Cape to Cape - A few technical notes

Weather
It was a bit of a mixed bag which was a good gear test.  The Revelate seat bag leaks a bit now so anything important has to be in plastic, the framebag is still water proof which also means once water gets in (e.g. around the drinking tube) it doesn't get out. The critical thing is the integrity of the dry bag for the sleeping bag - a heavy plastic bag seems to withstand the rubbing and keeps the mud off; a bit of water gets through but not through the dry bag. The dry bag failed after the last trip so it is a system that requires monitoring.

The water proof map pouch delaminated where it is rolled over at the top - this wasn't a problem provided you didn't try to move the damp paper inside.

Bike

The old 26' Giant XTC2 worked fine as usual (apart from the forks).  It had full on Maxxis knobblies - probably less efficient on the seal but would have been useful on Bridge to Nowhere section if it had been wet.  The Ridley Cyclo-cross bike worked out well - I felt I had to be more careful rough stuff but there were few occasions when I decided not to tackle something.  To be fair it might have had a little more trouble on the Wairarapa Coast and other rocky trails but overall I was pretty happy with it on seal, gravel, sand and on the single track I covered.  The gearing didn't go as low as I would like (36 teeth front, 28 rear), I may try a smaller front cog or develop some muscles.  The jury is still out on the question of robustness and how much of this type of treatment the bike will take.

Navigation
As with previous trips I developed detailed trail notes based on the Tour Aotearoa route and on-line maps and satellite images (Google Maps and Map-My-Ride).  I carried a Personal Locator Beacon for emergencies but didn’t carry a GPS (apart from occasional reference to Google Maps on the smart phone). I also had a few specific maps of some of the cycle trails but as expected these were generally pretty well marked. There were a couple of occasions when the road signs didn't match the online maps.

Overall I was a bit more relaxed about navigation than I was for the South Island whilst recognising the risk of departure from or error in the notes where there is no cell phone cover. The only times I really needed to refer to the phone GPS was getting through Auckland and the exit from 90 mile beach (not really required but useful to confirm I was in the right place).

Luggage

• Revelate seat bag - starting to show signs of wear but a great piece of kit.  
• Custom frame bag by Brent MacDonald Canvas Products Wellington (need a new one for a good fit on the Ridley).
• Topeak tool pouch.
• MacPac drybag for sleeping bag wrapped in plastic for added protection.  
• Light backpack (eventually dispensed with).
• Map pouch

The luggage (minus map pouch)

The old bike had aero bars which were useful to sling the sleeping roll off.  It fitted fine between the Ridley's drops but tended to bounce around a bit on the rough stuff.  The drybags can rub a hole pretty quick hence the additional plastic bag.

Water

3L pouch in the framebag with the tube through a hairband on the bars, two 750ml bottles in cages hose clipped to the down tube (the lightweight Specialized cage broke again).  Previously I have attached them to the forks but the new arrangement seemed to work well - I only noticed them occasionally when getting up on the pedals. There wasn't enough clearance to mount the sub frame cage on the Ridley and I wasn't game to try to attach anything to the Carbon forks.  The bottles developed a strong plastic taste so I binned them in favour of water bottles from shops.

Food
Mostly relied on shops and cafe's (Bunderberg ginger beer and Liptons peach ice tea) and a few meals with family. For a change I carried a cooking kit: a penny stove (meths), Back Country dehy and porridge sachets - a bit of luxury but appreciated on the few occasions where there were long stretches without shops. The weight with cleaning cloth but not meths is 220g but this could be reduced (a smaller butane lighter, and replacing the bent wire pot stand). I also discovered the Bumper Slice from Cookie Time - less dense than the Bumper Bar but equally delicious.

Cooking kit

The penny stove - complete with US penny

Assembled for action

Clothes
Slightly less than previous, sacrificing comfort rather than safety - with the exception of wearing two pairs of bike shorts. This made a big difference (should have started with two and avoided some uncomfortable blisters).

Sleeping

• MacPac Bush Cocoon (a cross between a very small tent and a bivvy bag)
• MacPac Express down bag and silk liner
• Exped Air mattress 

The Bush Cocoon is a bit of an experiment - light weight and packs small but more comfortable than a traditional bivvy bag.  Here's an initial review which I thought was pretty accurate: Link.

Other stuff
Pretty much the same as previous trips ... basic first aid, survival blanket, pain killers and anti inflamatories, sunscreen, toiletries etc.


Link to Cape to Cape intro