On my
recent trip to the Italian Dolomites, I rode more elevation gain than I have in any other week previously. I rode longer climbs than I have ever encountered before. I raced, in two Italian mountain bike marathons; the
X-Bionic Cup and the
Südtirol Sellaronda HERO Dolomites, the latter of which is officially the hardest MTB marathon in the world!
I learnt a lot; both about myself, but also about my bike and kit choices. With that in mind, I thought I would share a few of my kit insights; from a week of 'proper' marathon mountain biking!
Lesson 1: Take a 'proper' waterproof jacket
When it rains in the mountains, it properly rains. Thunderstorms were a frequent feature of my trip; and when one takes you by surprise, you can be left both uncomfortable, and potentially very unsafe.
On my first day riding out from Val Gardena, I climbed straight up to the peak of Stevia; above the snow line, at 2,312 metres. On reaching the summit, the heavens opened. I had an expensive wind-proof jacket with me, but it wasn't enough when I needed to descend 1,000 metres back down into the valley below.
My recommendation is that when riding in the mountains, ditch the windproof, and take a proper waterproof jacket, like the
GORE Oxygen 2.0 Jacket or
Huez Starman Storm Jacket.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijkcgUXYcXM9n5TlBItSKsW5Ocv8qn5OuDoPVjn91aw9SIGpfqrF2ZTb9N4N2NUtPZxgEcLLO3lawi-oznqOLnsdVwSoF3bXrqIHAvB_MeozJKCeIAQXxr7NZ0G3K1i_At0D9VNRkH9z8/s640/gore-bike-wear-9_-_copy.jpg) |
I wished I had taken a proper waterproof, like the GORE Bike Wear Oxygen 2.0 Jacket |
Lesson 2: Mountain bike marathon racers don't use rucksacks
Normally, I'd ride on the mountain bike with a Camelbak; I use it to house kit, spares, and a bladder of water. I stood out like a sore thumb though, wearing one in the field of Italian racers on the start line at the
HERO Südtirol Dolomites.
Mountain bike marathon riders seem to adopt a different (perhaps more old-school approach): bottles on the bike; tubes and tools in a saddlebag; other spares (like tubeless repair cartridges) strapped to the bike; phone and packable jacket in jersey pockets. This approach is lighter, for sure; but it also reduces the discomfort of having an unbreathable object on your back in hot conditions, as well as making water refills quicker.
I need to experiment with saddlebags, jackets and pumps, to find what will work best.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOnF5y6Rihuvqz9dVLANU964STlI_-tpjfnacotDj9P64yG0WJfoxB4Ov5o6nUH0JGuTB0vW0NUZD89rQ2yRZ7cqSG6Rkb767e7W7nnqj-HoFNSkAxhMod8pavwjGSS-1xkdVxm9b5rYs/s640/Hero-Dolomites-Race-2+-+3.jpg) |
Marathon mountain bike racers tend to ride without hydration packs |
Lesson 3: Fit soft foam grips
At the moment, I'm using
Hope Technology SL Lock-on Grips on my Pivot LES; they are super comfortable, and provide a really secure hold. However, even using my favourite
GripGrab SuperGel XC Gloves, I came away from a week of long downhills in the Dolomites with calluses and blisters on my palms. A set of foam grips, like the
Lizard Skins DSP Grips, would have been a better choice.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEaM0AepM5YCLRg8EyW8ibn_vzib2tY0jgMAd0RWkLnYyoImpJD9bZKgzt-itnlNmrvVhv1o3uiMaq1IDbRqkL4bMo25eDAVfiGHSkHgjrE5uKbkn8kokJ1DiMxuZ7CZuDC22VQnFcHeQ/s640/Lizard-Skins-Grips1.jpg) |
The Lizard Skins DSP Grips would have been a softer, more hand-friendly option |
Lesson 4: Use all-season tyres
I made a last minute switch from my standard UK summer tyres, to the
Hutchinson Toro Hardskin RR Tubeless tyres; it was the best decision I've made for some time. The added grip, traction and protection from sharp rock-induced punctures, was priceless. These tyres are now firmly my favourite do-it-all XC tyres; I was finding grip, when many others were washing out.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh54BCloyhayRRteuO-C5ZVXYLRBJAtIYp7_rwdNBoKwKY1JWyLhJEJX0xSM-F6tCC9ESK8QvEf_fZ58oQC8O8m4hGCUMoPUE8LEgDZzc7SlKQZRu-RXnexvjdCGuH0uQlIIVNaXgA1WYvW/s640/Trumpore_2014_Hutchinson_LoRes_-276.jpg) |
I got this one right. The Hutchinson Toro was perfect for The Dolomites |
Lesson 5: Go BIG on gearing!
Last, but very definitely not least… gearing. A few weeks ago, I fitted a 40 tooth
Hope Technology T-Rex Cassette expander cog to my cassette; it gave me a significantly lower gear of 32x40T, compared to my normal 32x36T. It wasn't enough though…
I hadn't anticipated how steep the Dolomites climbs would be; or how long they would go on for; or how much I would crave a lower gear, as I pushed up sections after six hours in the saddle. Next time, I'll look for a 42T cassette at least, and more likely a 44T; it would have given me a 'get out of jail' gear, which I wished for a few times!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOXvHYZ5b9Wy5_fJMyL6SfCUead1uknw_l2akJ-vCSx09QQFo9lxsdPO_gHyZY_gG8P8tMl1Leuw63PBJv2Gx5cdIxDjVv_krfcQExDO7Ckp7KCtpIa3zZV4DxMhQ4-uAggBRwgC3BuiI/s640/Pivot-Les-29+-+03.jpg) |
Go BIG, or go home. I wished I had more than a 40T on the rear at times. I'll know better, for next time... |
Five lessons, which I'll put into practice for my next 'proper' mountain bike marathon. I'm still learning new things every day!
I get terrible numbness in my hands from riding on my MTD. A world of grrr.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I found it very useful. Love the final result. Thanks for the inspiration and the tips.
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