Bikes of the Alps Divide 2024

Cliff Clermont

Age: 55

Location: Carlsbad, California

Bike: TREK Procaliber, ENVE fork, HUNT Proven wheels, EASTON AX bars

Key items of kit: SRAM Force AXS, 32T-10/52 Pirelli Scorpion XC RC 2.2 tires Shimano XTR pedals Ergon saddle Bedrock frame bag, Relevate saddle and fuel bag, Apidura can, Tailfin cockpit bag.

(Bike is already packed as I leave for Italy on 14/8, I only had this photo)

Benjamin Maibach

Age: 31

Cap number: 31

Location: Villars-le-Terroir

Bike: Specialized "Gisèle" Chisel

Key items of kit: SLX groupset, Vision mini aerobars, DT Swiss / XTR wheels, Lezyne lights, Ortlieb 4l framebag + foodpouch + drybag in the front containing Sea to Summit matress and Spark sleeping bag. Same setup as for Hope1000: keeping it light is the key with that elevation/distance ratio :-)

Gabi Winck

Age: 61

Cap number: 52

Location: Brixen, South Tyrol, Italy

Bike: Trek Procaliber 9.8, Carbon, IsoSpeed, Fork: Fox Performance 32, Boost110; Retractable seatpost: Fox Racing Transfer SL Factory; Crank: e*thirteen TRS Race Carbon, 30T; Cassette: Shimano XT M8100, 9-50, 12-speed; Brakes: Shimano Deore XT M8100 hydraulic disc; Bontrager RSL Integrated handlebar; Wheel front: XM 421 - DT Swiss, Hub Dynamo: SON 28; Wheel rear: Bontrager Kovee Elite 30 Carbon, Tubeless Ready; Tyre: Vittoria mezcal III 29’’x 2,25’’; Saddle: ISM PL1.; Syntace Aerobar.

Key items of kit: BAGS: I hope that in the end I don't carry too many things to in the Tailfin AeroPack Carbon, 1 Tailfin pannier, top tube bag Cyclite, Skinfit Garda Handlebar Bag or Jones H-Bar® Pack, Revelate Designs Mountain Feedbag Handlebar Bag; my Apidura racing hydration vest.; a Tailfin Cargo Cages mounted on the suspension fork.

GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: Front light is a SON Edelux II powered by a Son 28 dynamo and on my helmet: Lupine Piko; rear lights are Bontrager flare RT and Lupine Rotlicht Max LED. Battery chargers are NC-17, Connect APPCON 3000; mini pump: Lezyne Micro Floor Drive. I also hope that I find my way safely with my Garmin Edge 1040 Plus. I want to dream for a few (or more?) hours in my tent Nordisk Lofoten2, Therma-a-Rest NeoAir mat and my sleeping bag Yeti/ Passion One (350g)... and last but not least that my seat bones are not too strained on my saddle ISM PL 1.1 in my beloved cycling shorts Skinfit tri shorts and Skinfit Colombier. As always- no matter about the weight: As my lucky item I absolutely have to bring my little scuffed white BEAR with me, who accompanied me on the Panceltic Ultra (2024), Atlas Mountain Race23, GBDuro22, NorthCape4000 and Three Peaks Bike Races, Lakes ‘n’ Knödel among others.

Thomas de Ruiter

Age: 35

Cap number: 67

Location: Netherlands

Bike: Bike: Canyon Grizl CF Groupset: SRAM RIVAL AXS Chainring: The Mechanic Parts (NL) 34T Cassette: 10-44 SRAM Rival Tires: Schwalbe Overlander 365 (45 mm)

Key items of kit: Bags: Tailfin (+ AGU snackpack) Lights: Lezyne (front, back and helmet) Navigation: Garmin 1040 Sleeping system: Sea to summit (sleeping bag), Nemo (mat), Sierra Designs (bivy)

Manuel Schmid

Age: 44

Cap number: 20

Location: Swiss

Bike: I will be riding my Salsa Cutthroat equipped with SRAM Apex 1x11 shifting and Hope RX4+ disc brakes. It has a Rotor crankset with a 34T oval chainring and a 9-46 cassette from e* thirteen. René Herse Fleecer Ridge tires are mounted on a SON/Newman wheelset built by Light-Wolf Studio. The dynamo is connected to a Sinewave Beacon light with a USB charger. What else? A Vecnum suspension stem, 50 cm Dropbar from Curve, and ZIPP Vuka Aerobar.

