BB200 - plan of attack/kit.

[gairym]

Obviously conditions and mood will dictate things nearer the time but just to get an idea of peoples intentions I thought I'd start a thread about plans and kit.

My current kit-plan is to travel light (much lighter than my usual).

Bag, mat, bivi and tarp/poles (vango 'venom 300', karrimor x-lite mat, borah bivi, little sil-tarp).

Lights, a few tools, phone and GPS.

Food that can be eaten cold and stored easily (I don't drink hot drinks so no stove needed).

Enough kit to stay warm if it pisses it down whilst riding but no camp clothing to speak of.

As for tactics I'm thinking start slow, continue slow and attempt to just keep going for as long as possible (as I always sleep badly anyway and so might as well keep going).

If (ok, when) I approach physical collapse I'll find somewhere barely suitable and get a couple of hours of poor quality rest before getting back up and carrying on.

Am planning on finishing, hoping for under 30 hours and would be delighted with achieving either of those goals!

What about you?

[composite]

Sleeping bag and bivi bag either on the bars or in the saddle pack. This is it in terms of bivi kit. You may have guessed I'm not planning on stopping and hope to make it round in less than 24hours.

Top half of frame bag will be Food. Bottom half will be the stash space for gloves/arm warmers/gilet/waterproof/tools/spare tubes. This will depend upon the conditions on the day.

Might also go with feed bag to have food in easy reach and decant from the frame bag at suitable points.

Top tube bag will have the power related stuff from the dynamo.

With water being the single heaviest item this will be on my back to make the hike a bike sections "easier" and it is quicker to get the bladder out of the bag than it is the frame bag like I do on normal bikepacking trip..

GPS and bar dynamo light as well as helmet light (Diablo). Phone in my pocket. Probably will wear my winter boots and water proof shorts.

Tactics I will look at once the route comes through but generally I will aim to be as consistent as possible in terms of effort (ie heart rate) and to only stop when I absolutely have to.

[slowupslowdown-under]

Bivibag, 2 season synthetic bag with silk liner, no mat. 2 long sleeve merino wool tops (so I can swop over if stopping for any length of time i.e a pub), Mavic thermo top for night ride section, change of socks and gloves for cold bits and Rab micro light if forced to stop.

Could all get I one saddlebag but splitting weight for better balance.

Various frame bags with food and spares. Hoping to get away without anything on back but maybe a wingnut if potential stops are few and far between.

Not planning on stopping but who knows how night will pan out!

Plan to be re evaluated if anything other than light precipitation forecast!!!

[darbeze]

Minimal approach here too. Hoping to keep going if possible, but take enough gear to stop and keep warm if I have to.

Obviously enough food for the trip and two 750ml water bottles and a pack of puritabs. Maybe a second light to have on my helmet, as I found just having a bar light last year a little bit restrictive...

I see the Exposure Joystick now has 700 lumens.... Hmmm, tempting.

Si

[Charliecres]

Current plan is similar to Gairy's, minus the tarp. If the forecast is wet I'll think again.

[mountainbaker]

Sleeping bag and bivvy on bars, with battery pack, arm warmers, legs warmers, gilet, gloves and some snacks in the Revelate Pocket on the front of the sweetroll. StemCell with flapjack and haribo probably. I'm probably going to carry most stuff on my back, A water bottle on the frame so I can purify in one as I'm moving then tip into camelbak when done. More food in camelbak and waterproof lashed onto back of rucksack (assuming I'm not wearing it).

Phone in pocket, Exposure Toro on bars and Diablo on my helmet.

Will wear waterproof shorts, merino jersey and probably normal shoes with merino socks, winter boots tend to fill with water and stay full. If there's river crossings full boots will suck.

Obviously I'm not planning on stopping. Bring on the Death Marches..

[evilgoat]

2 season sleeping bag and bivi on bars in dry bag. lights and gps mounted above.

small bar pouch with food.

down jacket, tarp, heavier spares/tools, dry thermals and back up food in frame bag.

camelback with water, 1st aid kit, waterproof jacket and phone.

fuel tank with more food in it.

undecided about sleeping mat. plan was not to bother but may reconsider depending on weather forecast and route.

I'll be planning on a speed bivi. Maybe 2-3 hrs.

[Zippy]

I'm not doing it this year, but if I was, this would be my plan of attack based on having done it last year...

As a first timer, got my setup fairly nailed I reckon.

