Riding in boots and jeans?

Hi everyone

I'm (pretty much) new here, hope I'm posting in the right place. I've got my mod 2 test booked for Thursday so fingers crossed I'll be on 2 wheels by the end of the week...

I've got a question - how important is it to have dedicated motorbike gear? I'm hoping to pick up some Kevlar jeans, but what about boots? Do 'proper' boots give any more protection than a pair of timberlands or caterpillars? I borrowed a pair of boots from the place I did my cbt and mod 1 and they looked pretty flimsy to me?

Do you guys reckon it's necessary to get a pair of proper boots and then ride around with a pair of normal shoes in a rucksack to change into when you get wherever it is you're going, or is it fine to just ride in a pair of timberland boots?

Apologies for the newbie question
Charlie

Good boots are designed to stop you breaking both foot and ankle. Very important even in very slow crashes.

I ride to work in my boots and change to shoes once there.

Safety safety safety.

Having come off in hike boots at pretty low speed and still nearly broken my ankle, I'd go for proper boots

these are available all over the place and if you pay more than 60 quid for them, you've been done. I've had a pair for over a year - they're comfortable enough to walk round in and they fit under jeans so you don't look like a complete **** in Sainsburys.

How do they give you any more protection than a pair of these?

[Bibio]

motorcycle clothing is designed to lessen the chance of broken bones or if there is a brake then reduce the area broken. nothing is going to protect you 100% but the decent stuff is going to protect you more than non biking clothing.

it's your life, its your money and it's up to you to decide how much you are worth.

if your serious about biking then invest in the correct gear now and it will pay dividends later. a good place to get cheep gear is ebay that is if you dont mind wearing second hand and even new stuff can be cheep. i would rather buy decent second hand gear than cheep crap new gear and trust me there is a looooot of crap biking gear around.

i used to have to wear a suit to work but still wore proper biking gear going to and fro and left the stuff like shoes at work with one of those polish wipe things and the rest i stuffed in a rucksack.

[Geodude]

Bike boots are for biking and work boots are for...

I nearly got my MOD 2 test refused because I was wearing normal jeans rather than proper motorbike trousers. I have all the gear now.

[DJ123]

i've had a few spills over the years, touch wood never borken anything. Always worn proper protective gear and always will.
Don't think of wearing the gear as a what if, your health is what's at risk if something should happen.

Think of bike gear like a car. A car has safety features built in to keep you safe-ABS, TCS, crumple zones, airbags, seat belt pre tensioners, retracting steering column, side impact protection etc etc etc. You wouldn't skimp on these features if buying a car or travelling in one. You would want something that will keep you and your passengers safe, should something happen.

Simple think as your gear as part of the bike.

I always factor those costs into the cost of biking.

Absolutely buy bike boots for the reasons everyone else has said.

I wouldnt want to crash/be hit/fall over in anything else.

I've heard the usual interweb stories (so yes, they must be true lol) about steel toe cap boots being crushed and people losing toes, plus I doubt they'd support your ankle very well being dragged backwards or under a bike for 20 feet or more. I swear that my Sidi's are the only reason I've not got broken ankles/feet after my off.

And good luck with your Mod 2!