Budgeting for safety equipment

You may be thinking that this is all well and good, but I am on a budget.  How much should I spend and how can I save money?  A lot of clothing is available second hand and providing it is clean and in good condition, you may save yourself a few quid (NEVER buy a second hand helmet though).  A good rule of thumb is to spend 15 - 20% of the total cost of your bike on clothing.  To help you avoid blowing £400 on a helmet and then riding around in jeans and trainers, we’ve put the following table together, which gives a suggested budget break down.