What does a full set of gear realistically cost in the UK if I want AA rated and not to boil in July

Rough shape for a commuter kit bought new at mid-range brands: jacket 180 to 300, trousers 120 to 250, gloves 60 to 110, boots 110 to 200. So somewhere around 500 to 800 before you have thought about a summer mesh option, and there is no need to buy it all in one month. Boots and gloves first, because those are the parts that hit the ground on a low speed commute drop and they are the cheapest things on the list.

Where the money genuinely goes is the label nobody reads. Look for the CE label sewn inside, which will say AAA, AA or A for the garment, and check the armour separately for Level 1 or Level 2. Plenty of cheaper jackets are A rated with Level 1 armour and are not lying about anything, they are just less abrasion resistant than the AA one next to them. Also check whether a back protector is included, because it is very often an empty pocket and another 40 quid.

Do not buy one jacket for a Manchester year, it does not exist. I tried a laminate three-season jacket for two summers and sweated through both, then bought a cheap mesh jacket with a decent armour set and the whole problem went away. Two jackets at 200 each will serve you better than one at 400, and the mesh one is the item you will still like in five years.

Supermarket special buys and end of season clearances are how I kitted out my partner for a little over 300 total. The trick is knowing your sizes from a shop first, then buying when the discount lands, because bike gear sizing is wild between brands. Two of the four items were fine, the gloves were terrible and got replaced within a year, which still left us ahead.

Buy used for trousers and boots, buy new for gloves, never used for a helmet. Try everything on with the layers you will actually wear underneath, in the afternoon when your feet have swollen. Budget another 60 for waterproofing products over the first two years and you are done.