Go ATGATT: A Guide to the Best Motorcycle Gear for Beginners
Well, now you’ve done it; you’ve finally joined the thousands - nay MILLIONS - of women who find their freedom with a twist of the throttle as the pavement rolls beneath your feet. Welcome to the club, kid.
And though this freedom feels wild and liberating in an unparalleled way, there is a fair amount of risk that you assume each time you hop behind the handlebars.
Fortunately, building a solid set of entry-level gear is all it takes to help stay safe, no matter where the road takes you. But as a beginner, how can you possibly understand what gear you need?
That’s why we’re here. Let’s dive into the world of motorcycle gear for beginners and everything else you need to know to stay protected while riding.
Why Many New Riders Don't Invest in Motorcycle Gear
When you enter the world of motorcycles, there's so much learning that's involved. And that is especially true when it comes to gear.
Look - I've been there. I was that new kid. The one that had just spent a few hours riding circles in a parking lot. The one who was terrified of getting on the highway.
I was also the one riding in everyday pants, a helmet, and a pair of boots I bought from DSW. I had some random, non-certified textile jacket I snagged for bottom dollar from a big box store, and I thought that was enough.
My half-assed gear wasn't for a lack of effort; it was just one of the three reasons that most new riders don't invest in gear:
- They don't understand safety ratings and how wearing gear can be life-changing.
- They can't find anything that fits.
- They don't want to spend the money.
For me, it was reason #1. I just didn't know any better.
So, if gear hasn't really been on your radar for one (or more) of these reasons, you're not alone. But we'd be doing you a disservice if we didn't discuss how vital riding gear is. Not because we're trying to sell you on it, but because it's what you deserve.
Here's Why You Deserve the Best Motorcycle Gear for Beginners
The motorcycle world has long been built around a narrow idea of toughness: loud, risky, bare-knuckled. Pain as proof. The mythological lore says real riders don’t armor up, don’t flinch, and never fail. They ride without gear and call it courage.
But that idolized version of "toughness" was never neutral. It was shaped in a male-dominated space where invulnerability became a performance, protection was mistaken for fear, and risk mitigation was framed as weakness instead of intelligence.
Gear disrupts that narrative.
Wearing full gear rejects the idea that recklessness equals freedom. It refuses the stereotype that strength means pretending you’re immune to consequence. It says your body is not expendable in the service of an image.
For women in particular, choosing full gear becomes something bigger than safety. It’s choosing to take up space without mirroring someone else’s version of bravery.
Choosing full gear is choosing to keep your freedom to ride intact. It's the guardian of your ability to keep riding tomorrow. An ATGATT mentality refutes the cultural stereotypes that equate vulnerability with failure and pain with authenticity.
Join Team ATGATT: All the Gear, All the Time
Historically, the concept of ATGATT has been slow to catch on with old-school and veteran riders. Many mistakenly believe that protective riding gear doesn’t actually do any good during a slide. Others will cite anecdotal evidence that you’re more likely to survive an accident without a helmet. 🤯
ATGATT is an acronym that stands for “All The Gear, All The Time.” It’s more of a philosophy - a way of life, if you will. An approach to safety in the most uncompromising way. Embracing ATGATT means you’re putting on protective gear every time you swing a leg over your seat.
Embracing ATGATT goes beyond just physical protection; it can also offer mental benefits.
As a new rider, motorcycle gear can help you feel more confident as you start to experience every first: the first time you have to stop quickly, the first time you have to dodge an obstacle in the road, the first time you have to yell at a cager to get off their phone (ok, that one’s optional.)
Having a solid set of gear can help keep you safe at all times, so you can spend less time mentally stressing about protecting yourself and more time focused on the road, enjoying the ride.
Does My Riding Gear Need to be CE-Certified?
Shopping for motorcycle gear can feel like falling down a rabbit hole. Leather vs textiles. Armored vs non-armored. CE-certified vs. “good enough.” When you’re newer to riding, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and wonder if all the specs actually matter or if you’re just being upsold.
The short answer: protection exists on a spectrum, and some gear protects you better than others.
In general, we look at two categories of injury methods that gear certifications can address: dermal and subdermal.
Dermal injuries affect your skin and the layers just beneath it. Think road rash, abrasions, bruising, and lacerations. They’re common, painful, and often underestimated until you’ve experienced one.
Subdermal injuries happen below the skin level and tend to be more severe. Some examples of subdermal injuries include sprains, broken bones, fractures, or even organ damage (news flash: your brain is an organ!) 🤕
This is where armor and certification start to matter.
You might already be practicing ATGATT, but not all gear offers the same level of protection. A jacket without armor still helps protect your skin. Armored pants add impact protection to areas that are especially vulnerable in a crash. CE-rated armor is tested to absorb and disperse force rather than letting it transfer directly into your body.
Even when gear can’t prevent every subdermal injury, it significantly reduces the risk and severity of dermal damage and can lessen impact forces. And for most riders, avoiding road rash alone is reason enough.
Then there’s the cultural noise.
Maybe someone at a gas station scoffs at your jacket on a 90-degree day. Ignore it. The idea that protection equals weakness comes from an old-school mentality that prizes bravado over longevity.
The data doesn’t agree.
An NHTSA study showed that wearing a helmet alone can nearly cut your risk of fatal brain injury in half and reduce overall head injury risk by around 69%. That’s infinitely better odds than playing those lottery scratch-offs, so why take the gamble?
The same logic applies to the rest of your gear. Armored pants and jackets help distribute impact across knees, hips, shoulders, and elbows. Abrasion-resistant materials like Kevlar, Dyneema, and Cordura help keep your skin intact when sliding, which is often the difference between walking away and months of recovery.
Choosing CE-certified, armored gear can't 100% guarantee you walk away from an incident injury-free, but it damn sure stacks the odds in your favor.
