DotWatcher.cc
Bikes of Seven Serpents 2023
10 May, 2023
Back for its second edition, 172 riders will tackle this 850km set route passing through seven checkpoints across Slovenia, Croatia and Italy from mountain tops to marina towns. An off-road bonanza on some of Southern Europe's lesser ridden gravel and secondary roads from long-time racer Bruno Ferraro makes for excellent dotwatching.
It's a mostly fast rolling course with great landscape diversity along the Adriatic Coast, the Dinaric Alps and finally the Mediterranean. You can follow along with the race at our commentary here.
Thomas Kallay
Name: Thomas Kallay
Age: 42
Cap number: 64
Location: Mindelheim, Germany
Bike: OPEN WI.DE. Frame + Fork, Size small. Kris King Hubs, 3t Discus 45 Carbon Aero Rims, Specialized Patfinder 42c Tires, Rotor Aldhu Cranks 165mm Oval Chainring 38t, Crank Brothers Mallet, Sram Force Shifters with 1x12 Rotor Ratio Kit, E13 Helix R 12s Cassette 9-50t Brakes Force with G2 4Piston Calipers, thicker Brake Rotors, Infinity Elite Series Bike Seat – E1X Saddle, Canyon S14 VCLS 2.0 CF Seatpost, FSA K-WING AGX Carbon Handelbar, Zipp SL Speed Carbon Stem 80mm + plenty of Spacers to get the right Stack Hight, Lupine Betty + Remote Control.
Key items of kit: Infinity Elite Series Bike Seat – E1X Saddle + Canyon S14 VCLS 2.0 CF Seatpost hands down the most comfortable Saddle/ Seatpost Combo. So Comfy day after day, makes me happy to sit down an keep rolling… so overall Comfort is King to riding for several days in a row.
Leo Wildfeuer
Name: Leo Wildfeuer
Age: 31
Cap number: 152
Location: Munich, Germany
Bike: Custom built Surly Midnight Special with Curve GXR carbon fork. 9th Wave Anath 650B wheels with tubeless 55mm Rene Herse Umtanum Ridge Extralights. Groupset is a mixed SRAM AXS 36 x 10-52 with Garbaruk cassette and chainring and waxed chain. SQlab saddle on Thomson seatpost and Ritchey VentureMax with Redshift Drop Grips mounted to Redshift Shockstop stem.
Key items of kit: Apidura 17l saddle pack and 4,5l half frame bag. Revelate Designs Mag-Tank 2000 and Egress Pocket holding a 4l dry bag. Three water bottles plus a Salomon ADV Skin running vest on the back. Weather forecast is rainy so a proper rain kit is packed. Sleep kit consists of sleeping mat, sleeping bag plus tarp. Lupine Neo front light, 2 small back lights and Wahoo Element Bolt for Navigation. Spare AXS battery, brake pads and basic tools.
Kirsten Cluley
Name: Kirsten Cluley
Age: 34
Cap number: 4
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Bike: Sonder Camino Ti with Shimano GRX group set with probably not enough gears...
Key items of kit: Apidura frame, saddle and top tube bag - good chance to test out extreme storm proofness. Custom made stem bag from a friend, with Ecosse flag.
Tycjan
Name: Tycjan
Age: 35
Cap number: 79
Location: Amsterdam
Bike: Trek Checkpoint SL5 2023
Key items of kit: Baby Legs Bags
Jefte De Bruin
Name: Jefte De Bruin
Age: 37
Cap number: 158a
Location: Netherlands
Bike: Surly Karate Monkey, DT Swiss Wheels with SON hub front.
Key items of kit: Ortlieb Bags, K-lite front and Lezyne tail light.
Aleix Mayor Alonso
Name: Aleix Mayor Alonso
Age: 33
Cap number: 76
Location: Calders, Scotland
Bike: Canyon Grizl, SRAM XPLR AXS 38/44 chainset. 45 mm Pirelli Cinturato M gravel. DT Swiss G1800 and SQ LAB 612R Carbon Saddle.
Key items of kit: Apidura 1,5 Top Tube pack, Apidura 4,5 Frame Bag and Apidura 14 Saddle Bag.
Vera Pfaff
Name: Vera Pfaff
Age: 30
Cap number: 152
Location: Munich, Germany
Bike: Specialized Diverge with Roval carbon wheels and Sram AXS Rival/ GX shifting. Swapped tires for tubeless 48mm Rene Herse Oracle Ridge. Chanaed to a 38 tooth chainring and a 10-52 Garbaruk cassette. Mounted Redshift Drop Grips.
