Bike / Gear Prep ‘Part One’- Riding NZ

75 days until I start

You have to consider several things when going on a multiday ride.

What type of bike should you ride for these adventures, how does that Bike need to be set up, what gear do you need to take, and how do you carry all this gear?

There are other things, such as what will I be able to eat, where I can I even get food, and where will I be able to sleep. But I’ll cover all that boring food and sleep stuff later.

The next few posts will discuss bikes, gear, and bags. 

Part One: Let’s get into it: Bike Prep.

You can ride almost any bike from top to bottom in New Zealand; it ultimately comes down to your preferred level of comfort. 

1969 Raleigh Chopper

Doug Maths: Comfort

• A. Really Rough it = feel it and suffer for days
  • Carry minimal, bike lots, and sleep under bulldozers.
• B. Sort of Rough it = still feel it, but suffer not so much.
  • Carry essentials, including coffee. Bike smart, sleep in tent sites or cabins, or maybe on the side of the road.
• C. Glamp it on a fully paid supported Bike Tour = Riding like a King/Queen, others carry your bags (you deserve it, though, right), and sleep in accommodation with catering.

I’m a B

Most cyclists who tackle this type of adventure generally know what Bike setup works for them. For me, It is my Alloy Framed, Carbon Forked, 26″ Wheeled 2014 Specialized Fat Boy, which I custom-rebuilt in 2019. See the Rebuild post here

The most popular type of Bike would be a Gravel Touring Bike. Ideally, you don’t need shocks because a static fork (no shocks) or a hardtail bike (no rear shock) will roll faster than one with shocks. Plus, shocks = more weight, but then also = more comfort. 

My FatBike has no shocks.   

It does have a few bags, but we’ll get to that in Part two

Check out my Bike’s mechanical Specs here.

Before starting the Journey, I wanted to mitigate any possible major things that could go wrong mechanically. That’s a bit of an unknown; however, preventative maintenance can go a long way, with 3000 km as a good example of what a long way could look like. 

Major things such as your Cassette falling to bits or slipping through the gear teeth as the load comes on when you pedal, my bottom bracket bearings collapsing, or the bearings on your wheel hubs failing. 

So…I’ve replaced a few things on the Bike to prepare for long-distance riding.

CASSETTE (that big gear-looking thing on your back wheel)
  

My existing Cassette has done over 6000kms from new in Oct 2020; its teeth looked fairly worn. Zeno said it needs attention, and he’s like a Bike Guru. So if he says it gotta go, it’s going.

Instead of putting a $1200 Sram Cassette on the Bike (That someone I won’t mention suggested I buy), I opted for a $265 NX Sram one. The FatBike is not a race bike. Gear Shifting is generally good because I added an Axs Wireless Shifter in 2021. 

While I did this, I noticed my Derailleur Jockey Wheels were also worn, so a new set went in. And, my Chain had done just shy of 5000km, so out that went, and in went a shiny XO1 Sram Chain. This is the first Chain I have ever changed myself, and it was like. Easy to do.

HUBS (those central round things your 
wheel spokes attach to, and then the 
other end of your spokes connect to your 
rim, and your rim connects to your tyre, 
and your tyre is that rolly thing that,
rolls on the ground. Simple right!)

My Bike runs DT Swiss Hubs front and rear, which are costly. They have done over 6000km, and only one bearing needed to be replaced. Quality, well-made gear is worth it. Don’t put cheap rubbish in or on your Bike; it won’t last.

BOTTOM BRACKET  (that thing your pedals connect to via 
your front chaining; it is important)

I’ve been plagued with bottom-bracket-bearing issues for many years. Specialized doesn’t support the Fatbikes they made anymore, so getting replacement OEM parts is impossible. That means you have to go third party or custom. I’ve had several FAG Bearings, but they never last three months. I am running some Hybrid Carbon Bearings in my bottom Bracket, so far, so good. And yup you guessed it, Zeno said I should get them.

