Wakamarina Track - Trails and Takeaways Report Series
The Wakamarina Track is the first in a series of of bite-sized reports about the best New Zealand rides and runs.
Traveling through the North and South Island of New Zealand, I'm constantly on the hunt for running and mountain biking trail data. In response, I'm creating my own, focused on some of the best New Zealand rides and runs I've done. The Wakamarina Track is the first of a series of bite-sized reports.
Wakamarina Trail
Near the finish of the main Wakamarina decent, we stopped for a break at the Devil's Creek Hut
Location:
Havelock, between Blenheim and Nelson on the South Island of New Zealand.
Details:
This sweet ribbon of trail is mostly singletrack with a mixture of loam, roots, clay and hike-a-bike. It's a point to point ride that's best done from south to north and can easily be done as a single day adventure. It's a long and hot ride so pack plenty of water and food. We opted out of the paid shuttle because we had two vans but we soon found out that the gate at the base of the start can be locked at anytime, without notice. Bonus climbing anyone? All complaints aside, the decent from the highest point is out of this world. The trail was originally a gold mining track that has a brilliant change in consistency as you decend into the Wakamarina Valley. From rooty and dry conditions down through loam, lush ferns and waterfalls.
JJ of A-Line Coaching, guiding us through some of the finer points of flat corners amongst the ferns.
Takeaway:
Always pack an antihistamine in your first aid kit - Dan was stung by a wasp... In The FACE.
The Data:
TrailForks report can be found here
GPS data uploaded from my Suunto Ambit3 Peak n a cool little video here:
The Verdict:
Go ride this trail. It's a rad day in the saddle.
Swim Training While Traveling - Chasing Fish & Blue Lines
Hunting down pools with lanes or beaches without waves, can be an interesting challenge while traveling.
Swim training, it's not as simple as lacing up and heading out for a run. Hunting down pools with lanes or beaches without waves, can be an interesting challenge while traveling. However, if you pepper in a bit of research, an understanding partner and some blind faith, it's actually pretty achievable. Here are my suggestions for planning and executing pool and open water swim sessions while traveling:
Pool Hunting
Jump on the Google machine and look for pools in the area. Next, do a bit of research to see if there are any triathlon clubs or masters swim clubs in the area. I typically aim for the pools that the clubs train in as that's a solid guarantee that there will be lanes and (fingers crossed) less rogue canonball-throwing kids, unless you're into that sort of chaos. You may also stumble upon a masters training session or group swim. Why swim alone if you don't have to?
Pro move - Look up the pool's Google listing to see when the busy times are and/or call the pool up and ask the reception.
It's hard to kick those openwater jitters. Pictured here: Cable Bay, New Zealand
The Open Water Beast
Searching for places to swim in the open water gets a bit tricky. I start by searching maps of the local area. Google Maps will give you a good indication of where more shallow zones are. Suunto's Movescount (the platform behind my GPS Watch) will display heat maps of areas where other swimmers have logged swims. If you don't have access to GPS data, check Strava to see if there is a history of long distance swimming in the region. Lastly, search for any triathlons or swimming races in town. Tuck into the race website to find a race map as an indicator of safe places to jump in.
Working on my high elbow recovery.
On Location
- Rotorua is a fantastic place to swim. There are dozens of lakes to chose from but some are off limits. After doing some research, I found that a beautiful lake near town wasn't open to swimmers. Green Lake is a sacred place to the Maori people. Nevertheless, Blue Lake and Lake Rotoiti (see below) were close by with good water clarity.
- Raglan, the famous surfing region has a pretty rad little swimming harbour. Unfortunately, there are some challenging currents and tidal changes. Luckily, I had a trustworthy team to keep an eye on me. When the current got too strong to swim against, I changed course and headed for shore.
- It wasn't until Abel Tasman, that I discovered the beauty of swimming during slack tide when the current is at it's most gentle state and the water level is high. I found near perfect conditions throughout our time in the area.
I managed a few training swims in Abel Tasman on our kayak camping trip. This is another place to keep an eye on tidal changes.
- Cable Bay, near the town of Nelson introduced me to swimming in windy conditions. The best way I managed the waves and wind spray was to swim in zig zags in and out from shore. The rolling waves made it too challenging to swim from end to end of the beach. Bonus points, if you manage to catch a wave!
Kirwans Hut - Welcome to the Jungle
On a high from the rugged beauty and raw challenge from bike packing the St. James Trail, we set out for Kirwans Hut just outside of Reefton, NZ.