Key items of kit: Apidura Expedition 14l saddle pack and racing series top tube bag. Many small items are stuffed in the SWAT box inside the downtube. Three water bottles plus a Salomon ADV Skin running vest for water. Thermarest NeoAir Sleeping mat and Hyperion sleeping bag. Lupine Neo front light, 2 small back lights and Wahoo Element Bolt for Navigation.
Roy Ebelt
Name: Roy Ebelt
Age: 37
Cap number: 15 Quick bite!
Location: Murrhardt - Germany
Bike: SCOTT Addict Gravel tuned. SRAM RED/XX1 AXS Mullet 46t 10-52 / DT-Swiss GRC 1100 with Schwalbe G-ONE RS 45-622.
Key items of kit: Bags: Apidura Race Series + Ortlieb. Light: Lupine SL-AF + Lupine Rotlicht MAX. Battery: Lupine 13,8wh + 6,9wh. Navigation: Garmin Solar Edge 1040.
Christof Jeker
Name: Christof Jeker
Age: 36
Cap number: 61
Location: Bern, Switzerland
Bike: Custom bike with a stainless steel frame from Cicli Bonanno as the centrepiece. Whisky MCX fork and Koba carbon wheel set with Chris King hubs. Shimano Di2 1x11 setup with Garbaruk 11-50 cassette and absoluteBLACK 38T oval chainring.
Key items of kit: Tailfin rack and bag, Apidura Expedition frame pack and Revelate Designs Toptube bag. Lupine lights front and rear. The trusty Infinity bike saddle to keep my butt comfortable during these long days.
Daniele Scotton
Name: Daniele Scotton
Age: 42
Cap number: 70
Location: Solagna, Italy
Bike: OPEN WI.DE.
Key items of kit: Beer
Tim Jud
Name: Tim Jud
Age: 27
Cap number: #27 - Quick Bite!
Location: Siegen, Germany
Bike: 29“ Carbon Hardtail with RockShox Judy Gold, DT Swiss wheelset with Vittoria Terreno tires, Shimano SLX groupset and Gebiomized Saddle.
Key items of kit: Apidura bags, Wahoo ELEMNT Roam, CloseTheGap ErgoMyRide inner bar ends, lemelo drinks, Sigma Buster 2000.
Christian Ott
Name: Christian Ott
Age: 56
Cap number: #54 - Quick Bite
Location: Freiburg, Germany
Bike: I will ride my trusty steel Kona Rove LTD in aqua blue, which I bought in 2018. Upgraded to 12x SRAM Rival AXS and Eagle GX mullet build. 38t front chain ring. A mix of Schwalbe G-One R and Pirelli Cinturato H tires, 700c 45mm, tubeless. I like wide tires and this is the max that I can get in the frame.
Key items of kit: A mix of Apidura, Tailfin (Aeropack) and Revelate bags and harness. Sleep system: Katabatic Bivy, Nemo Tensor insulated mat, Cumulus down quilt and a little inflatable pillow. And most importantly my down jacket from Rab, which goes with me on every adventure. Wahoo Bolt for navigation. German made SON dynamo and lights, Sinewave Revolution charger and an Anker power bank.
Claire Frecknall
Name: Claire Frecknall
Age: 39
Location: UK
Bike: Mason Bokeh with Hunt 650b Adventure Dynamo Discs
Key items of kit: Restrap bags, Teravail tyres, Exposure lights, Outdoor Research bivi, Rab quilt, Thermarest mat.
Martin Aylward
Name: Martin Aylward
Age: 54
Cap number: 7
Location: Brighton, England
Bike: I'll be riding my trusty Mason Bokeh with Hunt 650b wheels, Pirelli Cinturato M 50mm tyres, SRAM Red AXS XPLR groupset, a 38t chainring and 10-44t cassette. Zipp bars and stem and matchy matchy Cinelli Mike Giant bottle cages and tape.
Key items of kit: Apidura bags & hydration pack, Exposure Toro & Axis lights, Anker 20,000mAh power bank, Wahoo Roam computer, Sea to Summit pad & sleeping bag, Outdoor Research Bivy, buckets of chamois cream & sudocrem and a mini Ant Man to bring me luck 😀
Sam Vanhoutte
Name: Sam Vanhoutte
Age: 42
Cap number: 80
Location: Belgium
Bike: Canyon Grail CF SLX 8.0 Di2, DTSwiss and 40mm tyres.
Key items of kit: Topeak bags. Sea to summit (tent, sleeping bag, sleeping mat).
Keith Wallace
Name: Keith Wallace
Age: 36
Cap number: 124
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Bike: My bike's name is Earl he’s a fairly stock Canyon CF SL 6 with DT Swiss 1850 wheels and GRX 400 groupset. Just the stem has been swapped to a Zipp 100mm and saddle changed to a Fizik Terra Argo X5.