Aside from your Bike Frame or Wheel Rims cracking, these three things above are true Debbie downers (but will be your fault) if you didn’t bother to address them and they failed on your epic Journey. 

TYRES

As mentioned before, Fat Boy Tyres are hard to come by in New Zealand, and this is because of two things. Fat Bikes are no longer popular (even though many NZ Bike Hire places offer E-Bikes that use the same type of tire), and NZ Suppliers Suck. (Yes, I’m talking about you, Specialized NZ)

As part of my Preventative Maintenance plan, I wanted to roll out from Cape Reinga on some new Fat Boy Tyres. For obvious reasons, aside from looking cool.

Also, if I destroy a tire, I won’t get a replacement easily from a Bike Shop. So my grand plan is to send a couple of used spare tires, one to the North and the other to the South Island. Where and when I need one, it can be couriered up to where I’m grounded.

I have managed to buy some new tires.

A pair of new Maxxis FBR Minons, 26×4″, that I’m running now with tubes—these I did buy in NZ from an E-Bike Hire place in CHCH.

And I also bought a Pair of new Schwallable Jumbo Jims (higher quantity), 26×4″ from the UK. These Jumbo Jims, I will roll on tubeless set up from Cape. Reinga

But wait, you say, you haven’t mentioned Brakes. Surely, you need brakes. – Yes, yes, I do.

Brakes (those things that always Fkkkn squeak in the wet)

My brakes were replaced a few months ago. Sometimes I use them. But I suggest you have your brakes checked/serviced before undertaking a multiday ride. I do need to get them bled, which is something I cannot do myself. That will be on my Bike Service list for November.

You may wonder how I know how many km my bike components do. I use an App called Strava, which you can add your bike components to, and with every ride you log adds up the km for you.

 

 

Hold on, you promised to talk about your bloody bike seat!

So I did.
Also known as a Saddle. You sit on this, moving around as you ride and gradually, over time, chaffing your skin away until you have a sore Arse.
Yup, google it; it is not pretty. (Don’t google it; you can’t unsee that stuff.)

Three things can help you mitigate this awful biking consequence.

1. Chaffing Cream helps (yes, you put the cream on your buttocks, then put on your cycle shorts)
2. good quality bike shorts help, and
3. your bike seat can help.

The latter is the golden goose.

Let me debunk some myths first.

• Foam Padding on the Bike seat will stop you from having a sore Arse after your ride. – No, it won’t. Meantilty, you will feel it did, but it didn’t do much for you.
• Padded Bike Shorts. Well, Yes and No.
  • Cheap padded bike shorts = no – stop buying cheap.
  • Good quality padded bike shorts (over the $100 type of good), yes, but more for hygiene rather than padding. (don’t worry, I won’t get into hygiene; I mean, that’s an obvious no-brainer if you sit 4 – 8 hours in bike shorts – day to day.)

 

So Bike Seats.

Golden rule: If you have a cheap and nasty bike seat, you will suffer.

Remember that new bikes on bike shop floors from bike manufacturers are not set up specifically for your comfort. So that means if your height says you suit a medium-sized frame, that’s what you get. A bike that suits your height, not your comfort.

You then have to customize it to suit your style of riding and the level of comfort you want. (You can get sized for your bike position and riding style, which is recommended.)

If you become a long-distance rider, Your biking life will change when you invest in a quality bike seat.

My seat cost about $300. I questioned this price until I did it. Up until then, I suffered; boy, I suffered. It was so bad that I wondered if I should continue biking. But I wanted to bike because I enjoyed it, so the straw tumbled out of  Shani’s purse (ok, not really, it was my wallet), and I bought a Brooks C19 Saddle.

I swear, the longer I sit on it riding, the more comfortable it is.

Saddle Specs

 

 

Part One is done!. Stay tuned for Part Two where I'm going to
tell you all about the Bike Bags I have on my bike, and whats in them.

Question though. How many Bike Bags is too many?

 

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