Loaded up on the NX500, somewhere the pavement had already given up.
I am Dylan Hart, and RideFarGear is where I write down what I wish someone had told me before my first long trip.
No sponsored hype, no gear I would not consider running myself. Just what works when the miles get long and the pavement runs out, with the trade-offs said out loud.
How this started
RideFarGear started the way most of my trips do: with a plan that did not survive contact with the road. I have been riding for about five years, most of it on Honda’s 500 adventure platform. I put my first real miles on a CB500X and never really got off it, right through to the NX500 I ride now.
It is not the flashiest bike in any car park, and that is sort of the point. I would rather learn one machine deeply than chase the newest one every season. I ride it everywhere: multi-day tours with the panniers loaded, gravel and light off-road when the tarmac gives up, and the occasional wet mountain pass that reminds me what my gear can and cannot do.
Along the way I have made most of the gear mistakes there are to make. I bought “waterproof” luggage that was not. I froze on a pass because I layered wrong and learned the hard way that cotton is not a base layer. I rattled a phone mount to death on a washboard road and only afterwards read that the vibration was the known problem, not bad luck.
Every one of those mistakes cost me money, comfort or a good day’s riding. This site exists so they cost you less.
How I write these guides
I am one rider with one bike, not a testing laboratory, and I think being straight about that matters more than pretending otherwise. Here is the method behind every guide on this site.
Experience where I have it
Gear I own and ride with gets written from actually using it, including the parts I did not like.
Standards over marketing
Where a published standard exists, I quote it. EN 1621 impact figures, EN 17092 classes, R-values, manufacturer specs.
Honest about the gaps
When something is researched rather than ridden, I say so. You should know which is which before you spend money.
Trade-offs, always
Nothing is the best at everything. Every recommendation here comes with what it costs you in weight, heat, money or hassle.
What you will not find here
- Paid or sponsored reviews
- Rankings sold to the highest bidder
- Copy-paste “top 10” lists assembled from other sites
- Fake urgency or countdown-timer nonsense
- Gear recommended purely because it pays well
- Pretending a spec sheet is the same as experience
What the site covers
Everything here is organised around the six things that decide whether a long ride is a good day or a long one.
Luggage & Storage
Panniers, top cases and packing that keeps the bike steady.
Comms & Navigation
Intercoms, mounts and staying on route without killing your phone.
Protective Apparel
Helmets, jackets and what the CE ratings actually mean.
Bike Protection
Crash bars, skid plates and guards that earn their weight.
Comfort & Ergonomics
Seats, grips, screens and the fatigue that ends rides early.
Trip & Camping
Route prep, fuel planning and sleeping out without freezing.
How the site is paid for
Being straight about money matters as much as being straight about gear. RideFarGear is free to read, and keeping it running costs time and hosting. Some pages carry advertising, and some links to retailers may earn a small commission if you buy through them. That never costs you anything extra, and it never changes what I recommend. If a product is the wrong choice for you, that is what the guide will say, commission or not. The full details are in the affiliate disclosure.
Get in touch
Spotted something wrong, disagree with a recommendation, or think there is a guide I should write? I would genuinely like to hear it. Corrections are welcome and get fixed, with the change noted on the page where it matters.
RideFarGear publishes guidance for riders, not professional mechanical or medical advice. Riding carries risk, protective standards change, and your own bike’s manual always takes priority over anything written here. Ride within your limits.