You love the feeling. The feeling of riding on open roads with no other thoughts than being one with your bike and the road. There is not better joy too than to take your bike out on a sunny day, with miles and miles of open roads ahead of you.

While nothing can prepare you for the feeling of turning the throttle in your hand and experiencing the adrenaline running through your body, you can do a lot to correctly prepare before you get on the bike.

As exciting as it is riding your bike on the road, it is equally dangerous too if you do not take the right precautionary measures to ensure your safety. The first step to ensuring your safety is to make sure that you don’t let emotions run wild and use your common sense while riding.

What can also ensure you are safe on the road is your protective motorcycle gear. The right protective gear can be the difference between an accident that causes minor scratches and the same accident causing very serious injuries. We listed some of the must-have protective gear for someone even dreaming about riding a bike.

1. Helmet

It is surprising that wearing a helmet is not part of the law in certain cities around the world. But if you ever wondered if you should be wearing one, read on! The helmet serves many purpose. The most obvious one is that it protects your head and face in case of an accident. And the positive impact that wearing a helmet can have on your health if you are in an accident is immense. People have gotten up and walked away from accidents that they wouldn’t have survived if they weren’t wearing a helmet.

Besides that, helmets works very well in keeping the bugs out of your eyes. Imagine riding at high speeds, only for a bug to enter your eye. The result of this could be very dangerous for the rider, and other people near the bike as well. Also, helmets now come with Bluetooth as well, so you can connect your phone and have a chat without changing your riding style – although you should always try to come to a halt before you take the call.

2. Gloves

Many people might be surprised with the gloves being so high up on the list. But think about your reactions when you are in an accident. More often than not, you will not end still sitting on your bike if you meet with an accident. And when you are in the air, preparing to land, your instincts will direct you to use your hands to brace the fall. In a high speed environment, this could result in a lot of injuries to your hand. With the right gloves, you can protect your skin, nails and sometimes even your bones. Now-a-days, some gloves come with weather fighting capabilities as well.

This could mean gloves that keep your hands cooler when it is a really hot day, or gloves that keep your hands warm during those early morning rides in the chilly weather. Waterproof gloves can also help keep your hands dry if you happen to encounter some rain in the middle of your ride.

3. Jacket

A jacket, just like the glove, will offer protection from the elements of nature and also keep you warm when it gets too cold. On top of that, jackets come with a lot of protective padding to brace your fall in case of an accident.

4. Pants

The pants literally act like a jacket for the legs, offering the same benefits if you were to be in an accident.

5. Ankle boots

Highly underrated are the ankle high boots that are the only things that can protect the small bones in your leg during an accident. Make sure you buy something that comes with strong ankle support for extra protection.

Have these 5 items on you and enjoy your ride.