Tour Divide 2012 – The Gear List

I’ve finally assembled all the gear for this year’s attempt at the Tour Divide race. It is a source of endless discussion as to exactly how much you take on the ride. Kurt Refsnider, who won in 2011, has what I think is the singularly best view on what take. He tries to “strike a respectable balance between ultra light and well prepared.”

I err on the side of more prepared than ultralight. Yes, it means I have to move a heavier bike, but I know from experience that I don’t do well when I get too cold and wet. So, for example, I carry an tent rather than a bivy sack.  I’ve made a few changes to last year’s gear, such as less spares and the replacement of my over boots with Goretex socks. The latter have worked a lot better during my testing (and are lighter!).

All up my fully kitted bike with no water or food weighs in at 46 pounds (21 kg).  My hydration pack with its gear is a further 7 pounds (3 kg). I think it’s about 4 – 5 kg heavier than the most minimalist setup I could probably come up with. Not bad if you think that it needs to take me 4,418 km in (relative) comfort. Of course I’ll regret every extra gram when I’m lugging the bike through snow on some of the passes (a week before the race it was reported that there was still 1 m of snow on some of the passes in the Flathead valley in Canada and the road was closed due to snow at Union Pass in Montana).

I am using the same bags except my map case is the excellent quad map case from Carousel Design Works. Absolutely brilliant. I’ve also replaced my Revelate dry bag with one from Outdoor Research as the latter was slightly larger and easier to pack.

Some photos of the bike. At the top of the aero bars are the Ay-Up lights. Good for 12+ hours of riding. Behind it is the Garmin 800 (16 h between recharges), and then the map case with a cue sheet. I’ve used waterproof paper this year (live and learn!).  Attached to the right brake lever is an old Specialized Turbo Elite cycle computer. This will be the main measuring device for the cue sheets; the GPS will be used to verify I’m on track.

Front end shot showing the brilliant Revelate system for the roll bag as well as the extra front storage bag. I’ve added an extra strap around the handlebars at each end of the roll bag. I’ve found that this helps with the stability quite a lot.

Side view showing the frame, seat and two top-tube packs.  I’ve an extra strap under the seat bag, again I found it helps with stability. The small top tube pack contains all tools and the cable lock. Will hopefully seldom be used.  My food will go in the large top tube bag which is behind the handlebars, hydration pack as well as the seat and roll on. I’m not riding a 29’er so the frame bag is quite small, but it holds all my rain gear and arm warmers. 

For the real cycling enthusiasts:

• Frame is a titanium Motobecane hardtail. Bought the bike from www.bikesdirect.com
• Using carbon fibre Bontraeger handlebars. Yes, I know there is a risk with having aero bars on carbon fibre handelbars, but the extra shock absorption is worth the risk.
• Aero bars are Profile Design T1+
• Grips are Ergon G3 with some extra tape wrapped around them for more padding.
• Tires are Schwalbe Marathon Extreme. Running tubeless with Stan’s sealant.
• Pedals are Shimano XTR.

Here is the full gear list by location.

