Bikepacking prep

My preparation for the Tour Aotearoa 2021

In 2008 it was my father’s 80th birthday, as it was winter & quiet I decided to ride my bike to Wellington. It took 5 days and despite the weather I thoroughly enjoyed myself. This trip started my interest in bikepacking as it is now called.

My brother Andrew did some epic rides around the country so I started doing a few trips around the North Island myself. I started using my Kona Jake cyclocross bike with panniers which I quickly abandoned for a smaller stuff sack on the back rack and a couple of bags strapped under the handle bars. This setup served me well but I added a frame pack as I was somewhat limited for space.

The bike was good on the road but not as great on trails. The skinny tires lacked traction and skipped about on gravel roads. I started to realise it’s limitations as I exited the grade 4 Kaiwhakauka Track to the sound of 3 spokes breaking. Instead of a new bike I upgraded the spokes to a heavier gauge and replaced the drive train trying to get some lower gears. The bike mechanic just said I needed to harden up & get fitter for the steep climbs!

I now use a carbon hard tail mountain bike and have gone to the lowest rear gear I can get. I have also gone to tubeless tires for peace of mind & have been pleased with the change. I’ve upgraded to a front roll & seat bag and am pleased with both. Aero bars help on the long road sections and extra padding on the handlebars relieves pressure points on the hands. For years I used SPD pedals and like them for steep uphills and security on rough tracks. It does mean that my shoes don’t double up for around camp or town as the cleats are a pain.

From my other outdoor activities I have all the camping gear that I need. I tried using my bivy bag but prefer my small tent fly as it provides more space and better shelter. If it looks like a run of wet weather or I need more warmth, I take the tent inner as well. My bivvy bag gets condensation & if not dried each day gets pretty damp. I have a small meths cooker which is OK for small quantities of water for the dehy meals but if I need more I take my small Kovea gas cooker with a 500ml titanium pot.

A big lesson I have learned is with food. When you’re cranking out the Kms you need to eat! I get reflux from strenuous activity which puts me off eating. On a previous trip I had an accident & combined with poor eating, hit the wall (figuratively). Calories out must be replaced. Breakfast is prebagged muesli with milk powder & Jed’s coffee bags. If I can’t get a 2nd breakfast pie, I snack on muesli bars & 1 square meals. Lunch is a mix of things like cheese, crackers, tuna, sardines, raisin bread….. More 1 square meals & bananas get me through to dinner where I use the high calorie Radix dehydrated dinners or double Back Country meals. They just need boiling water.

Clothing depends on the season but I always keep a dry set to change into at night. A light puffer jacket packs down small but is warm for cool evenings. A good new addition for PBs3000 was a vest. It gives good warmth for the early morning & cool days, is hi vis and packs down small. On longer trips I take 2 pairs of cycle pants & at the end of one trip was wearing both pairs to relieve some discomfort. I like long sleeved tops for sun protection.

I have a double water bottle holder & can take another litre between my aerobars. I carry water disinfecting tablets and a liquid electrolyte.

Some of the best preparation I’ve had is my background in the outdoors. I’ve developed & run an outdoor program over the last 20 years so am well used to camping & discomfort in general, which happens at times when you bike pack. I always do some pretrip fitness as it makes the trip more enjoyable & toughens up the butt. In the final month beforehand I rode the Tour Aotearoa I did 1000km in training, including a good 140km Timber Trail loop with a partially loaded bike. Despite this I still got a tender butt & sore legs on the beach day.