[UK]

Part of a "not happening any time soon" plan for some bike packing in the Atlas Mountains this March / April (best time to go according to my research...Easy Jet flights are pretty cheap at the moment too!)

5 1:160k maps covering a massive area and with some good detail.

Marrakech
Azilal M'Goun
Tinerhir (Dades and Todra Gorges)
Toubkal Massif
Ourarzazate

Two have been opened and looked at on the kitchen table, the other 3 are mint (virgin?!)

Cost £10 each but selling the whole lot for £30 including UK 1st class recorded mainland post. I can post over seas but please email me first!

Paypal / email to singlespeedpunk AT gmail DOT com

Interesting idea....looks like a Minoura saddle mount for waterbottles and a square of MOLLE* and some buckles to attach the bags to. I think this still has the issue that over sustained rough surfaces the saddle rails / rack might well fail at the weld or clamp area...which is what the seat packs do away with!

Looks like a great solution to having lots of different saddle bags for road touring / brevets / audax but I remain to be convinced on its use off-road.

SSP

*MOdular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment - as used by the military for attaching kit to webbing / bodyarmour / packs

I have been using a Source WPLS low profile 3L bladder in my Revelate bag. The internal rib stops it bulging,the covered tube stops gunk growing in the pipe and the QR fittings are really good....I am looking at a longer hose just for frame bag use (it normally gets used in my Goruck GR1 pack....I bought it from Goruck with the pack as they recommend it)

Add in the easy clean "open the entire top and get your hand in" top opening and it is a no-brainer!

http://source-military.com/product.php?id_product=82

SSP

Lots of info and inspiration in this article....not sure if you have already seen it!

http://www.pinkbike.com/u/danmilner/blog/xxxxxxxxxxxx.html

Alex

Hi,

I have been looking at that for a couple of years (I am sure I still have the maps / guide somewhere...) but my bikepacking friends are either injured or busy and solo riding sucks for big trips.

I have done some bikepacking in the last few years including the length of Wales for my stag do and lots of S24HON type stuff.

As long as you are not looking to set records drop me a line - <myusername> @ gmail DOT com

Alex

Argh only one?

I think I would have to toss a coin to decide between:

Sigur Ros - (_)

Godspeed You Black Emperor - Lift your skinny fists...

or

NIN - The Downward Spiral 


In reality I would take my little Sandisc 8Gb with the 32Gb microSD card....full of tunes and audio books 

Thanks for the update Matthew, I only heard about the planned revision after I ordered the maps but I intend to base most of my navigation on GPS and personal cue cards...both of which can be easily changed.

Is that 7 extra miles of singletrack or 7 miles of tail that are now on singletrack? A whole 7 extra miles might be the deal breaker!

Alex

Well I have finished the first endurance event....transposing all direction change queues from N > S to S > N also added in lots of use full info from the map (water sources, off route cafes etc...) Between that and the GPS I whould not be reaching for the maps too often! Interesting using the distance between services to map out the days...

So…there are only two layers left, both ‘mental’.  And both start with the term ‘maintaining’

Any guesses

Maintaining pace - not taking days off / long meals / sight seeing?

But I could be wrong...the Cycles Gladiator 2007 Merlot is damn fine

Alex

4th level? Well with half a bottle of red in me I'll give it a shot (hey, it's the off season!)

4. A motivation. A reason to keep pedaling. A reason to be in Banff / AW on the 10th June. It can be as simple as "I want to win" or more complex and personal.

So while the other 3 levels build on the physical needs to complete it I see that a level of motivation needs to be added to give a basis to the psychological toughness required for the TD.

Alex

Have you planned / worked out the best way to get from Phoenix to AW?

There are various shuttles from Phoenix to AW which is handy as there is not the option of renting a car one way! Have a google for them and I think the ACA has info as well.

Alex

Well I am planning on flying in to Phoenix and will be glad to sit and listen to any vetrans, hell any one, prior to zero hour.

As to the training thing for mental toughness some meditation can help to make sure you are centered and less likely to see-saw between extremes of emotions (my big failing any way, let alone on tough trips) and some practice and visulisation of bad situations and how you will get through it.

The mental prep is the hardest part for me as not much on the web about it, so any information from other sources who have been there / done that has been highly appreciated. Some great idea for coping with loneleiness on this great blog - http://www.1gear1cause.org/?q=content/what-alone

Living near South Wales I wonder if I can sign up for the SAS escape and evasion course as prep for the TD?

Alex / SSP

Me, too. Especially if the park service does not want a big groups and the organizers have to deal with 100 people peloton in Banff (no idea if there might be a movie effect next year). One less person there.