Key items of kit: On the front I have an Alpkit Gravel bag strapped to a Specialized rack carrying extra layers, toiletries, battery pack and cables. Not very aero but I like this set up as I can get to everything easily within the top access bag.
On the back is an AGU saddle bag carrying an Alpkit Hunka bivvy, Decathlon air mattress, down jacket and lightweight sleeping bag.
Front light is a Rigel Enduro, which is massively overkill on lumens and weight but works great on dark forest trails and has a decent battery life. No idea what brand my backlight (not pictured) is but it does its job and straps to my saddle bag.
I’ll also be carrying a small Camelbak Rogue with essential repair tools and extra water and food.
Lucky item: cheap analog camera.
Dario
Name: Dario
Age: 32
Cap number: 162
Location: Udine, Italy
Bike: Scott Speedster 300
Key items of kit: Miss Grape and Apidura bikepacks.
Gary Johnson
Name: Gary Johnson
Age: 63
Cap number: 63
Location: Sequim, Washington, USA
Bike: Seven Cycles
Key items of kit: Tailfin bag.
Adam Krabbe
Name: Adam Krabbe
Age: 33
Cap number: 5
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Bike: Vitus Energie EVO with mix of Shimano Ultegra Di2 and Shimano GRX Di2. Wheels are Hunt with Son dynamo hub with Pirelli Cinturato gravel RC 45mm.
Key items of kit: Handlebar bag and seat bag from Restrap. Custom frame bag from L'ateljé. Front light: SON Edelux II.
Niels Ihrman
Name: Niels Ihrman
Age: 38
Cap number: 102
Location: Knegsel, The Netherlands
Bike: Bombtrack Hook EXT GRX800 48-31 in the front. Shimano SLX 11-40t in the rear. Wheels are 650B in the photo, but will probably switch to 700C with WTB Riddlers or similar. Cane Creek eeSilk+ seat post to filter out the bigger bumps.
Key items of kit: Bags: Apidura Expedition full frame bag + 1.5L Hydration bladder, seatpack + handlebar pack are also Apidura Expedition. Sleeping kit: Exped Synmat HL LW, Cumulus quilt 250 and an Outdoor Research Helium Bivy. kLite Ultra V2 Gravel headlight.
Christoph
Name: Christoph
Age: 44
Cap number: 114
Location: Bremen, Germany
Bike: Moots Routt 45 with Beast Components wheels and Specialized Rhombus tyres in 47mm when things get rough. Shimano GRX with a White Industrie crank with 34t in front and 42t rear.
Key items of kit: Bags by Rideandgetlost and Apidura. Front light Lupine Mono AF with a powerbank and rear light Specialized Stix. Sea to Summit Bivy and Exped Pad for cold nights. For hydration a Camelback with a 2L bladder.
Lindner Georg
Name: Lindner Georg
Age: 28
Cap number: 72
Location: Lengau, Austria
Bike: 3T Exploro, wheelset Roval Terra CL with Dynohub and Shimano GRX 810 2X groupset.
Key items of kit: Ortlieb 13 QR Seatbag, Selfmade framebag and top tube bag, Supernova Dynamo Frontlight and Backlight + Headlamp, Therm-a-Rest Sleeping Bag, Exped Sleeping Mat.
Hans Are Ovanger
Name: Hans Are Ovanger
Age: 60
Cap number: 155
Location: Tromsø, Norway
Bike: OPEN UP, SRAM Rival AXS 46/33T, 10-44T 12 spd. Zipp 303S/Zipp G40 tubeless, Fizik Terra Argo X1 and Shimano spd pedals.
Key items of kit: Apidura expedition full frame 12L, Apidura Expedition saddle pack 14L, Apidura Racing long top tube pack, Apidura Racing aerobar pack, Apidura Expedition downtube pack and Apidura Hydration Vest (picture of my Badlands rig which I will modify). Mountain Equipment bivy bag, RAB silk liner, Sea to Summit Aeros pillow ultralight, Lupine light front/back and Garmin radar backlight.
Fischer Adrian
Name: Fischer Adrian
Age: 41
Cap number: 44
Location: Zug, Switzerland
Bike: Specialized Diverge with Shimano GRX 2x11 (10/36), Ritchey Venturemax carbon bar and Specialized Rhombus Pro 2Bliss 700x47 tubeless.
Key items of kit: Apidura Saddle Bag, Top tube and down tube bag. Victory Chimp small handlebar bag. Restrap food pouch. Sleeping system WM Summerlite sleeping bag, Sea to Summit Ultra light insulated mat and rescue blanket. Lupine Piko Front light, Lupine Rotlich max rear light, with 2 battery packs and two power banks.
