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The weather is getting a lot better and I have been getting out a lot more. I also did a quite a bit of maintenance on the bike recently so was keen to make the most of a new chain and so on.
It’s really been uneventful, mostly fitness rides, and nothing new or challenging (other than steep slogs up the hills here).
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Two recent upgrades that I think have made significant changes to my riding experience.
One: the grips
ODI Elite Pro v2.1 were recommended and on a whim I bought some. The promises are reduced fatigue, they really do make a difference.
Two: the pedals
DMR Vault Pedals are large, super grippy, and I think have improved my riding. The super solid feeling is amazing. The Deity’s I had been using were really good, but the Vaults give me more consistent good contact – that is less foot wriggling to get good grip.
However, I have recently been feeling quite remarkable calf fatigue, it could be related to these pedals, it could also, and far more likely, be related to my lack of riding. I will continue to monitor calf fatigue on the downhills.
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TL;DR: it’s going really well. I don’t miss the bag and it feels good not having a backpack. Some of the tools I am using to stash stuff on the bike are not great though.
A small Evoc under-saddle pouch: it’s OK, but it does stop the dropper post going all the way down, and that is annoying. The bag is really well made and surprisingly roomy, but unfortunately I need to find a replacement.
The Specialized Roll Cage bottle holder: garbage. It doesn’t hold the bottle I use, and I have a really annoying strap around it to hold the bottle in place. Its days are numbered.
Granite Rockband Strap: really good. My big inner tube and old school pump fit well and it is very stable. I do need something to protect the inner tube from damage.
I don’t know how I would find riding with a backpack if I wore one tomorrow.
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These are a few thoughts on stuff that worked well on my truncated, but wet, Heaphy Track bikepacking experience, and things I’d probably reconsider.
Kathmandu Mono v2 one person tent
I have the old (pre-2012 version) which was not designed for my bike. But, it did fit, just not quite as intended. I understand that the post-2012 model caters for plus tyres and 29ers.
The Roscoe just worked perfectly – and is very forgiving. I had it converted to tubeless and ran pretty low pressure, and it performed flawlessly. I am very very very happy with it.
Deuter 32 Litre backpack
I had it loaded with a weight of 7kg, and I could barely feel it on me – it fitted so well. I got an old one on Trade Me and it was perfect.
Merrell Men’s Chameleon 8 Storm GTX
These worked really well, they were good enough to pedal in, coped well on the track, and did partially dry each night after they got a good soaking with each stream crossing.
I have a version of this that is about 3 years old, and maybe is just no longer waterproof.
I will be shopping for a new jacket for outdoors use.
So these are not exactly fails, they were adequate but with a few issues.
Equinox long sleeve thermal top
I have had one of these for a couple of years and found it really good, BUT, it just would not dry. I had one for the day and a dry one for sleep, but I was concerned that it didn’t dry sooner. I’d say good for day trips or multi-hour activities rather than multi-day activities in wet conditions.
Newboler saddle bag
It fitted OK with a second strap that I added. It looks flimsy, and while I knew I could only put things in it that could get wet, it was also letting grit and sand in which is something to be aware of. I wish I had put the ~$50 I paid for it towards a Cactus or similar, as I feel I will not use this very much. It was also not easy to figure out how to attach it.