Key items of kit: Bags are a mix from Apidura (Top), Salsa (Frame), Revelate Designs (Back), and Restrap (Aerobar). For navigation, I use a Garmin Edge 1040. For sleeping, I use a Borah Gear Cuben Bivy, Thermarest sleeping bag, and a sleeping mat from Sea to Summit. If the weather is bad, I prefer to stay in a hotel 😊. I wear a mix of Pedaled and Mons Royale clothes. If it is cold, I have a vest from Maloya, Merino arm and leg warmers, and a Patagonia Micro Puff Jacket. If it is wet, I have a Gore jacket and Endura pants.

Leanne Bentley

Age: 34

Cap number: 83

Location: Amsterdam

Bike: Sour Pasta Party, SID Ultimate 120mm fork, SRAM mechanical groupset, Duke rims, Hope4 hub, SON dynamo, Schwalbe Racing Ray/Ralph tires

Key items of kit: I'm running a full set of Carrie Gere custom bags and I've made some very lightweight but very comfy pajamas which I'm excited to try out on the race. Favourite bit of kit is my Carrie Gere Supply vest which I designed for races just like this. It used to be white, but Hellenic Mountain race made it brown.

Rebecca Beale

Age: 47

Location: Scotland

Bike: Mason Raw SRAM Eagle 12 speed cassette Hunt Dynamo wheels

Key items of kit: Straight Cut Design frame bag and food pouches (not yet on bike) Apidura handlebar bag (not yet on bike) Aeroe pannier rack and dry bag (not yet on bike) Sinewave dynamo front light and USB charger Supernova rear light Hope pedals Sea to Summit Spark II sleeping bag Hilleberg Akto tent Alpkit cloud base sleeping mat

Richard Gate

Age: 57

Cap number: 02

Location: Leeds, UK

Bike: On-One Whippet carbon hardtail with Rockshox Reba 100mm fork gives me a reasonably priced build during difficult supply in pandemic times. I’m running a triple drivetrain—yes triple! This gets me a massive spread of gears with a mix of Shimano 11-speed components and a SRAM cassette on a boost frame. Self-built wheels with DT Swiss XR361 rims and a SP dynamo hub. Tyres are Vittoria Mezcal TNT 2.25″ with tyre inserts.

Key items of kit: BAGS: I’m using a water bladder in the frame bag. A mixture of bags from those I had available except for the custom Alpkit frame bag. GEAR HIGHLIGHTS: I’m taking pretty much all the same gear as AMR2023 with an added hooded waterproof jacket to cope with any alpine thunderstorms. I’m experienced in ultras with two TCR’s, Transiberica’s and AMR all completed. My plan is to enjoy the route and scenery, with reduced night riding hours compared to previous races. I expect/hope my bivvy sleep system should cope well with the temperatures including an Alpkit Pipedream 400 down bag and a pillow as my luxury item.

Peter Wernsdorfer

Age: 29

Cap number: 44

Location: Passau, Germany

Bike: I will ride my custom Santa Cruz Highball, using the reliable Shimano XTR drivetrain, RockShox SID fork and KS dropper post for the rough sections , Son Dynamo hub in the front to power my Sinewave Beacon 2 and 2.2" Race King in front and back on Newmen carbon rims for some fast rolling

Key items of kit: I use mix of Ortlieb QR saddle bag, Apidura top tube bag and Revelate Designs Feedbags. Im sleeping in my Rab Mythic Ultra 120 Modular on a ThermaRest sleeping pad. Garmin Edge 1030 for navigation. My lucky item hopefully will be my Sinewave Beacon 2 front light, charging my batteries by day and light my way by night.

Emily Scott

Cap number: 82

Location: Zermatt, Swiss Alps

Bike: 'Geoffrey' Genesis Mantle Hardtail 29er

Key items of kit: 2x 12L drybags using Aereo baggage system as I'm too short to have a saddlebag with the 29" wheels! My sleep system (still deciding between MSR Hubba tent or Alpkit bivi bag, Thermarest NeoAir and Rab sleeping bag) will be in there.

Lomo frame bag containing electronics, snacks and stove. Lomo handlebar bag with my waterproofs and puffy in it.

Garmin Edge 540 Solar bike computer and Garmin inReach Mini 2 GPS tracker.

Martin Dunn

Age: 50

Cap number: 89

Location: Canterbury, UK

Bike: Somewhat targeting the 32000M of descending with a big squishy Nukeproof Reactor. Fast rolling RaceKings and a tiny chainring should make the equally considerable uphill bits vaguely survivable.