Alex Thumwood
Name: Alex Thumwood
Age: 29
Cap number: 115
Location: Germany
Bike: 8Bar Mitte V3 bike, DT Swiss G1800 spline wheels, Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M 45mm tyres set up with tubes. Shimano GRX 2x groupset. 11speed 46/30t crankset and 12-34t cassette. Fork, handlebar, stem and seatpost are all from 8bar.
Key items of kit: Jack the bike rack!
Dan Speer
Name: Dan Speer
Age: 35
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Bike: Basso Palta 2020, Zipp 303s Wheelset with Vittoria Terrano Dry 38c tyres. Shimano GRX 1x11 groupset and Prologo seat.
Key items of kit: Maap x Apidura frame bag and Apidura top tube bag.
Alberto Bovo
Name: Alberto Bovo
Age: 31
Cap number: 27
Location: Treviso, Italy
Bike: Canyon Grizl CF SL 7, Ritchey Venturemax COMP BB Black Flare 24° - 31,8 mm/46 cm handlebar with Fizik Terra Microtex Bondcush Tacky 3mm. Front tyre Schwalbe G One ultrabite 50mm tubeless and rear tyre Schwalbe G One bite 50 mm tubeless.
Key items of kit: Miss Grape bags (Moon, Internode, Node 2H adventure and Cluster waterproof).
Mladen Milic
Name: Mladen Milic
Age: 51
Cap number: 79
Location: Zurich, Switzerland
Bike: Specialized Diverge Expert Carbon, SRAM Eagle, Roval Terra carbon rims 12 speed with 11-50t cassette.
Key items of kit: Apidura bags, Lezyne lights, Garmin Edge 1030 Plus with charger and Camelbak bidons.
Bo Harnisch
Name: Bo Harnisch
Age: 35
Cap number: 55
Location: Utrecht, Netherlands
Bike: I ride a Cannondale Topstone 5 carbon size M with a 2x11 Shimano GRX drivetrain. To keep my legs spinning on the tough sections I upgraded to a 11-40 cassette with 46/30 chainrings. The wheels are handmade carbon rims with Erase hubs and a titanium body. On these wheels I will ride knobby tires, the 40 mm Tufo gravel Swampero for some extra grip and confidence in the downhills. The cockpit of the bike is from Zipp components.
Key items of kit: My bags are a mix of different brands, though they match quite well on the bike. My Sea to summit mat, Enlightened equipment quilt and spare clothes are tucked away in the Tailfin rear bag. The perfectly fitting Specialized frame bag contains electronics, spares and toilet stuff. The 3L Brooks Scape pouch and Agu Venture top tube bag are mainly for food and I will use a Ravemen front light with a Lezyne rear and head light for the darkness. To carry some extra water I bring a foldable Platypus water bottle.
Christian Duerre
Name: Christian Duerre
Age: 38
Cap number: 38
Location: Magdeburg, Germany
Bike: Slightly modified Specialized Diverge with SWAT storage option inside the downtube. Changed the handlebar to Zipp Service Course XPLR and switched to 42mm Pathfinder Pro. Tubeless, of course. Also added Profile Design aerobars, Exposure Toro frontlight and three bottle cages.
Key items of kit: Tried hard to match all the bags in brand and style but was never really satisfied, so I have chosen a potpourri of Ortlieb (saddle), Restrap Race (Frame), Restrap (top tube) and an Apidura hydration vest with 2l bladder.
GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: My tire matching rubber straps on the aero bars as well as my USB charging setup for my Exposure Toro, which Exposure says cannot be charged via USB.
Simon Grabow
Name: Simon Grabow
Age: 30
Cap number: 163
Location: Vienna, Austria
Bike: More than happy with my Pelago Stavanger and Hunt 4 Seasons Alloy wheels, wild mixture of Shimano GRX 400-810 and Panaracer Gravelking.
Key items of kit: Packing-wise I'm not 100% sure how I will do it / ah and also: will get a new cassette for 7S, as 32 teeth would be a major pain for 16k meters in altitude.
Harald Bierbaumer
Name: Harald Bierbaumer
Age: 46
Cap number: 18
Location: St. Lorenzen NÖ, Austria
Bike: Canyon Inflite CF SL 8; SRAM Force 1 GS; Reynolds AR41 DB wheels; WTB Raddler 40 - 45
Key items of kit: Apidura Racing and Expedition bags; Garmin Edge 530 for navigation; Golworm X2 lights
Benjamin Fenner
Name: Benjamin Fenner
Age: 40
Cap number: 43
Location: Bernau bei Berlin, Germany
Bike: NSBikes RAG+2, GRX600 Groupset + 4iiii Powermeter, WTB Riddler 700x45c and 2x Drivetrain with 11-40t Cassette.
