Trans Am 2014 Build Kit

As you're reading this I am hopefully a long ways into my trip, hopefully at least halfway, but most likely not (it's a long goddamn race). I posted my packlist and here is the build kit. I am a big fan of run what you brung, this has been a slow build from the stock parts to a fairly decent setup.

The frame is my forever trusty Surly Cross Check. I have had this one for two years now and riding a X-Check for two and a half (first was stolen; growing pains).

The cockpit.

Cinelli Spinaci

On the cockpit is a Garmin Etrex on the stock stem/handlebar setup. I was running dirt drops for a bit, but for this race this is my best go; Salsa Bell Lap Bars. Those aero bars are the Cinelli Spinaci bars, which used to be all over the pros, til they made them illegal. Handkerchief neatly tied away.

Ultegrea 9 speed shifters.

I always liked my stock barends that came on the Cross Check, but when the plastic snapped on the rear shifter it was time to get new shifters. For the same price as a new 9 speed bar end I found these Ultegra brifters on eBay. Being able to shift while standing has been absolutely great. I may go barcon on the front in the somewhat future, but I will always run the rear on a brifter now.

Mini-Vs

I had been running Tektro CR-720s for the longest time on the Cross Check. The problem was that I started to realize how bad fork shudder really was, especially when my Kool STops started wearing down. I did some hunting and found these Tektro Mini-Vs to stop the shudder. They are a pain to setup, but once they are in it's great. I still have the CR-720 in the rear for better modulation, since everyone knows V's are all or nothing sort of deal.

Big chain jumps.

Deore XT

My drivetrain is mostly Deore and Deore XT. I've always liked the added durability of mountain stuff as well as the wider gear range on the rear mech. The cassette and rear deraulleur are XT, the cranks are regular Deore, which I accidentally got the smaller size (42, 32, 22 vs. 48, 36, 26) which explains the large jump. People have asked how it shifts, the short answer is not great. The long answer is that it just takes a minute, but it will up shift, it just requires holding it. Since I don't do a lot of aggressive racing this works for now. I'll be upgrading to a Tiagra triple after the race to get a higher top end, since the 22-32 combo is far too small. The front deraulleur is a no name swap I got, but it works okay. I never understood why people hated front deraulleurs so much until I went indexed.

Not the lightest, but durable.

As my everyday rig I wanted to upgrade the wheelset, Velocity seemed like the best choice. They are not the lightest, but they are more durable than a light alloy or carbonset. Laced to a 105 (132.5mm spacing on the frame meant I could choose mountain or road spacing, but 105 was in stock when I got them and I'm glad actually, they hold together better than the Deore). The rubber is Schwalbe Marathon Racer, I've used a lot of Schwalbe in the past and have always been happy with their performance, especially compared to their German brethren Continental. These are a lighter casing Marathon.

Bad vegan.

Yep. I am a vegan on a leather saddle. To be fair I bought it when I was only vegetarian (probably still not good enough, huh? Well whatever, fuck off elitist PETA scum). I have had this a long time and it is super comfortable. It's a B17 model, if I could, I would upgrade to a Swift or Titanium railed saddle, but I won't buy leather again, the Cambium will be next on my list of gear.

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Is that a Thompson seat post hiding under there? It sure is. I got this on a full bike purchase (a Surly Steamroller that was a super pimp build). Since I ride the Cross Check more I decided to swap the $10 seatpost for the $100 one.

But where does all my gear go? Revelate or bust.

Viscacha with some hanging addons for accessibility.

Besides what is hanging off of the Revelate Viscacha, I have my sleeping bag, pad, and clothing stuffed into the rear. The internal cinch strap makes it easy to squish down and keep the weight closer to the seatpost.

Hiding spares next to my bag.

My Revelate Tangle bag holds just about everything else, electronics, toiletries, some tools, and there is some spare room for food too. The tube placement was a secret I learned from Gary's packlist on While Out Riding (although revisiting this sight shows his aren't exposed to the elements, I should fix that, huh?). This is a spare, because my first backup is hidden...
 

HERE!

I'm always trying to find places to put things and I had this Jannd strap and my tube, levers, and patch kit all bundled together. It took me a bit to put it together, but it found it's home leaving more room in my frame pack for water and food.

That's it. Once again I'll know how well this works better at the end of the race, but before take off as I write this, I think I did pretty well.

  

Trans Am 2014 Packlist

I am a great lover of packlists. The Trans Am presented the challenge of going as light as possible while being able to plan for the worst. This is a pre-test, there will be a better idea of what worked and what didn't at the end of the race.