Key items of kit: Aeroe Spider on the rear, pair of Tailfin packs in the middle and Cyclite up front taking care of the luggage requirements. Using a Coros Dura for navigation. Should be able to get through the event without needing a recharge.

Aero bars probably won't see much action but convenient for mounting stuff.

Cristiana

Age: 38

Location: Italy

Bike: Specialized S-Works Epic Sram xx1 axs with Sram quarq crankset + 32 chainring and 10/52 rainbow cassette Duke 28 wheels with carbon ti hub and carbon ti 160 mm disc Pirelli xc 29x2.20 tyres Selle San Marco Aspide 155 mm seddle

Key items of kit: Rusjan seddle bag Vap big toptube Butterfly with vap bag in front Specialized swatt kit for tools Exposure race mk16 light in front Exposure tracer reakt back Peztl light on helmet

Louison Bangerter

Age: 29

Cap number: 74

Location: Saint-Légier, Switzerland

Bike: Sauvage ''La Forêt'' titanium frame with custom carbon wheels, powered with a front Son 28 dynamo hub. Shimano XT groupset 32 x 10-51, Vittoria Mezcal tires 2.25''.

Key items of kit: Custom Akao design framebag for the clothes, Restrap saddle bag for the sleeping system and top tube bag for a mix of electronics/food. Sinewave beacon 2 as main lamp. sq labs innerbarends for various hands positions.

Thomas Boury

Age: 32

Location: Lyon, France

Bike: Epsilon Bike, steel frame handmade in Lyon, France. RockShox SID SL Ultimate 100mm Fork, Shimano XT 1x12 drivetrain, XTR cassette 10-51T, Hope 34T crankset, Canecreek eesilk seatpost, Asterionwheels, Hutchinson Skeleton 2.3” tires

Key items of kit: Restrap custom made bags and kit by Albion

Roel Massink

Age: 40

Cap number: 22

Location: Amsterdam

Bike: Canyon Exceed CF5. SRAM 30 x 10-52.

Key items of kit: Exposure Maxx-D, Wahoo bolt. Exped bivy, EE quilt, Thermarest Uberlite. 20k powerbank. Full rain gear. Evoc hydro pack 1,5l.

Stephen Haines

Age: 50

Cap number: 1

Location: Stevenage, UK

Bike: Trek ProCaliber 9.8

Key items of kit: Apidura bags contain sleep system, wet weather / cold kit and general day to day items. Shimano XT 30 x 11/51 should get me up most hills and the Hutchinson tyres on Hope rims have proven reliable, so far! K-Lite lights from an SP dynamo.

Jos Dohle

Age: 43

Cap number: 61

Location: Netherlands

Bike: Cube Nuroad C:62 pro

Key items of kit: Ortlieb seatbag en handlebar bag.

Jenny Tough

Bike: Canyon Exceed

Key items of kit: My HT550 bike has been cleaned up for a hopefully faster-rolling course! It has: Ergon grips, saddle, and TT bar pads Apidura backcountry packs and race aero pack Full bivvy kit (required by the race and also planning to use it every night) Some warm and waterproof layers for big mountain descents

Torsten Frank

Age: 53

Cap number: 54

Location: Wuppertal, Germany

Bike: I bring my lovely Dropbar Exceed. A build I already did Winter of 2022/23 on the base of a Canyon Exceed XC Race Hardtail. Converted it to drop bars, equipped a hybrid „Sramimano“ group consisting of Shimano crank set, chain and cassette, Sram Eagle AXS GX RD and Rival brifters and brakes. A RockShox SID SL Ultimate provides just the right amount of squish and bling at the front while being utmost light and avoiding cable mess via the lockout lever (I’ll want to use very rarely anyways) on the crown. Tires are Continental RaceKing ProTection 29 x 2,2 on Newmen wheels. The bike, cockpit (rofile Design aerobars on a Neosonic Bracket ) and bag setup is virtually/nearly identical to how I ran it for Badlands 2023 and this year’s El Piri. For AlpsDivide I switched from a 36 to a 34 tooth chainring and I also will try a new light, the Gloworm XS G2.0. Only other change is that I swapped from the super minimalistic cyclite foodpouch to a Revelate Designs Feedbag as I want the cushion, volume and closure to store a camera in it.

