Bike setup can be seen as a dark art, especially if you are heading into unfamiliar territories. How you set your bike up and the components you choose are critical to the success and enjoyment of your ride. This is almost exponential to the terrain and surfaces you are heading for. As expected, riding on smooth tarmac in well-populated countries has (traffic aside) fewer hazards and impacts on your bike and kit. but what if you’re heading to a mountainous country devoid of roads and regular conurbations with trails chock full of rock? A poor choice of component or setup here can spell, at best, an uncomfortable experience and, at its worst, an abrupt and possible painful end to your trip.
A perfect example of the type of trip and environment where bike setup is crucial is the Silk Road Mountain Race. Taking place in the remote landscapes of Kyrgystan, the SRMR requires perfect bike setup, preferably a mountain bike, in order to survive the brutal 1900 kilometre route.
This year, two of Tailfin’s R&D Division took part, so are in a unique position to be able to impart their knowledge as to how best to set your bike up and what to look out for. James Hayden managed a superb second place in one of the most nail-biting editions of the race, narrowly missing out on the win – suffering minimal bike-related setbacks on the way. Scotti Lechuga suffered some poor fortune having to pull out due to ill health at the first checkpoint (but as Scotti has won her category in a previous SRMR, she is well placed to offer advice)
James Hayden
James enjoyed a relatively successful Silk Road (by his terms), culminating in an epic battle for the win with Sofiane Sehili. It wasn’t to be this time, but a fire has been lit for future races. James specialises in harder events and is always looking for kit that will give him the edge.
What are the key considerations for bike setup when racing/riding in harsh terrain?
Reliability, durability, comfort, efficiency. You need to know the bike and kit you are running aren’t going to let you down. I am happy to carry some extra weight, over-bike and so forth if it means I can just be confident I will not need to waste time dealing with issues.
How does your SRMR setup differ from your everyday riding setup?
More stuff! I need cold weather kit, warm weather kit, rain kit, food and water. You need the kit for all conditions, from -15°C to +35°C. Plus a toolkit to fix any eventuality.
What spares would you recommend as essentials in your repair kit?
Tools for every nut and bolt. Who knows what will happen, but if you don’t carry an Allen key for your large crank bolt, no doubt it’ll fall off. I also carry some useful spare bolts, lots of quick links and spare links of chain. Really prevention is better than cure, so make sure the bike is tip-top before going.
Wheel and tyre choice seem to be critical to a successful race. How do you choose the ‘right’ setup, and is there such a thing as the perfect combination? What do you recommend?
I’d say everything is equally important. I don’t have wheel and tyres issues, but that’s due to my friend Parallel Handbuilt. I only use handbuilt wheels, and now I run Beast rims as Parallel said they’re the best in the world. We set them up with Cushcore inserts and Vittoria Barzo 29×2.35″ tyres with Orange Seal tubeless tyre sealant. The key was carrying a digital pressure gauge, and every day I’d check my pressures. Vittoria makes good tyres, but like all, they need the right pressure to work well. I got one small cut, but that sealed itself.
Tubes or tubeless?
The 1990s are gone. Tubeless always, unless on my road bike.
Contact points often get forgotten with riders opting for their normal choices but is there anything that should be considered regarding changes in position or even component choices?
I like to run flat handlebars with a 16-degree back sweep for long races; my wrists prefer the slight back sweep. I also use wider surface area grips to spread the pressure as well as wearing padded mitts too. Your nerves can easily get compressed, and you often won’t notice it’s happening until it’s too late and you damage them. Finding the right saddle is also key, but a saddle is very personal and relates so much to undergoing a good pressure mapping bike fit before any races also.
Do you recommend suspension of any form? Do you adjust pressure/damping settings to accommodate?
Comfort is my priority, so if it’s rough, I run front suspension; rear suspension might also be nice or even a suspension/flex seatpost too for an event like SRMR. I don’t really adjust my forks much; I normally run about 15% sag because I like to ride the bike hard, but when going to a bikepacking event, I ride a lot more conservatively, and this sag then works even better with extra weight on the bike and over the front wheel. If using cage mounts and weight on the fork lowers, I’d alter the damping to help deal with that weight. But generally, I ride quite conservatively when racing, so I don’t need really high performance, super-tuned suspension.
What about gearing? Does this change?
Not for me. On my MTB I always run a 30 front chainring with a 10-51 tooth cassette. Any lower, and I am probably walking anyway, plus 30×10 is quick enough for any tarmac.
Can you elaborate on your full setup?
You can see a list on my website covering everything I took. I said before the race that this bike and setup were Dialled with a capital D; it really was perfect.
Any custom/unique parts that stand out?
To be honest, whatever isn’t custom is selected after lots of testing. I don’t run anything new or untested over winter. A lot of thought goes into my setups, and I really nailed it for SRMR this year. We (Tailfin and I) tweaked some production products in a prototype fashion to make them more efficient for me; this helped save time and hassle when I was tired. I really try to get the best of everything and optimise. You don’t want to have to think about your bike or setup and issues on the road. I just want to get on with riding and having fun.
Scotti Lechuga
Whilst Scotti’s 2022 Silk Road didn’t go to plan, her bike setup, kit selection and training had been meticulous coming into the event.
What are the key considerations for bike setup when racing/riding in harsh terrain?
