[with regrets if I overlooked an identical topic in my search]

CTR 2012 hopeful here. I thru-hiked the CT last summer in twenty-four days. On the trail, I tried
to dissuade myself from coming back on bike, and even took pictures of protracted hike-a-bike sections. However, selective memory triumphs, and it's my intent to finish the race. 

My question is this: how important is weight training for CTR? Would a body-weight regimen of pushups, pullups, crunches and squats suffice, or should I add weight? If I did, I'd probably get an exercise ball for a bench and use dumbbells.

Thanks for any advice or recommended exercises.

I switched to Ergons a year ago and never looked back. I ride a rigid fork on technical terrain, and my hands have never complained.

 The only downside is that the models with short bar ends have slippage issues on carbon bars, and that getting the adjustment dialed in takes some trial and error on the initial setup or anytime you make a cockpit adjustment.

Sign me up. While thru-hiking the CT last summer, I swore that I would never bike it, and even took pictures of the gnarliest hike-a-bike sections to dissuade myself, but to no avail. Selective memory has always been one of my strong suits.

I look forward to reading everyone else's training and trip reports. Iron sharpens iron.

Current phase: Daily 10 mile round trip commute, two weekly ~4-8hr ride/bc skis, daily pushups and grip exercises.

Ride on!


Wilson Creek Summit near Dallas Divide; Ridgway, CO

You've got a great eye for shooting and editing an interesting video! I appreciated the different camera angles. Nice choice for the soundtrack, too.

So how many kilonewtons do you think that handlebar hex is rated for? You should bring your atriers next time ...

Yeah, I've got a Cleaveland Mountaineering kit too and I love it. Great custom-made quality (disclaimer: personal friends).

What's your base weight (sans food and water)?

Without a scale, these are rough estimates, but here's what I've got: 3lbs up front for a 20F quilt, bivy and 2/3rds of a Thermarest short // ~4lbs on the frame for tools, headlamps, medkit // ~3lbs on the seatpost for tubes, layers. Add 2.2 lbs per liter of water, and whatever you carry for food, stove, fuel ...