On a high from the rugged beauty and raw challenge from bike packing the St. James Trail, we searched for another hut to explore on our journey to the North Island. We landed on the Kirwans Hut just outside of Reefton. The recent rain in the region made the climb a tough and boggy march. It was well worth it for the next day’s decent: Over two hours of loam surfing through mud and jungle.
Trail Type:
Singletrack with some unridable sections in either direction
Trip Plan:
We left mid-day and arrived just in time for dinner. Kirwans Hut was easily the nicest hut I’ve ever encountered. We're talking a mudroom, kitchen and double pain windows. In the morning, we had a leisurely breakfast waiting for the clouds in the valley to break, then returned via the same trail.
Elevation Gained:
1380 meters
Peak-a-boo view from Kirwans Hut
Kilometers Traveled:
About 28
Kirwans Hut
Weather:
Out: Humidity was high but we didn’t experience any rain.
Return: was hot and sunny.
Dan getting barreled in the green room
Company:
It was great, as always. We only had to share the hut with two other people.
Pack loaded, decent ready. Dan looking over the valley from Kirwans Hut
Bike:
Yeti Sb5c and Giant Reign
The Yeti Sb5c and Giant Reign ready to shred on day 2
St. James Cycle Trail Trip Report
Check out the trip report from our first bike packing over night trip in New Zealand.
TRAIL TYPE
A mixture of fire road, double track and singletrack
TRIP OVERVIEW
Judging by the trail description the trip could be done in one day, but where’s the fun in that? We split the adventure into two days by cutting out the shuttle option and leaving mid-day. This also gave us an excuse to test out our bike packing gear and stay overnight in a remote hut. We made it to the Guyon Hut in just over 5 hours and narrowly caught sunset. It was unreal.
On day two we set out in the morning for some serious saddle time: 7 hours and 53 minutes of mountain passes, stream crossings and wild terrain. Our packs were heavy, but the journey was pure magic. The corners of my mouth hurt from smiling so much.
ELEVATION GAINED
2030 meters
Distance Traveled
92+ kilometers
Weather and conditions
Mix of sun and cloud. We marched through a headwind on day one but any hints of a storm circled around and passed us.
Getting settled at the Guyon Hut after our first day on the St. James Trail
Company
Was great, as always. We only encountered one or two other groups over the entire 12+ hours of trail time.
Dan admiring the view.
Bike
Yeti Sb5c and a Giant Reign
Wildflower hitching a ride on Dan's bike
Key pieces of gear
- Any weight we could move from our backs to our bikes made life easier. I used a bar bag, back packing pack and kept my repair kit under my saddle.
- My Suunto GPS watch kept us on track and helped manage our food and rest stops.
Bridge crossing selfie
Don't Underestimate...
How serious the sand fly issue is: Bring bug spray!
Dan climbing up out of the valley
Check out Dan's PinkBike Photo Essay:
Swim, Bike, Run: Christchurch
I'm planning to keep up my off-road triathlon training to race the XTERRA Motatapu in Queenstown, March 4th. To kick things off, here are my favourite training spots in Christchurch.
While Dan and I adventure across New Zealand, I'm planning to keep up my endurance training to race the XTERRA Motatapu off-road triathlon in Queenstown, March 4th. To date, it’s been a cool challenge so I thought I’d share some training gems from each major stop-over. To kick things off, here are my favourite off-road triathlon training spots in Christchurch:
Swim
Although there are some zesty open water options, a treat for day-to-day swim training is to head to one of the outdoor pools. I’m a huge fan of Waltham. It’s the official home to the Canterbury Triathlon Club and a lovely place to get some sunshine while knocking out swim workouts. Mid-day, Waltham is a relatively quiet pool with the added bonus of extra long lanes: 33.3 meters.
Walham Pool (The lanes are behind the mob of children)
A great resource for swim training in Christchurch is Fit&Abel. They have open water workshops, swim squads and races every week during the summer.
