Tour Divide Kit List- One for the obsessives

With just a day or two to go before I fly out to Canada here's a quick kit list of what I'm taking:

Bike:
Frame: Charge Cooker Ti 29er
Fork: Superstar Carbon Monocoque
Front Wheel: SP-PD8X dynamo hub and Velocity Blunt SS rim
Rear Wheel: DT-Swiss 350 hub and Velocity Blunt SS rim
Tyres: Continental X-King Protection 29 x 2.4" tyres set up tubeless
QRs: Salsa F&R
Chainset: Raceface Ride with Absolute Black 36T Oval N/W ring
Bottom Bracket: Uberbike Ceramic HTII
Pedals: Lifeline SPD
Chain: KMC X-11SL Goldie Lookin' Chain
Rear Derailleur: Shimano XT M8000 GS
Cassette: Shimano XT M8000 11-42 11spd
Headset: Lifeline Integrated
Stem: Thomson 90mm 4X
Handlebars: Jones Loop bars 710mm
Brakes: Shimano XT M785
Brake Pads: Superstar Sintered
Grips: Ergon GS-1
Bar tape: Deda Carbon in Black
Cables: Shimano XT with Transfil sealed cable kit
Seatpost: Thomson 27.2 410mm
Seat: Charge Knife Ti
Front light: Exposure Revo
Rear Light: Exposure Red-Eye

Handlebar Luggage:
Wildcat Gear Tomcat Jones bar pouch
Sinewave Revolution Dynamo-USB Charger
Duracell 1150mAH buffer battery
iHarbort 5000mAH buffer battery
Various micro/mini USB cables as necessary

Revelate Designs Sweetroll
Alpkit Numo Mattress
Alpkit Cloud Cover Down Quilt
Six Moons Designs Wild Oasis Tarp Tent
Tyvek Floor for above
SOL Emergency Bivi

Revelate Pocket
ACA Tour Divide Maps
Cue Cards
Pinarello Softshell hat
Specialized Wiretap Body Geometry Gel gloves
Gore Bikewear Windstopper Headband
Other stuff TBC probably food/warm gloves/etc.

Alpkit Stem Cells x 2
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Smartphone
Oakley Jawbone Sunglasses
Other stuff TBC, probably beef jerky

Revelate Designs Gastank
TBC, probably sweets

Revelate Designs Jerry Can
Garmin Dakota 20
Alpkit Viper Headtorch
Spare Batteries
Blinky rear light

Revelate Designs Viscacha
Sleep Kit:
Finisterre Merino Baselayer Top
Finisterre Merino Baselayer Bottoms
Finisterre Merino Boxers

Riding Kit:
DHB ASV Merino socks
Planet X Thicky Merino Socks
Sessions Goretex Mitts
Kalas Hangar111-C6 SS Racing Jersey x2
Kalas Hangar111-C6 Racing Gilet
DHB ASV Bib Shorts
Rapha Brevet Bib Shorts
Rapha UV Arm Screens
Castelli UV Leg Screens
Giro Terraduro HV Shoes (Not in Viscacha)
Giro Foray Helmet (Also not in Viscacha)

Wet Weather Kit:
Montane Trailblazer jacket
Gore Bikewear Powertrail shorts
DHB Aeron Rain defence leg warmers
Gore Bikewear Goretex Socks

Cold weather Kit
Polaris windproof fleece gloves
Karrimor Down Jacket
Uniqlo Down Gilet

Revelate Designs Moonlander (!) Frame bag
Side pocket:
Easton Carbon Pole
Alpkit Y Beam pegs

Top pocket:
Wash kit (Soap, Toothbrush & paste, hand gel, baby wipes)
Medical kit (Chamois cream, plasters, Sudocrem, Vitamin I, Antacids, Immodium, Water purification tablets)
Lezyne Micro Floor Drive HV Pump
Retractable Cable lock x 2

