Bike:
Frame: Charge Cooker Ti 29er
No complaints about the Cooker, it's picked up a nice patina from use and it was reassuring to have an unpainted and metal frame with so much rubbing from the frame bag and the occasions where the frame was jammed solid with mud.
Fork: Superstar Carbon Monocoque
Stayed in one piece and even as a regular QR my wheel pointed where it was supposed to.
Front Wheel: SP-PD8X dynamo hub and Velocity Blunt SS rim
Kudos to PT Cycles for the quality of the build, both wheels stayed true despite the abuse given while fitted on a laden bike. The dynamo Hub I supplied, however, was a real let down. I noticed a funny noise the day before the grand depart, the factory sealed nature of the hub meant I just had to live with it. At Holland Lake I spotted the bearings had now worn to the point where the play was worryingly high. I replaced the wheel in Helena (132 miles later, the nearest bike shop!)
Rear Wheel: DT-Swiss 350 hub and Velocity Blunt SS rim
Worked perfectly for the whole trip, a great mixture of strength, stiffness and lightweight. Remained untouched for nearly 3000 miles.
Tyres: Continental X-King Protection 29 x 2.4" tyres set up tubeless
The TD was the first time I'd used protection spec continentals and I'm impressed. The rear lasted the whole way while the front was replaced in Steamboat after a sidewall slit picked up halfway between Wamsutter and Brush Mountain. It was easily repaired with a Lezyne tyre boot and had it just been for local rides I'd have kept it on.
QRs: Salsa F&R
Stayed done up the whole way!
Chainset: Raceface Ride with Absolute Black 36T Oval N/W ring
The cranks lost a bit of coating but that's it. The chainring didn't drop once in nearly 3000 miles and doesn't look that worn to be honest.
Bottom Bracket: Uberbike Ceramic HTII
No squeaks, rattles, creak or play. Got it with 20% off so an absolute bargain.
Pedals: Lifeline SPD
Loosened up nicely as the ride progressed, got a bit stickier unclipping towards the end but I reckon a fresh pair of cleats will sort that.
Chain: KMC X-11SL Goldie Lookin' Chain
Rear Derailleur and Shifter: Shimano XT M8000 GS
Cassette: Shimano XT M8000 11-42 11spd
Had thought about fitting a fresh chain at the halfway point. Never stopped shifting perfectly and still a nice gold colour under the cack so didn't bother. Lasted the distance. No adjustments made to the derailleur at all. Very happy.
Had a thousand miles on it before TD and got me to the end with no fuss.
Stem: Thomson 90mm 4X
Didn't even notice it was there!
Handlebars: Jones Loop bars 710mm
Very comfy, my only regret is that I think I'd have benefitted more from having aero bars. Possibly should have switched over the cut loop bars from the moonlander so I could've got aerobars on top.
Brakes: Shimano XT M785
Worked perfectly throughout in all conditions.
Brake Pads: Superstar Sintered
Switched out in Idaho for Uberbikes Sintered. I think the SS pads had more bite than the Ubers.
Grips: Ergon GS-1
Great when cruising, not so great on long lumpy descents when I found them harder to hold on than normal grips.
Bar tape: Deda Carbon in Black
Horrible shiny stuff with little grip, just as well the bars were so full of other stuff to hold onto.
Cables: Shimano XT with Transfil sealed cable kit
Shifted perfectly, no adjustments made, can't ask for more.
Seatpost: Thomson 27.2 410mm
Didn't slip, creak or need adjustment.
Seat: Charge Knife Ti
Had some discomfort but it's hard to blame a saddle when you're doing way more miles than you've ever done before. Instinct says I'd use a WTB Pure V instead.
Front light: Exposure Revo
Rear Light: Exposure Red-Eye
Great....until the hub dies and they just become expensive ornaments.
Handlebar Luggage:
Wildcat Gear Tomcat Jones bar pouch
Kept the rain out, didn't jam, held stuff in a convenient spot, perfect!
Sinewave Revolution Dynamo-USB Charger
As with the Revo/Redeye, great until the dynamo fails.
Duracell 1150mAH buffer batteries
On one hand these are great as they're light, have a capacity warning light and a manual on/off switch. On the other hand they were painfully slow to re-charge. This was fine when constantly trickled charged from the dynamo but when I had to resort to wall-charging it led to extended stops or waiting for a night in a motel.
iHarbort 5000mAH buffer battery
Fine for charging my phone but the auto on/off feature seemed to play havoc with the Garmin prompting random shut downs.