Qty	Item	Where
Bags
1	Carousel Design Quad Map Case	Stem
1	Deuter Compact 12 EXP	Hydration Pack
1	Fuel Belt Bento Box	Top Tube #2
1	Outdoor Research 35 L Dry Bag	Handlebar
1	Revelate Design Custom Frame Bag	Frame
1	Revelate Design Gas Tank Bag	Top Tube #1
1	Revelate Design Handlebar Pocket Bag	Handlebar
1	Revelate Design Handlebar Sling for Roll	Handlebar
1	Revelate Design Viscacha Seat Bag	Seat
Gear
1	Arm Warmers	Frame
1	Paramo Quito Cycling Jacket	Frame
1	Gore Cycling Goretex Rain Pants	Frame
1	Rocky Goretex Socks	Frame
1	Pearl Izumi Pro Softshell WxB Gloves	Frame
4	Spare Spokes	Frame
1	Baseball Hat	Frame/Wear
1	Action Wipes	Handlebar
1	Ay-Up Head Torch Band	Handlebar
2	Ay-Up Battery	Handlebar
1	Cassette Cleaning Brush	Handlebar
1	Chamois Cream	Handlebar
2	Garmin 800 Cycle Computer	Handlebar/Bike
6	Glad Zip Lock Lunch Bags	Handlebar
1	Mophie Juice Pack Powerstation USB Battery	Handlebar
1	Toilet Paper	Handlebar
1	Webbing – Spare	Handlebar
1	Specialized Gel Cycling Gloves	Handlebar/Wear
1	4 x USB AC Adapter	Hydration Pack
1	3.0 L Hydration Bladder	Hydration Pack
1	1.0 L Hydration Bag	Hydration Pack
1	Apple Shuffle MP3 Player	Hydration Pack
1	Asthma Emergency Pills	Hydration Pack
3	Asthma Inhaler	Hydration Pack/Handlebar/Seat
1	Bear Mace	Hydration Pack
1	Bear Whistle	Hydration Pack/Wear
1	Cash	Hydration Pack
2	Credit Cards	Hydration Pack
1	Dental Floss	Hydration Pack
1	Respro Techno Dust Mask	Hydration Pack
2	Ear Plugs	Hydration Pack
1	Hand Sanitizer	Hydration Pack
30	Katadyn Water Purification Tablets	Hydration Pack
1	Kinesys Lip Balm SPF 30	Hydration Pack Hip Bag
1	Micro USB Cable – Cell	Hydration Pack
2	Micro USB Cable – GPS	Hydration Pack
1	Micro USB Cable – MP3 Player	Hydration Pack
1	Microfleece Towel	Hydration Pack
1	Microtorch	Hydration Pack
1	Mini-Toothpaste	Hydration Pack
1	Mosquito Repellant	Hydration Pack
1	Nisita Nasal Lotion	Hydration Pack
1	Passport	Hydration Pack
1	Prescription Glasses	Hydration Pack/Wear
1	Sleeping Mask	Hydration Pack
1	Sony Cell Phone Spare Battery	Hydration Pack
1	Spot GPS	Hydration Pack
1	Sunglasses	Hydration Pack/Wear
2	Small Kinesys Sunscreen SPF 30	Hydration Pack/Handlebar
1	Titanium Spoon-Fork	Hydration Pack
1	Toothbrush	Hydration Pack
1	Sony Xperia Active Cell Phone	Hydration Pack Phone Bag
6	AAA Spot GPS Batteries	Hydration Pack/Handlebar
1	Mophie Juice Micro USB Cable	Hydration Pack
20	Tylenol	Hydration Pack
20	Voltarin 100 SR Anti-Inflammatory	Hydration Pack
1	2XU Compression Longs For Sleeping	Roll
1	Klymit X Frame Sleeping Pad	Roll
1	Macpac Sleeping Bag	Roll
1	Sierra Design Lightening HT1 Ultralight Tent	Roll
1	T Shirt	Roll
1	ACA Map Cues	Seat
1	ACA Map Set	Seat
1	Ay-Up Recharger	Seat
7	Cable Ties	Seat
1	Disc Brake Pad Kit	Seat
1	Mont-Bell U.L. Down T Vest	Seat
1	Drymax Cycling Socks	Seat/Wear
1	Duct Tape	Seat (on pump)
1	Adventure Ultralight 1 Medical First Aid Kit	Seat
1	Ground Effect Cycling Shorts	Seat/Wear
1	Ground Effect Summer Riding Shirt	Seat/Wear
2	Ground Effects Merino Cycling Socks	Seat/Roll/Wear
1	Leg Warmers	Seat
1	Merino Wool Base Layer Shirt	Seat/Wear
1	Pump	Seat
3	Respro Dust Mask Filter Replacements	Seat
1	Shifter Cable	Seat
1	Spare Cleat	Seat
2	Spare Tubes	Seat
1	Thermal Hat	Seat
1	Orca Triathlon Shorts	Seat/Wear
1	Tyre Lever	Seat
1	8 mm Allen Key	Top Tube #2
7	Cable Ties	Top Tube #2
4	Chain Links	Top Tube #2
1	Chain Lube	Top Tube #2
4	Chain Super Links	Top Tube #2
1	Derailleur Hanger	Top Tube #2
1	Fibre Fit Spoke	Top Tube #2
1	Heavy Duty Dental Floss	Top Tube #2
1	Leatherman Squirt PS4 Tool	Top Tube #2
1	Lock/Cable	Top Tube #2
2	Needles	Top Tube #2
1	Patch Kit	Top Tube #2
2	Shrader-Presta Adapter	Top Tube #2/Handlebar
1	Tulio Multi-Tool	Top Tube #2
2	Park Tyre Boot	Top Tube #2
1	Specialized Cycling Shoes	Wear
1	Road ID	Wear
1	Trek Cycle Helmet with Light on Back	Wear