Tyre Choices

I’m no athlete and not a fast rider. I don’t think I can tell the difference between good and bad when it comes to tyres. Although I always loved Crossmark tyres. For whatever reason I felt fast when I rode with them.

Of course they’re designed for dry and hardpack conditions which are enjoyable to ride in! Then if it was wet, I didn’t expect them to provide much traction or grip so slowed down to allow for the non-chunky tread.

Then when I got my 29er it came with Ikon tyres. I would have preferred Crossmarks but started with them. I couldn’t tell any difference so stuck with them. Then I ripped a sidewall on one and needed to replace it so went with a Schwalbe Racing Ralph. They were on sale, I bought a pair, and was told that would be similar.

I’ve never loved them and occasionally felt like the bike was skittish, particularly in the front. Of course I never thought it would be the tyre, I just figured it was my inability as a rider. Eventually they became worn enough to replace and I found the Ikon in the garage so popped that on the front and planned to buy something for the rear the next day (most likely a Crossmark).

With the Ikon on the front and a worn Racing Ralph on the back I went out riding and wow! The Ikon is so much better. No more skittish handling or uncertain cornering. It was like my skill level has multipled overnight! So I went to the shop and bought another.

I remain convinced I’m an average rider on my best day. But the difference between the Racing Ralph and Ikon is nothing short of amazing. The Ikon is highly rated by people who know and even my lowly skills seem to agree.

So it is that I’ve decided I’ll ride Ikon tyres (which I’ll convert to tubeless shortly) for the tour. Everything I read also seems to suggest Ikons are the go to tyre for ultra endurance riding.

5cm to Low 😳

So the bike fit revealed that my seat was 5cm lower than the ideal position! If I’d every stopped and thought about the height I should have quickly realized this, but of course I hadn’t ever thought too much about it. After all it was set correctly when I bought the bike!

Everything else was close to where it should be so I’m now feeling better in the approach to TA. Truthfully the guy who did it was really helpful in a number of other ways. Little tips about riding, setup, and preparation meant I came away feeling more confident about the ride.

3000km in 30 days is bigger than anything I’ve ever taken on. In fact if you roll the clock back 4 or 5 years I was probably doing that kind of distance each year 😳 Now I want to bang it out in just 4 weeks!

The main takeaways for me from the bike fit are stretch and core. Stretch my legs before and after riding. With my seat having been too low I would struggle getting off the bike. I really did walk a little hunched and cramped and would slowly stand upright.

Core strength apparently is key to staying comfortable on and off the bike. It will prevent sore back and shoulders as I’ll be holding myself where your body is supposed to work and not with my back, or resting on my wrists and shoulders.

So I’ve got some exercises to do off the bike in the coming months. I’ve also got an extra centimetre to raise my seat after a week or so riding at the almost correct height 🙄

Jones Bars Thoughts

After reading a few articles and watching some YouTube I decided to purchase some Jones Bars. Two previous overnight rides left me wanting several positions for my hands and this seemed like a good option. I put them on, rode a couple of times and wasn’t entirely sold on them. Besides that it was March so I put them in the cupboard and went down the rabbit hole of determining which bike I’d actually ride!

When I decided against the Kona I put the Jones Bars back on the bike and had a fiddle with different length stems, brake lever positioning, and the angle of the bars. Then I got some $5 bar tape off of TradeMe and did an average job wrapping them. Since doing that (a little over 6 weeks ago) I’ve come to really, and I mean really love them (yes love, not just like).

Of course it comes with a few caveats …

Firstly, they not fast! I’ll happily admit it could be my setup and positioning. On downhills, especially technical single track or fast and steep double track I don’t feel I have the same control with the original bars the Scott came with.

Secondly, the steering isn’t great in some of the hand positions! Again, it could be I need to swap out the stem or adjust the position they’re sitting. It isn’t a deal breaker because the Tour isn’t going to be about going fast (well not for me)!

Loving them is easy though because there are 5 genuinely different hand positions to use. Holding at the bar ends leaves me almost bolt upright which is a really great position when I’m fatigued. Reaching all the way forward (on the loop at the front) tucks you in and gets good control (unless I need to brake)!

Either way, I’m pretty happy at the moment and plan to leave them on the bike. I’m planning to get a bike fit (for touring) and hoping that that addresses some of the problems I have!

What Bike?

I had been thinking that my Kona would be the bike I’d take. I quite like the variety of hand positions drop bars provide and the thought of it for the ~50% asphalt and ~25% gravel roads I’ll be riding.

In the training ride a couple of weeks ago it performed flawlessly, I was comfortable, and had no aches or pains the next day. But then I put the Jones Bars and a shorter stem on the Scott 29’er and did a long ride and now I’m not so sure!

I get 5 different hand positions including 1 which is sitting pretty much bolt upright with no pressure on my wrists or shoulders. So now I’m leaning towards the 29’er that, while marginally heavier, has a suspension fork, and larger wheels.

Training?

I’ve changed my start date and had a friend, Keith, change too. Yesterday we went for our first long time together. A smidge under 90km (89.8), it include some hills, bad weather, and plenty of gravel. We think it is typical of of a what we will face each day on the tour.

I took the Kona and it really performed well. I’m not stiff or sore beyond what I would expect and could have gone out riding again today but believe that rest is essential!!

Keith ride his hardtail 29’er that he will ride the tour on. This made me think! I also didn’t an hour or so tonight weighing my bikes and considering the options.. .

The Kona is lighter (~0.5 kg) but has 650b wheels. The Scott has a suspension fork and is a little more upright (seating position). What does one do?