Key items of kit: I’m a big fan of the Tailfin Aeropack so I’ll use it on this bike also. On the top tube I have the middle sized flip-top Top Tube Pack from Tailfin. Below my aerobars I use the cyclite Handle Bar Aero Bag and as said I use one Revelate Designs Food Pouch. Hydration and a bit more place for food will be covered by a Camelbak Chase Vest. It’s 1.5 L bladder will be used in conjunction with the 2 750 ml bottles in the frame. A small 1.7L Tailfin Downtube Pack completes the setup. It houses a Sea to Summit Ultralight Mat which will be used in conjunction with my Thermarest Vesper Quilt and an Ultralight Bivvy.

Guillaume Durr

Age: 44

Cap number: 38

Location: Jardin, France

Bike: Salsa Cutthroat with 100 mm fork. Ritchey Beacon 46 handlebar. Newmen wheels with Conti Racekings. Mechanical 12 speed Eagle transmission with Ratio Technolology kit. 30 x 10-52

Key items of kit: Rogue Panda framebag. USWE hydratation vest.

David Malfliet

Age: 34

Cap number: 60

Location: Waasmunster

Bike: Orbea Alma with Fox 32 suspension fork K-lite running on a Son dynamo hub Vittoria Mezcal 2.35 tires

Key items of kit: Tailfin bags Sleepsystem and clothes in the back Repair in the downtube Food in the framebag Electronics in the toptube

Osprey racevest for personal stuff and more food

Arco

Age: 34

Cap number: 101

Location: Utrecht

Bike: Canyon exceed 7.0

Key items of kit: Apidura framebag, toptube bag, rear toptubebag and saddlebag. Schwalbe wicked wills tyres and Garmin 530. Lezyne 1300 frontlight and sigma backlight.

Pieter Wilbert Molemaker

Age: 34

Cap number: 102

Location: Utrecht

Bike: Cube 26 inch

Key items of kit: Pedals, drivetrain and wheels.

Niel Copeland

Age: 49

Cap number: 21

Location: West Sussex, UK

Bike: My stead of choice is the Allied BC40. 120mm of full suspension mountain bike. Salt Carbon wheels with Conti RaceKing tyres. A Sramano groupset with AXS shifters and mech with Shimano 10-51 cassette and a Rotor 30T oval chainring. Braking is Shimano with 4 piston callipers at the front and 2 piston at the rear. A Wolftooth Dropper post and Reform saddle complete the build. This bike is fast!

Key items of kit: As a Tailfin R&D rider the bag set up is all provided by Tailfin. My workhorse Aeropack is joined by a brand new custom frame bag and a pre-production handlebar bag.

Other key bits of kit are a light yet functional full sleep system with Nordisk Lofoten tent, Neoair mattress and a Big Agnes Pluton UL40 sleeping bag. My luxury item is an inflatable pillow.

The weather could be pretty variable so full waterproofs from 7mesh and Endura and a down jacket from Cumulus complete the set up.

Scotty Cornish

Age: 51

Location: Chamonix, France

Bike: Custom Selwyn Bicycles frame. Made locally over the hill in Samöens.

Key items of kit: Bags mainly from the folks at Tailfin, with an Ilcoso bar mount for the handlebar bag. Frame bag made by a friend I met at the Torino-Nice Rally (but was for the frame I had at the time, so not a perfect fit for the Selwyn).

Wheels are hand built by myself around WTB's CZR i30 rims, a Hope Pro4 and and SP dynamo hub. A Plug 6+ battery powers the Exposure Lights Revo and the gps. WTB tyres and Silverado saddle, a perch I have been using for years. Suntour Axon-Werx forks for some comfort.

Stu Taylor

Age: 47

Cap number: 36

Location: Lake District

Bike: Sonder Broken Road Ti custom 29er +

Key items of kit: Custom Ti frame, Hunt E Enduro wheelset, Teravail Coronado 29er +, Alpkit Stingray frame bag, Deluge bikepacking bags, Apidura frame bag bladder, District 16 coffee, Jones carbon hoop bar, Alpkit Ultra tent, Pipedream 400 bag, Cloudbase sleepmat, Pedaled Odyssey foldable shoes, Alpkit Kraku stove.