Bottom Pocket:
Innertubes x 2
Lifeline Dry Chain Lube & Rag
Tool Roll (Topeak Mini 20 Multi-tool, Lezyne patch kit, Tyre levers, zip-ties, gorilla tape)
Superstar Sintered Pads x 4 pairs

Water carrying kit
Free Parable Gorilla Clips x 3 (Under Downtube and one on each fork leg)
Free Parable Gorilla Cage under downtube
Elite Custom Cages x 2 (One on each fork leg)
Wingnut Hyper 2.5 w. 2 litre Camelback bladder
Mountain Warehouse collapsable 500ml bottle x 2
High 5 750ml bottle
Travel Tap 800ml bottle with integrated filter

Electronics
Aforementioned Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Smartphone 32gb w. 128gb SD Storage
Garmin Edge 810
Garmin ANT HRM
Garmin Dakota 20
Spot Gen 3 GPS Tracking device
Halfords 5 function cycle computer
Energizer Lithium Batteries where appropriate

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

Bear Deterrents
Gruffalo Mascot

Tour Divide 2016 The point of no return......

Oh boy. It's the 20th May and in little over a couple of weeks, I'll be nervously lining up outside the YWCA in Banff ready to ride the Tour Divide. This weekend will see the final go at cramming everything in the bike luggage and then experimenting with re-cramming it all in a large cardboard box.
I'll arrive in Calgary a few day days before the start and take a few days to acclimatise and find somewhere to buy some bear spray.
I've just registered with Trackleaders so my progress can be followed, nothing like knowing everyone is watching to provide a bit of impetus to pedal on!

Getting down and dirty....DR200

Initially, I kicked myself for signing up to the Dirty Reiver as it would take me about seven hours to drive there and on the same weekend the local XC series was pitching up minutes from my house! Still, I was on the list and 200km around Kielder Forest was going to be better Tour Divide Prep than 90 mins around the grounds of a stately home!

I rode the bike I intend to use on this year’s Tour Divide, a Charge Cooker Ti 29er with rigid forks. It was interesting seeing how different bikes and riders coped with the varied course, not all fire roads are created equal and on a few sections the 29er was the right choice, anything smooth though and I was left for dead by the skinnies! I’d not ridden around Kielder before and was impressed at how “out there” a big organised ride could feel.

So despite the long drive, I’ll definitely look to take part again, the organisation, facilities and general atmosphere was fantastic. Getting nearly 400 riders started with no queuing or bottlenecks was impressive! 

I made it back in 74th place from 350+ riders, with the 3 hrs of sleep and the long drive to get there excuses handy I'm pleased with that. Next time though I reckon I'll be on 40c, not 2.4 tyres....

Tour Divide 2016 Part 1

Don't push too far your dreams are china in your hand, don't wish too hard because they may come true..."
I'd heard about the Tour Divide through the Bear Bones Bikepacking forum, and in particular a documentary called Ride The Divide. I've loved all my visits to the USA so the idea of riding 2750 miles was fascinating. At the time the longest trip I had undertaken was a two day over nighter with a maximum of about 80 miles covered in a day off-road. The idea that doing double that distance every day for three weeks seemed nothing short of impossible. But as my riding began to progress, covering a hundred miles was no longer that big a deal, and finishing a couple of 24hr events showed me that the carriage doesn't have to turn into a pumpkin at midnight! The idea of riding the divide was planted....

By pure chance I ended up riding with a couple of guys on the BB200 who planned to ride the TD. Their enthusiasm proved infectious so I realised it was time to start the ball rolling. I won't go into details but after a false start work joined wife in giving me me the go-ahead!

Fitting training in around the stumbling blocks of everyday life has been tricky but I'm doing my best to commute by bike every day and follow a trainerroad plan. It's almost made using a turbo enjoyable....almost.