Mountain Bike
There are so many options for training rides but my favourite link up is a climb up through Halswell Quarry, across the Summit Road, down Flying Nun Trail, up to Victoria Park, down Tilted Sally and a flat road cycle back home. Bag vertical, tech, views and intervals all in one go. Below is a short overview of the ride generated from my Suunto watch:
Trail Run
Just as Christchurch is spoiled for variety with mountain bike trails, they have some rad options for trail running too. But Bottle Lake Forest takes the cake. The trails are relatively flat with some nice rolling elements to keep you entertained. The main loop is a well signed 10 kilometres that weaves through a stunning pine forest bordering the beach in Littleton. The air is sweet with wildflowers, ocean salt and pine needles. It’s so damn cool:
A few friendly running groups that I found are Team CP Group Endurance Coaching and the local Vegan Run club.
Wildflowers dotting the main Bottle Lake Forest trail
DNF - 5 Things I'll Do Differently For My Next Multi-Day Bike Race
Here are five things I'll pay special attention to, in order to avoid a future DNF during a multi-day race.
DNF - 5 Things I'll Do Differently For My Next Multi-Day Bike Race
D.N.F. - It's an acronym that stands for "Did Not Finish". It's a tough call that almost every endurance athlete has to make at one point in his or her race career. For me, it was this past weekend at the Enduro World Series Qualifier in Dunedin, New Zealand.
Signal Hill lookout || Photo: Dan Harmon
The week kicked off in incredible form. The local Yeti Bikes tribe at Bike Otago was full of friendly advice and high fives. We set out each day exploring the awesome local trail networks.
When day one of the race kicked off I was brimming with stoke. The event was huge: 3 giant climbs and 3 of the 4 stages were blind. Mentally and physically I was spent. It was glorious. Below is a short video of the course my Suunto watch generated at the end of the day:
When I woke up for day 2, my body was stiff, cramping and mentally I just couldn't muster up the energy to withstand another dozen "accidental brushes with trees" or "over-the-bars" crashes. I limped around our hotel room until I finally made the call not to race. To be totally honest, I felt ashamed and embarrassed. But I put my ego aside and signed up to volunteer marshal with Dan instead. I had plenty of quiet time on the way home to figure out where I went wrong. Here are five things I'll pay special attention to, in order to avoid a future DNF during a multi-day race:
St Kilda Beach || Photo: Nina Arnold
1. Physical: More stretching and rest. Leading up to the event I rode local trails nearly every day. My logic was ride slowly and it wouldn't set me back too much but it did. If there are two rest days in my taper week, I'll stick with that next time.
Signal Hill || Photo: Nina Arnold
2. Nutrition: Cook at home. Dan and I wanted to treat ourselves after a big effort to a meal out. We chose Indian and asked for spicy. You can imagine how well that played out. Next time we'll prepare all of our meals at home with the right recovery foods.
3. Comfort: Have clean racing kit ready to go. I was exhausted after day one and neglected to wash my gear. In a perfect world I'd have a second jersey, shammy and shorts ready to go, but at the moment I only had one. In hindsight, I'd get my racing gear clean as soon as I was fed and showered (before that awesome nap) so I had something fresh and warm to wear the next day. It gets a bit tricky at a hotel, but having a plan is key.
Fixing my bike during practice || Photo: Dan Harmon
4. Tech Support: Give the Yeti another bike check. My tires and suspension were caked in fresh Dunedin mud and my bike needed a once-over after a few crashes on day one. Sometime after meeting my recovery food and shower needs and before having a snooze, giving the bike a wash and bolt tighten would have been stellar.
5. Mental: Quiet reflection and low stimulus. There was so much activity leading up to and mid-race that I forgot to take time to close my eyes, visualize a successful weekend ahead and relax. On some level, I may have subconsciously already written off Sunday before the day began. This may be one of my most important take-aways. The more I experiment with nutrition and training, the more I am discovering that the mental aspect of training is wildly important.
I've found a cool article on Sport Psychology Today that has been keeping me occupied: "The Power of Visualization".
After writing down my thoughts, the negative feelings quickly dissolved. There is something special about those trails. The community of riders, trail builders, and racers that make up Dunedin are so warm and welcoming. Many thanks to Bike Otago, Kashi, Kane and the Yeti New Zealand Team, Mountain Biking Otago and the rad ladies that shared there trails with me. I can't wait to get back down to shred that awesome part of the South Island again.
Rad little rainbow after the storm || Photo: Dan Harmon
My Outdoors Resume
While I'm driven by the challenge more than the race result, Check out some highlights from previous competitions, sponsorships and noteworthy moments.
