28 Days Done 😬

I finished my 28 day challenge (no I didn’t go to 30) and was surprised. Surprised at how you can keep going despite not feeling great. Surprised at how I kept a reasonable speed and in the final days were still getting consistent times and occasionally a top 3 time (compared with myself). On day 23 or 24 I rode a ~40km loop at lunch. After dinner I repeated it with Alastair and the time was within 90 seconds!

I was also surprised how I was able to manage saddle soreness. It wasn’t until well into the 3rd week that I had any actual discomfort to manage. My theory is that this was because I got the Spark back and was changing bikes. However, a little cream and nothing came of it.

Whether or not this will be possible over the 28 (maybe 30) days of the tour remains to be seen. I will be spending longer on the bike, and riding further everyday than in my little 28 day challenge. 3 times further to be precise! In my 28 day challenge I covered just under 1000k, in March I will need to cover 3000 😳

Shakedown 1

Over the Rimutaka Hill I rode with everything I intend taking on the tour (except my toothbrush – forgotten – and a 2nd pair of cycling shorts). I set off later than planned (as is often the case) with Alastair and Keith. We all had different setups and gear while all still carrying mostly the same stuff.

Keith had a bivvy bag, while Alastair had a groundsheet and tent fly. Alastair and I had cookers while Keith bought a pie on route (eaten cold later) and had a cold breakfast. We all had different handlebar setups on similar 29″ hard tail bikes and we definitely rode at touring pace.

Everything worked well for me apart from a strange squeaking at high speed (above 40km) bumpy sections (i.e. downhill). I thought it may have been my carrier flexing a little but in hindsight wonder if perhaps it was my cutlery moving around inside a bag!

The night was really windy (close to gales) so none of us slept much. However, it did prove to me that my tent should be able to withstand whatever the weather does during TA.

Water will be a challenge at times so the bottle with the UV lid was an essential piece of kit on this short trip. While there may be some minor setup changes everything seems like it is in the right place and doing its job (apart from my mattress which has a slow leak)!

86 days until TA 😳

I missed posting at 90 days, and am a little surprised that it is just 86 days until my Tour Aotearoa starts. Now sure how I feel about that other than a little panicked!!

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.

6 Months to Go

It is all getting quite real suddenly! Less than 6 months until I start and I’ve started trying to ride consistently longer distances while tuning (fiddling) with my setup. Right now I’m going to ride my Scott 29’er with a suspension fork and the Jones bars.

I’m still playing around with luggage and water bottles but am leaving towards the half frame bag (food) and seat post carrier instead of the soft luggage. I know there is a weight penalty here, but I’m not looking for speed, I’m looking for comfort!

The cooker is a must as is my Camel Bak bottle that can treat water. It just seems like it gives me options that I’ll appreciate especially if I wild camp as often as I hope.

I say hope because at the moment the adventure of sleeping by a river, or just off the road along some trees is very romantic. Waking up, making coffee and breakfast before heading off undisturbed by other humans (except my riding buddies) is a really desirable arene’t of the ride. Of course if I’m not at calling grounds and not showing in fairly sure humanity will avoid me! Although I’ve got some Merino kit that is apparently stink proof, I guess I’m going to test that!

Motivation

I should be riding but I’m laying on the couch watching YouTube. Surprisingly this is rather motivating and the following video captures some of the adventure and challenge I’ll undoubtedly face.

Planning

My approach to finishing in 30 days is quite simple. It is something I heard Mark Beaumont talk about when he rode around the world in 80 days (78 actually) and I am fairly certain I read the same approach in Sean Conway’s book about his attempt to ride around the world.

The approach is to plan the times for the day and not the distances. This means that when everything is going well you complete more kilometres than necessary. When things aren’t going so well, (wind, weather or body) then you stick to the plan and minimise (as far as possible) missing the 100km for the day.

So it is my plan – version 1 – is to be on the bike between 7:30 and 8am. There will be a decent morning break at a café of shop (all going well) of 30-45 mins and a lunch break at a different café, takeaway or shop (again, all going well) of around 60 mins. The afternoon will have a similar break to the morning and dinner the same as lunch.

That makes for around 8 hours on the bike by 6pm with a bunch of rests (I figure I’ll be stopping every hour or so for a 5-10 minute break. Doing the math means I will need to average 12.5km for those 8 hours of riding to make 100km.

If I haven’t made 100km, or I’m feeling particularly good, then I have another 1-2 hours after dinner to ride. If my average speed for the day was 10km (which seems achievable on this side of the tour), then I can meet the target with only 10 hours on the bike each day.

That leaves 14 hours to rest, eat, sleep, setup camp and pack down. Again, from this side of the tour that appears achievable and simple. I guess a decent shakedown ride (3 nights and ~400km) will give me an indication of whether it is possible for me!

Training

I’m not really sure how to train for the tour. It is unlike anything I’ve every done – physically – in my life. In fact, it is on a whole new level in terms of what I will need to do as the minimum distance to make the cut off time is 100km everyday. Of course there is comfort in the knowledge I still have 328 days to get ready.

Realistically I probably don’t need to train until the last quarter of the year. However, before then I intend to look to mix in longer rides than I typically do. My thinking is that if I can get ~100km rides into the mix on a fairly regular basis then I’ll be getting some helpful preparation in place over the coming months.

When I’m not looking to knock out a big day of kilometres I plan to ensure I’m getting some vertical metres in. Everything I’ve read seems to suggest I’ll have to climb ~1000m everyday. In my books that is a lot of climbing so best I take in hills when I’m going on a ride. Fortunately I have tons of hills on my doorstep.

Autumn is here and winter is coming so this approach may be a little optimistic. Chances are I’ll continue to ride but spend more time faffing around with bike setup ideas, equipment, and other matters that while beneficial aren’t actually going to prepare my to finish within 30 days.

377 days to go

Yes, it is still more than a year away but as you’re registered you’re starting to think about what you need to have. This weekend you plan a first little ride to try the setup you’re thinking of having.

Version 1 of the equipment includes a gas cooker as you want the emotional comfort of coffee in the morning and the option of hot food wherever you are. It also includes a tent as the plan is the freedom camp as often as possible.

So it is that on Sunday after a family gathering in Whanganui you will jump out of the car in Palmerston North and follow the TA route home (roughly 200km). You’re hoping to see how the setup works and if everything holds in place OK.

This was the initial plan but the bottles on the fork didn’t hold and are impossible to get out, drink, and put back while riding (unless on smooth tarmac). Then you rode with the improved setup and aren’t sure there is enough fluid. So tweaks are being made and a proper v2 photo will be published in the entry to be written after the overnight ride.

My Tour Aotearoa

Having registered and been confirmed for the 2020 Tour Aotearoa I now want to document all the details so when I’m older they aren’t lost through more living. So this blog will be written in the 3rd person while being about me. Confused?

For the next year it will be planning, equipment choices, training rides and anything related to preparation. Come 19 February 2020 you should be in Cape Reinga ready to ride the 3000km route to Bluff. At that time it will switch to recording the story of you riding and, all going well, completing the Tour.

Right now you think you’re ready, well that you can be ready by the start because you enjoy riding and adventure. TA combines these in bike packing something that you’ve tried and enjoyed, twice! Both efforts combined covered less than 6% of the distance and time allowed so you’re really an absolute novice!

So this blog will be the story an older you reads to reminisce and relive the biggest adventure and physical challenge of your life so far.