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Bikes of Gravel Birds 2024
11 May, 2024
This year's Gravel Birds kicks off on Saturday morning for the 78 solo riders and 11 pairs across the 750km and l'Abetarda 250km. This gravel loop of the untouched Alentejo region in Portugal will take riders along the many hills of the region, the Guadiana Valley, to the Atlantic coast and inland again.
Follow along with our commentary here.
Heorhii Veremiev
Age: 30
Location: Portugal / Ukraine
Bike: Mason Definition 2 on Shimano GRX 400; Fulcrum wheels (I don't remember model) with Vittoria Terreno Dry 37 mm. Definitely not a very appropriate bike for off-road racing, but I’ll light a candle in the church before the start so that everything goes smoothly and it doesn't fall apart during the ride.
Key items of kit: DPV saddle bag for aid/repair kit and jacket of an unknown brand, but with a cool and strange huge pocket on the back; DPV top tube for all types of sugar bombs; Lezyne lights and Panasonic pocket camera, to capture these absurd days.
Tobias Klemet
Age: 41
Cap number: 31
Location: Leipzig, Germany
Bike: Bombtrack Hook EXT frame, SRAM Rival derailleur & shifter, Garbaruk 11-46 cassette, Garbaruk 40T Melon chainring, Zipp Firecrest 303 650B rear-wheel, SON dynamo hub/Stans Crest rim 650B front-wheel (borrowed, thank you Bad_Boi_Blondi), Panaracer GravelKing 27.5 x 1.9 tires, TRP HY/RD brakes with 160mm rotors, Brooks Cambium C13 saddle, SRAM X01 cranks, Crankbrothers Eggbeater 3 pedals, Zipp stem, Ritchey Beacon WCS bar, and 8bar seat post.
Key items of kit: Tailfin Alloy Rack, Wahoo Element Bolt navigation, SON Light front, Busch & Mueller Light rear, CamelBak vest, Fidlock bottles.
Fergal Treacy
Age: 55
Cap number: #35
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Bike: Salsa Journier XS, Rock Shox Rudy forks, Shimano GRX 11s, SRAM power meter crankset 30/43t 160mm, Time Atac pedals, ICAN 650b wheels with WTB Byway/Venture 47c tyres, Fizik Arione saddle on a Canyon VCLS flex seat post, Shimano GRX (RX812) sub lever fitted for front brake only, Wolf Tooth drop link fitted to rear derailleur to accept XT 11-46 cassette. Trying to keep the bike as close as possible to my roadbike setup, hence Pro non flared 40cm bars.
Key items of kit: Magicshine lights and headtorch, Aeroe rear carrier, Ortlieb and Podsacs bags, Alpkit bivvy bag. Lots of toe straps for random carrying on route. Osprey 2 litre hydration backpack as the frame triangle is too small to carry bottles efficiently. Belkin powerbrick and USB cables for charging, plus spare USB cables as the vibration will cause them to fail as I have found out in the past.
Ángel Nicolás
Age: 41
Location: Toledo, Spain
Bike: Rizzo cycles adventure, SRAM rival 40 x 10-50, dynamo son, 29x2’1 Vittoria Mezcal, Sinewave Beacon ligths.
Key items of kit: Apidura Top Tube, Wayward Riders Saddle Bag, SOL Bivy, Down Jacket, Merino T-shirt, Inertia X Frame.
Peter Minnaar
Age: 59
Cap number: 26
Location: From the Netherlands but living in Portugal in Troviscais (Odemira)
Bike: My bike is an older one. It's a Canyon Lux CF with Shimano XT and 34UP front and on the back is a Sunrace cassette 11/50. The wheels are from DT Swiss. The tyres are Continental RaceKing 2.2 (Protection).
Key items of kit: On the toptube I have 2 bags from Agu. Saddle pack is also from Agu. Up front is an Ortlieb Front-Roller with my sleeping kit and jacket. And a small food pouch from Decathlon.
Cristian González Díaz
Age: 35
Cap number: 7
Location: Vigo, Spain
Bike: Ridley Kanzo A with Shimano GRX 11V Mechanical. Dt Swiss C1800 Spline.
Key items of kit: Geosmina TopTube 1l, handlebar bag Ixcor 2l. 3x750 Bottle and Eltin & AliExpress lights.
Lisa Weichert
Age: 33
Cap number: 17
Location: Leipzig, Germany
Bike: Veloheld Titan IconX with Shimano Di2. 40mm Schwalbe G One R28.
Key items of kit: Apidura top tube, frame bag and saddlebag. Sleeping bag Mountain Equipment + Therm-a-Rest NeoAir mat.
Gabor Boszormenyi
Age: 41
Cap number: 9
Location: Lisbon, Portugal
Bike: Canyon Grizl CF SL 7 SRAM eTap
Key items of kit: Tailfin bags: Top tube flip bag with power bank and snacks. Wedge frame bag with spares and gels plus electronics. Fork bags for sleeping system and clothes. Down tube bag under the seat with mattress. And a Camelbak Bike chase vest with a 1.5 bladder and snacks.
Corazon
Age: 53
Cap number: 62
Location: Netherlands
Bike: Rose Backroad GRX
Key items of kit: ACID handlebar bag, Ortlieb saddle bag, Deuter frame bag
John Benders
Age: 56
Cap number: 39
Location: Dutch ... but at home in: Forte da Casa, Portugal
Bike: Merida Silex 4000 Matt Bronze Metal 2024
Key items of kit: Tailfin AeroPack Carbon, Tailfin Top Tube Pack - Flip, Tailfin Top Tube Pack - Zip, Ortlieb Gravel-Pack QL2.1 29 L dark-sand. Brooks Saddle C17 Carved Black and Bontrager Ion Pro RT / Flare RT.
João Quarenta
Age: 46
Cap number: 75
Location: Caldas fa Rainha
Bike: Genesis Fugio
Key items of kit: Apidura
Michael Arnold
Age: 57
Cap number: 44
Location: Germany
Bike: Reilly Gradient Titanium Gravel, Shimano GRX810, Carbon Fork by rigidfork.com, DT Swiss Carbon Wheels, Continental Terra Speed 40mm and Ritchey Carbon Handlebar
Key items of kit: Ortlieb Bags
Jesus Caballero
Age: 50
Cap number: 99
Location: Badajoz, Spain
Bike: GCR riverside, SRAM rival AXS 12s, 38t x 10-44t and Hutchinson Touareg 40mm tyres.
Key items of kit: Saddle bag with second culotte-maillot. Frame bag with tools, safety equipment, repairs tubeless. Front bag with food, lights, extra battery, money…
