Actually I’m not sure that I am, but it is too late now to get any fitter or stronger. It is only a few days until I head back to the ferry and again start riding the South Island. I know the first ~200km and perhaps 10km of the Crown Range I rode while down there with the family 2 weeks ago.
Perhaps it was unwise, but I have made a couple of changes to my bike setup. Nothing was wrong (except the drink bottles getting dirty), and I solved that by getting caps for the tops! I have swapped out the handlebars in the name of handling. The Jones bars were really comfortable and let me mount everything I wanted. But the altered cockpit has much better handling and provides 6 different hand positions.
This is the 2nd video I’m making so I can reflect later on how well prepared I was and whether I actually had any idea about what I am setting out to do! This time I tell future me the clothes I’ll be taking on the ride.
Next video will be about the camp and cooking setup!
As the start of TA approaches I’m conscious that a lot of thinking is going into minor bike and kit changes. Researching tubeless instead of just riding more to increase fitness. Debating kit to carry, stops to make, camping locations and do much more.
For whatever reason it is easier, and probably more fun, to busy myself with these trivial matters that won’t make a real difference to the ride. Yes I need/want enough to have a modicum of comfort. Yet I don’t want so much the riding is more strenuous than absolutely necessary.
I need to ride more often and further in the next 2 months so I’m actually able to finish in the 28 day plan. Maybe I should ban talk of kit and bike setup when I’m not actually riding…
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.
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?!
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!
Day 2 details
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.
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!
My Tour Aotearoa 