People love to say, “Just pack the bike, throw on what you’ve got, and go.” And honestly—that’s not wrong. A bike with gas in the tank beats three years of buying gear, planning the “perfect” route, and never leaving your driveway. Over-planning is the quickest way to burn time, money, and well brain cells.

But…..

The right amount of planning makes you freer. It takes the heavy unknowns off your shoulders so you can actually enjoy the ride instead of vibrating around like a fly in a glass jar. I’ve been thinking about that a lot while planning this trip down to Georgia & Florida.

The “I Don’t Need a Map” Crew

Every once in a while on a long ride, you meet the old-in-the-tooth rider who leans back in the saddle and says something like:

“I don’t use maps, kid. I just roll.”

And hey — some of them earned that line with a ton of miles and stories that make you shut up and listen. Real hardcore riders exist, and they’ve forgotten more about the road than most people will ever ride. But there’s another type too — the try-hards who use the same line like it’s a tattoo of their personality:

“I don’t plan. I don’t need gear. I just go.”…while secretly following a playlist of YouTube routes someone else planned for them. Here’s the reality nobody says out loud: A lot of those riders are in a chapter of life where they can do that. They’ve cleared their calendar. No more kids at home, no mortgages weighing on their back, nobody calling them at 3PM asking for stuff at work is, no daycare drop-offs, no 7AM Monday meetings. They can disappear and nobody needs an explanation. That’s awesome for them. It really is. Sure that will happen to most over time. But the mistake is when that vibe turns into “Don’t plan — planning’s for amateurs.”

Because for a lot of us – We have jobs. We have families. We have responsibilities. We have commitments we actually love. And we still choose to ride thousands of miles anyway. Planning isn’t a weakness — it’s the bridge between “adult life” and “life on the road.” If you can just go, with zero preparation, that’s called privilege, not philosophy. Some of us learn how to make space for adventure instead of waiting until everything in life is silent. We plan our mileage like we plan our budget — because both matter. And in this day and age, with all the tech at our fingertips — maps, apps, GPS satellite trackers, weather overlays, wildfire reports, construction alerts — acting like planning is somehow “less authentic” is just… outdated ego.

Half the people talking like that are secretly using their phone to check fuel stops anyway. So don’t let anyone knock you for loving maps, or planning a route, or digging into the culture before you show up. The way I see it – Planning is how riders with full lives still make room for the road.

Georgia and Florida backroads and a Full Life.

On this trip south to Georgia and FL, I’ve got commitments at home life – work deadlines -charity goals – real responsibilities waiting on my return. And I still get to ride backroads through the Blue Ridge and take the country roads stand under a waterfall in Tallulah Gorge, eat ribs really quickly (lol) in a town with one stoplight, and watch the Spanish moss in Savannah move like it’s breathing.

Not because I’m free from all obligations —but because I planned just enough to make the trip happen without blowing up my life. That’s the difference. Planning isn’t limiting — it’s enabling.

Truth From the Road.

Old-school riders taught me a lot including the value of just going. They also taught me something they didn’t mean to – You can be fearless and still care about people who depend on you.

Both can live in the same helmet.