Bike: Cube Reaction GTC SL carbon thingy, 23lbs

Rear Wildcat Tiger:
- Borah Bivvy
- PHD Minim Ultra
- Exposure Flare
- Gore softshell jacket (wrapped more neatly than shown so I could get my arse further back when necessary)

Two toptube bags:
- Front full of jelly babies
- Under saddle: Spare mech hanger, patch kit, chain tool, spare link, screwdriver bits + driver
- 4 or 5 flapjack pieces and a pork pie

On Frame:
- 2 x inner tubes
- Lezyne pump
- 2 x water bottles

Front Gub extender:
- Exposure Maxx-D + USB output boost cable and custom made 2 way splitter USB cable to power garmins
- Garmin Edge 500
- Garmin Edge 200 (nav)
- tucked inside the on this, one sachet of chain lube

On My person
- Up shorts - 2 x gels (didn't use them)
- Jersey pocket 1 - Buff, gilet, phone, spare rear light battery, cash, credit card, ID, my maps printed on double sided A3 sheets x 2, 2 x water purification tablets just in case.
- Jersey Pocket 2 - more home made flapjack
- Jersey Pocket 3 - flapjack team sheffield gave me, torq bar, 2 x shot block packets, bannana
- Attached to watch - little compass for use with maps in backup.
- Helmet with Exposure Diablo (and most of the time my oakleys).
Was wearing initially shimano shoes, alpkit socks, craft lycra shorts, orca merino knee warmer, dhb baselayer, loughborough short sleeve jersey and pearl izumi short fingered gloves.

Total weight was about 13.6kg (30lbs) without the food or water.


BB200 Setup by zippyonline, on Flickr

Food wise, I had about 4 jelly babies left, torq bar, 1 gel (I lost one in the bog in carnau when I landed in it, knew I lost it, but couldn't see where it had gone), 1 packet of shot blocs and 3 flpajacks (4.5cm x 6cm x 1.5cm). So I got that right.

Water consumption went ok.

I used everything except those which I would classify as emergency - water purification tablet, phone, sleeping bag, bivvy, and only had a bit of food left at the end, so not really anything excessive.

Think I might want to rethink my nav. (was using edge 200, which is fine if you're moving, but when you're crawling along at pushing your bike over the carnau / those last terrible climbs out of the river, it zooms right out and isn't brilliant). The usb cable also stopped working charging on one of the splits after I submerged it in the bog at carnau, worked this out and swapped the cable end, and quite pleased my Maxx-D & USB boost, half the cable both garmins still worked despite submersion - I did do a bit of using inner tubes and o-rings for a bit of extra weatherproofing (but have to be careful with this to allow water to drain too).

So all in all, happy with my setup, might do a GPS improvement, but not quite sure what yet, otherwise all ok, chuffed with that considering it was my first time.

Building on from that, probably a better GPS as breadcrumb trail on the edge 200 slowed me down a bit. Clothing choice would be down to last minute weather forecast - I don't have that bike built up anymore, but would have something similar. Also have an even lighter sleeping bag (PHD racer down which they made as a July special I think). Oh, and depending on the forecast, would take either the borah bivvy or a tinfoil bivvy thing.
Race tactics wise, I probably wouldn't go out quite as hard at the start as I did last year (was in the front group for a good few hours...)

Other than that, I would probably have the same setup.

[Dave Barter]

My plan:-

-shove lots of stuff in the car Friday PM in a mad panic after work
-assemble some of it onto the bike Saturday whilst mourning that left behind
-head off into the unknown hoping that I don't die
-arrive back at the start in time to collect my pension
-swear at Stu

[numplumz]

My plan is to go on a gokart racing beer fueled night on Friday, get up late and curse myself for having fun. Swear a lot when I realise its a long way to drive to Wales. Start late then probably fall asleep on the bike Saturday night ;-) oh and swear even more if I have to yomp through two many bogs. Can't wait

[larsmars]

Are most riders camping at the Dolgadfan farm on Friday night? Did we arrange a special rate or something? Do we need to book?

[larsmars]

BTW - I will be driving from Buckinghamshire on the Friday if anyone needs a lift and company. I will be heading back on Sunday afternoon/evening depending on finish time (hoping for sub 24hr).

[Bearbonesnorm]

Are most riders camping at the Dolgadfan farm on Friday night? Did we arrange a special rate or something? Do we need to book?

I have spoken to them, sadly I wasn't able to arrange a special rate but what's on their website should stand (I'm not sure why Mountain Baker was charged more last year). Booking would be advisable but I'm told they'll try and accommodate anyone arriving on spec too.

[mountainbaker]

It'll be £15 a night this year too. Here's the email from them confirming.

Yes thats fine, the price will be £15-00 for the night.

Thanks

Brychan

[Zoglug]

Looking at the site (not for the BB 200 but im looking to head to mid Wales soon) and i think they charge £15 as its a tenner to pitch up the tent, then £5 for the shower/toilet facilities. Could well be wrong though.

[Bearbonesnorm]

Looking at the site (not for the BB 200 but im looking to head to mid Wales soon) and i think they charge £15 as its a tenner to pitch up the tent, then £5 for the shower/toilet facilities. Could well be wrong though.

That's right by my reckoning, I missed the extra fiver for toilet / shower when I first checked ... they are however the poshest toilet and shower of any campsite I've ever seen.

[mountainbaker]

Agreed, very posh bogs!

[johnnystorm]

Advanced booking in a Travelodge for about a fiver more.

[mountainbaker]

Yeah, but then you have to sleep in a Travelodge.

[johnnystorm]

Yeah, but then you have to sleep in a Travelodge.

A recently refurbished one at that.

With Composite & the Bert-nado