Bike Stop's Best Summer Gear

Summer is most definitely with us with the UK having seem some scorching temperatures that make riding a bike a sheer necessity for the sticky tarmac and a guarantee of no frozen fingers or toes. 

It can be hard to motivate yourself to put all your gear on however; more traditional biker gear that UK bikers ride with often gears itself towards protecting you from the weather rather than letting it in – it's potentially worth getting some gear that lets the air through and sweat out to allow you to better focus on your riding and enjoy those roads. 

There’s an ever-growing collection of gear for women as well as men, with ever more women taking up biking, so in this blog we’ll go through some of the best summer gear we at Bike Stop have to offer regardless of your size, shape or taste. 

If it’s a particularly hot day you simply aren’t going to want to wear a jacket on or off the bike, so Knox have made the solution – a jacket that isn’t a jacket. The Urbane Pro, fitted for both men and women, is effectively an armoured undershirt that’s capable of being worn on its own. Commonly these kind of ‘shirts’ don’t pack in any abrasion protection and rely on you wearing a jacket on top, but this one is a huge step above. 

Knox are renowned for their innovative Microlock armour that’s flexible yet effective, with the Urbane Pro packing not only shoulder and elbow armour, but a back protector too. More often than not jackets don’t include back protectors, either due to the fact they’re not as effective as a dedicated back protector or to reduce the cost a little. The Urbane Pro sits just below a dedicated back protector in terms of back protection thanks to its close fit. An optional chest protector is also available. Arrowmesh and nylon provide abrasion protection, and it even has four pockets which is arguably more practical than most leather jackets! To top it off, take out the armour and it’s even machine washable, ideal for after a sweaty summer ride. For those that take stock in this also, Knox is one of the few British gear brands you’ll come across too. 

Down to your legs and it’s a similar story, chunky motorcycle trousers just aren’t what you want to wear. In walks the motorcycle aramid fibre jean to try and save the day – sure it’s still a relatively heavy material but it’s breathable compared to leather. Your other option is to go for a textile trouser with venting. 

Looking at aramid fibre jeans and you’re truly spoilt for choice with many sizes, styles and budgets catered for. One of our favourite pairs is the Spidi J&Dyneema which is potentially the ideal summer jean as it uses only a single layer of denim combined with the abrasion resistant fibre Dyneema (commonly aramid fibre reinforcements sit in a separate layer below the outer denim layer). The one downside? Disappointingly it’s not available in a female fit.  

For a pair that’s a bit more inclusive then look no further than the Knox Scarlett – it uses the more traditional part lining of Kevlar, however it integrates Coolmax tech into the denim to help pull some of the heat away from your body. Kevlar on the seat, knees and key parts of the sides alongside removable Microlock armour on the knees and hips make for a pair of jeans that’ll cover anything but a downpour or a trackday. 

Moving onto gloves and the Dainese D-Explorer 2 comes up top trumps with its unique look and extensive use of mesh. It comes in a short style which means you can more easily get a breeze on your wrists and forearms – not necessarily suitable for the track but ideal for a summer blast for solid hand protection. 

Finally for boots you’re going to be best off looking at boots that don’t come too far up the calf – much like gloves it offers a much less cloying effect at the expense of a little protection. Again, this gear isn’t for the track but will more than suffice for a ride on the road. Dainese’s York Air is available for both men and women in a set of bold colours. Looking more like a pair of high-top trainers they integrate both solid leather protection and mesh for ventilation. Crucially they’ve got armour and a gear shifter protector offering enhanced crash protection and longevity. 

The Bike Stop shop in Stevenage has reopened in accordance with the latest Government guidelines, and we're open for 7 days a week. Our online shop is also still alive and well and taking orders. We’re even doing a 10% off promotion – just enter the code ‘TOGETHER’ at checkout. You can check out our full range on our website with free delivery for any order over £50 on the UK mainland, and delivery possible to almost anywhere else. Not only that but our ‘No Quibble’ returns policy allows for returns within a 365 day period – see our returns page for more details.