Kiwi Brevet Conclusions, reflections, observations, and math.

Egg McMuffins in the am, Fish fillet sandwiches anytime, shakes--my favortite Brevet food venue.

They got some tough cyclists here in NZ. Specifically, tough mountain bikers—this was a mountain bike ride, organized by the mountain bike gurus of NZ, and showcased the fantastic variety and depth of the mountain biking tracks and riders here. I was way out of my league in this regard, which became painfully apparent as soon as we left the smooth tarmac and gravel venues of the route. Certainly big tires and a fully suspended bike would have helped me feel a bit more comfortable on some of the rougher sections, but mostly it was my lack of mountain bike experience/nerve/skill which had me walking down the hills and on the single track trails.

Bigger tires are absolutely better for this ride. The folks on the 2.5 inch tires were much faster over the rougher gravel and were able to go faster downhill and perhaps avoid walking on some gnarly sections of trail. This advantage hugely outweighs any small difference in speed on the smooth road bits.

Here’s the math for me (very rough estimates): 1100K total distance

500K Sealed/paved roads @ 20KPH (including walking up some passes and hills)= 25 hours

500K gravel, smooth and rough @ 12KPH = 42 hours

80K 4 wheel drive track, single track and ugly stuff, a bit of pedaling, mosty walking @ 4KPH=20 hours

That’s 87 hours of ‘forward motion’ not including rest, food, and sleep stops. Any small increase in average speed for the rougher bits is greatly rewarded in decreased total time. A change in speed (increase or decrease) for the smooth road has much less effect in overall time. Less sleep also greatly decreases overall time.  This is perhaps slightly limited by some bits that should probably not be tackled at night, even with good lighting.

As the randonneur crowd has always known, bike comfort is key. My Brooks saddle was great as always, and my choice of shorts/underwear left me without chafing or rashes, which were a common complaint from this mountain bike racing crowd. (If you don’t sit down during a race, it doesn’t matter what kind of seat you have.) My tires (Schwalbe Marathon Extreme) did not puncture, which was a blessing. But I want bigger ones. My camping gear was fine. My front bag was good, but the mount/decalliur did break on the 3rd day requiring zip tie fixes for the rest of the ride. I didn’t miss the gps much. Clothing and rainwear worked well. I still love merino wool. My Shimanno SPD sandals worked well, gripped ok on the walking bits, and A530 dual pedal was good for the ability to uncleat and pedal on the flat side for either comfort or safety.

I’d recommend this ride to those who are fit, comfortable riding all day, comfortable riding mountain bike trails, and looking for their next challenge. Thanks to Simon K and brothers, and to all those who helped design and organize the event. Truly a great adventure.