Ultracycling

Hip lock combo lock is good. But it depends where you are. Mostly just try keep the bike in sight, but bikes have been stolen. I often bring my bike inside of a mini supermarket if needed. Obviously racing in Kygyzstan or Scotland is a bit different to some places.

If you need real food, hit a restaurant not a supermarket.

Thanks for replies
Do you mean this hip lok
Looks like a good balance of light weight and deterent.
Helps I have a cheap bike!

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I've got the one that has the key which I think may be a bit thinner and lighter compared to the one you've posted there. Took it with me on TCR a couple of years ago and never used it once but it was good to have just in case.

Pretty unlikely but if your bike is going to get stolen it's probably more likely to be in the UK compared to pretty much anywhere else. Like @skinny I pretty much always bring the bike inside and in some cases will actually just wheel the bike around with me if the supermarket is massive and I can't see it clearly. In my experience people rarely question it and also never ask anyone for permission because you'll inevitably make it 'a thing'.

Yes that's it. They become a bit shit when worn out but work ok. If just used for racing then no issue.

The other option is an elastic cord wire (like a slinky) and some small padlock

I do the same on an ultra as on a UK audax.

I generally use a toy cable cafe lock if I leave bike outside a supermarket, more because it makes me feel better, not because I think it would stop it being nicked. I don't bother on a garage forecourt - which is where I'll most often go. In Australia I never used my lock as pretty much every shop I visited had a forecourt.

I don't leave the bike alone for long, but it would be long enough for it to be nicked. If somewhere looks dodgy I'll try not to stop, but that's not always an option. And I take my vital stuff in with me - money, passport, phone, etc.

If I went to my nearest Lidl and left my bike unlocked it would last maybe 30 seconds.

You might be surprised. Just because bikes sometimes get nicked doesn't mean they always do.

For example, I once went to a conference in central London and on the way there I realised I'd forgotten my lock. I had no time to get one, so I just left it leaning on a lamppost outside, at 8:00am. Went back out at 4pm and it was still there.

I've left bikes unlocked at other times outside pubs and not had one nicked. What I've done a couple of times when I've come out without the keys for D-lock is just balance it on the chainstays, poked through the spokes - it looks like it's locked if you just have a quick glance.

Like @jakemccree says I've just wheeled my bike around a supermarket before now.

It's only Tesco Express and the like here that seem to have a security guard watching your every move, the Spanish / French didn't seem to care much. If someone decides they don't like it you're usually paying for your stuff / on your way out by that point anyway.

Otherwise as above - cafe lock and don't let bike out of my sight for more than 5-10 mins.

If I'm asleep I'm usually well out of the way / have hidden my bike from view of the road.

If I'm asleep I'm usually well out of the way / have hidden my bike from view of the road.

Or use my front wheel as a pillow, dangle my arm through the frame, etc.

Belated info on Gran Guanche - I'd base the gravel vs Trail decision more on time (600km vs 1000km and significantly more climbing). Even the MTB route is very doable on a monstercross setup with the toughest sections short enough to just hike a bike

Crossed 3 couples just taking the gpx and joyriding at the same time as the event - if I wasn't 'racing' to get my ferries and flight back home, I'd of wanted to stop in particular in Las Palmas (the city), NW Tenerife and western La Palma (the island), but did absolutely love the atmosphere and camaraderie in the ferries

Part of the appeal of the official event is logistics given it's a PITA getting bags from one island to another, but you might see if Vadebicis can sort it out Lanz->Tene South even outside of the event, else plenty of bike boxes to beg/buy from Tenerife South

Cheers. It's not going to happen any time soon but it definitely went up in my ratings this year for some reason, maybe because I saw they'd released the routes and it could be toured and not raced. I'd probably just fly in with everything, ride and then cardbox box it all up and fly out, planning whatever route is needed to make that possible.

Did try to search on insurance but does British cycling cover such events like PCR? Website suggests no as it's a BC or equivalent org event

Historically it did but they changed insurers a few years ago and, last time I looked, it didn't.

May have changed again though.

https://www.everestbikepackingrace.com/

Really dull question but... when you guys are looking at routes for events where they give you the GPX, what's your process? Work out places to eat/drink, places you might sleep, any points of concern etc.?