Key items of kit: SON Hub Dynamo and cycle2charge USB-Charger to feed the powerbank, BuM IQ-X to light the way and Profile Design tribars to rest those tired hands and arms.
Michael Jacob
Name: Michael Jacob
Age: 46
Cap number: 60
Location: Munich, Germany
Bike: Specialized Epic Evo Expert, SRAM AXS GX Eagle (front 32t/back 10-52t) Roval Control Carbon Rims, ReneHerse Fleecer Ridge 700x55, and Supernova M99 B54 Wahoo Element Roam. Brakes are 4-piston caliper, hydraulic disc, 180mm rotor Front/Back
Key items of kit: Restrap Adventure Race Toptube Bag, Restrap Adventure Race Saddle Bag, 8Bar Food Pouches and Osprey 14L Backpack with 2,5L Bladder.
Tom Gehler
Name: Tom Gehler
Age: 53
Cap number: 151
Location: Leipzig, German7
Bike: Veloheld IRON MTB |Misty Copper|, SRAM Mullet AXS 10/50Z, Rotor Kapic Carbon Crank 34Z, NEWMAN SL X.A.30 Carbon Wheels. SQLab Saddle, Mcfk Parts, Magura Brakes and René Herse Fleecer Ridge TC 700C x 55 (29″ x 2.2″) tyres.
Key items of kit: Note the best and one of the lightest bag sets! Reise Fix. And of course one of the most magnificent mountain bikes! Veloheld. Good luck to all participants! Come home happy and healthy!
Oliver Schuller
Name: Oliver Schuller
Age: 42
Cap number: 105
Location: Salzburg, Austria
Bike: Canyon Grizl CF with Shimano GRX 400. Tyres are Schwalbe G-one R.
Key items of kit: Bags are Apidura and AGU. Lights Supernova/Sigma.
Mex Wieshofer
Name: Mex Wieshofer
Age: 59
Cap number: 30
Location: Fieberbrunn, Tirol, Austria
Bike: Rocket-Titanium-Bikes FastHorse with Lauf fork, Pancho Wheels, Shimano GRX and Garbaruk cassette.
Key items of kit: Supernova M99 light, Son Dynamo and custom bags.
Marcomong
Name: Marcomong
Age: 30
Cap number: 82
Location: Milan, Italy
Bike: BMC Alpenchallenge Three with Moloko Surly handlebar, Brooks C17 carved seat, Panaracer GravelKing SK 700x43m, Shimano Deore 11s rear derailleur, Shimano Cassette 11-51t and Shimano GRX crankset 40t.
Steve
Name: Steve
Age: 40
Cap number: 151b
Location: Leipzig, Germany
Bike: Specialized Epic HT, raw carbon look & rigid fork, dt-swiss wheels, SRAM AXS, Magura brakes.
Key items of kit: custom bags by Alpkit and seatbag by Revelate Designs.
Rok
Name: Rok
Age: 38
Cap number: 47
Location: Slovenia
Bike: It's a Surly!
Key items of kit: With some bags.
Sandro Beck
Name: Sandro Beck
Age: 38
Cap number: 15
Location: Steinhöfel east of Berlin, Germany
Bike: Rondo Bogan ST with DT Swiss GRC 1400 Wheels, 1 x 11 Shimano GRX with a gear ratio of 32 to 46 teeth. E*thirteen crank (172.5 mm) and cassette 9-46 teeth.
Key items of kit: My tires Fleecer Ridge TC 700C X 55 tubeless for best puncture resistance.
Marco
Name: Marco
Age: 50
Cap number: 62
Location: Frankfurt, Germany
Bike: Specialized Epic HT 2020
Key items of kit: Topeak Sattel and Lenkertasche.
Sebastiano Frandino
Name: Sebastiano Frandino
Age: 25
Cap number: 37
Location: Vienna, Austria
Bike: OPEN U.P. - I am running a SON dynamo hub combined with kLite lights system. 10-50T cassette and SRAM derailleur borrowed from my mtb and a 40T crank. The tires are 42mm Teravail Washburn.
Key items of kit: Restrap saddle bag with sleeping bag, puffy jacket and a base layer for the night. Sea to summit mat and hand pump strapped to the handlebar. Restrap frame bag with mostly electronics and food. Tool bottle on the down tube with spares and tools. Head lamp is a Fenix HM65R. Additionally I'll be riding with a Salomon hydration vest for extra water and storage. Extra: a spork for those supermarket breakfasts :)
Edoardo Botti
Name: Edoardo Botti
Age: 31
Cap number: 26
Location: Bergamo
Bike: Canyon Grizl CF sl7
Key items of kit: Kiking Donkey half-frame bag, Kiking Donkey tank bag, Ortlieb seat bag, Neo - Lupine lighting system.