I know that hand positions are critical! The Kona has 3 as does the Jones bars equipped Scott (probably 4 but I doubt I’ll use the 4th). I can add aero bars to them both so get an addition position that takes all stress off my wrists

I guess that as I ride more I’ll figure out which bike I want to go with. Before I left I was leaning towards the Kona but wonder if I’ll prefer the Scott! Who would have thought that two bikes that are very different would have lead to such a dilemma?!

To Tent or Not!

Initially I thought I’d take a tent and wild camp as much as possible. Recently I’m reconsidering because of the weight and the person I’m riding with has gone with a bivvy (I know, totally hardcore)! So I’m wondering about trading the tent in for a couple of tarps and rigging a shelter together along the following lines.

This does leave me a little exposed but it is going to be summer! Also, if I face it the right direction I shouldn’t have any issues with wind or rain (should there be any). Of course I may have insect attacks!

The advantages are weight and simplicity. It also provides some security for my bike as should someone try and pinch it I should be disturbed by the tarp rustling and falling down on me! I would need to find a way (some rope and a couple of pegs) to hold my bike upright.

I have the choice of 2 tents both of which pack small (well small and smaller 😝). The less small one has a good little alcove for keeping equipment overnight. The smaller one has the same but obviously it is much more limited in space.

Perhaps what I’ll do is gather the parts I need for my tarp cover including the ropes, pegs, and ground sheet. Then bundle them up to compare them with the tent options. The small tent would be luxurious, the smaller tent comfortable, but the tarp cover? If I wild camp most nights I may sacrifice weight for comfort!

Oh No!

I’ve been starting to worry whether or not I’m going to be able to complete the tour. I know it is only 100km a day but having to do that 30 days in a row is daunting. I’m not sure how to prepare or whether work and family commitments will allow me to get enough in.

The biggest danger I see is that I’ll get caught up in fussing with equipment! It is so tempting to invest time and energy (not to mention money) on racks, bags, camping equipment, bike bits and pieces.

Truthfully I’ve already started thinking about what bike to take! My initial thinking was the 29’er. Comfortable, front fork, and capable off and on road. Now I’m wondering about mechanicals (I can hardly change a flat tyre) and maintenance with a chain, derailleur, and gears. Maybe a belt drive with an internal hub system or gearbox would be better…

An Overnight Ride #2

After a great sleep, shower, decent breakfast, and several cups of coffee I pushed out from the hotel feeling surprisingly good (there are only 1, maybe 2 previous occasions I’ve ridden more than 100km in a day). I was 5km off course but easily found my way onto the roads that would lead me home.

I’m going to have to re-think my riding kit for TA. Typically I wear baggy shorts with the lycra cycle shorts hidden. This is too hot and removing the baggy shorts drops your body temperature significantly. It isn’t my ideal look for public appearances but in the interest of comfort I’ll probably ride sans baggy shorts. I will take some for when I’m off the bike or for swimming.

The other consideration I’d not given much thought to was shirt. I wore a shirt with no pockets and discovered that the 3 pockets in the back will be indispensable for TA. On 2 separate occasions I stopped and purchased some food / drink then wanted to ride a couple of hundred metres to some grass or a park bench.

Jamming food in drinks in the shirt pockets for this short trip will be a simpler solution than the balancing of items on my handlebars I attempted. Both times I ended up having to circle back to pick up an item that had bounced off!

I’m surprised at how well everything went in this initial test. My very limited experience (2 overnight trips) had me a little worried at how well everything would hold together. I finished feeling better than I imagined but realising I’d only done 2 days of the 30 set aside for TA!

Hopefully the lessons will stick and the next overnight ride will be easier because of the changes and the fitness improving.

An Overnight Ride #1

I decided to take advantage of being out of town with the family to get a long ride in. The ride was so long (240km) that I planned to camp overnight breaking it into 2 days of around 100km. It was a chance to see how the bike setup worked and work out some of the minor details I’d have to know about in 371 days.

As I prepared my bike setup changed from the original layout. I’ve added hose clamps and bottle cages and removed the bungy cord versions from my fork. They were too hard to use, especially when riding, and had to be strapped really tight for any rough stuff – I’m expecting approx. 400km of single track, 650km of gravel, and around 50km of farm track!

What I learned about the setup is that it will probably hold up and everything was accessible. I don’t know if I want the seat bag though as it did wag a little at times. I imagine this will be worse when on rougher surfaces or when I’m burning up the single track (I’m more likely to coast through the single track)! I’m going to consider a Thule rack to solve this but need to be certain that I can still carry the cooker and additional water bottle on my seat stays.

Speaking of water, I ran out which lead to another lesson! Rather than being about making sure you find water at every town it was about having a plan! I rode into Masterton looking for water and passed a campground where I should have stayed! However, I didn’t have a plan nailed down so cruised past looking for toilets and hopefully, a tap to get water.

While I found toilets, I didn’t find water immediately so I kept riding through town looking. 5km later I was all the way through town without water and without a plan for sleeping. So I went to a hotel!! This was very welcome and had plenty of water but isn’t a sustainable approach for my TA.

Hindsight being very helpful had me reflect that I should have gone to the original campground which would have had plenty of water! It would also have saved me 5km as I was that far off course in the morning as I left. Lesson learned though, make sure you have a plan for camping and watch ahead for campgrounds when you plan to use them.

My intention for TA is to freedom camp though so the learning is to get better at finding water or buy it. Of course I am philosophically opposed to buying water so will have to use streams and my UV sterilisation method more.

That does mean I’ll need to stop more which I didn’t really do. For whatever reason I would just ride until I got to a supermarket that I intended to buy food from. Then I would be off the bike long enough to get some food and eat it. I didn’t really take breaks more often than not snacking while on the bike!