Duration (how long is this event going to take me?) – the longer the race, the more I consider adding those elements to the bike that keep me comfortable in the long game. COMFORT for me is everything. I’ve learned the hard way with endurance racing I must prioritize what keeps me on the bike the longest. If I choose a super race-y setup, for example, a rigid fork and race gravel tires, on a course that is super rocky, bumpy, with rough descents — my neck, shoulders, hands, saddle area, and feet are going to feel very beat up…which actually slows me down WAY more than a heftier bike setup ever would! Basically: don’t take a knife to a gunfight 🙂 Choosing a faster/lighter bike and skimping on comfort for an ultra race — to me — just isn’t worth the body pain.
How does your SRMR setup differ from your everyday riding setup?
A lot! I come from a professional road racing background, and my SRMR setup feels SO heavy compared to my lightweight road bike! I have a bike for each style of riding a do — I still have a great road bike that’s set up to race things like criteriums, aerodynamics, and speed. Then I have my gravel bike with a rigid fork that I would choose to ride up maybe 150-200 miles on.
Then I have my SRMR bike…it is a BEAST, a “do all” bike that I can not only count on to get me through Mordor, but that is capable of carrying the weight of multi-day endurance supplies with extra racks, weight, and mounts of all kinds. On this bike, comfort is king, so I’m not thinking quite as much about weight or aerodynamics! My SRMR bike is very upright in position compared to my other bikes — I want my neck, shoulders, and back to feel as supported as possible.
What spares would you recommend as essentials in your repair kit?
I err toward the side of caution. I’ve had some very, VERY bad luck with flatting in an ultra that led to a scratch, and so now I pack just about as much as one could to make sure I have all the possible solutions. I won’t do an ultra race without at least two tubes, a ton of patches, a sew-up kit, an extra tire’s worth of sealant, and plugs/bacon strips galore. I have also broken a chain in a race just this year, so I always make sure to take a multi-tool that has a chain breaker, as well as a quick link and a couple of chain links. Also absolutely essential: chain lube.
Wheel and tyre choice seem to be critical to a successful race. How do you choose the ‘right’ setup, and is there such a thing as the perfect combination? What do you recommend?
I choose the toughest compound tire you can find in the size you want. Nobody wants to stop fixing flats left and right, so go with the toughest sidewall and flat protection you can find! Then explore the type of terrain and environment you’re going to ride — is it loose and sandy, or is it muddy and sticky? The actual landscape and conditions can help decide what tread pattern/size of tire you need. You need a different tire for Morocco than you do for riding in Scotland!
Tubes or tubeless?
Tubeless, 100% — so you can ride the tire at lower pressure and also have the sealant working for you. The smallest thing out there can pierce an innertube and game over, but with sealant and plugs, you can hit a legit nail and still get out of there in a few minutes with plugs and a top off of air.
Contact points often get forgotten with riders opting for their normal choices but is there anything that should be considered regarding changes in position or even component choices?
I can’t stress enough how much the contact points need to be first and foremost. If your hands/feet/undercarriage are messed up, you will NOT want to keep riding your bike — period. Dealing with body pain on top of being tired, fatigued, and hit on by the elements and the terrain — just adds so much additional stress. If you can alleviate the body from hurting in those places, you’ll give yourself a better opportunity for success in dealing with the externals.
I mentioned this earlier, but I completely change my bike fit for an ultra race bike compared to a 200 mile one-day gravel race bike. The longer the duration, the more upright my position will be — with multiple options of where to put my hands for pressure relief. I also am a big fan of electronic shifting if a rider can afford it! Pressing a button vs shifting a whole lever when your hands are tired is a big win.
Do you recommend suspension of any form? Do you adjust pressure/damping settings to accommodate?
Depends on the race, of course. I wouldn’t take suspension to a truly rideable one-day gravel race, for example. The terrain and the duration totally dictate this choice for me! The shorter the event, the more I will look to make choices that maximize weight and speed because I know I can suffer through it for a shorter time period. If it’s multi-day, the suspension weight is worth it because it will dampen the effect on the body! In addition to the front fork options, you’ve also now got stems made by brands such as Redshift that can dampen some of the effects.
What about gearing? Does this change?
Absolutely yes. I have granny gears on my ultra bike right now – a 30T in the front, and I didn’t regret it or feel like it cost me speed when the terrain was smoother rolling. For me, I do best when I prioritise the climbs when choosing gearing for an ultra race. I don’t like to ride at 30rpms, and I definitely don’t like to hike a bike if I don’t have to!
Can you elaborate on your full setup?
This year, I had a Rodeo Labs hardtail with a suspension front fork and 29×2.2″ tires and loved that. Aerobars were installed — not for speed, but to have a place for my hands to rest when possible. The front end of the bike is set much higher up than one would typically ride a cross-country bike. My Tailfin AeroPack was loaded with my sleep system and additional cold weather gear. I used a custom full frame pack, Tailfin 1.7L V-Mount Pack on the downtube. The forks were fitted with Tailfin SFMs (Suspension Fork Mounts) with each side having a water bottle cage and Tailfin Cage Pack. I was testing a new Tailfin prototype top tube pack, which I loved. Finally I also ran a dynamo front light, essential in such an extreme environment.
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