Florejan Notebaert
Name: Florejan Notebaert
Age: 29
Cap number: 83
Location: Belgium
Bike: Giant R1 Revolt
Key items of kit: 🐍🐍🐍
Iacopo Ruschetta
Name: Iacopo Ruschetta
Age: 34
Cap number: 99
Location: Milano, Italy
Bike: Canyon Grail CF SL 7 with Shimano GRX RX600 11s, DT Swiss C 1850 Spline db, Pirelli Cinturato tyres and Look x track pedals.
Key items of kit: Apidura saddle pack 14L (clothes for multiple days), Apidura handlebar pack 14L (sleeping bag, bivvy bag), Topeak MidLoader frame bag (spare tubes, electronics), Apidura downtube pack (spare parts) and Craft cadence top tube bag 1.5L.
Saskia Martin
Name: Saskia Martin
Age: 34
Cap number: 24
Location: London, UK
Bike: Juliana Quincy with Shimano GRX, Wolf tooth 38T in the front 11-42T in the rear. Arkane custom 650B wheels with Son Dynamo- shout out small business Teravail cannonball 47'' tyres. Time pedals.
Key items of kit: Apidura racing back and top tube pack, Apidura Expedition 9L saddle pack, Front is Salsa Anywhere cage + bag (small bike issues!). Son Dynamo light, Exposure front and rear lights, cut up MTB inner tubes for custom hike-a-bike straps and a lucky Bandana. On body: Apidura Expedition Hydration back pack with Bladder. Rab sleeping bag, Alpkit bivvy bag and Alpkit cloudbase.
Davy Gouma
Name: Davy Gouma
Age: 35
Cap number: 53
Location: Berlin, Germany
Bike: Canyon Grizl 7 AL. Shimano GRX RX600/800 mix with a Sunrace 11-36 cassette. Roval Terra rims with WTB Raddlers tyres, and aerobars w/ 30mm risers for comfort.
Key items of kit: All Apidura bags to keep it matching. Camelbak 2l for extra water, Wahoo Bolt & large powerbank. Key: two elastic bands to keep my headlight horizontal and Disco socks for mental support.
Jakob Hooge
Name: Jakob Hooge
Age: 57
Cap number: 168b
Location: Germany
Bike: Cannondale Topstone
Dominik Engelke
Name: Dominik Engelke
Age: 45
Cap number: 41
Location: Duisburg, Germany
Bike: Veloheld icon.x frame, SRAM Force/Rival 1x11, 11-42 cassette with 38t in the front, mechanical disc brakes, 40mm Tufo Gravel Thundero tires on H+SON Hydra wheelset, Tune Komm-Vor saddle.
Key items of kit: Apidura Racing saddle bag (7L), Restrap frame bag, Wizard Works handle bar bag and an Apidura food pouch. Front light is provided by a Lupine Neo. I will sleep on a Klymit Inertia X Frame and inside a Spark SpI.
Kristoffer Ringler
Name: Kristoffer Ringler
Age: 34
Cap number: 94
Location: Munich, Germany
Bike: Fuji Jari 1.3 Aluminum (2019). SRAM Force/GX Eagle AXS Mullet 1x12. Front 38T, rear 10-52 cassette. Tires Tubeless Kenda Alluvium Pro GCT 27,5x1,75". Dynamo Hub Shutter Precision with Frontlight Busch + Müllet IQ-X. Saddle SQlab Ergowave 612 active.
Key items of kit: Top Tube Pack Apidura Racing 0,5L. Stem Bag Moosetreks 0,9L. Frame Pack Apidura Expedition 5,3L. Hydration Backpack Evoc Hydro Pro 3L + 1,5L Bladder. Optional, depending on weather and additional clothing, Seat Pack Blackburn Outpost Elite 10,5L.
Mark Klein
Name: Mark Klein
Age: 44
Cap number: 65
Location: London, UK
Bike: Canyon Grizl CF SL 7
Key items of kit: Ortlieb bags
Marcus Nicolson
Name: Marcus Nicolson
Age: 32
Cap number: 08
Location: Glasgow, UK
Bike: Pelago Stavanger Adventure Bike - steel is real!
This will be the first race for the Stavanger which is built up with 2x GRX drivetrain and DT swiss wheelset. I've got a suspension stem which I'm hoping might save my neck on the rougher stuff! SP dynamo with new K-Lite setup which I'm hoping will keep the trails lit up at night! Pirelli Cinturato tyres, Mud version up front and Hard variant on the back. Given the rain forecast this could be a risky move.
Key items of kit: All bags handmade by Ross from Straight Cut Design in Edinburgh. First outing for the DHÀ framebag, I'll be using the smaller size seatpack along with top tube bag/stem bags. Support your local custom bag maker!