Various micro/mini USB cables as necessary
Revelate Designs Sweetroll
On a couple of occasions it did work itself loose, some slightly longer straps allowing them to be doubled back would probably cure this.
Alpkit Numo Mattress
Once I'd got the knack of the right pressure comfort was no issue. Could be improved by not being so shiny. After a long day in the saddle, going to bed tired and having to fight a mat sliding on a tyvek floor in a slick sleeping bag was annoying at times.
Alpkit Cloud Cover Down Quilt
Considering the size and price the cloudcover was fantastic. The cordlocks could do with being retained to the quilt as more than once I whipped myself while shaking the quilt to loft it up. I can't tell you exactly the temps I used it at but it saw action at 10,000ft!
Six Moons Designs Wild Oasis Tarp Tent
Tyvek Floor for above
SMD Carbon Pole
Quick to put up and also to pack away. Not as stealthy as I'd have liked on a couple of nights but a godsend to be able to get yourself and all your gear under cover and have space to sit up and get changed. Most of the advantages of a tent with a lot less bulk.
SOL Emergency Bivi
Ultimately a waste of time. On the occasions I did want to just use a bivi bag and not the tarp the total lack of breathability was a let down. My Alpkit Hunka would be heavier/bulkier but would have seen more use.
Revelate Pocket
The pocket required a bit of fiddling to stop it rotating around the Sweetroll, I used some mini carabiners to secure the buckles to the Wildcat Tomcat velcro.
ACA Tour Divide Maps
GPS is great, looking at a map is also great. Only downside was that the TD route isn't *exactly* the same as the ACA route.....gotta be careful you're following the right one!
Cue Cards
The maps are great but sometimes it's just nice to look down and see X town is Y miles away.
Pinarello Softshell hat
A veteran bit of kit, it fits under a helmet, it's comfy enough to sleep in, weighs nowt and packs small.
Specialized Wiretap Body Geometry Gel gloves
Didn't wear them! Bought a pair of Sugoi fingerless gloves in Calgary to make taking pics a quicker process. Wore them until they started to fall apart!
Gore Bikewear Windstopper Headband
Again, didn't wear it. Either bare head, cycle cap (after Steamboat and realisation of burning head) or warm hat.
Other stuff TBC probably food/warm gloves/etc.
Polaris windstopper gloves are another favourite. Either on their own or with Goretex Overmitts if it was raining heavily.
Alpkit Stem Cells x 2
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Smartphone
Peerless battery life and Camera for a phone. Used in conjunction with the official battery case and flight mode I never worried about running flat. Took about ooh.....1500 pictures?!
Oakley Jawbone Sunglasses
All good until they fell off and I managed to tread on them in the process of picking them up. They survived but the lens got scratched. Luckily outside my peripheral vision!
Other stuff TBC, probably beef jerky
Hmmm. Jerky. Ate LOADS of it.
Revelate Designs Gastank
TBC, probably sweets
I actually put all my snacks in one of the stem cells. The gastank contained my lights (after dynamo failure and sunscreen, chapstick, etc.
Revelate Designs Jerry Can
Stayed put, didn't leak. Top notch.
Garmin Dakota 20
The edge 810 was 99% reliable so this didn't get used
Alpkit Viper Headtorch
Same set of lithium batteries lasted for the whole trip, might even have been in there since Rovaniemi Feb 2015!
Spare Batteries
Only needed one set to use in the Spot.
Blinky rear light
Lifesaver after the dynamo failed!
Revelate Designs Viscacha
Kept the rain out and by and large didn't come loose and flap about. Not convinced by using the Alpkit tapered dry bag inside as I think it leaves too many voids that stop you getting it properly secured.
Sleep Kit:
Finisterre Merino Baselayer Top
Finisterre Merino Baselayer Bottoms
Finisterre Merino Boxers
Warm, comfy and great for getting into after a long in the saddle or to maintain modesty in a shared hotel room! Didn't get smelly despite not being washed and used nightly!
Riding Kit:
DHB ASV Merino socks
Planet X Thicky Merino Socks
Did what you'd hope socks would do. Not too hot when it was warm, not too cold when it was chilly.
