Both John and Victoria have completed their Sounds to Sounds ride – John in 11 days, and Vic in 16. Both of them said was hard. Real hard. Harder than the Tour of Aotearoa.
Much anticipation 😊 Here’s a bit of lowdown on what I’m taking and planning while I’m in the middle of nowhere.
What’s happening with the sun?
Compared to the cohort who left on the 2 March who enjoyed 13 hours of sun, by the time I leave on the 2 April, my sunlight hours drop to 11 hours and 35 minutes.
Daylight savings changes on the day I leave – the 2 April. I will automatically gain one hour of sunlight on the first day as the water taxi drops me off at Ship’s Cove an hour earlier then what it would have the previous day.
By my planned completion date of 20 April, my daylight sun drops to 10 hours, 50 minutes. So yeah… By the time I finish, I’ll have 2 hours less daylight compared to what the 2 March cohort started with.
So here’s the low down on my kit:
The Bike & the Mods
This trip I’m riding a Merida Big Nine 7000 carbon fiber 29 inch hardtail mountain bike. I’ve pimped it out with aero bars (thanks John and Vic), and modified handlebar grips for extra comfort. The seat has been replaced with a specialized designed to fit my butt bones (thanks Dean).
Component-wise, the big nine 7000 is light years ahead of my previous bike (which is now my commuter). I’ve taken it out for a jaunt a few times and found it a dream to ride.
I’m packing Aeroe Bags, with a spider rear rack and a 14 litre bag (the link is to a 11 litre). My handle bar bag is a Leynze Bar Caddy and frame bag is a Blackburn elite frame bag. The handle bag is big enough for both my tent and a small amount of food.
My water source is a macpac 3 litre bladder which lives inside the frame bag, together with my replacement tire tube and tool kit.
Clothing
Word on The Street from both John and Vic is the weather is extremely cold through the Mackenzie country and up the Nevis.
I’m packing two sets of Kathmandu KDM Core and KDM Action thermal layers. For my middle layers, I’ve got two sets of merino middle layers from Mons Royale.
I’ve got two different outer layers: something nice and thick for cold dry weather, and one of Kathmandu’s X-series for wet weather. The x-series isn’t going to keep me dry, but I’ve been in some extreme wet weather in it, and felt perfectly warm and comfortable.
What you’re not seeing are also two sets of merino socks, and a set of waterproof pants.
Vic advises me to keep up with my washing else I’ll get diseased bum 😂
Electronics
I’m splerging on the electronics. What I found on the Tour of Aotearoa was off the beaten track, in the dark, normal bike lights just don’t cut the mustard.
This time around, I’m packing two sets of lights: normal bike lights for built up town areas, and a set of 2500 lumen kick arse lights for the middle of the whop-whops.
My cycle computer is a cheap 2017 Lezyne Enhanced GPS I recently picked up on special. The Lezyne gps system allows geospatial tracks to be uploaded into it, and displayed in real time. The enhanced version of the computer comes with a heart rate monitor, cadence and speed sensors, together with a temperature sensor that’s going to come in handy on the Nevis.
The Kennett Brothers have kindly made available the geospatial coordinates for the sounds to sounds, and this cycle computer is able to hold and present that information in real time, saving my use of my cellphone for tracking purposes. My cycle computer will last days before needing recharging, while my phone will need charging every night.
Once I’ve stopped for the day, in the middle of the whop-whops, light is being supplied from a Fenix HM60R pumping 1200 lumens into the night to allow me to set up my tent.
To carry on this blog, I’ve got a lightweight Bluetooth keyboard that connects to my phone, meaning in not typing out this blog, one thumb punch at a time.
Finally, I’ve got my ever trusty Spot satellite tracker that will make me visible to the world regardless of where I am, and if the shit hits the fan, will mean the emergency services will now EXACTLY where I am.
On top of this tech, I’ve got my Oppo A53 cellphone complete with it’s own gps, internet and bells and whistles all modern phones have.