Nick Rotter

Age: 34

Cap number: 55

Location: Munich, Germany

Bike: Merida Silex 10k

Key items of kit: Changed 42 chainring to 38. hopefully 38-52 will bring me over the mountains. Full EVOC bag kit and a small backbag for water. 45mm Schwalbe G-One tires running tubeless for the grip. Aerobar for the comfort but there are not many sections to use them. Packed Mattress, Sleeping bag and a small bivy for sleeping. Puffy jacket, second bib short and rain gear rounds up the setup. The rest is snacks. Because never not snacking …

George Sales

Age: 23

Cap number: 19

Location: United Kingdom

Bike: Scott spark RC

Key items of kit: -Restrap bags -Albion kit including waterproof trousers and hi-vis vest -Fenix lights -king cage fork mounts for water

Clare Walkeden

Age: 42

Cap number: 56

Location: Warwickshire

Bike: Bike: Sonder Dial SLX with Confucious Bars and SID Fork. Group set: SRAM GX / XX1 30t (front) 10-52 (rear) Wheels: DT Swiss with Dynamo (built by Vanguard Cycles) Schwalbe Thunder Burt tubeless 2.25’

Key items of kit: Lights: Exposure MK17 / Toro and Diablo Helmet

Bags: Mix of Apidura 14L front roll, 4.5L Pocket, Apidura Fuel Pods. Alpkit top tube and caddy. Ortlieb rear loader 11L

Tech/Power: Garmin Edge 1030, Anker 20,000 power pack.

Sleep: Mountain Equipment Helium women’s specific sleeping bag, Alpkit Hunka Bivvy and Numo air mat.

Kit: 7Mesh T’s / Jersey and Co-Pilot. Albion ultralight jacket. Old faithful puffy Jacket. Swiftwick merino socks. Luxury sleeping socks!

Lissa Breugelmans

Age: 34

Cap number: 87

Location: Vaals (NL)

Bike: A Kona Honzo Al/Dl with handbuilt DT Swiss wheels and a Son 28 dynamo hub in the front, 1×12 setup with a 28T chainring, 100mm dropper post, WTB Trailboss 2.25″ front and back and a WTB Koda saddle.

Key items of kit: Custom framebag, saddlebag and stembags by Witslingers. The framebag fits a 1.5L Apidura bladder in the lower compartment. I've upgraded my cockpit with a BarYak Ultra 35 system with carbon bar and triple crown mounting plate to which my Sinewave Beacon light is bolted. Super sweet! Sleeping set-up is my sea to Summit Flame sleeping bag, Exped synmat UL, and Alpkit Kloke bivy.

Ondrej Mohyla

Age: 37

Cap number: 65

Location: Czech Republic, Hradec Králové

Bike: Salsa Cutthroat, electric shifting, 100 mm suspension fork, Brooks C13 saddle. Vittoria Mezcal tires.

Key items of kit: Custom full frame bag, Hope RX4+ brakes, unbreakable mind.

Aleš Zavoral

Age: 46

Cap number: 51

Location: Roudnice n/L, Czech Republic

Bike: 3T Exploro LTD

Key items of kit: I equipped my trusted 3T Exploro with: Vittoria Mezcal 2.1" on 27.5" DT Swiss GRC1400 wheels, Gearing 36t : 10t-52t, Shifting SRAM XX1 AXS / Force AXS, Apidura bags, VECNUM suspension steam, Fenix lights BC05r and BC30 on bike, CL09 and HM51 on my R2 helmet, Brooks C13 Carved saddle. I will carry also Salomon ADV Skin running vest.

I hope my rig and gear will help me not only to reach the finish line but also to rise some moneys in my charity collection: https://www.darujme.cz/2408891 to support palliative care in the Czech Republic 🇨🇿

Mendler Joachim

Age: 39

Cap number: 80

Location: Aix-en-Provence

Bike: Chiru bike

Key items of kit: Chiru Kegeti Fourche sid Sram 12v mecanique Taipan 2,25 Roues CEC Sacoches Apidura Eclairage K-lamp

Manu Cattrysse

Age: 36

Cap number: 32

Location: Hamme Flanders Belgium

Bike: I will riding a Pivot Mach 4 SL this time, very excited to be riding this bike as it will be my first ride on it...ever so we'll see how that turns out. Drivetrain is a mix of mechanical Sram X01 and GX. Fork is Rockshox Sid ultimate 120mm and a fox float DPS shock. As usual, rolling on carbon Hunt Proven XC wheels with Maxxis Ikon 2.2 tyres. No dynamo this time but a Lupine Piko front light and Lezyne rear light.

Key items of kit: I have a full bivy sleeping kit with me which I cary in a custom Tailfin aeropack together with plenty of clothes to stay warm at night. Custom Tailfin full size toptube will hold my electronics, first aid kit and some food. I will also be wearing a 6l Osprey duro racevest where I will cary my food.