $1,200 with money left for a chain lube.

Where beginners blow the budget

Most new riders overspend on the wrong things and underspend on the stuff that saves them.

1. 01Do not buy a $700 helmet first. A mid tier lid protects your skull just as well as a race replica. Graphics cost money, not safety.
2. 02Do not skip the pants. Riders happily drop $400 on a jacket then ride in jeans. Your legs deserve armour too.
3. 03Do not buy used helmets. You have no idea if that lid has been dropped or crashed. The foam degrades invisibly. Every other piece can be bought used, never the helmet.

Make it fit, then make it yours

Gear only works if it fits. A helmet should grip your cheeks firmly with no pressure points. A jacket armour should sit on the actual joint, not float above it. Sizing varies wildly between brands, so try before you commit when you can.

Buy the protection first. Upgrade the comfort and the style later, once you know what kind of riding you actually love.

Ready to build your kit? Browse our full range of helmets, jackets, and armour in the store and filter by your budget. Not sure on sizing? Our team fits new riders every week.