All the Gear, No Idea

Let's be honest - we're all gearheads in one way or another.Motorbike gear is a rabbit hole with no bottom. There's the good, the bad, and the laughably useless. And if you've spent any time scrolling through Facebook ads, you've probably seen it all: "Buy this ultimate rider short, table and chair combo - the only one you'll ever need!”

Of course it's the only one you'll ever buy. Because once is enough. It's that bad.

Then there's the other end of the spectrum - the trendy stuff.

Gear that looks great in photos and gets you likes, but maybe not miles. I'm not here to name names or slate products. That's not the point.The point is this: there's good gear out there. Proper stuff.

But like everything in life, it's not one-size-fits-all. And that's a beautiful thing. We're all built differently. We travel differently. We want different things. But what we do want - all of us - is gear that holds up. That lasts.

What does "lasting" even mean?

Well, that depends. A weekend rider wants gear that feels like it'll last a lifetime. And it probably will, if you only ride 12 days a year. But for the long-distance lot, the ones who carry their lives around the globe on two wheels, it's a different ballgame.

Then there's the adventure traveller. The one who rides, flies, hikes, takes a bus, maybe even a donkey cart. Whole different expectations. Whole different needs.

Let me give you an example.I just rode from Germany to France on my motorbike. Then I threw my luggage into a van, jumped on a plane to Canada, and now I'm living out of the same bags. Hotel to car. Car to job. Tomorrow, I need to be five hours up the road for a shoot.

Think I brought aluminium panniers with me?

Of course not.

And here's the question: if they're so impractical in real life, why bolt them to your bike at all?

Oh right. The cool factor. Silly me.

Function over fashion

I travel with two Explorer Tail Bags. One for my personal kit. One for my camera gear. They're wide at the base, not too tall - perfect for cabin luggage. Perfect for the real world.

And that's the point.

Invest in flexibility, not in fashion.

Not in status symbols.

Not in me-too badges.

Buy stuff that works.

Stuff that travels with you - by bike, by plane, by whatever.

No regrets

A bag that's ripped, worn and beaten to hell after years of abuse?

That's not a failure. That's a badge of honour. That's a travel companion.

You don't replace it because it failed you. You replace it because it served you well.

And maybe - just maybe - you'll buy the exact same one again.

Because it was part of your story.

Your dusty, rain-soaked, wrong-turn, passport-stamped, slept-in-a-ditch, best-memories kind of story.

And that's the only story that matters.

Steph