Sessions Goretex Mitts
Not the smartest choice in hindsight. Probably about 15 years old, while they kept the rain out they were bulkier than needed and all the straps and cords were hard to fit under the sleeves of my jacket. Worst thing was that the faux suede/leather lost all it's top layer leaving black bits over everything I touched.
Kalas Hangar111-C6 SS Racing Jersey x2
Could do with sleeves that were a fraction longer but other wise all was good
Kalas Hangar111-C6 Racing Gilet
Didn't wear it. Either warm enough with just a jersey or had my waterproof/down gilet on.
DHB ASV Bib Shorts
Biggest disappointment of the trip. Have previously been fine over 24hrs of riding but left me in agony after a couple of days consecutive wear. Thank heavens I had the Rapha Brevet shorts as well.
Rapha Brevet Bib Shorts
So good I've bought another pair. Treat yourself, you're worth it. Literally saved my race.
Rapha UV Arm Screens
Wore these every day I was on the bike for the whole day. Brilliant. Didn't overheat during the day and kept the edge off at dusk. Really quick to dry after washing. Slight downside that after 24 full days in the sun they have faded to be a bit brown!
Castelli UV Leg Screens
Same usage as the arm screens. Not quite as good as I did get blisters on my thighs from the gripper to begin with. Again, quick to dry when washed. *EDIT* Yup, they did go brown as well!
Giro Terraduro HV Shoes (Not in Viscacha)
Going up a size and getting the HV was a good idea. No feet problems beyond the numbness everyone complains of after the event, they didn't fall apart and no blisters whatsoever.
Giro Foray Helmet (Also not in Viscacha)
Soon forgot I was wearing it. Pads didn't fall apart. Disapointed to find out that on the return journey it had got dented.
Wet Weather Kit:
Montane Trailblazer jacket
Properly waterproof yet packs small, is stretchy enough to not feel like a stiff waterproof and light enough to make a windproof redundant and the pockets act as effective vents. Only complaint was that the stitching holding the elastic around the hood started to come apart. That and I somehow lost it between finishing and getting to Phoenix!
Gore Bikewear Powertrail shorts
Only needed pockets of some sort to be perfect, baggy enough to fit over bibs, but not so much they'd bunch or flap about. Looked in pretty good nick considering the use they got.
DHB Aeron Rain defence leg warmers
Kept out the rain/kept me warm but damp depending on the level of deluge. Leg warmers and shorts was a good way to stop overheating. One downside was that the rear sections are fleece that mud worked through and combined with the seams to give me nasty friction burns behind my knees. Also lost after the event.
Gore Bikewear Goretex Socks
These combined with normal socks are much better than sealskins, once the rain stops these come off and you arent left with your normal socks wet, much better sealing at the top. These can also be rinsed and dried much more quickly. Again, also lost after the event.
Cold weather Kit
Polaris windproof fleece gloves
Brill, see above!
Karrimor Down Jacket
I'll admit I took this as I wouldn't be upset if it got ruined, it didn't! Definitely £25 worth, might have got more use if it was synthetic if I'm honest. I took this so that I had more options, i.e. a light sleeping bag could be made warmer with a jacket, I can't wear a warm sleeping bag while riding!
Uniqlo Down Gilet
Again a bargain item, packs away to virtually nothing, brilliant for wearing first thing until you get warmed up.
Revelate Designs Moonlander (!) Frame bag
A great quality item like all of revelate's kit. Unfortunately being made for a wide Moonlander BB if I didn't pack it "just so" the cranks rubbed. Nothing a tenacious tape patch couldn't fix however!
Side pocket:
Easton Carbon Pole
I've heard people say these are a bit flexible. Never been a problem for me and it weigh's bugger all.
Alpkit Y Beam pegs
Looking a bit bent after repeated use, to be fair at the end of an 18hr day you stop trying to be delicate and just ram the pegs in. Think I'll try the Titanium stakes next time, not that there was anything wrong with these.
Top pocket:
Wash kit (Soap, Toothbrush & paste, hand gel, baby wipes)
Used the handgel twice I think, the other wash items were regularly used. If you stayed in a motel a few times you'd be able to poach their freebie soaps!
Medical kit (Chamois cream, plasters, Sudocrem, Vitamin I, Antacids, Immodium, Water purification tablets)
Luckily only needed to use the chamois cream and sudocrem. Water purification tabs were useful but in some cases the water looked so grim that I don't think tablets would have been enough. Alas my filter bottle was lost in BC on day two.