Bikewise I've made a few changes to the Cooker Ti to suit long days in the saddle. The SIDs have been removed in favour of carbon rigids, I feel that the risk of failure of something complicated combined with the fact I'll (hopefully) do 2750 miles without servicing meant that one way or another they'd only be fit for the bin at the other end. To bring back a bit of cushioning I'll be running Continental X-King 2.4 protections.

The Thomson carbon Flats and 70mm stem have made way for a pair of Jones Loop Bars and a 90mm Thomson to compensate for the 45° sweep. I usually favour ESI silicone grips but I'm going to use some Ergon GS-1 as comfort will take precedence over control.

I've been running three Stan's Crest wheelsets on my 29er, each with tyres for different conditions but lately every ride seems to have led to a spoke failure or a nasty "twang" neither of which are confidence inspiring for a near 3000 mile outing. I spoke to Paul at PT Cycles and asked his advice on a new wheelset specially for the divide. We decided on Velocity Blunt SS rims paired with a Rear DT 350 and an SP PD8X dynamo hub for the front. The Blunts have little weight penalty over the Stan's crests but the 30mm width (and Paul's wheel wizardry) make for a stiffer wheel that better supports the 2.4" tyres. The dynamo hub will take away any concerns about powering my lights and combined with a Cycle2Charge my smartphone and Garmin Edge can remain topped up.

Normally I rely on my trusty Exposure Six pack Mk2, even the low setting provides enough light for technical rides at a decent pace. The downside being that while 24 hours (36 on newer models) is a great burn time, the resulting charge time is also about 24 hours, I could see myself having to spend inordinate time in roadside diners keeping the Sixpack charged. Lights with disposable batteries would mean a race to the shops to get fresh ones at considerable expense and flying to the states to ride your bike is already feeling a bit environmentally iffy. Exposure of course make the Revo dynamo light, with 800 lumens it matches my Six-pack on the setting I'd be using. As long as I'm rolling at about 10mph I'll have all the light I need front and rear (with the additional Red Eye). A Revo and SP hub combined weigh about the same as normal hub and Six-Pack so there isn't really any downside.

The Cooker saw my first attempt at doing 1x10 properly. By that I mean a proper Single chainset, narrow wide ring and clutch mech, as opposed to using a middle ring by itself, a plastic chain device and living with a bouncy normal mech. I have to say I'm a total convert. For the TD I'll be changing from an Absolute Black narrow/wide Oval 34t to a 36t and moving over to XT M8000 11 speed. This allows me to run an 11-42 without need to use an expander/16t sprocket/and RAD cage. All items I felt would be in short supply on route if needed. Sticking to stock 10 speed would probably made getting spare parts easier than for 11 speed but then that would have meant running a 36/36 granny and that feels a bit like it might be hard work!

To be continued....

Back in black...

Ah, the BB200. Stu, the man behind BearBones Bikepacking and Forest Freeride is someone for whom a great many cyclists have a love/hate relationship with. They love the BearBones forum, the blog, the nifty little stoves. They love the events, so much so they sell out in hours......but.....and it's a big but, at some point, when you're on the BB200 I'm sure most riders will have cursed his existence.

Charge Cooker Ti 29er ready for action!

My first attempt at the BB200 was in 2013. I'd competed in the Bontrager 24/12 earlier than year and achieved a top 20 finish in the 24hr solo. I felt ready for the BB200, it was only 125 miles compared to the 175 I'd achieved in 24 hrs at Bonty, it'll be a doddle, right? Wrong. Doing 20 odd laps means you know what to expect, you pass your pit every hour and you're carrying little more than spare tube and a C02 cart. On the BB200 once it gets dark any town or village you pass through the shops will have long since shut, you have to carry everything you might need (including an obligatory sleeping bag & shelter) and any groomed/buff singletrack will be pure fluke. I'm pleased to say despite a couple of OTBs, a 3am bonk and a "minutes from home" navigation cock-up I rolled in after 22.5 hours to claim a black badge.

