“ Good things truly come to those who make an effort to try ,” Amanda continues . “ We had a number of women who had never ridden sand before , so we built a sort of camaraderie through that .”
This group trained together , learned together , and conquered together . And would they do it again ? Amanda needs no prompting , a resounding ‘ yes ’, “ in fact , I ’ m thinking about going again this year .”
Determination , again . The same determination , and necessity , that lead to the creation of Flying Solo Gear Co ., Amanda ’ s business , a “ hobby business ” as she describes that is determined to change the motorcycle accessories market based on rider feedback and input .
“ I had a road crash on a rainy day when a car came up the ‘ Canadian ’ side of the road while trying to pass a stopped tram ,” you see in Melbourne trams share the road with cars and everything must give way to trams , they stop , you stop . “ The phone in my jacket pocket bruised my kidney so much I was sent to hospital .”
This led Amanda to start preliminary designs of a flat bum bag for carrying such things as phones , worn on the lower back and away from the bodies ‘ soft parts ’. With a borrowed sewing machine , tablecloth material , and a backpackers furniture , Amanda put together 12 packs to be tested by her riding friends . Within a few days Flying Solo Gear Co . was created , the logo a Phoenix , yes Amanda ’ s ‘ surname ’ but as she describes , “ motorcyclists
come back stronger every time they fall ”. A phoenix rising from the ashes .
From these humble beginnings a number of other products have come from Flying Solo Gear Co . and all designed by Amanda through intensive input from the riding community , FSGC ethos is that all gear must be functional before fashionable , and in that the products do look great . The latest product is the ‘ Tully ’ tailbag , easily one of the better tailbags we ’ ve seen .
Amanda is unashamed to explain that FSGC is , as mentioned earlier , a hobby business and that all profits are returned straight back into the business to start development on the latest products . The workforce is well , just Amanda , and while that creates a strain , she isn ’ t shy of hard work and a level of determination that will see this business grow . “ Discomfort is temporary ,” she shrugs again . Learning to ride , contending with traffic , riding remotely or across deserts Amanda ’ s advice , “ no matter how difficult it gets , stick with it .
“ Riding opens up a whole new world and it only rewards those who put the effort in .”
It ’ s hard not to be impressed by Amanda ’ s commitment , determination , drive , and resilience , it ’ s infectious and inspiring ... and “ there ’ s a great story waiting on the other side .” TRAVERSE
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