Emergency bivvy/silk liner and a Kylmit mat will make for a light-weight sleeping kit.
I'll be navigating with my trusty Garmin eTrex 20 which should keep me on track without worrying about useless stats like average speed and elevation profile :)
I'll take a vest with water bladder to stay hydrated and try not to lose my suncream (in the Atlas Mountain Race it popped out of my bag on the first day and I paid the price later).
Pavel Ksenič
Name: Pavel Ksenič
Age: 37
Cap number: 70
Location: Hlučín, Czechia
Bike: Lappiere Prorace SAT 7.9 hardtail (I like comfort) with Shimano XT 34 x 10-51. Tyres are Continental RaceKing 29x2.0.
Key items of kit: Hammerhead Karoo 2 and bags are Apidura.
Marco Störmer
Name: Marco Störmer
Age: 40
Cap number: 113
Location: Hamburg, Germany
Bike: Specialized Crux with SRAM Rival Etap 10-44, SRAM Red Crankset 1x 38, Zipp 303s Wheelset, Schwalbe G-One R Tubeless and Profile Design 35A Aerobars.
Key items of kit: Ortlieb Framebag, Apidura Seatpost, Restrap Aero Bar Bag, Tailfin Top Tube Bag and Apidura Downtube Bag.
Lloyd Berry
Name: Lloyd Berry
Age: 59
Cap number: 17
Location: Ireland
Bike: J. Laverack Grit, Shimano GRX Di2 1x, 650b Aera rims with Hope hubs, 47mm Hutchinson Touareg tyres, Tailfin carbon rack and Restrap frame bag
Key items of kit: Di2 is the game changer, as long as you remember to charge the batteries. The titanium ride with 47mm wide tyres is super plush and will hopefully result in plenty of comfortable km's. Going light this time with minimal sleeping kit. Badlands 2021 I ended up carrying my household around the desert.
Matthew Falconer
Name: Matthew Falconer
Age: 45
Cap number: 42
Location: Claygate, Surrey, UK
Bike: Curve Cycling Steel GXR aka ‘Kevin of Steel’, Shimano GRX 40x11/42, curve 650b dirt hoops with Vittoria Mezcal 2.25 tyres, Fizik Vento Argo saddle.
Key items of kit: Extra full wet weather gear for a likely very wet first couple of days Apidura frame and saddle bags, plus hydration vest for some long sections without water (excluding that stuff falling out of the sky!)
Sjoerd van 't Hul
Name: Sjoerd van 't Hul
Age: 28
Cap number: 119
Location: Arnhem, Netherlands
Bike: Brother Kepler
Key items of kit: Restrap bags
Michael Baum
Name: Michael Baum
Age: 37
Cap number: #13
Location: Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany
Bike: Salsa Cutthroat V.2. DT Swiss XR1700, Maxxis Ikon 3C MaxxSpeed EXO TR, GRX 815 2x11, Ergon SR Allroad Core Comp, Zipp Vuka Aero Extensions, Zipp Service Course SL Carbon, Tune Wasserträger, Tune Geiles Teil 4.0 60mm...
Key items of kit: Zipp Vuka Aero Extensions, Lupine SL Nano AF 4 LED, Lupine Smart Core and Dynaplug Tubeless repair kit.
Hannah Ghazi-Idrissi
Name: Hannah Ghazi-Idrissi
Age: 26
Cap number: 51
Location: Innsbruck, Austria
Bike: BMC URS 01 TWO: SRAM Force eTap AXS HRD, 38x 10-52, Schwalbe G-One R 45mm, Deda Parabolica Aerobars, Lupine Piko
Key items of kit: Apidura Racing Packs (7L Saddle Pack, 4L Frame Pack, 1L Top Tube), Sleepingbag + mat, 3 bottles + 1,5l bladder, Albion ZOA downjacket, Rainjacket + pants - if the weather forecast keeps being this bad, maybe a towel and a hair dryer.
Djoeke Donkers
Name: Djoeke Donkers
Age: 38
Cap number: 158b
Location: The Netherlands
Bike: Trek superfly 7, Hunt Dynamo front wheel, DT Swiss rear wheel, Magura breaks, groupset mix of SRAM and Shimano SLX. Rockshox judy suspension fork.
Key items of kit: Ortlieb bags, kLite light.
Erik Bizzoni
Name: Erik Bizzoni
Age: 34
Cap number: 19
Location: Bergamo, Italy
Bike: Chuck Wandrian: The bike was forged by the infernal hands of Bice Bycicle, steel frame, carbon wheels handmade by "La Bottega del Ciclista" stuck with Pirelli GravelM 700x50, with the addition of a carbon fork from Envee. The groupset is a super mullet: Shimano GRX + 38T chainring by Wolftooth, cassette 10-50t SRAM.