2014 was another story, I'd brought along a Carbon hardtail instead of the Fargo, stripped everything back and.....25hrs. The infamous 2014 route will go down in history, and forever mentioned whenever Sisyphus crops up in conversation. Stu appears to have been called every name under the sun (even contacted mid-ride) for creating a course comprising more bogs, tussocks and labyrinthine navigation than was previously thought possible.

And yet, when the 2015 event opened for entries it was a sell out in mere hours and a waiting list soon developed! So, as I rode off from the start, preparing to ride 200k on a bike, and more importantly a saddle, I'd not done more than 6 hours on. It gores without saying the previous year weighed heavily on my mind. The forecast was good but the sky overcast and to nobodies surprise less than an hour in and the bog trotting began.

Typical Welsh Bridleway

Luckily my fears were unfounded and this was a temporary blip. The route was a real gem, of course there was a section of tussocks, and the boggy track above but I defy anyone to link 125 miles of trails through Wales and avoid them entirely. I'm also pretty sure that it took me down the steepest trail I've ever ridden. This was a  challenge, but it wasn't just a slog.

I stuck to the nutrition (if sweets and pies constitute nutrition!) plan I used last year, forget having a large meal and instead eat a small snack every hour or so. I had a few gels, including some caffeine ones, but only for emergency use. I've given up on gels generally and carting sticky wrappers around for 125 miles didn't appeal. It's interesting to note how on a ride I can make a bag of Haribo last 18 hrs but on a sofa they vanish in minutes! 

So, how'd I get on? Well, after a shaky start where my Garmin didn't do very much I was happy with my pace and the Charge rode like a dream. I avoided making (m)any stupid navigational errors and rolled into Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant, after the chippy shut, but before the Spar closed. I didn't need any supplies, (and in fact I'm eating some as I type) but there's a positive boost from *knowing* you definitely have enough fuel in reserve.

With this year's event having an "open" start time of anywhere between 8 & 10 am there was a lot of leap-frogging between entrants with differing pace, it also meant that if some passed you you weren't sure if they were faster or has stopped for an hour and were still technically behind!

About 20 miles from the end I was starting to flag but I knew that once I'd got to Staylittle, it was essentially downhill all the way. On seeing the "Llanbrynmair 7" sign I knew I could go all out and if I bonked I'd still be able to coast to the finish! I felt a bit bad leaving the chap I'd been riding with for the last hour or so but I was keen to put in a good time. The Charge had a 34t Absolute Black Oval ring paired with an 11(-42 expanded cassette) so the Cadence I could muster was  good for about 35mph. I rolled in at 6.23 a.m. 20hrs and 53 minutes after I set off. It was hard to work out my finishing position as many riders listed as returned were DNF. Thanks to Zippy on the forum for waving his magic Excel wand and establishing that I'd come back in 6th place. 39 riders were listed as finishers with the final one making it back after 36hrs in the saddle. Around 25 riders, or their perhaps their equipment, were unable to finish the route.
One BB200 tradition that is popular with all riders that was again in evidence was the welcoming breakfast courtesy of Dee and the collection of your finisher's badge.

Back in Black!

If the idea of the BB200 appeals, and you want in before next October have a look at http://bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/index.php and see about the other events that carry the Bear Bones certificate of sufferi......err approval!

Ridin' with the Romans

Riding the Icknield Way, Peddars way double and the Harling Drove 
Saturday30/8/2015

I was all set this weekend to take part in the Tywi Ton event in Wales. Unfortunately it had to be cancelled, the route could still be ridden but I wasn't feeling 100% and fighting streaming snot. Driving 350 miles before a big ride didn't seem such a great plan. I needed to get out for some big miles though so something local made more sense just in case a bail out was required.

Living in Suffolk you have to accept the trails you've got, there are no Alpine-style passes to revel in so you'd better like forests and farmland bridleways! This isn't necessarily a bad thing, you can cover a lot of miles in a day and get to see a lot.