Power supply
What’s keeping this cluster of tech pumping is a serious power source supplied by the super awesome David Chadwick and Lisa McIlwraith for my birthday.
They brought me the seriously awesome Gulp emergency car jumper starter which turns out to be THE BEST tech charger EVER.
Tent and sleeping bag
My sleeping bag is a Kathmandu Pathfinder which will keep me toasty turn to zero degrees. After that, it’s going to start to feel it, but that’s also where the thermals and the silk liner will come in.
My tent is a one person Kathmandu mono. Coming in at 1.73 kgs, it’s my heaviest piece of kit. I’ve used it before on the Tour, and it’s a lovely size for one person and all of my equipment safely stored inside the tent.
The shape of the tent also creates a pocket in front of the inside shell, providing a place for wet shoes and the like to live outside the tent, but still under cover.
Food
My typical road eats are Cookie Time’s One Square Meal (OSM), washed down with electrolyte vitasport energy drink. This time around, I’ll also be making sure I’m packing some cans of Boss Japanese coffee for the mornings in the middle of no where.
Otherwise, it’s grazing on the wide variety of cafes and bakeries on the road. I’m particularly partial to mince and cheese pies, so expect those to turn up in blog commentary across this ride.
For my water source, I’ve picked up a mini water filter, which will allow me to stay hydrated off the beaten track.
In-flight Entertainment
During my evenings, I’ve got a truckload of things to read on Kindle. Apparently, Marcus Aurelius wrote The Mediations in his tent whilst on a military campaign. I think it’s only fitting I start with reading him in a tent whilst similarly out in the whop-whops. 🙂
Ride Objectives
1. CHANGE IN HEALTH & FITNESS
I’m looking forward to really jump-starting my weight loss!
Last week I visited a cardiologist for a check-up and did a stress echocardiogram. The good doctor’s given me the big tick of approval for this ride, but noted I’m well over weight and unfit. On the scales, I clocked in at 108 kgs.
The more weight I can lose and fitness I can regain, the better my heart will be, and the lower my blood pressure will become. Riding eight plus hours each day will do that to a guy 🙂.
I’ll keep track of how my recovery rate changes at the end of each day, and graph it at the end of the travel, together with a final weight.
2. ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY
I’ve been looking at how to do astrophotography on my phone. On those crystal clear Lake Tekapo nights, I’m hoping to give it a whirl.
You, my intrepid reader, will see my first efforts. In the future, maybe this is an area I’ll further develop.
3. THE MENTAL CHALLENGE
Ahhh… The mental challenge.. This is the bogeyman under the bed for me. On the Tour, I was beside myself with doing these things by myself.
The great fear of failure, the loneliness of the being by myself day after day. And the disappointment at seeing and experiencing such amazing adventures without being able to share them with someone at the time. These are my mental challenges.
This time, I’m more prepared with tips and techniques for overcoming fear and feelings of loneliness. Lots of stuff online about what other people have experienced, and what did they do to cope. I’m hoping to learn from those experiences and push through my own pain barrier.
I’ll also have Vic, John and a host of others traveling with me online as I head down the country by myself. 🙂
One of the techniques I’ll actively try to do is talk to at least 3 locals each day. What do people do around here? How are they finding life over the last year? What’s their biggest goal over the next year? Let’s check out the Vox Populi of The South Island towns I’ll be staying in our visiting. 🙂
More on the road
I head off to Picton on the 1 April and start my journey on the 2nd. I’ll post a blog every day, cellphone access permitting.
I hope you all enjoy my ride as much as I’m looking forward to riding it! If you want to find out more about it the Sounds to Sounds ride for maybe next year, visit the Kennett Brother’s Tour of Aotearoa website: http://www.touraotearoa.nz/p/sound-to-sound.html
From Sunday 2 April, you can follow me in virtual real-time here: https://sounds2sounds2023.maprogress.com/?bib=JLH
I’m the guy tagged, “The Last of Us”
👍🙂
James
Will definitely be tuned in. I admire your courage and drive James. May the wind be at your back and the graders be broken down!