Silk Road Mountain Race (SRMR)

Those Topeak cages are good. Can take big stuff like 2l bottles. would want one normal cage though.

Thanks for the great lunchtime read! Man, super excited by this, will be following your dot and cheering on.

Cheers buddy

Nice.

...so many people on Maxxis Ikon. I used Ikons when I was over there and thought maybe something more burly would be better, but that said, I only had one puncture. And it is a race I guess.

I can't see the tandem being a good idea!

You'll see Shona and Rich mentioned upthread from last year and also in one of the other bike descriptions (for putting the bike together), if anyone will hack it they will. Local mtb/bike shop heroes.

Lael, Hammo and Petervary racing?

Just seen Stephane Ouaja on the start list, having made the top 10 in the TCR already this summer. Fella is insane.

He's got more time off than I do, ffs

Think Mikko did both races last year too.

On the same bike with a tyre swap IIRC

Yeah same bike, he was in my hotel in Meteora last year- just swapped the tyres and chainset over in the lobby and then was off on his way

3 bikes with Lauf Grit.. Why?

Sponsorship

It’s been built up with what I had lying around. I’m running an old school 9 speed MTB group set with bar end shifters

That guy, what a hero

Mental to see people on tyres under 40mm

Yeah his description was great. I smiled when reading that he'd treated himself to the hunt carbons

700x55mm tyres? Conti somethings

Not that guy, there's someone else on 1.5" (rear) and a few in the low-40s

No, I meant I'm curious as to what tyres this guy is running. I didn't know you could get 700x55.

buys another frame

Just the same as 29"×2.2" isn't it? There's loads of those. Race Kings in that guy's case.

Mental to see people on tyres under 40mm

Agreed.. Probably not everyone entering the race has seen last year's documentary.

Then again, you can do it, but won't be fast on loose surface.

I dunno. I've never owned anything other than 26" and the biggest 700C tyre I've used was 42mm I think.

Might be walking a lot of the loose stuff anyway, depending on if it's up or down. I don't think Mikko had particularly fat tyres last year (25 or 28mm Duranos or something similar).

Actually maybe the Durano were from TCR.
https://www.randonneurs.fi/transcontinental-race-2018-complete-kit-list/

If this is his bike it maybe has 32mm CX tyres?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/mkpaa/albums/72157671676293257

Yeah, he used Marathon Mondial

37mm Marathon Mondial

https://twitter.com/mkpaa/status/1029621081118781440

Since it's the Silk Road Mountain Race, there should be a fair few hipster sleds.

That's understandable, it was the first year and I don't think most people new what to expect. I'd put the widest tire I can for this, no less than 2" for sure.

Probably people in the 40mm range are simply limited by frame max clearance.