However, as a TD race rookie (my route experience is touring Wyoming and Colorado largely following the book), it would be nice to have a (not-so-) grand depart in AW, including some veteran racers. Aside from giving a bit more cachet to an AW start, will be good for speed (especially an expected 30-dayer like me). Also a bit of pre-race discussions with veterans can easily avoid rookie mistakes (and reduce DNF rates and relegations).

There is lots of great info on here (50+ page thread) and some stuff on MTBR.com if you search. The best way to avoid a DNF is to practice plenty beforehand...not just by doing big miles but by making 2-3day trips out somewhere and getting used to sleeping out, waking at 4am and riding 3hrs before breakfast...that is the stuff that will make the difference. It will also make sure you know what kits works and what does not, and stuff you can do with out.

Not that training 100 miles a day for a week won't help a bit!

Alex

if you have a bike computer with the navigate function (i used the vdo brand). it allows you to set your trip odo manually and have it count forward or backward.  for s-n just set your trip odo to the according mileage at the end of the cue sheet, then set it to count down (backwards) - and you are set.  of course while making the DIY cues, you will have to know all your turns are reversed!

I am looking at getting the course cues from ACA and pasting into an Excel spreadsheet, auto replacing left and right with the oposite and reversing them / the mileage. Trick is getting the sheet set up to do this the first time and then keep feeding them in! Yeah, I work in IT don't hate me

As to starting in AW I would rather navigate the tricky trip / logistics to get out there fresh and make a start north as it is motivation. As to ending up in Banff I hope to meet the wife there 25-27days later and relax / sight see / not ride the bike for a few days before going back to the grindstone But that's just me and how I roll

Alex

That's assuming that the type of person who would heckle you for wearing lycra would even recognize a Union Jack as coming from somewhere other than Dakadakastan!

Well I guess that's what the Bear Spray is for I fully expect some "rag head" comments but it's odd that the only people I see in the UK with them are soldiers back from Afghanistan and no one shouts abuse at them (well not twice!)

SSP

Ah...just orderd the full set last night! I guess I will have to amend the 6 US maps with any changes.

I plan on using a GPS with the route on it and have the maps / cycle computer as a back up. GPS is much quicker to glance at and make sure the arrow is still following the marked track and to see but left / right turns coming up.

On a lighter note the latest bit of gear has arrived in the shape of a shemagh (arab scarf) for keeping the sun off my head and neck in NM and doubling as a towel, rag, whatever during the trip. On hearing the stories of people being threatened because they are wearing lycra I think a big GB flag on the back pack might be an idea so I don't get mistaken for a member of the Dakadakastan Cycling Team

SSP

So, the ACA maps...

Does any one know of they are revising them for next year and I should put off buying until next year (allowing for the face they will have to ship to the UK...which can be slow!) or should I get them soon and spend some time studying them / planning / finding a way to carry them.

The ACA "about or maps" says that the directions are included for both N > S or E > W for their routes...is this the same for the TD maps?

I did a ride today with my full kit and a higher gear than I am planning to use...tough but do-able. Joining a gym next week to work on my weak points: core muscles, upper body and the wok I am smuggling under my T-shirt

Thanks,

SSP

We I only own 2 bikes and one is an Xtracycle cargo bike so not great off road / long trips.

OS Bikes Blackbuck 29er:
Rigid, steel, singlespeed (have run with 6gears and thumbshifter for Nepal...didn't help much) with lowish gear, flat pedals, Titec Jones bars with Ergons, WTB Rocket saddle and cancreek ST suspension post. Avid mechanical disc brakes.

Tyres are changed according to trip: 700x45c slicks on the road, Weirwold LTs for mixed and Racing Ralph / WTB Stout for tough off road stuff. Self sealing tubes help too...

Full set of Revelate / Epic bars: Seat bag, handlebar harness, gas tank and full frame bag. Also use a 12L Inov8 pack if needed.



Alex

I would not worry too much about weight or what bike you have. My rigid singlespeed 29er weighs 28lbs+ and I don't care as it is durable and comfey, these are much more important on long trips than weight or spec sheet

As my friend Joe, who is much more eloquent than me, said:

"Since this is a mountain biking forum, I can say with a lot of confidence that if you're reading this and you're wondering, "what would be the best bike for me to use to get started doing these kind of rides?", the answer is right now in your basement or your garage"

Alex

I have found that on my set up (Titec J-Bars) that I need longer outers (fitted and working fine) a narrow but long dry bag (LOMO brand ATM.) and some foam pipe lagging and gaffer tape. The position on the brake levers keeps them well clear of the drybag but does prevent the "cables behind" routing.

I gaffer tape the pipe lagging around the bars next to the stem, mount up the harness then add another strip of tape to keep the straps in place and stop the foam creeping from out under the straps and it all going saggy!

This method was perfected after a rocky DH in Nepal kept leaving the 2Kg bag of clothes wagging in the breeze and knocking me off line!

Alex