I have been trying 3 in 1 coffee mixes with additional starbucks instant* on recent trips, mainly for mid morning dozies as a shake made in a water bottle, but it might be good for a faff-saver on this ride. I do like taking in the early am views while brewing a good cowboy coffee though, can be packed up by the time it's done, and in terms of weight/pack size my brew kit is minimal. To take or not depends on group habits also.

*oddly, far nicer than the generally awful coffee they sell.

Bit like james above, the "stove on for a coffe, whilst packing up kit" is a ritual really.

Really rate the Taylors Hot Lava Java coffee bags, so easy and no faff at all.

Might be extra weight, but that first coffee is as good for the soul as it is the legs!

As much of a coffee snob as I am usually, the barista style instant (the stuff with actual ground coffee in it) is just fine for me when bikepacking.

Hell, I'm a bed / hotel snob too, but somehow I manage to cope with being in a field with zero chance of a good night's sleep.

Does anyone have tips on maps that cover some/most of the areas TNR travels through? I'm trying not to buy multiple maps.

Also....is there any point in having waterproof trousers?!

Re: waterproof trousers. Not really. Wind stopping trousers if it's cold and wet might be sane though for the big descents.

Greetz

S.

I don't think I've ever seen wind stopping trousers.

Leg warmers for descents it is! My general experience of waterproof gear on a bike is that I end up wet anyway!

Leg warmers would work. I think I might have carried some in 2016 but don't recall using them.

Greetz

S.

I have Sportful "No Rain" waterproof arm and leg warmers and find them really good.

Any thoughts on when the route will be published? Can't believe it's 4 weeks to go and I'm seriously under fretted

How does that work? You want to be more anxious about it? :D

No need to be anxious or pensive ...we have special euro themed TNR stickers

It's more a case of different fretting, atm I'm concerned that the files will be in a form that my non existant IT skills will struggle to get onto my Garmin, I've spent so much time on wikiloc where it's dead easy.

I wouldn't worry about it. There are plenty of us here with quite a bit of experience at GPS hacking. :)

Being seriously under fretted is the perfect way to go into the TNR. It's that kind of ride. Don't worry....after the first day, you'll know what you're up against

Greetz

S.

Love those stickers, Stu; how do we acquire?

Love those stickers, Stu; how do we acquire?

I believe James will be sending them out to those riding ... I think.

Route info sent. Use the second version sent ... gdamnit, typos and a distance marker error, had to re-do the cues. Route GPS is fine. No changes there. Duncan, they're just .gpx files so upload to any routing site and view, or drop straight onto the New Files folder of a garmin. The POIs won't show up on most uploads for some reason but they should show as waypoints on the GPS unit. Just shops and refuge locations etc, but most are on route and hard to miss and the cues do a better job of highlighting that anyway.

Stickers, if you've got a patch and rally card due to you (via donations to SSF) you'll get some ltd ed BB stickers too. If not -and why not - there'll probably be a few left at the dinner on the 2nd. I doubt there will be enough beer drunk to take up Stu's stickers challenge though (lets hope not eh)

Anyone got any experience of either Schwalbe's Thunder Burt or Maxxis's Pace?





Seeing the bikes everyone seems to be taking (Facebook), I'm thinking that the Maxxis Ikon I normally run is way more grip / rolling resistance than I'm likely to need / want (on the back). I had planned on doing the more rugged sections, but I'm assuming they're more bumpy than having to rely on grip.

Edit - Just reading about the Thunder Burt and it seems it might wear too fast for multi day stuff.

Although maybe not...

Volume, low roll resistance, tread in that order, imo. Gritty gravel grips without much need for tread, unless you're the drift king in the corners (ie not just skidding, proper no brake corner slide control)

jameso wrote:Volume, low roll resistance, tread in that order, imo.

I'd agree with that. I went with 2.6" Vittoria Mexcal on the front and Bontrager XR2 2.2 on the back for the French Divide both tubeless. (15psi & 30psi respectfully ) Nice and comfy and rolled surprisingly well on tarmac. The Mezcal has a fairly continuous central tread that helps on roads. There was one fairly technical descent - something like an easy to mid red trail, basically went straight downhill for over a km! - and there was enough grip for that.

I use WTB Wolverine (2.2) on the front and Nineline (2.0) on the back. For me it's the right amount of front end grip when I need to lean into a corner but I can still get reasonable speed on the tarmac. If the Wolverine doesn't play nice - it's the one I used in 2016 for TNR - I'll stick on a Trailboss (2.25).

Greetz

S.

Yeah, I think a lot of this isn't about what tyre is best but what kind of bike and ride, what you get from it etc. I like ragging a light drop bar bike off road then enjoying the relative calm of road riding, for that 650 Horizons are great. Another time it'll be a TDR tyre choice and cruising roads just to link the tracks up, having more fun off road.

Define "volume". I'm unlikely to be running anything bigger than a 2.2". I never do.