Hi guys!

First of all, let me say that this is my first post. I discovered this site as I started looking for info for a trip I plan to do this summer and so far it has proved to be the best source. Congrats to everyone!

I plan to ride from Barcelona to Ulaanbaatar in three months this summer, and I have started preparing the bike. I currently have a pair of plastic Givi E41 panniers, which I intend to replace with something more sturdy, since I know I will probably drop the bike more than once. After checking lots of options I had decided to go for a pair of Touratech Zegas, but today I saw that Givi has just launched a pair of aluminum panniers (Givi Trekker Outback). No info on prices yet, but they would fit the mounts that I already have on my bike, so I'd probably save some money over a complete Touratech system.

My doubts are the following:

I do not intend to go off road anymore than I need to. I am aware that the state of most roads in Kazakhstan and Mongolia ranges from poor to nonexistent, but I'm not going to deliberately head down narrow tracks or race across the desert. I know that Tourach gear has been proven by a lot of people on a lot of trips, but I'm worried about my Givi mounts. Will they be sturdy enough to withstand such a trip? Does anyone have any experience with Givi luggage systems on long trips?

Any advice would be most welcome.

Thank you very much!