Amanda Phoenix, the creator, director, and designer of Flying Solo Gear Co., has made the largest move in her company. The now seven-year-old company opened its first physical retail location after starting as a small online business. Like every voyage, this one had its share of difficulties. However, Amanda isn’t your typical person. She has gone places that many would not dare thanks to her tenacity, passion, and vision. It’s time to apply the same logic to her company, which caters to both road and adventure riders.
Amanda established a refuge for motorcycle riders at the recently built business in Melbourne, Australia. Apart from her motorbike baggage from Flying Solo Gear Co., she recently assumed leadership roles in Miss Moto and MotoGirl Australia and New Zealand. The South Melbourne store is tiny, but it’s jam-packed with a great assortment of women’s motorcycling accessories.
However, let’s go back to the beginning since Flying Solo Gear Co. has an amazing, to put it mildly, backstory.
Born and raised in Vancouver, Canada, Amanda graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Science in Human Kinetics, specializing on strength training and biomechanics relevant to sports. She had no idea that fifteen years later, this expertise would help her expand her motorcycle company.
Although Amanda had always known she was destined for a life on a bike, she didn’t begin riding until she was in her early 20s. Her first recollections of riding a two-wheeled vehicle were of making throttle sounds when she was a little kid riding a bicycle. She succeeded in hiding her motorbike from her parents for a whole year after receiving her learner’s permit, until she made the mistake of parking too near to the house.
After a while, Amanda relocated to Australia, where she regrettably crashed her bike. Her kidneys were squashed and hurt by the jewels she had in her jacket pocket. She realized then that there had to be a more secure method for her to carry them than in her jacket pockets. Using a borrowed hobby sewing machine, leftover polka-dot tablecloth, a lone folding chair, and an Ikea nightstand, she got to work using what a traveler could find.
The result was the Killswitch Pack, the first iteration of a specialized motorbike bumbag. After many years and modifications, the polka dots gave way to a chic black design reinforced with kevlar, which featured a lovely and significant logo.
The killswitch signifies the beginning of every adventure, and the phoenix in Flying Solo Gear Co.’s emblem serves as a reminder that we will always rise stronger after a fall. The surge of exhilaration and independence we enjoy when we go on two wheels is where the moniker “Flying Solo” originates. The brand’s motto, #BEBRAVE, refers to the bravery that riders possess regardless of their degree of expertise or discipline.
Another excellent word to characterize Amanda is brave. Without any safety net, she relocated to Australia from Canada. For years, she rode a 2007 Suzuki GSX-R600 on a 40-day, 18,000-kilometer solo trip of Australia, pushing the boundaries of her skill as a road rider. The first female group to cycle across the Simpson Desert did accomplished in 2019. A 500+ km (300+ mi) achievement across the world’s biggest parallel sand dune desert made entirely of soft sand. In typical Amanda fashion, she accepted the challenge and gave it her all. Every weekend, she would go several hours outside of Melbourne to workout on a little area of sand.
Amanda saw there was a need for more secure and comfortable baggage carrying solutions for trips like this as she rode through unfamiliar areas. She then went on to create the Roxby Waterproof Adventure Duffel, her biggest piece of luggage to date, and a line of waterproof and dustproof Tully Tailbags.
But while she was creating these newest bags, she wasn’t working alone in her flat. She asked friends and other riders all throughout the country to assist with the design, prototyping, and testing of the equipment. resulting in distinctly loved, tested, and community-driven goods.
The motorcycle gear business may benefit from disruption and innovation in the form of this cooperative community approach. Gear driven by a brilliant, compassionate, and passionate individual for the people, by the people. Amanda prominently displays the mission statement of Flying Solo Gear Co. on her store:
ADVERTISE WELL AND BE A GOOD PEOPLE
which Amanda embodies and is a real example of.
We hope Amanda’s and Flying Solo Gear Co.’s story motivates you to act when you see a need in the motorcycle industry. Alternatively, just commit to doing what you love, whether it be on two wheels or not.