It says something about the late arrival of the MetaBike that I haven’t actually written a review for it yet, but such is life. The basic spec is here, if that intrigues you, but it’s basically an aluminium and carbon highracer with a mid-range SRAM drivetrain and Shimano hydraulic brakes.
So, what are we carrying for the 1400km of LEL2013?
Not a great deal! Blessed with the spectacular organisation of this year’s run, all riders can expect vast quantities of food, showers, beds, towels and other sundries at every control, along with a bunch of mechanical assistance. As such, I seem to have managed to pack pretty lightly:
On the bike
- SON hub generator powering Luxos IQ2 front light and Topline Braketec rear light. Additional blinkies front and rear in case of Hilarious Hub Shenanigans(TM)
- EDGE 705 GPS for navigation, charged using the front light’s handy USB charging socket.
- 1.5L of water mounted on the tiller. If the forecast suddenly heats up, I’ll add another bottlecage to the boom.
- Pump.
- Cable-ties stored in the handlebar, and spare duct and electrical tape wrapped around the tiller.
In the Radical tailbag
- Phone (with extended battery and offline maps covering most of the route), credit card, cash.
- Three tubes of Nuun salt tablets (I sweat spectacularly)
- An array of licquorice Mulebars
- Vibram five-finger pumps (more packable than flip-flops)
- Laminated routesheets in case of GPS disaster
- Clothing:
- Spare lightweight jersey
- Spare shorts
- Short- and long-sleeved marino wool base layers (which, together, keep me toasty warm through pretty much anything)
- Spare light and heavy socks
- Castelli Gabba short-sleeved wind-proof, rain-resistant Top Of Dreams (it is that good, really)
- Castelli wind-proof, rain-resistant knee and arm warmers
- Long fingered gloves
- Clear lenses for glasses
- Monkii tool roll:
- Pair of tubes
- Self-adhesive patches and tyre levers
- Multitool (including chaintool)
- 8mm spanner
- Medical stuff:
- Foil blanket
- Plasters
- Crepe bandage (doubles as a handy way of lashing things to the bike)
- Travel pack of baby wipes
- Assorted drugs (ibruprofen, codeine, caffeine)
- Daily contact lenses, tooth brush, etc
On me
- Lightweight jersey
- Shorts
- Socks
- Road shoes
- Windproof cap
- Buff / bandana
I may have forgotten something painfully obvious. Hopefully I’ve packed it but forgotten to include it here… Currently I don’t feel I really need to use the bag drops, so I’ll probably just throw in some spare inner tubes and energy bars to replace those used on the way.
Weight
The bike and all the ‘on the bike’ stuff (including 1.5kg of water) comes to 14.5kg, which isn’t at all bad for a recumbent. Tailbag and contents are 3.5kg; and a fully clothed me weighs in at 80.8kg.
Therefore the total weight I’ll be hauling up Yad Moss will be 98.8kg, plus any additional mass gained from pies consumed…
8 Comments
Add Yours →Do the organisers not ferry a bag of stuff from one bed to the next?
It will be a great to get your evaluation of the bike after such an extreme test of man and machine.I found the bike really quick and stiff but uncomfortable- perhaps I have been spoilt by suspension and mesh seats.Fatter tyres and more padding on the seat might have reduced the unpleasant transmission of uneven road surfaces,but possibly comprimise speed.
From your photo,it seems you could save a few extra grams by doing away with the rear mudguard , as the seat back and the bag look like they would catch any spray or crud.
Best of luck on the run and looking forward to reading all about it.
You’re allowed two bag drops at controls of your choice, although you can get to them both north and southbound, so about every 350km of you plan it well. Max 5kg, no liquids. To be honest, I can’t think what I’d want in the bags that I wouldn’t either want access to all the time (so I’ll carry it on the bike), or manage to do without.
Hopefully it’ll work well. I’ve got 28mm tyres, which is about as fat and comfy as you can get whilst still being at the racy end of the market. It only really suffers (or rather, causes me to suffer…) on cobbles. Which are horrendous :D
I tried the fuego without a rear mudguard for a while, and you just end up with crap blasted into all the awkward places around the back of the bike. Plus I’m hoping the lack of rear spray will make me more popular to any passing pelotons, who can then pull me up hills!
The bike looks great, and I wish you all the best on the LEL. As with others, I await hearing what you learn from this long ride. Your set up is very similar to that I have on order, with the major exception of open cockpit bars in my case. One thing that intrigues me is the metal (Al?) frame I see coming up from the back of the seat, in your case holding a light. Is this just a higher light fixing / does it form part of a headrest / or does it have some yet more interesting function?
The bike looks great, and I wish you all the best on the LEL. As with others, I await hearing what you learn from this long ride. Your set up is very similar to that I have on order, with the major exception of open cockpit bars in my case. One thing that intrigues me is the metal (Al?) frame I see coming up from the back of the seat, in your case holding a light. Is this just a higher light fixing / does it form part of a headrest / or does it have some yet more interesting function?
Out of interest, what was the final lead for your frame from Spain? David speaks of their lead time quotes as ‘optimistic’ which is certainly true as tomorrow marks the end of week 5 for me vs. a quoted ‘2-3 weeks’
Thanks.
Yup, it’s part of an exceptionally overengineered headrest, which after a quick test I decided I didn’t want after all. Normally has a big pad attached. Now just used as a very solid rear light mount – I’ll replace with something more elegant after LEL!
About six weeks I think. Combined with some pretty rubbish communication from MetaBike as well.
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