Final purchases...well, almost....

With a little over three weeks left before we leave on our trip, we're fine-tuning what we'll take with us. When I toured the country in 2005, I wore all textile gear. More functional and more protective than my leather gear. I overheat easily and found mesh gear (jacket and pants) helped me stay comfortable and protected. The downside is when the weather gets cold or wet, the mesh isn't as good. So I traveled with two sets of paints (one mesh, one with rain & quilted liners) and two different jackets.

Since that time, gear has come a long way. I looked at my old mesh pants, First Gear HT Air Overpants and almost bought us those. Then I found the Tourmaster Flex pants - a great three season pant. It works like my Joe Rocket Alter Ego jacket, with panels that zip off for mesh use and a zip in rain liner and quilted liner. The have CE armor in the knees and hips, and three positions for the knee pads. They also offer the mens version in Short, a bonus for us.

 

They arrived today and both fit perfectly. These are perfect pants for our trip. In warm weather we will wear bikes shorts underneath and be much more comfortable. On the trip home or in the mountains, we will leave the panels on and even add the quilted liner if needed. Stu managed to get his jeans under his but from experience, I know this can be cumbersome and uncomfortable after a while. Me? Not unless I lose weight. I will bring long underwear/tights for layering, as I did in 2005.

We bought ours through a great company, Fly n Cycle Motorsports. We talked personally with Shawn and got a great deal on the Flex pants from them. I highly recommend them!

The other item was finding a tank bag for me that could do double duty as a purse. I had previously tried a Joe Rocket one but it was too tall and uncomfortable. So I searched the web and I did a lot of analysis in size as well as price. I didn't want it too large or too tall, plus it had to have a handle so I can snatch it off the bike and carry it. I finally settled on this one, it will replace my purse for the trip and be a handy spot for sunglasses, tissues, candy, phone, etc.

It arrived today and I have to say I LOVE it. Stu likes it so much he plans to take it over once I sell my bike in November. Will hold just enough and yet not get in my way when I'm riding. Yes, it covers the pretty artwork on my gas tank, oh well. ;)

The last item we need to get is a replacement cooler for the trailer. Stu is busily working on that. We can easily get the same cooler but it has no drain plug and that is a big negative for Stu. Will keep you updated!

Still riding,
Stu & Donna