MOUNTAIN BIKING BACKGROUND AND RESULT HIGHLIGHTS
Photo: Clint Trahan
o Volunteer Race Director for the Whistler Off-Road Cycling Association 2013-2015
o Ambassadorship Support from Yeti Cycles, Arbutus Routes Bike Shop, Giro Helmets, Deity Components, EVOC, and Suunto
o 2nd place, North American Enduro Tour – Whistler 2016
o 2nd Place BC Provincial Championships Cross Country – Whistler 2016
o 1st Place, BC Enduro – North Vancouver 2016
o 3rd Place, Cascadia Cup Enduro – North Vancouver 2015
o 1st Place, Sea Otter Classic Downhill – Monterey, USA 2015
o 8th Place, Enduro World Series Crankworx – Whistler 2014
o 1st Place, JABR Marathon XC – Squamish 2012 and 2013
TRAIL RUNNING AND OFF-ROAD TRIATHLON HIGHLIGHTS
Photo: Dan Harmon, XTERRA Victoria Race 2015
o Suunto and Salomon Canada Ambassador
o 2 nd Place Squamish Off-Road Triathlon - Squamish, BC 2017
o 4 th Place XTERRA Motatapu - Wanaka, NZ 2017
o 7 th Place, XTERRA Victoria Championship Distance - Victoria 2016
o 2 nd Place, Salomon Valley to Peak Team Race – Whistler, BC
o 4 th Place, XTERRA Victoria Sprint Distance – Victoria 2015
o 2 nd place, 5 Peaks Trail Running Series – Whistler Sport 2014
o 1 st Place, Squamish Triathlon Sprint – Squamish 2013
The Summer Of Us: 6 Months of Bikes & Adventure
Dan and I have left our jobs in British Columbia to explore the Southern Hemisphere for a while. I'm planning to mountain bike, hike, swim and trail run my little heart out. Our adventure begins now!
Dan and I have left our jobs in British Columbia to explore the southern hemisphere. We'll be kicking off our trip by traveling around around New Zealand's South Island, an absolute playground for mountain biking, trekking (aka tramping), swimming and trail running.
We've bought an adventure mobile:
We tested out the camping gear in a quiet bay just outside of Christchurch:
Our plans are not set in stone but our first stop is Dunedin for the Three Peaks Enduro hosted by Bike Otago.
We've been training for the last week and I'm amped to put in some big days on the mountain bike this weekend! Watch this space, for updates!
Four Mental Strengths to Bring to a Trail Running Race Day
Yesterday, I completed my first off-road half-marathon: The Salomon Valley to Peak. It was a trail race from Whistler Village up 1800+ meters to the Peak and back down to Roundhouse Lodge. Despite my active nerves about jumping up from the 10k distance that I raced as part of the run portion of my off-road triathlon in July, I was capable and ready. I owe my physical readiness to my coach Jen Segger, epic adventures with friends and training time with my solid race crew, Marissa, Liz and Emma.
But, I owe my mental readiness to four major things:
1. Positive Mind-Set
I'm a huge fan of an endurance sports podcast based in New Zealand called Fitter Radio. One of the hosts, Bevan Mackinnon did a segment on easing pre-race anxiety. One of his suggestions was to make sure that leading up to the race start, a racer should only use positive words associated with how they were feeling pre-event. For example, the week leading up to the Salomon Valley to Peak trail race I used the word "excited" instead of nervous when people asked me how I felt about the big task at hand. At first I didn't believe my own words, but pretty soon - I actually was excited. I couldn't wait to get up on race day and have the whole morning (and early afternoon) ahead of me to test my limits on Whistler's trails.
2. Get a Course Preview
Knowing what's in store for me on race day is so important for my mental preparation. I'd never race an enduro on my mountain bike without pre-riding the course, so unsurprisingly with the technical nature of running on trails, I like to be able to plan ahead. Ideally, braking a big course like this down into sections and timing a gentle dry run gives me some great goals to work towards. Previewing the course lets me know when to go full gas or reel it back in, according to what's ahead.
3. Develop Those Skills
Local coaching legend, Munny Munroe leads a series of pre-race clinics that introduce racers to the skill that's required for trail running. For instance, there is an art to downhill running (difficult to master - hilarious to watch). The skill level required reminds me of mountain biking and having that in your mental toolkit can often make or break your race. This isn't like road running. It's almost an entirely different sport. If you can't find a skills clinic then join a local trail running group.