Team mate James was in a similar situation so we hatched a plan. Take in the Icknield way, Peddars Way and Harling drove. This would give us a 100+ mile ride and opportunities to cut short if necessary.

After a week of unending rain the weather on the day was perfect, I was going to be riding my Krampus for the first ever time so I was praying for dry conditions as everyone says Knards are hopeless in the gloop.

James would be on pretty much the polar opposite bike, a Pinnacle Arkose Gravel bike/Adventure Road/Gnarmac/Insert cliche here. It would be interesting to see how the bikes compared along the way.

Our ride started near Newmarket and took us along the Icknield way through the Kings Forest to the start of the Peddars way near Knettishall. 

The Icknield way is said to be one of the oldest established routes in England, pre-dating the arrival of the Romans, it's name is thought to be derived from The Iceni, the dominant East Anglian tribe led by Boadicea. 

Icknield Way signposts

The settling in period for the Krampus was over in a flash. With 13/12psi Rear and Front respectively in the Knard/Hugo combo and 710 bars in 90mm stem everything fell perfectly into place. The Krampus was a leap of faith, would 29+ wheels be a happy medium between full-fat and regular wheels or would it just be too lardy?

Our first stop was at Castle Acre for a cuppa at the Church Gate Cafe, and a chance to discuss how 29x3 had faired compared to 700x38.

Church Gate Tea rooms, Castle Acre

The chat was short-lived as we were plagued by wasps, but the consensus was that there was no surprise who was faster on tarmac but that the Krampus excelled on stuttery trails and sandy tracks. When pulling away you the plus wheels do initially feel reluctant but as long as you can keep momentum its barely noticeable on the move.

Rolling into Holme-next-the-sea after 70 miles of riding is a bit of anti-climax, the Peddars way fizzles out along a residential road, a quick dog leg, through a golf course before you finally see the vast expanse of beach and the sea. No time to take in the view, this was just the half way point and Summer's long evenings were a thing of the past.

70 miles back can feel a bit daunting but the Krampus still had that "new-bike" aurora that gives you more energy than you'd normally have. Having only ever ridden this route once before, it too still had novelty value and I vowed to make sure we stopped to have a look at what we were riding past on the return.

Cluniac Priory, Castle Acre

Despite being called Castle Acre the priory is probably the most obvious of the village's ruins. Both were the work of William de Warenne and his son who were granted the land by William the Conquerer (two weeks ago I was riding in Falaise, his birthplace!). The castle itself was built on the remains of a Roman encampment.

We made good progress to Swaffham were the past meets the present with a bump. Giant wind turbines have taken the place of windmills in taking advantage of the area's natural draughts! It's also home to a conveniently sited McDonalds!

On leaving the golden arches it became necessary to light up so that's it for photos. We planned to deviate from our original route at Shadwell crossing and leave the Peddars way for the Harling drove and return via Santon Downham and Cavenham Heath.

Harling drove, as the name implies was once a major route for cattle being taken to pasture or market. It makes for a easily navigable gravel route. The downside is that it can be popular with fly-tippers and others who wish to carry out their activities away from prying eyes. As it was we only came across one illicit barbecue and there had been no fresh deposits of old plaster, ceiling tiles or half empty paint pots. There was the beginning of some light rain and the Knards started becoming just a bit squirmy...

Crossing Cavenham Heath this squirminess, along with general fatigue got the better of me and I managed to dump myself into a muddy puddle. While I wasn't far off a sense of humour failure the surroundings made up for it. The heath is an oasis of natural habitat in which plantations of commercial forest and arable farming, so common in the Brecks, are absent. Apart from some suitably rustic sheep and the trail we followed you can be hard pressed to find evidence of humans for as far as you can see.