I'm doing this event (500km) in a couple of months and have the route so have broken it down as I would a multi-day ride. Worked out where there's shops, picked a couple of spots I might sleep (event provided or towns with a few hotels) and that's it. Doesn't feel very scientific.

Well, what's the event? What else do you need to know the location of to ride it? What are your aims - win or finish? ie. are you planning for where to eat or are you planning where to attack?

Work out hard spots, be that due to terrain, topography, tough terrain to ride in dark. Any crux points that you know will be difficult then try schedule for a good time. Also familiarisation with it so you don't get lost and can make turns/directions quickly.

Depends where it is and what terrain really as the extent of work needed.

@hippy - Race Across France - Route is provided, I am not particularly familiar with the area but it's not unknown to me (ridden about 100km of it in the past). Just aiming to finish as it's the first time I've done something like this.

@skinny - There's bits like descending the Ventoux, I'm not enthusiastic about doing at night, but the departure schedule seems set for people to avoid that so hopefully that's fine. After that there's not much I don't want to do other than the Gorges de Verdun in the dark as I found drivers shit during the day there before.

TBH, given it's France, a Friday into a Saturday, it's not that stressful in terms of being there, just the physical challenge.

I like to "fly by the seat of my pants" for the most part so I'm probably the worst for this, but I tend to mark CPs and food/resupply points as a must have and everything else is a "nice to know". I'll ride it day or night, hot or cold, I don't care. But if there's sections you know already, like tricky descent or dangerous crossing or "remember to take the small path here" then I would add them to my cheat sheet too so that when you're fucked (I mean it's only 500k so you're not going to be that bad, mentally) but when you're struggling with a section you might have a note that jogs your memory, like "hard to see turn here, but it's deffo right" or whatever.

But mostly these days I'm not racing so I don't really care about much other than how much food, drink between resupply points and maybe time cuts.

I also mark distance of town names and maybe high points (elevation) just to aid my memory of the route but much of it I can see on my Garmin for the most part.

Really dull question

Not dull at all. I like to use 'Notes' on iphone where I'll make a list of food options, hotels etc in towns/villages around every 5ok or so. I try to work out rough timings so good to make a note if it would be sensible to stop in this place as the next town/petrol station is a big distance away, that kind of stuff.

Some info on the terrain, is there gravel etc. is good to have saved as well imo.

Descending Ventoux at night is fine. Few cars. Wouldn't fancy Gorge du Verdon as much though.

Hopefully there'll be enough riders going through that drivers will be alert. That said, probably won't be riding it in the darkest part of the night, aiming to sleep somewhere before it.

France is just about the hardest country in Europe for finding supplies. The challenge is finding places that are open when you need them, and having enough stuff to cope when nothing is. If it's only a two day event you can just about carry enough food. But where will you get water? Worth having a plan for that, with a couple of options / variations.

Sorry it is a Facebook link but what Jesse Carlsson does is gold standard, and necessary in Australia where there are big gaps.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?id=256950844678488&story_fbid=1690871704619721

Second that. I'll do a boring 'drive' along Google Street view as especially in the mountains there's often faucets.

Tag anything that's going to seriously affect your ride for the better on ridewithgps at key points on the ride - the taps, the unexpected decent supermarket in a mountain village, the bar that's open until 10. Star in Google maps a few bike shops if there are any.

Despite possibly not being necessary you might also be in a hole for some reason and knowing that's there can be a million morale points sometimes.

If you're thinking you might try and compete then maybe reference sections with excessive climbing or sections where you might try and kick out a few fast hours consistently

I'll also tag random sleep spots 'pine forest for 5km' etc as knowing vaguely what's good up ahead really helps with the psychology for me.

Super true.
I had a French colleague ringing places where to eat in advance because WTF in August I was not able to find kind restaurant people to have me for food 3 days in a row… damn

Thanks all. Good tips, starting to work on the bikeshops in particular.

I'm comfortable in France with the strange opening hours (mum's French, speak French, live in a similarly-strange country, spend a lot of time in France etc.) and the timing (4am Friday rollout, late June) means there's plenty of time to get food and drink before the really bad days of the week. It's also a help there's a CP after 250km where I can restock and sleep if I don't want to wild-camp or hunt for a bed.

My usual "trick" for water in France if there's no shop is cemeteries... usually a tap with drinkable water. Not 100% but it's better than banging on doors sometimes.