The racing and yoga training continued up till a couple of weeks before the TAW where we decided a short overnight trip was in order to test all our equipment for the big event and to make sure we were comfortable with it all. I had thought a lot about the sleeping equipment and decided a sealed bivvy bag would be my choice. After a lot of internet searching, I settled on the Snugpak Stratosphere which was good as it sealed and had some support which would keep it off my face and give me some space to move around once I was in. Through some contacts at work, Alpkit were also kind enough to sort us out with some gear for the ride. They sent us some down sleeping bags which were incredibly compressible, and air mat that packed down to nothing, a rack bag, a saddle bag, and a top tube bag. These were all perfect for our Bromptons and we packed into them what we deemed our final selection of gear that we would take on the TAW. Across all of our training rides, we had learnt what equipment and clothing was necessary and what was wasted effort to carry. The following is the list of equipment that we would bring on our adventure and into which bags they went:
Cycling Gear - Worn Everyday
Giro Empire VR90 Off Road Shoe
Defeet Aireator Socks
Assos T.mille_S7 Bib Shorts
dhb Merino Short Sleeve Base Layer (M_200)
Brompton Endura Jersey
Castelli Perfetto Vest
Garmin Heart Rate Strap
Kask Protane helmet
Oakley Jawbreakers (with Prizm and clear lenses)
Reflective Ankle Straps (had to be worn at all times for safety)
Rocktape Knee Tape
Brompton Bicycle
Clip-On Aerobars
Busch & Müller Luxos IQ2 (with USB charging) dynamo powered front light and rear light
Moon Meteor Storm Lite Front Light
Lezyne Strip Drive Rear Light
Garmin 520 Computer
Prototype Brompton Rear Rack
Prototype Brompton Gearing
Ergon GS2 Grips
Schwalbe Marathon Racer 32mm tyres
Spare Schwalbe Marathon Racer Tyre (cable tied to rear frame)
Selle SMP TRK Medium Saddle
Rack Bag - Alpkit Tivaro 20
Bivvy Bag - Snugpak Stratosphere
Sleeping Bag - Alpkit PipeDream 200 Hydrophobic
Air Mat - Alpkit Numo
Inflatable Pillow - Amazon
Saddle Bag - Alpkit Koala
Leg Warmers
Emergency Survival Blanket Spare
Rocktape Knee Tape
USB 3-Prong Plug
Thermal Socks (for sleeping)
Spare Pair of Rapha Reflective Brevet Socks
Casual Clothes (T-Shirt and Togs)
Chain Tensioner Arm
Derailleur
Gear Shifter
Front Light Mount
MTB Cleats Suspension Block
Chain Lube and Rag
Rim Brake Pads
Top Tube Bag - Alpkit Fuel Pod
Gore Wear C5 Gore-Tex Shakedry 1985 Jacket
DeFeet E-Touch Dura Gloves
Castelli Buff (doubled as hat when sleeping)
Castelli NanoFlex Arm Warmers
dhb Toe Warmers
TAW Cycling Cap
Ortlieb Mini O-Bag
Anker 26800mAh Battery Pack
Decathlon Head Light Torch
Pallares Flip Knife
SIS Electrolyte Tablets
USB Cables for iPhone and Lights
Recovery Protein Powder Sachets (only four)
Tablets (paracetomal, ibuprofen, codeine, caffeine)
Toothbrush (cut in half) and Tooth paste
Ear Plugs
Eye Mask
Assos Chamois Cream
With all this gear, we set off for a single night’s sleep in the South Downs before cycling back to London. We got a train down to Amberly before setting up camp in a field which has seen much use from Brompton employees all going on adventures. After sleeping for the night and finding no issues with our gear that would need last minute rectifying, we ambled our way back to London via Box Hill and without further incident. That was it, we had done everything we thought we could have and in two weeks' time we would start one of the biggest adventures of our lives. It was almost nice to know there was nothing else to be done, we had tested our equipment and were satisfied, and we had trained to the maximum we thought we could. Now we just had to rest and wait for the big day to arrive, with nerves steadily building as the day approached.
Strava Link: https://www.strava.com/activities/2393238732
