Bike, helmet, fuel. You might think that’s all you need before you get rolling on the open road and, technically, you would be correct. But you don’t have to leave things to just the bare minimum physical and legal requirements when you are out for a ride.
Think about it, where are you going to keep your phone, what if it rains, how are you going to secure your bike when you get to where you are going, what if something breaks? These are all pertinent questions a biker should ask themselves whether they are traversing South America or nipping down the shops.
I’m no boy scout and ‘always being prepared’ is a high bar for anyone to keep to all the time, but I have found that ensuring I’ve got these items on me when I hop into the saddle has helped me out on numerous occasions.
Phone home
Basically, as a species, we are reliant on our smartphones. Whether it’s making calls, using the satnav, or playing music, pretty much our whole lives are contained in those little black rectangles.
As such, it is wise to have them somewhere easy to access when you are out on the move, and one of the best solutions I’ve found is using a handlebar mount and bike specific case. The SP Connect Moto Bundle contains a slim, protective case for your phone that can easily be attached to the corresponding mount.
This keeps your phone safe, secure and easily accessible while you are out on the road. Most importantly it also has vibration reduction tech to stop your phone’s sensitive camera stabilisation system failing. And all for a reasonable £89.95.
Why does it always rain on me?
We’ve all been there, it’s a glorious morning in early June. The skies are clear, we hop onto our bikes in a leather jacket and a pair of motorbike jeans for a weekend jaunt. All is well until about 90 minutes into the trip when the heavens decide to open, and we end up wondering if we should be in an ark rather than on a bike.
It is at times like this that I have been very glad to have something waterproof in my rucksack or panniers. As I’m rather forgetful I like to only have to remember one thing so have recently been opting for the Spada Eco 1-piece waterproof oversuit. As a one-piece its rain protection is far better than combo jackets and trousers, as there’s no gap at the waist for water to sneak down.
At £49.99 it doesn’t break the bank and its easy enough to fold up into your rucksack incase you do get caught in a downpour.
Lock it up
At home you can keep your pride and joy off the road, under lock and key in garage away from the prying eyes of would-be thieves. It is an uncomfortable fact that bikes are eminently nickable, with merry bands of wrong-uns stalking virtually every city on this sceptred isle. As such it is wise to make their lives as difficult as possible.
Of course, taking a big, bulky, bike lock with you on every trip can be a pain. They’re heavy and if you haven’t got a top box or panniers on for a quick ride out, really weigh down any bag you may be carrying.
However, disc locks are a practical solution for most bikers on the go security needs. Compact and light, they can be clipped on to your brake discs to make your bike harder to make off with.
The Abus Granit Detecto Xplus 8077 has a 13.5 mm locking bolts made of specially hardened steel and an integrated warning system that activates a 100dB alarm if anyone tries to move your bike. It’s also small enough to slip into a bag.
Tale of the tape
Many a rider has been thankful of having a roll of gaffer tape on them after something goes awry on the road. It’s handy for all manner of things from patching up a tyre to temporarily re-attaching something that, unfortunately, falls off. Couple gaffer tape with a bag of cable ties and you’ll have a cheap tool kit that can fix just about anything.
Just a cloth
I cannot stress this enough, if you have helmet with a visor, you will want to wipe while you are out. Whether it be rain, flies, or your own breath fogging it up from the inside there will come a point when you will wish you had a cloth with you. That time might be after you stop or while you’re tanking down the motorway, but it will come. Do yourself a favour and chuck a small chamois leather in your bag or pop it in your pocket. I promise you won’t regret it.
All these items and more will be available on the Feridax stand at the ABR Festival later this month. So, when you aren’t riding the Adventure trail, checking out the latest bikes at the manufacturers stands or enjoying the bars and bands, take advantage of some of the belting deals on offer from some of the top brands in the motorcycle industry at the Feridax stand located at W9 on your festival map.
With 15% off SP-Connect kit, buy one get the second half price on Abus security devices, and a free Gonzo bag thrown in with Spada gear, you can make great savings as well as have a great time.
