All of us out there on two wheels need to be prepared for a spill. Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.

If you knew you were going to be pushed out of a pickup truck at 80 km/h, (or 60 or 50…) what would you wear? Short sleeved shirt, surfer shorts or spandex? Not likely, yet every day you see people out there dicing through traffic with nothing between them and the pavement but thin fabric.

Assuming you collide with nothing during your spill, the minimum you need is a full face helmet, heavy jacket, pants, boots that protect the ankles, and gloves that protect the wrists.  Remember, your head will be falling from a height of four feet, so a beanie-type helmet will not offer you much protection.

In a slide, denim will protect you for approximately two feet, or sixty centimetres. After that, it’s all skin.

If your ankle gets caught under your scooter, running shoes will not protect you enough.

Your hands are often the first things to hit the pavement. Don’t ride barehanded.

Some people avoid buying proper protective gear because of the cost. However, when you look at the cost in time and pain to you while your skin grows back, your bones heal, or you fight your way back from a head injury, the cost becomes quite reasonable.

Protective gear companies have done a lot of work developing their products.

Do your research and don’t go into battle without your armour.