Horses for courses I reckon

My wife and I hire a bike when we travel abroad and we use soft panniers from Andystrapz.

andystrapz.com.au

The pannierz are connected and either sit over the pillion seat or go under it. We use the tank pannierz which are also multi use.

And finally one large bag for the rear that is multi fit.

When we fly the pannierz are our large carry on and the tank pannierz are our small ones. The rear bag goes in cargo.

At the airport I can actually wear the pannierz like a front and rear backpack. Looks dopey but works. Saves $$ on paying for panniers etc when you hire the bike.

here is what usually happens when you crash with hard panniers:

Wow! With all those big rocks there ... both those riders were lucky, IMO. Glad they were both skilled enough to scrub off some speed before going into boulder field when they missed the turn.

Rocks like that will kill ya. I've seen guys go off course riding too quick on Baja rides with disastrous results. In Baja, the other thing that can get you are Cactus.

They both did not see the corner coming up. This is typical in Baja riding as well. And in Baja, the locals often set "Traps" in the form of ditches, fence wire and Whoop de Doos of the dangerous variety. Been there, survived a couple.

Hello

At 2.50 look at the smashed ten and the almost new panniers.
+1 for aluminium panniers, just pet them with a nice hammer.

Sorry, but I'm amazed how some riders think they could go like "the pros of the Dakar" on a LOADED BIKE WITH LUGGAGE AND SPARE TYRES.

Not to mention, the next hospital is probably a thousand miles away and the ambulance is an old russian van having to drive those thousand miles of dirtroad.

sushi

__________________
My RTW:
http://www.youtube.com/user/MrXt660ztenere

I guess hard or soft both have benefits depending on what sort of trip you are doing. Personally I prefer soft luggage as they are easily fitted and quick to take off and throw over shoulder if required. They are also expandable so you don't always have a fat arse rear

On a trip to Slovenia I did some of the mountain passes then dropped the bike in a flat car park! The soft pannier took the impact and prevented any damage to the bike.

I also use a roll top dry bag for all the camping and sleeping stuff. Works for me anyway.

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The one good shot of the repaired pannier indicates someone had skill wielding a hammer. Not always the case. I've witnessed ... 3 times IIRC, guys with crashed Alu panniers that were NOT repairable.

They were able to re-mount them to the bike ... with Bungee straps and rope ... but never closed properly, basically ruined ... and none were ever waterproof again.

It is amazing! ... Amazingly Stupid! On Baja group rides things can get out of hand ... especially early days. Some guys think they're running the Baja 1000.

No Doctors or Hospitals 100 to 200 miles ... not 1000 like Mongolia but if injured, you may exceed your "Golden Hour" of survival. Ambulance would be farmer's clapped out Pick up truck with broken suspension.

After one multi bike crash, went searching for help while one of the wounded was loaded into an old truck and headed out. We found help at an Estancia, got hold of hospital in Ensenada who dispatched a ambulance to our location ... but we had to transport the injured guy about 20 miles to the Estancia.

We took off to intercept the truck and direct to Estancia. As we closed on them,
we heard something weird. We stopped ... the sound we heard were the SCREAMS coming from the guy with a compound fracture riding in metal truck bed with only a blanket for padding. Every bump ... was like torture. His piercing screams could be heard quarter mile away ... OVER engines running on two bikes!!

The other wounded guy was able to ride (barely). Rode to highway, then rode to Ensenada to hospital. His buddy rode with him as he had hit is head too ... so no one was sure what could be wrong besides a very sore knee and possible
broken ribs.

These guys were going at 70 mph race pace when they hit an unexpected wash out, both went flying. I was hanging way back, but saw the bodies flying in the air and the dust. This same ride had two or three other crashes, one concussed guy rode home in a truck, his bike left behind for later pick up.

This group are very experienced street/dirt riders/racers, very aggressive. The ones who know Mexico slow down, the others may learn the hard way.

When far from home and help ... ride a moderate, measured pace on your overloaded Pig of a travel bike! No Hero Awards for finishing first ... and no winners ... and old racers' motto still applies: To finish first, first you must finish!

is it really the case??? wow, so local are "funny" guys and
I thought all people love riders...
I guess there must be a lot accidents then.

Yes, Booby traps in Baja are real. They've nearly killed a few riders/drivers. But now since everyone does complete PRE-RUN of the course ... most hazards are known and racers slow down for possible hazards.

Guys on the bikes are Most vulnerable ... they don't have navigators like some of the Truck/Buggy guys do.

The racers know that when they see a crowd of Mexicans standing around, it could mean a Booby trap is nearby. SLOW DOWN! You can Google old Baja races to see some spectacular crashes on film from traps set by locals.

Not all Mexicans are happy to see Baja racers. Yes, big races bring in a lot of money to local economy, but not everyone benefits ... and there is A LOT of racism from North Americans ... which I have seen ... in person... for years.

The majority LOVE the races ... but not everyone.

Many of the truck and buggy racers are VERY wealthy individuals. (not an inexpensive sport!) I mean millionaires. Bike racers are more "average" income, which means they still make 20 times what an average Mexican makes.

Some treat local Mexicans like their Bus Boy or Gardener. Some Gringos feel entitled; "Hey, we're paying here, we "own" this place."

Bad attitude but quite prevalent. Racism is endemic in USA.

If you ride Baja anytime before the race, like within a month, you really have to be careful of the Pre-runners. I've nearly been killed TWICE by speeding buggies coming over blind rises or corners. When I enter area with blind rises or corners, I stop my bike ... and Listen ... you can hear them coming. GET OUT OF THE WAY!

They will be running nearly flat out ... and they think they are the only ones in Mexico! In one case I heard the guy coming and had to literally ride into the Desert, other guy was FLYING over a rise (air borne) Moved to edge of road and when buggy landed the driver instantly got it under control, moved over a bit, no problem. Very quick reactions ... thank God.

They just don't expect you out there. Also ... to note! Many run at NIGHT! This is a lot safer for travelers cause you can see lights miles away. No danger.
Day Time? Be careful. Since I go in November I often encounter the Pre Runners.