Arriving at the road that passes under the A14 I knew that it was just a quick tarmac burst before reaching the van and heading home. James and I had both planned for an easier option than the events we had planned but had still challenged ourselves and learnt that there is no single "right bike" for the route. I felt a little regret in not going to Wales but similarly I rode relatively close to home and took in plenty of sights, sounds and smells that were new to me. Already plans are afoot to see if the "out and back" nature of the ride can be modified into more of a loop to increase the amount of fresh ground covered.

Aftermath update: The morning after I did feel the fatigue expected from a long day in the saddle but I was pleasantly surprised how few aches and pains I was suffering that I'd normally attribute to the uneven trails.

Go on then, I'll give you one more chance....

“There are no second chances in life, except to feel remorse.” 
― Carlos Ruiz Zafón, The Shadow of the Wind

Scott Mountain Marathon Round 3: Church Stretton ride report

I can't remember how coy I was when summing up my thoughts about the last Scott MTB Marathon I entered, so I'll be clear this time....the route sucked. It consisted of far too many fire road climbs and then squandered that effort with too many arrow straight lumpy and uninspiring descents. It didn't make me want to try another.

So why did I end up at Round 3 then? I had the option of hitting the road (Nah, did a century last weekend), MSG XC at Ickworth (Nah, it'll be over in 90 mins and flat) so let's think about another marathon event. I looked over the OS map to confirm that Church Stretton wasn't suffocated by acres of FC plantations and was relieved to find that was the case. I also hadn't visited the area since doing my Silver D. of E. so the chance to ride the Long Mynd, Minton Batch, etc perhaps wasn't to be missed.

Once again GringoJimi and I dropped in on C6 Bikes on the way, we both needed some drink mix and I needed a new helmet. 

I went for another Skratch Labs bottle taster bundle and Jimi opted for a bucket of Torq. While there we learned some top secret news about team bikes for 2016....more details to follow.

For my new helmet I went for a Giro Foray. I've gone off MTB or trail helmets for riding in, the peak never seems to do much and they seem unnecessarily heavy. The Foray felt comfy straight away. It's only about 50g lighter than the Specialized Tactic II it's replacing (if the labels are to be believed) but once on it doesn't protrude into your peripheral vision so it almost disappears.  

After a quick look over the new Storck range we hit the road and thankfully the M6 was kind to us. The Marathon arena was much the same as round 2, that is, a decent range of food and drink and a sprinkling of trade stands, no bad thing.

The main event...

As with Round 2 the start was a bun fight. 700 riders fed into a single lane road couldn't be anything other than that. I guess it the interests of everyone having the same start time it has to be done that way. Having learned that a quick start was essential to clear the main bunch we planned to quick off the block, alas the sheer volume of riders made that impossible. As it's not a race, and a large percentage of riders aren't out to race trying to force your way through the pack would just make you look an arse and probably lead to a massive crash. Bide your time and the first big climb gives you the opportunity to get past a few.

The route itself was a vast improvement over Round 2. Far fewer fire roads, instead lots of nice trails crossing "proper countryside". I did feel a bit guilty at the volume of riders when it appeared to have been the number one weekend for D. of E. groups to hit the hills too.

Basking in the sunshine...

The weather for the most part didn't disappoint, two bottles of Skratch (One raspberry and one lemon/lime) were enough even though it started off roasting hot. I say for the most part as 20k from the end the heavens opened in a big way. Thankfully I was through the Jurassic trails of Eastridge when the downpour started. It's also interesting how motivating it can be to get the hell out of Dodge in adverse conditions. The return leg repeated one of the more sketchy, technical descents and Strava reveals I completed it faster in the wet than I did in the dry with fresh legs!

I just want to finish now...

I really enjoyed my ride in Shropshire and lamented that I have driven through without stopping en route to Wales many times. Like Arnie said....I'll be back!

Post script.....The conditions for the XC race at Ickworth were atrocious with mnay people abandoning the race after clogging with mud on their practice lap. Bullet dodged!