What Kind of Women’s Motorcycle Gear Do Beginners Need?
Now, you may be wondering if you have to spend all your hard-earned money on building out your beginner riding gear kit.
The straight-up answer is no, you don’t have to. There are a lot of budget-friendly women’s motorcycle gear options out there, so you’re sure to find what you need at a price point that works for you.
Here are the pieces that we consider essential every time you hit the road:
Helmets
This one is a no-brainer 🧠 (see what we did there?) Everyone, regardless of where they live, should be wearing a helmet every time they ride.
We always recommend full-face helmets because they offer the most protection, but you could also consider modular, open-face (¾), half, dual-sport, or off-road helmets. You can learn more about the different helmet styles here.
Pants
Have you ever gotten a sunburn on your bottom half? Not so much fun. Now multiply that by a thousand million, and you’ll come close to what road rash is like. Protective motorcycle riding pants are a must for new riders.
Keep in mind that while armored options offer more impact protection, simply keeping your skin covered during rides can do you a world of good. For every one mph over 30 mph, you lose one mm of skin in an unprotected slide. Riding pants are a must for every rider.
Boots
Shoes are one of the most overlooked pieces of women’s riding gear, but can also be the ones you need the most. Foot and lower limb injuries are one of the most common ways you can get hurt while riding.
You don’t even need to lay the bike down in order to injure your foot. Getting your foot caught or pinched in an awkward position can damage your skin and break bones. Look for zippered or lace-up protective shoes that cover your ankle for maximum protection.
Gloves
Gloves are one of the simplest, most cost-effective ways to stay safe. Sure, getting knocked in the knuckle by a giant piece of gravel on the highway is bad without gloves, but consider an impact or a slide without gloves—no, thanks!
It’s all about striking a balance between protection, comfort, and temperature regulation. Gloves designed for colder weather can be challenging for new riders because dexterity may be more limited, while warm-weather gloves may not offer the same level of protection.
Details like zippers, reinforced panels, scaphoid palm sliders, and armored knuckles can all help keep your digits safe and secure.
Jacket
If you ask seasoned riders why they don’t wear a jacket, you’ll probably get the same response: it’s not comfortable. But we’re gonna let you in on a little secret: if it’s not comfortable, it’s not the right jacket for you.
There’s a right (and a wrong) jacket for every rider in every season. Many riders have multiple jackets to accommodate different needs and different riding seasons.
In cooler temps, thicker jackets with liners or heated features are a must. Many of these options also come with armor. In summer, swap out the heavyweight jacket for ultra-light Dyneema or Cordura jackets. You may even layer a breathable mesh armored shirt underneath (like this one).
Visibility Aids
Last but not least are visibility aids. As riders, our biggest challenge is just being seen. And while some women’s motorcycle jackets and shoes have reflective details, we’re all about going big or going home on this one.
Bonus: visibility aids can be one of the most budget-friendly items you add to your newbie gear collection. Adding reflective vests over your jacket or panels to your helmet can help you stay bright and shiny so that every four-wheeled cager on the road can see you.
Our Top Gear Recommendations for New Riders
Ok, enough of all that technical talk. Now that you understand what kind of gear beginners should invest in, here are a few of our favorite recommendations if you’re just getting started.
1. Zarah Boots in Camel: If you love the look of classic Timberlands, the Zarahs have that cool kid vibe, but with CE safety certification and a 1.5" platform-style base with a non-slip sole, so you'll always have a sure footing when your feet touch down.
2. Bessie Gloves in Leopard: These babies are the perfect all-season gloves, and they do so much more than just look good. CE-certified protection with a Knox scaphoid slider gives you the protection you deserve, while touchscreen compatibility and a velcro closure make it easy to use these on the reg.
3. Lara Cargo Pants in Camo: One of our best-selling pairs of riding pants of all time, and for good reason. With a relaxed fit through the hip and thigh, the Laras come in four colors and three inseam lengths and include waist adjustment buckles to get that made-for-you fit.
4. Fiona Jacket in Yellow: If you've always wanted to live out your inner Power Ranger dreams, then the Fiona jacket is where it's at. Sure, the CE-certified leather looks badass, but it also features curve-friendly stretch panels on the sides.
5. Queen Bee Gloves in Olive: The Queen Bee gloves will have you feeling like a road queen thanks to specially-designed compact knuckle armor that's made to fit the often-smaller knuckle profile of women's hands. They're also touchscreen-compatible and come in 11 fun colors to match your mood - or your bike!
6. Lennox High Top Sneakers: Can't bear the thought of leaving your Chucks at home? The Lennox black riding shoes for women may look like regular ol' high-tops, but they're CE-certified and come with D30 ankle armor. Plus, with laces on the front and side zips, you get the simplicity of taking them on/off but the vibes of a true shoe.
7. AAA Skin Motorcycle Leggings: These leggings have a cult following, and there's a good reason for that. Some days, you just can't be bothered with jeans, and that's where these super stretchy, abrasion and impact-rated leggings can take charge. You can wear them as a breathable base layer under your street clothes, or wear them on your own when temps soar.
8. Bonnie Jacket in Gold: If you prefer the flexibility of textile, then the Bonnie jacket is the perfect all-season jacket for beginners. With an AA-rating and removable inner thermal liner, the Bonnie is down for whatever, whenever.
Find the Gear You’ll Love & Discover the Best Motorcycle Gear for Beginners
There’s incredible beauty in new beginnings, and we’re so proud of you for joining the community of women riders. Now, all that’s left is to create your perfect collection and stock up on the women’s motorcycle boots, pants, and jackets that’ll keep you safe and dry, no matter where the road takes you.
Need help finding the best gear for your riding style and needs? Contact us for a FREE measuring tape and customized gear recommendations.