4. Going the Distance
Prior to committing to this trail race I had never gone the proposed total distance, flat uphill or otherwise. to ease my anxiety, my dear friend and biking teammate on Team Arbutus went for a low-key trail run with me that included part of the course but didn't gain much elevation. In fact, we lost a ton of elevation. By opting to cut out at the far point of High Note trail and run down Singing Pass we still did 21+ kilometers without blowing out my legs and that gave me the confidence that my body could do it. I was also able to test out my hydration pack and fueling strategy. Win-Win!
If trail running and racing is your jam, I can't recommend trying a bigger distance or vertical challenge highly enough. Keep in mind that getting there isn't always about the physical training. Making the leap to racing a further distance off-road requires racers to have a strong mental game layered in on top of a training plan. Until next time, happy trails!
Off-Road Triathlon: 3 Beautiful Truths About Training
A few days ago I completed my first olympic distance triathlon. It was just my style, no roads involved. Off-Road Triathlons, also known as Cross Triathlons or by brand name, XTERRAs are a special breed of race. These races take competitors through a 1.5k swim with a quick transition into a 24k mountain bike ride, followed by a 9k trail run.
The race I participated in was in Victoria, BC, in and around Durrance Lake. The course has a reputation of being one of the most technically challenging on the circuit, perfect for a mountain biker from Whistler like me. As I transitioned from swim to bike to run, last Sunday, pushing my body harder than I'd ever done before, I thought about the countless hours of training I had undergone in the last 8 months. I decided I now know three precious things about training about Off-Road Triathlons, that I wish I could tell "past me" at the start of all that training.
First, there will be some high highs and really low lows.
Training is an experiment. There were times when I felt strong and capable but those typically only came out in the taper and on race day. With such a high volume of training I mostly felt sore and tired. But, it gets better and it's worth it. There were also a few occasions when I pushed myself too hard and physically couldn't motivate. Dear "Past Me", be prepared - training is hard work.
Secondly, food counts.
When I first started racing bikes, I wasn't really concerned with what I ate and when, but it really does make a difference. Depending on the effort and the food I've packed, I like to take in a gel or shot block every 30-45 minutes. The only times that I've been in a really dark place (read: wanted to end my training session or pull out of a race) I can blame my poor nutrition timing. I can't say that I have this completely dialed, yet. A work in progress!
Make a triathlon training plan for yourself, and stick to it.
I'm lucky enough to have found a an awesome coach (shout out to Jen Segger) and digital performance dashboard (Training Peaks) to keep me excited about recording workouts and sticking to a plan. Hello accountability and gamification! Pairing that with all the other fitness and social ride/swim/run groups and I could have easily done double the training and burnt out months ago. I found my success stemmed from sticking to Jen's plan and only adding in group training when it matched up with my prescribed workouts. That being said, there are huge benefits from group training so I forced myself out of my solo comfort zone once or twice a week to train with local legends like Munny Munro or Kristian Manietta.
If you're considering the wonderful, challenge of training for an off-road triathlon I have one last piece of advice, do it. Needless to say, I may not have brought home any trophies but the bond with my training buddies Liz, Marissa & Emma and the powerful new understanding of my limits will keep me coming back to compete year after year.
Want to see more snaps from the event? Follow me on Instagram.
A huge thank you to Dan Harmon for these lovely photos. Follow him on Instagram here.
TrailForks Heat Map Data for Sea To Sky Mountain Bike Exploring
A few weeks ago, I found myself wrapped up in some sweet, sweet data that the fine folks of TrailForks (a great trail map resource) rolled out in the form of Heat Maps. I uncovered some of the busiest trails in Squamish, Whistler, Pemberton and the Sea to Sky as a whole. As a member of Team Arbutus, a grassroots mountain bike race team based in Whistler, BC, we are encouraged to share our adventures and biking thoughts on the Arbutus Routes shop blog: Tails From the Trails. The blog is a perfect avenue to shed some light on the new TrailForks feature. Check out the full Arbutus post here.
Skate Skiing: Lessons From Learning a New Sport
Sometimes I have to laugh at myself. My love for endurance sports runs so deep that sometimes it drives me to do strange things. Enter: Skate skiing.
The Olympic Venue for Nordic Skiing in Whistler (Whistler Olympic Park) hosts introductory night skiing once a week during the winter. As an instant Bambi on toothpicks.
Wobble. Fall. Skated a few strides. Repeate.
