Personal setups, Ultralight / Singletrack » mgindle’s AZT300 setup
by mgindleHere is my setup for the AZT300 this year. Not a ton of experience with multiday bikepacking and I spent a good deal of time tinkering and tweaking on this system to get good and confident with it. Overall, it performed flawlessly for the two days I was out and I would run the exact same setup again tomorrow without changing a thing.
Goals for future iterations include the always looming interest in lightening things up, and more compartmentalized spaces for things like food. I found myself digging around a lot to get the the things I wanted. I will also be tinkering around with making some custom bags, especially for the handlebar bag. Access to this area with my current setup is a bit tedious and inefficient.
mgindle's bikepacking setup
Bike
- Siren John Henry, Semi-custom with extra bottle mounts, and stronger downtube.
- Stans Wheels, tubeless
- Specialized Captain front tire, Geax Saguaro rear tire
- Sram X9 drivetrain
- Avid Elixer Brakes
- Ergon grips and barends for multiple hand position comfort
On the Bike
- Carousel Seat bag (with extra mojo from SirenMary as she used for her Tour Divide run)
- 40 degree sleeping bag
- Bivy
- Aircore sleeping pad
- Jandd Frame bag in front Triangle
- Tool kit including:
- Multi-tool
- Leatherman (tankish but useful)
- Patches
- Tire boot
- Tire Levers
- Nuts and bolts miscellanea (Chain links, water bottle bolt, cleat bolt, brake pad set, misc, m5 and m6 bolt,
- Zip ties
- Chain lube
- Two tubes
- Small Stans bottle
- Blackburn Mamoth 2 Pump (this thing rocks!)
- Sunscreen
- Chamois lube
- Hand Sanitizer
- Ibuprofen, allergy meds, vitamins
- Maps/Que sheets
- Tool kit including:
- Handlebar mounted stuff sack (OR drybag/compression sack)
- Spare shorts
- Tights
- Long Underwear
- Long Sleeve shirt
- Wool Socks
- Rain jacket
- Hat
- GPS Unit GPSmap 60CSx with custom stem mount
- 2 Water bottles, 1 HEED, 1 Perpetuem
Pack
- Osprey Talon 22 (bikepackers standard)
- Wools socks: 1 thick, 1 thin
- 6 Liter bladder
- Camera
- Lightweight hat with full bill for sun protection
- Cook kit; titanium mug, esbit stove, fuel tabs, lighter, rag, utensil
- Tooth brush, tooth paste
- First Aid kit
- Spare batteries
- Spot Unit
- Food, food, food
On Me
- Helmet
- Princtontec Eos Light
- Glasses; dark lenses, light lenses
- Shorts
- Jersye
- Arm warmers
- Leg warmers
- Gloves
- Wool socks
- Shoes
Food
Food consisted of a mix of robot food, i.e. gel, blocks, powders, bars, etc. for on the bike and a mix of other good things for off the bike.
- Shot blocks
- Powerbars (I really like these since they changed the recipe)
- Hammer Gel
- HEED
- Perpetuem
- Endurloytes
- Tamari roasted almonds
- Dried Apricots
- Ramen
- Pasta bowl
- Tinned Trout (tasty from TJ’s)
- Oatmeal
- Chocolate
- Burritos on the road from towns
Things that I’ve also taken in the past
- salmon and tuna in the pouches
- Hunk of Parmesan
- Crackers
- Fruit (apples, pears, bananas, oranges)
- PB&J (sandwiches in general)
- Crackers
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Rod on
ibuprofen is definitely the best OTC painkiller for me. It helps me a lot to deal with my muscular pain.*””
I’ve had a doctor/cyclist friend warn me about using ibuprofen for endurance sports. It seems that with dehydration, there is an issue with kidney harm. I just did a Google search and found some correlating info. He recommended I use acetaminophen as an alternative. Seems to work as well for me.
I got the same advice as adamski
Would like to know more about your custom gps stem mount.
The “custom GPS” mount simply meant using the supplied mount for that unit and zip tying it to the stem with some pieces of innertube underneath for extra grip and so the mount laid flat against the stem. The supplied mount was meant for the handlebar and because of the tapering shape of the bar, it positioned the GPS out near the shifter/brake levers. I didn’t like it sitting out and sort of in the way like that. On the centerline of the stem, the unit is less in the way and I think easier to read?
Regarding the pain management, I actually prefer naproxin sodium (alieve) to ibuprofen. It seems to keep joint inflammation down better for me.
Acetaminophen is also harmful to the kidneys. Ibuprofen is better for riders because it’s an anti-inflammatory. Problems arise when people pop 1000mg+ a day and ride until their muscles (or heart) burst.
Water Bottles are a part of American Culture. They are used for most outdoor events and most sporting activities.There are so many different types, styles and sizes that sometimes making a choice can create a quandry. Then there is the controversy over waste, especially with plastic water bottles.