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| John's horse |
In the Back Carrier Bag
First aid kit
Emergency Blanket x2 (I’m told in cold weather It’ll crack up if used, hence 2 just in case)
Cataflam
Buscopan
Immodium
Voltarem Emulgel
Bactroban (to be mixed with bum cream for the crack)
Compral
Water Purifying tablets
Spare chain
Spare Tyre sludge
Pump for shock absorbers
Bike pump
Cable ties
Spare tyre tube (although we’re riding with tubeless tyres, the life of a tubeless tyre could be lengthened with an inner tube in the case of bigger tyre cuts)
Spare tubeless tyre
Tube puncture kit
Tubeless tyre puncture kit
Large tubeless tyre patches for side cuts
Rear chain derailer
Spare front and back wheel “axle” (there’s some other fancy name they use in MTB speak)
Chain cleaning brush
Small container of paraffin (for cleaning the chain. Hopefully able to refill at spaza shops etc)
2-prong adaptor for phone and light chargers
Headlamp charger
Cellphone charger
Spare penlight batteries for other headlamp
Spare penlight batteries for camera
Duct tape (to fix Albert if he breaks)
Small bike camera (kindly lent by Ewald from his impressive arsenal of MTB equipment)
Headlight for helmet
Headlamp for bike handlebar (250 lumens whatever that means but its moer bright)
120ml of chain lube (refills for later are in the 2litre ice cream tubs planted at the 25 support stations)
Spare gear chain
6 spare disc brake pads (I’m told if weather turns foul they can wear out supa-quick and the weather is already foul)
A special chain link which I think they call a “master link or something” – its used if the chain breaks
That “fastening” thing that you tighten to fasten the seat post to the frame (yes, I’m told that thing breaks en dan het jy …..) Round about now I am starting to suspect that my so-called “mates” have put Linden Cycles up to prescribing me a whole lot of Cr..p to weigh me down by another 10 kg. Erras Lintvelt is the prime suspect followed closely by about 20 others
And in total, the rear carrier bag weighs 5.4kg
Bike Flask Holder
This will carry a special container (in the shape of a bike flask) which will hold bike tools
Bike tool (all those allan keys and screw drivers)
Leatherman
Swiss army knife
Chain fixing tool
Tyre levers
2 x gas bombs for tubeless tyres
Gas bomb-tyre connection
That’ll only come to about half a kg
Handle Bar Carrier Bag
That is the galley, mainly for all the food piled on us daily by the support stations, along with a myriad of energy bars, Game drink refills, Goo etc.
Will also be home to:
Sunglasses
Sun cream
Lip ice
Compass (vir indoen ons in ons m…in verdwaal)
So far its looking like another 2.5kg in this bag
Cross bar pouch
That’s the little pouch on the cross bar just behind the handle bar. In here will be unwrapped energy bars, along with Goos and jelly babies, ready for consumption as we ride (That’s for when we’re up to full speed and no time for “hanna hanna, yadda yadda, hoes poep en lippeklap”)
On the cross bar
Mounted Polar watch
Bike computer (to count all 2350 kms)
Mounted lamp at night
An old computer motherboard fastened to the handlebar with cable ties. This will serve as the clipboard to carry the map reading pouch and the day’s maps (Its not like Jozi where we just have to spot Sandton City and we know where we are).
The Rucksack
I’ll be starting the day with a weight of about 10kg, which will include 3 litres of water in a bladder and 2 litres of Game in bottles. This will dwindle to about 5-6kg as I drink through the day (so the trick is to drink all the stuff in the 1st hour)
In addition:
Night stuff (in a dry bag):
Tracksuit pants
Woollen socks
Cape Storm Fleece Top
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Soap leaves (fancy little containes with about 50 “leaves of soap, all very small and compact) for showering.
Soap leaves for washing cycle shorts daily (about 150 such “leaves”)
Bum cream (extras in the 2 litre ice cream tubs placed at support stations)
No underpants (They’re too heavy to carry)
Day stuff (much of it will be worn during the day)
Sealskinz waterproof beanie
K-Way Balaclava
Some bandanna type thing to wear across the mouth in cold weather (yip, we won’t be breathing in the lovely Jozi fresh air down there – so need a filter)
2 cycle bibs (that’s those fancy cycle outfits that have shoulder straps. Looks like the braces the old toppies used to wear back in Garndpa’s day)
2 base layers (that’s those tight long sleeve goretex Cape Storm shirts that keep you warm they say)
2 long sleeve Cape Storm shirts
A Cape Storm fleece top
A Cape Storm windbreaker top with more warm fleece stuff inside
A Cape Storm kickass raincoat with hood
Cycling tights to keep the legs warm
Waterproof long pants
2x sealskinz waterproof socks
2x Falcke MTB socks
My trail running shoes (yes, I still use pedal straps, those cleat pieces of …. make me fall all the time)
MTB cut-off gloves to make me look cool
Sealskinz waterproof warm gloves for cold days
And I think that’s about the lot regarding what get’s carried.
Then there’s the ice cream tubs. The race allows us to send a 2 litre ice cream tub at every one of the 25 support stations (usually a farm house or a lodge where we can eat and sleep should we choose to)
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| Carefully planning 25 days' worth of supplies |
The contents of those look something like:
The next day’s maps
Goo
Energy bar assortment
Chocolate bar
Recovery drink
Morning carbo drink
3 packs of Game for the next day
Packet of cheesy biscuit snacks
Poo Mix (very important, otherwise known as Colon Cleanse to keep the system moving out all the cr..p that we eat)
Spare bum cream in certain tubs
Spare gas bombs in certain tubs
Extra chain lube in certain tubs
Spare chain half way
And that’s as much as I can remember. Quite a mouthful. I imagine some stuff being dumped at some point as sense of humor failure sets in.