Lezyne Micro Floor Drive HV Pump
When I ripped the sidewall and repaired the hole with a boot this was good enough to reseat the bead while the tyre was tubeless.
Retractable Cable lock x 2
Outside of any large town I didn't bother locking my bike. Just didn't get the impression anyone would steal it.
Bottom Pocket:
Innertubes x 2
Just used one when I punctured past Wamsutter
Lifeline Dry Chain Lube & Rag
Daily maintainence was limited to wipe chain with rag and apply this oil. It did pick up dust but resisted rain quite well. Gears were fine throughout on the same chain/sprocket/chainset
Tool Roll (Topeak Mini 20 Multi-tool, Lezyne patch kit, Tyre levers, zip-ties, gorilla tape)
The multi-tool was enough to rebuild/break down the bike into its travel box. The boot in the patch kit was perfect for repairing a sidewall slit and I used the gorilla tape to do a temp repair on the crank wear patch on the framebag.
Superstar/Uberbikes Sintered Pads x 4 pairs (2 of each)
Changed the Superstar pads out in Iowa for Uberbike pads, probably earlier than necessary. I think the SS pads felt like they had more bite but the Uber pads lasted to the end.
Water carrying kit
Free Parable Gorilla Clips x 3 (Under Downtube and one on each fork leg)
Great for adding "anything cage" mounting options, even if the proliferation of zipties looks a bit clunky. Didn't move a mm however on the whole trip.
Free Parable Gorilla Cage under downtube
I used this to allow me to have additional water capacity. To be honest I wasn't that impressed, the strapping system is a faff to use which meant I was reluctant to actually get the bottle out and drink the contents. I think I'd search out a more rigid cage for this application. I think it would be ok fork mounted with soft contents, eg a sleeping bag, spare clothes, etc.
Elite Custom Cages x 2 (One on each fork leg)
Lasted fine on the trip but I noticed one was broken as I unpacked my bike on return. Not bad considering my bike was laid down on them a lot.
Wingnut Hyper 2.5 w. 2-litre platypus bladder
A good design that let me carry a jacket on the elastics for quick retrieval or to let it dry and a good storage capacity for food and easy access pockets that let you grab food and store the wrappers on the move without having to stop or remove it. The platypus bladder was a last minute purchase in MEC in Calgary as I left my Camelbak Omega at home. Next time I'd get a ziplock opening one as it's easier to get it under taps in hotel sinks and fill it right up.
Mountain Warehouse collapsable 500ml bottle x 2
UTTERLY USELESS. One developed a pinhole and leaked water into my frame bag. The other wouldn't seal no matter how tight you did the cap up and it leaked gatorade into my frame bag. Binned the pair in disgust.
High 5 750ml bottle
Lasted the distance and did what you'd hope it would! The design does seem to hold dirt in the channel by the drinking spout which is a bit offputting.
Travel Tap 800ml bottle with integrated filter
Didn't fit in the bottle cage all that well and ultimately bounced out somewhere in BC on day 2. Got by without it. Would probably take something similar that fitted a bike cage properly.
Electronics
Aforementioned Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Smartphone 32gb w. 128gb SD Storage
Brilliant!
Garmin Edge 810
Had a couple of funny turns but only lost data on a practice ride not the actual TD. Made the mistake of not changing the screen protector for a new one. By the end of the TD the screen was getting very difficult to see! Fitted a new one on my return and it's like the 810 has had an HD upgrade!
Garmin ANT HRM
It just worked.
Garmin Dakota 20
Only taken as a back-up, not needed.
Spot Gen 3 GPS Tracking device
Battery life vastly improved over the Gen2. Used batteries lasted a week before showing a redlight. Fresh set lasted the rest of the trip!
Halfords 5 function cycle computer
Can't complain for three quid. Was nice to have something that could be set against the maps/cues distances so they stayed correct even if you saved a ride on the Garmin.
Energizer Lithium Batteries where appropriate
Usual long life performance. Nothing with replaceable batteries needed changing for the whole trip apart from the used ones in the Spot.
Clothes on a one-way trip to Banff
Levi's Engineered Jeans (Yes, really)
Poloshirt
Least favourite socks and boxers
Tired old All-Star low tops
Farewell old friends, I hope someone else is enjoying you now.
Bear Deterrents
Gruffalo Mascot
I only saw one bear and obviously survived without being eaten or mauled by the wildlife, therefore a complete success!
