Guide

What kit do
they actually need?

You do not need everything on day one. You do need a helmet that fits, and that is the one nobody should be economising on.

The helmet, and why it goes first

Buy the helmet before the bike if the money is tight. It should be snug enough that the cheeks squash slightly and the skin on the forehead moves with the lid, not under it. If you can rock it side to side on their head, it is too big.

Do not buy big for growing room. A loose helmet is not a helmet. And once one has taken a proper hit it is finished, even if it looks fine, so bring it in and we will tell you honestly.

Goggles

Cheap goggles fog, and a child who cannot see stops riding. Get ones that sit in the helmet's eye port without gaps, and take a tear-off or a spare lens if they are riding anywhere wet.

Boots

The most under-bought item and the one that prevents the injuries that actually keep children off bikes. Ankles are what get hurt. Motocross boots are stiff by design, they will feel strange walking, and that is the point.

Boots are also where buying slightly big is acceptable, with a thick sock, because they are expensive and feet grow fast.

Gloves

Cheap, and they save the palms every single time. There is no reason not to.

Body protection

A pressure suit or a chest protector, and knee pads. If you are buying in stages, protection comes after boots and before anything that makes the bike look nicer.

In what order to buy it

Helmet. Then boots. Then gloves and goggles. Then body protection. Then, if there is anything left, the jersey and pants that make them look the part, which matter more to a child than any of us admit.

Bring them in for the helmet and the boots. Those two want trying on, and sizes run differently between makes.

Common questions