His 'n Hers

If there's one thing I don't understand, it's why couples on bikes (usually married couples on tourers) feel the need to wear matching kit. Now, if they have got a stunning bargain on 2 jackets, say, good on them. But what I'm talking about is much scarier than that.

You don't need my to tell you that men and women are built differently. There was a time (not that long ago) when almost all rider gear was "unisex" - let's face it, that means mens wear. Fortunately, the manufacturers have realised they were missing out on a potentially lucrative market and it is relatively easy to buy ladies specific kit (there's even 1 accessory company I am aware of that only sell ladies wear).

So, I found it strange when my OH and I went on our first Pan Clan run. There were 9 bikes, 3 of which were couples (including my OH and I). Of the 3 couples, only my OH and I didn't have matching kit. This was from the helmets to the boots. Jackets, I can live with as there isn't much that is different between a ladies and gents bike jacket, but trousers are a different matter. Men don't have hips and generally have longer legs. I didn't have to look too closely to see that the trousers on the ladies weren't an ideal fit, as they had to compromise waist size over hip size and they appeared a tad long.

And, what scared my more than that was matching helmets, which co-ordinated not only with the rider and pillion, but with the colour of the bike! Besides, I have found that helmets are very like shoes. Some are a small fit; some large. Even a smaller size of the same helmet may not be a comfortable fit for another person. Therefore, I find it surprising that those couples could get 2 matching helmets that fitted each other comfortably. My OH and I certinatly can't, but he has a choice of 1 helmet, as only 1 manufacturer does one large enough for him.

I hear you saying "but, surely if they got a bargain, what's it to do with you". Well, the kit they had wasn't the type that generally features in reduced to clear bins. And, it's my blog, therefore my opinion.

In case you were wondering, my OH and I have very different kit. I have a red helmet and he has a black one; I have a blue, ladies specific, jacket and his is grey. Our trousers are by the same company, but I did get a ladies specific pair. Besides, they were in the reduced to cleat section as the place we bought them was closing down.