First and foremost what I plan to set out in.

• All Hail the Black Market Sockguy socks (I've come to find I like Sockguy socks better than DeFeet)
• DMT Escape clipless shoes; a recent convert to attached shoes. They are comfy, for 20 bucks used, can't really beat em.
• Whiskey Parts No. 5 jersey; stylish, durable, and most importantly comfortable "relaxed fit"
• Whiskey Parts No. 5 shorts; not as rave a review as the jersey, but they work.

Clothing

This is where bulk and weight can really be saved or added.

• Mash Parallax socks; DeFeet style, less comfortable, but far more stylish.
• Smart Wool cap
• Giro gloves; no padding, but wool and warm (I'm a bad vegan I know).
• Campognolo Jacket; $50 on Amazon a few months back, not great, but works okay.
• Sugoi Knee Warmers
• Icebreaker Arm Warmers; I don't know if they could be any more difficult to put on, but they keep the cold out well.
• Gym shorts; for sleeping and laundry.
• Smart Wool top; for sleeping, laundry, and an extra layer for warmth, just in case. 

Electronics

For the weight these things have high value.

• Garmin Etrex 20; if you don't know, now you do AA batteries, 20+ hr life, uploadable maps, SD card storage, Edge series is a waste of time.
• Bushnell Solar Charger; 10 hrs to full charge in the sun, 4 plugged in, one full charge on phone, two on MP3 player.
• SanDisk Clip MP3 player + Sony headphone; seriously great, SD card added storage, 20+ hour battery life. Will keep me motivated for sure.
• Brookstone lamp; for camp/night repairs, etc.
• Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini; for obvious reasons, packed in a Roadrunner Bags Marsupial Case, so handy, keeps my money and phone in the same place, I use this daily when not cycling too.
• And of course all the g-damned chargers; using an iLuv triple USB charger so I can hit my Mp3 player, phone, and solar charger all at the same time.

Tools

• Lever, patch kit, tube bundle; inside the patch kit is also a spare Master Link (I also like where this lives, which I'll post on the build kit).
• Lezyne Road Pump; I have since wrapped some Gorilla Tape around it.
• Rock n' Roll lube with cloth, Leatherman Skeletool (knife+pliers for the size of both), Crank Bros. Multitool all inside another Road Runner Bag.
• Titanium Spork!
• Sea to Summit stuffable backpack; for the long hauls where added food and water are needed, not pictured is a Platypus pouch for more agua.
• Handkerchief; it's a tool.

Toiletries

• Tom's toothpaste
• Toothbrush; cut in half like a pro.
• Dr. Bronner's
• Sunscreen
• Chamois Cream

Camping Equipment

This is it. Really.

• Lafuma 6000 summer bag; only rated to 45, so let's hope it doesn't get too cold! Shortly after this photo I ditched the stuff sack instead using the old backpacker method of "your bag is your stuff sack", which also helps form the shape of the Revelate Viscacha bag better.
• Nemo Sleeping Pad; this was something I was trying to figure out. I wanted to combine a pad with a sheet, like a foam core or even bubble wrap, but for space, this made the most sense and doesn't really weight much more. I just hope it doesn't flat.
• Tyvek groundsheet; noisy and light.

Pre-Trans-Am Jitters

It's now less than a week from the push off for the first Trans America Bike Race. This race has occupied almost every single down moment of my life, thinking of the race, planning, and of course training. Now it's almost here and I am so anxious to get moving.

Before any large movement like this it's hard not to get nervous and feel it in my gut. This is by far the least nervous I've ever been about leaving "home" for such a long time, but it's still there. Maybe it's the fact that this is the most structured of adventures. I'm really hoping to try and compete for a top spot in this race. For a while I definitely felt that I had a shot, but as people are posting their ultra light rigs, I'm starting to wonder if my 4130 Surly Cross Check will stand a chance. I suppose all it means is that I have to spend even more time in the saddle to beat the person on the lighter bike. I hope it's possible. Other than that I hope that if I can't compete for the top spot I can compete against myself and have fun in doing so. We'll see how this experiment into endurance racing turns out.

For those of you who wish to follow here's where you can follow along on Trackleaders, where you can follow along the actual race as our little GPS dots map across the country. You can also follow my inane thoughts on Twitter, see what I see on Instagram, and I may possibly call into MTBCast, and hopefully I'll find time to update Facebook, but who knows.

Here's to hoping I make it to Yorktown in one piece.