[tatafanatic]

** I can knock out a 100km road ride pretty easily. That’s not a brag, it is what it is. I know I could jump on my roadie tomorrow morning and have it done before lunch. Recently I had an idea, what about a metric century on a mountain bike hitting a bunch of trails along the way? Now that’s an adventure! So with a little bit of not enough preparation and a day off work, I saddled up and gave it a shot!**

Here’s what I learnt riding 101km on my fat tyre 29er trail bike…

That Said…
Over and above what’s written up there I thank my nut mate Bob from Kopassus and his daughter Christy who was the trail lead, we had a blast trailing in the hills in Borneo.

My Observations

It’s gonna take some time. On the road bike, I can cruise around 100km in under four hours easy door to door. Humming along in a bunch I could cut that to three. On the mountain bike? Throw those times out the window! There’s no getting around the fact it’s going to be slower. A lot slower. Draggy tyres on the road, techy sections and steep climbs on the trails. It’s best to block out the whole day to get it done! My total start to finish elapsed time was eight hours.

Your Garmin may run out of gas before you do! I started the ride with 100% battery on my Garmin and by the time I rolled back to the car and hit “save” it had dropped to 3% charge! I did have my mobile phone and handlebar remote connected via Bluetooth, so of course turning Bluetooth/ANT+ off will extend battery life. I’d HATE to get near the end of a ride only for the battery to die! I probably would have cried.

Trails take a lot more concentration. Unlike road cycling, where you can tune out at times or take in the scenery while mile munching along the smooth open tarmac, negotiating the trails takes a much higher level of sustained concentration. Your brain is always on – reading the ever changing trail like; watch out, gravel, rocks, rut, drop, berm, jump, roots, rocks, rocks, ROCKS! Lose that concentration and you’re down. I found that out the hard way at 4 hours in. I put my front wheel into a large rut, which sent me down into the dirt for an unplanned lay down

Fuel for the ride. Pushing those fat, low pressure, knobbly tyres across uneven ground is hard work. You’re going to burn more calories per mile so stock up on snacks and eat often. Keep hydrated too. If you have to stop for coffee or lunch, make it quick and light. I try and carry as much food as I can. I’ve got a fantastic hydration pack, which can store 3L of water plus plenty of room for on-the-go snacks (and spare clothing layers).

The weather can change drastically throughout the course of a day. Check the local forecast beforehand and dress/pack accordingly. My ride started early when the temperature was 21 degrees C and it topped out at 33. I rode through rain, strong winds, sunshine, lower temperatures atop the mountain, more rain and more wind! A high quality gilet is worth it’s weight in gold. It pays to be prepared.

On a final note, the ride was actually a lot of fun! Hard graft? Yes. Slow going? Sure. But fun. Hardly seeing a single car, surrounded by ever-changing natural beauty and breathing in the fresh mountain air, the day was a journey. It’s certainly not one I plan on repeating any time soon, but if you haven’t gotten off the tarmac and completed a long solo off-road ride, I highly recommend the experience! Like they say, a change is as good as a holiday!

Oh haven't i put some weight or what !!!!



Heavy Traffic up there



Bunch of to be tired cycles





Oh Mahindra Major in Borneo Avtaar !!



Dead Tired Cycles...50kms done!!!



Jacks and Jills going up the Hills!!









Predator might be watching us









Yashraj can ditch Swiss for Borneo



Done and Dusted (literally)



My trail guide, how does she smile after mountain biking 101kms remains a mystery



** Hope was a good read, now i try this at home, but wait I don't have an MTB**

[GTO]

Mod Note: Thanks for sharing! Thread moved to the Bicycles forum, and will be going to our homepage tomorrow

[Axe77]

Awesome post bud. Doing 100 kms on a roadie is pretty par for course for most regular / trained up cyclists like you said. But this thing - another animal altogether - massive respect. Sounds like quite the adventure indeed.

Good on you saving the garmin / strava reading before the watch blipped out on you. I can relate to the feeling of dread - I would have properly shed a bucket of tears if I'd lost a ride this epic!

And you know what they say ... If it ain't on strava, it didn't happen!!

[dearchichi]

Originally Posted by tatafanatic

I’ve got a fantastic hydration pack, which can store 3L of water plus plenty of room for on-the-go snacks (and spare clothing layers).

Hydration is the bane of my cycling routine. The frame of my bike has only one mounting point for a bidon which carries a 750ML bottle

Can you share a link to your pack/system?

Thanks.

[Electricpig]

Originally Posted by dearchichi

Hydration is the bane of my cycling routine. The frame of my bike has only one mounting point for a bidon which carries a 750ML bottle

Can you share a link to your pack/system?

Thanks.

Not sure about OP, but this is the pack I use for my long runs. You wear it on your back.

https://waterbuffalo.com/collections...hydration-pack

You can find similar products at decathlon.
Sharing a link:
https://www.decathlon.in/p/8555358/h...8555358&type=p

[HWKingInnCrysta]

Awesome ride friend! It's pleasure to see all the wonderful pictures during your ride.

[tatafanatic]

Originally Posted by dearchichi

Hydration is the bane of my cycling routine. The frame of my bike has only one mounting point for a bidon which carries a 750ML bottle

Can you share a link to your pack/system?

Thanks.

I got mine stitched from services tailor to my requirement, but generically Decathlon ones are good to use