Well let’s get the obvious out of the way first. Yes, safety gear is not only important to wear while you are on a bike, it is essential equipment and you shouldn’t even think of planting your butt on the seat without being properly suited up. The biggest misconception that people seem to have about this gear is that it won’t offer that much protection in the event of an actual accident. I would say that they are not only severely underestimating the durability of these items that are purpose made with safety in mind, but also the difference that even a little extra protection can always make.
When it comes to the available protection that you can get for your extremities, like bike elbow pads and knee pads, you probably immediately envision those shoddy looking plastic covers that barely cover anything, but that is not the case. There are in fact many different types bike elbow pads and knee pads that you can get nowadays which have so many different little touches that both keep you safe and comfortable, that you feel more secure on a bike than you do in a car. Your best choice are the ones that have abrasion resistant stretch Kevlar, or the ones that have a soft bio-foam chassis.
While you may have had some experience with the knee and elbow pads for biking as a kid, the chest armor is not likely a product that you have tried out before, that is unless you had really protective parents that made you wear it even if you were on a kick scooter. This item is made to provide full upper body protection, and is a big contributing factor in whether or not you walk away from an unforeseen accident relatively unscathed. It is made out of materials that are designed to allow you to move around without any difficulty, without having to sacrifice any protection in the process.
And finally, there is of course the helmet. Luckily, everyone knows what this item is and how much it is worth when it comes to keeping you safe, so no further explanation is needed as to why you really need a sturdy helmet (unless you don’t have a good head on your shoulders, in which case you can afford to lose it). But in all seriousness, if you feel that something like the body armor is simply overkill, then you could do just fine with a helmet and knee and elbow pads, but the key thing is to never try and ride without any protection since there is no reason why you should take that risk.
