Unpacking My Tour Te Waipounamu Bike | Mark Watson

[@markwatson_highluxphoto]

NOTES: A few other notes and things I forgot to say: • The Otso Fenrir is a relatively short reach bike, which suits me well as I have persistent neck discomfort and require an upright position. This bike serves that perfectly. I'm 1m 76cm (5'.10") and the bike is a medium with a 80mm stem. otsocycles.com/collections/fenrir-stainless/products/fenrir-stainless-flat-bar • I carried food (bars and gels) in the front pockets of the Adventure Vest, and had a bag of nuts, dates and banana chips in one Mountain Feed Bag (I had two bags of these in my Boyle Resupply). Other food (chips, wraps, muesli, instant mash potato etc) was in the framebag. For the hard hike-a-bike sections I unload the bike as much as possible by transferring food to short pockets and Adventure Vest. When the Adventure Vest was full, it helps support the bike on my shoulders during carries. • I wore 2XU Calf Compression Sleeves which seem to help reduce inflammation and increase support around my achilles, as well as helping reduce fluid buildup in the lower leg in general - which is quite common in ultra endurance cycling.

[@markwatson_highluxphoto]

Apologies for patchy sound quality - it was a super windy day, and for my patchy delivery - I should have waited until I was less tired 🙃I hope you find the video useful. Any questions, ask away in the comments below!

[@benmoulam6889]

Hi Mark - what flashlight do you have on the handlebars there? And what are you using to mount it? Cheers

[@markwatson_highluxphoto]

Hi Ben, it's the Fenix UC35 V2.0: fenix-store.com/products/fenix-uc35-v2-0-led-flashlight-1000-lumens The mount was from Rubber Monkey: www.rubbermonkey.co.nz/NITECORE-BM02-Flashlight-Bicycle-Mount I replaced the top rubber strap with a stronger one, and I cable tie the mount to the bar rather than use the lower rubber strap because it was not very strong. I have a second light on my helmet.

[@dirtmerchantlover]

Hey Mark, really interesting video. Looking for a lightweight waterproof and keen to find the katmandu one but struggling to find it in the uk. Does it have a model name at all? Thanks Andy

[@markwatson_highluxphoto]

Thanks Andy. It's the Kathmandu Zeolite Shakedry. But they have stopped making them, so are now rare as hen's teeth. There are other jackets made in Gore Shakedry fabric though.

[@dirtmerchantlover]

Grand, thanks for that Mark, I’ll keep an eye out. 👍

[@mathewmacpherson857]

Thanks for sharing that video. Congratulations on your great result.

[@Craig_nz]

Thanks for the great video Mark. Which model Big Agnes sleep quilt do you use?

[@markwatson_highluxphoto]

Thanks Craig. It's the Fussell UL Downtek, but it looks like they might not make it any more. I've used mine a lot - it's been a great product.

[@stephenparker3403]

Commenting to say thanks for showing the set/up. Some good gear tips in there. Those fisherman gloves - how did you discover and test that gem ?

[@markwatson_highluxphoto]

Thanks. The @newzealandalpineteam got me on to them. There's a write up on their blog.

[@MRclimberman1]

Interesting listening Mark. Two quick queries - if not racing do you still use a pack? I'm normally ask keen as possible to avoid a pack (I guess knowing there's a bike carry section is a factor?); and how do you find / do you manage the seat bag and keeping the dropper post in good condition?

[@markwatson_highluxphoto]

Thanks Jules. Generally I don't use a pack for bikepacking, but if the riding is mostly singletrack (particularly technical singletrack), then I like to because it offloads weight from the bike for better handling and easier carrying if you have to. The dropper works fine with a seat bag that size, but they can be less reliable with a bigger seatbag (plus the bag can hit your tyre). That said it did seem to get 'sticky' for a day or two on TTW and needed a bit of help to pop right back up. That problem vanished for the last couple of days though.

[@MRclimberman1]

Cheers Mark! @@markwatson_highluxphoto

[@albert85b]

Great video. Is that a Selle Anatomica saddle? What are your thoughts?

[@markwatson_highluxphoto]

Yes it is a Selle Anatomica X2. It is by far the most comfortable saddle I have ever used. It's now onto its second leather skin. They are great saddles, but not the lightest, and extra care must be taken not to saturate the leather, otherwise they stretch very quickly due to there not being a lot of leather around the nose (because of the groove).

[@PMcKay00]

I've had one for years and basically it is good. It's no guarantee of avoiding saddle sores though. Seat selection is one part of the puzzle, the others are seat adjustment, conditioning (saddle time), but also technique. Blindly sitting on your bum all day without taking the pressure off and letting some blood flow down there is asking for trouble. Long sustained climbs are what really cause rear end damage for me, so I need to be mindful of that and try and move around and take weight off when possible. Descents are a great chance to stand up a bit and take the pressure off.