Key items of kit: The bags are the fantastic "Kicking Donkey Bikepacking", handmade directly from the land of Lambrusco + a little Apidura frame bag. I'll ride Lupine lights during night. I'll play some punk-rock in my ears.
Samuel Bänziger
Name: Samuel Bänziger
Age: 33
Cap number: 9
Location:Baar, Switzerland
Bike: Open UP; SRAM Force/XO1 Eagle: 40t 10/52t; DT-Swiss GR 1600 650B with Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M 50 mm tubeless.
Key items of kit: Light: Lupine Piko; Bags: Apidura and Ortlieb handlebarbag; Navigation: Garmin Edge 830.
Lorenz Eimansberger
Name: Lorenz Eimansberger
Age: 25
Cap number: 06
Location: Vienna, Austria
Bike: Bombtrack Beyond 1
Key items of kit: At my first bikepacking event I realized the importance of a good light, so I've got myself a Supernova Airstream II and a Petzl headlight. The custom-made framebag by Quercus outdoor fits the frame perfectly and the red and black theme looks devilishly good in my opinion. At the aero bars and at the seatpost I have mounted some Revelate Polecat forkbags with some Voilé straps. If the weather forecast stays as shitty though, I might put my proper seatbag back on so that I have more room for raingear. Shifting and Breaking is all mechanical and quite oldschool tech, but so far it has never failed me on many a bikepacking trip!
Florian
Name: Florian
Age: 40
Cap number: 52
Location: Austria
Bike: Trek Checkpoint SL5. 1x11 Shimano Grx with Garbaruk cage, 40x11-50t. Zipp carbon wheels 303s.
Key items of kit: Restrap Bags
Simon Grabow
Name: Simon Grabow
Age: 30
Cap number: 20
Location: Vienna, Austria
Bike: Pelago Stavanger with Shimano GRX810 2x11; trying it out with a 42 cassette, lets see how that will work. Tyres are 47mm Specialized Rhombus Pro.
Key items of kit: A wild mix of bags borrowed from a number of people; very much looking forward to try the Sinewave Beacon with the Son Dynamo for a longer tour.
Jannes Moell
Name: Jannes Moell
Age: 30
Cap number: 81
Location: Germany
Bike: 8Bar Grunewald, SRAM Force AXS 38t, SRAM Eagle X01 AXS 10/52, Hunt 42 Limitess Gravel, Continental Terra Trail TR 40mm.
Key items of kit: Maap/Apidura bags, Hope r4+ and the full rain kit.
Lorenzo Andreoli
Name: Lorenzo Andreoli
Age: 29
Cap number: 3
Location: Vienna, Austria
Bike: Salsa Fargo Apex 1. Very happy of my handlebars with redshift cruise control grips, most significant improvement. Except from the seat and seatpost, the rest is the standard set up for the Salsa Fargo.
Key items of kit: Revelate Designs bags chosen and fitted with the great help of Felix from bikepacking.at.
Pascal Spörri
Name: Pascal Spörri
Age: 35
Cap number: 111
Location: Zug, Switzerland
Bike: Spezialized Diverge 58 Comp. SRAM 1x12 Eagle Axs, Garmin Edge 1040, Schwalbe G-one R and DT Swiss Gr 1600.
Key items of kit: Apidura Bags and Sp dynamo hub K-light light.
Gerry
Name: Gerry
Age: 37
Location: Austria
Bike: Canyon Grizl with Shimano GRX 400 groupset, 30/46 chainring, 11-40 casette, 50mm Schwalbe Ultrabite front tyre and 45mm Schwalbe G one Bite rear tyre. Brooks C17 saddle and Beast gravel handlebar with aerobars.
Key items of kit: Topeak handle bar roll for sleeping system, Apidura frame bag and Ortlieb saddle bag.
Jason Eckenroth
Name: Jason Eckenroth
Age: 46
Cap number: 129
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Bike: Specialized Diverge S-Works. The race director warned us not to “sh* t the pants” when we saw the weather forecast (originally 200mm+ rain over the race), but I did and swapped out my 29 gravelking SK wheelset for the 650b 2.1 Ground Control tires with Cush Core (couldn’t deal with swapping it out). We’ll see!
Key items of kit: Other items: Exposure lights, 20k mwh battery, garmin 1040, apidura race bags + tail fin. Rain: jacket, pants, socks, gloves, hat. Marino wool for the cool temps expected. No sleeping system as I read there should be plenty of hotels. Trail XTR SPD pedals as I found them to eliminate foot fatigue during the AMR. Women’s Mimic saddle which felt really nice on the AMR as well.
