I don't like Shopping, but...

Bonjour, Tristesse!

Just another (not so bright) day at the Canadian Pacific We(s)t Coast. Summer Solstice came and went, and did only bring... warmer rain. On the plus side, I spent the time wisely, shopping around for some needful things.

As much as I despise going to the mall, as much do I love browsing for motorcycle and hiking gear. I am a really weird woman.

With our motorcycle trip just a few weeks ahead of us, and limited willingness or budget to invest in a (Harley Davidson) luggage rack and specific Sportster bags, I reviewed several universal luggage options, for fit on any motorcycle, not just on the Sporty, and settled for the KRIEGA US20+10 tail DryBag, as complementary luggage to my tank bag.

Installation was easy: Take seat off, align straps under seat, put seat on, hook the straps attached to the drybag into the strap loops, tighten straps, done. Installation time: about 2 minutes give or take. And no luggage rack necessary.

Waterproof, sturdy, and fits any bike.

I am not into gadgets, as a matter of fact I might be the very last member in our entire family (worldwide) who has only recently upgraded to an iPhone (because the company threw one at me). But now that I have this thing I might as well have it occasionally on display while riding, and use it as a GPS. However, I also wanted to have the opportunity to mount my camera on the bike, as well as my Garmin Nuvi.

So I picked the allrounder X-Grip holder made by RAM.

And the Sony Cybershot fits perfectly, too.

While these first two items were easy to select, and to decide upon, the final investment took me several months of intense investigation: A modular full face helmet.

For those who don't know me that well, occasionally I get claustrophobic under a full face helmet, hence swapped my Shoei RF-1000 against a Nolan N-43 3/4 helmet two years ago. I use the Nolan every day on my commute to work.

Traveling longer distance and higher speeds however find me pondering about safety, and consequently the use of a full face helmet. A modular helmet is the only option for me, in case I need to catch air during a fit.

High on my list was the Schuberth C3W, as it is specifically designed for the ladies but the price tag put me off. Meanwhile the new N104 by Nolan became available, and having been satisfied with the 3/4 helmet I decided to give this model a go.

It is a modular helmet with easy to use flip-up mechanism, which I can work fast, in case of a claustrophobic attack. Size S fits well for me, and the cheek pads are tight but not bothersome. What I like the most is the outstanding peripheral vision, the sun visor, and its weight, at 1,580g only 180g more than the 3/4 helmet. Oh, and besides it's only half the price of the Schuberth helmet.

So, all set for our big trip then, I guess...