Blog — Category_Gear Guide

Gear Guide - Track Kit

This year I decided to ditch my humble, Stig of the Dump look and equip myself with some decent track gear. There are a few old suits hanging in the garage but there must be something wrong with the leather as they've gone tight all of a sudden. And after a decade of loyal service my trusty Alpinestars S-MXRs are no good for sporty pursuits, the toe slider mount is knackered on one side. So, with a couple of race school experiences booked and the Bike Shed Festival to look forward to I did my research and kitted-up with the...

BSMC ’19MKII CLOTHING COLLECTION.

Introducing our latest clothing collection - '19MkII. Featuring the new BSMC Utility line of ‘Shed designed work-shirts, vests and jackets. We make the garments we want to wear, with on-the-ride functionality at the forefront of our minds⁠⁠. The BSMC Utility line takes inspiration from classic workwear styles that we like to wear whilst out and about or hard at work in the ‘Shed. The embroidered TWILL JACKET headlines the collection whilst our take on a heavy duty WORK-SHIRT and the UTILITY VEST signal a new level in BSMC clothing. The Club T-shirt has long been a staple of the BSMC...

Goose All-In-One Moto Tent

Being cooped-up in a cramped metropolis while seemingly the rest of the world, according to Instagram at least, ride their motorcycles through the Rockies or across continents is frustrating. I'm an easy target for wanderlust inducing advertising and got sucked right in after watching the video above. The idea of finishing work and heading for the hills with a temporary home strapped to the back of your bike - now that's living the dream, right? Well not if you're me. Just look at all the stuff I rode around with for 18 months, hardly the bare essentials. In the decade...

Gear Guide - Acerbis Ottano

I've been doing more and more greenlane and adventure riding recently, mostly in a 15-year-old Hein Gericke jacket (the trousers stopped fitting a decade ago) and my well used Revit Zircon - review here. It was about time I looked less scruffy but I wasn't quite ready for rally raids so didn't need a 100% race oriented suit, so figured I'd give the Acerbic Ottano range a go. I'd first seen an Ottano Jacket on the back of suave enduro hero, Italian motorcycle journo and personality, Roberto Ungaro, and seeing as I have a bit of a penchant for slightly...

Bell Eliminator - Gear Guide

I haven’t had a new helmet in a little while but seeing as Bell are supporting the Bike Shed show this year I thought I’d see what their new Elimnator was like. I’ve been an Arai guy most of my life, Bells never used to fit, but something must have changed, or my receded hairline has freed up some cranial real estate. I use a Bell MX-9 for Enduro and flat track practice and found the comfort excellent. It’s only a cheapie but so far I’ve been impressed - sweat and hard use hasn't resulted in much change in the...

Scrambler 1200 - Riding Gear

No wonder my case nearly blew the scales at the BA check-in, there's a lot of gear to review here. Thankfully some of it has been serving me for a few years now so there are links below to previous reviews. For reference I'm 5'10" and 14 stone, or 178cm and 89kgs. This new weight figure means a medium is snug, but large tends to be a little loose, for now. If you've ended up here without seeing the Triumph Scrambler Ride Report then add some context to my ramblings by clicking here. ROEG PERUNA Dutch brand Roeg are relatively...

Nexx Helmets ROTCR

One of our favourite companies who we've collaborated with is NEXX, the Portuguese helmet manufacturer who have produced standout designs for the current custom scene that combine state of the art manufacturing and safety standards while somehow managing to keep retail costs low, despite 100% of the production process taking place within the NEXX factory in just south of Porto. Obviously we're biased because we sell the X Garage range in our shop, so why not hear what Return of the Café Racers has to say in an interview with NEXX as part of the ROTCR Workshop Series. Read the...

GEAR GUIDE #78 - PANDO M65 & KARL JEANS

PANDO M65 JACKET by Ben Williams Since its introduction into the US military in 1965, four-pocket M-65 Field Jacket has built a reputation as an essential piece of utilitarian outerwear. It’s inclusion in films such as Taxi Driver, First Blood, The Terminator (and Annie Hall!) helped cement its iconic garment status. Over the years, fashion houses have taken the M-65 pattern and adapted it to their own needs, but the quintessential look of the jacket has remained unchanged for decades. Now Pando Moto - whose mission statement is to create stylish motorcycle wear that also protects it's wearer properly -...