Did I show signs of potential greatness? Probably not. But I did discover a beautiful new way to explore on snow. Learning a new sport at 31 is surprisingly contagious, once you get past the nerdy get-up and skinny skis. But it's not something unique to skate skiing, the same challenge could be applied to any sport. Mentally, physically and emotionally it's a rad experience.
Here are 5 lessons that I’ve learned about picking up a new sport like skate skiing:
Have Patience
It was easy to be frustrated with my lack of balance or inability to perform simple actions like stopping on skate skis because of my background as an alpine skier. Go easy on yourself, and laugh it off - No one comes out of the gate as an expert, a new sport means that everyone starts from zero.
2. Take a Lesson/Coaching Session
I went out and tried skate skiing on my own quite a few times before I befriended our local Biathlon coach, Munny Munroe. If you’ve ever tried to teach a significant other to alpine ski then you know tips from friends only gets you so far in your learning progression (If you haven't take my word for it, bad plan). Munny is the man. He had me dial in my skate skiing technique and efficiency through drills, and equipment suggestions. Don't fumble around with bad technique for too long in a new sport, it's a waste.
3. Don’t be afraid to fall
Falling sucks. But if you approach a new sport like skate skiing with the fear of falling front of mind, you’ll never push your boundaries. You never know, you might surprise yourself.
5. Set Goals
Eventually, I nailed a few great strides in a row and the steep pitch that was once terrifying became a piece of cake. The more practice, the quicker that happened. I put in some endurance efforts (2 hrs +) cruising around the Whistler Olympic Park and Lost Lake plus added some fast paced interval sessions. I found my benchmark, complete a loppet aka Skate Ski Race. I was nervous about the mass start but the course was over some kick-ass terrain. I put in serious time practicing those 3-4 weeks prior to the race and found that once I could complete the distance the least I could do was give it a try!
Siggie's P'ayak did not disappoint! The course: Burning lungs, some slushy falls, a strategic pass or two and some big climbs. An hour later I was at the finish. Almost 30 minutes faster than my anticipated time. It was one of the most stunning races I’ve ever done in any sport. Worth it.
Lastly, recover as hard as you train:
My partner Dan gave me some wholesome advice that is changing the way I look at training for all sports. He questioned how I could spend so many hours training and not consider the holistic perspective of my well being: Nutrition timing and recovery. Just like any other endurance sport I planned out food pre, during and post skate skiing. I also bring a change of clothes with me because even though you work up a serious sweat on skate skis, your temperature drops significantly when you're done. Seriously, don't forget about this one.
Now go out and try something new. If nothing else, it makes for a good story, tired muscles and some funny photos.
Trading in the Fat Wheels: Six Must Haves for Your First Cycle Tour Weekend
Trading in the Fat Wheels: 6 Must Haves for Your First Cycle Tour Weekend
Recently, four brave, bike-loving friends of mine assembled to join me on a weekend cycle touring trip. We set out at first light from Whistler, BC on a Saturday morning and returned 3 days later after 3 ferry crossings, 480 kilometers of coastal roads and some staggering elevation gain/loss. For most of us, we preferred our views from the crest of loam-clad trails, but the call of adventure and draw of spending all day on a bike (no matter what bike it was) prevailed.
Best. Decision. Ever.
So, if you’ve caught the bug to explore, here are my 5 must haves for your first weekend cycle trip:
- Take what you can pack in a Bike Frame Bag & Handle Bar Bag: The lighter your bike the longer you can ride (added weight = more fatigue). We opted to stay in hostels and only took what we could fit
- Chamois Butter: This little gem is a standalone. Even if it sounds weird, buy it. Lather it on every morning. You’ll thank me. Mind the menthol – the cool minty fresh feeling isn’t for everyone.
- Electronics: Bring all the necessary cables to keep your phone, camera and GPS watch charged and a single wall mount so you can switch back and forth when on ferries or at the hostel/hotel.
- Change of clothes: Yes, one change of clothes. To keep it light I packed flip flops, loose comfortable pants & top plus a light weight jacket for those ferry rides and road side snack breaks.
- Split the effort: If you’re going with multiple riders (and you should, it’s more fun!), split up tools, spare tubes between the group. This way you’re traveling light and still have enough to support each other between any emergency bike shop stops.
- Food & Water: I found that two bottles kept me hydrated between food stops. Bring electrolyte tabs as they take up less space than powder and stock up on gels/blocks/bars at the beginning of each day. In rural areas you may not have a chance to grab those short burst energy snacks. No food means no fuel.
