Troy Hopwood Seattle, Washington Age: 46 Day Job: Program Manager at Microsoft
I’ve been doing the bikepack racing thing for only a couple years now so I’m still a newbie in this rapidly growing sport we love. I’ve been riding and racing bikes forever, but only recently have I ventured into the realm of long distance. I had a lot of work to do as this was an entirely new world to me. I started putting together local multi-day trips then did a few multi-day races (Trans North California and Stagecoach 400). I applied lessons learned from each time on the bike and completed the Tour Divide in 2015. The only constant with my bike setup is change. I did my first race in 2014 on a full suspension Santa Cruz Tallboy and have made changes to my setup ever since. I think we’re all in the same boat here where we keep tweaking our gear chasing the ultimate racing rig. That said, my tweaks have started to slow down. While I’ve evolved quite a bit from my Tour Divide setup, I’ll be riding the same setup for the BC Epic 1000 as I used for my ITT run on the Cross-Washington Mountain Bike Route. The only change is a new rear tire and a bear bell. I don’t think any of us will ever be 100% satisfied. Bike Build: Giant XTC 0 27.5. No-brand fork direct from China. Stan’s Arch EX wheels – stock rear wheel, Shutter Precision PD-8X front hub. Maxxis Ikon tires with a 2.3 up front and a 2.2 in back. Tires were run tubeless with extra sealant to ensure success through goat-head-heavy Eastern Washington. Great traction, but the rear tire seemed to wear quickly on pavement. SRAM XO1 drivetrain with a 32-tooth chainring. I ran the XX1 cassette for the first time, but it wears too quickly. Back to the all steel GX for me. Time ATAC pedals. Ritchey carbon Rizer bar plus Ergon GP3 Grips with bar ends. Zip Vuka Alumina aero bars attached to a Fred bar to get the optimal position. Also have a Profile Designs bottle cage adapter to keep a bottle handy. Brooks Cambium C-17 saddle. Thompson Elite seatpost. Shimano XT brakes with a 180mm rotor in front and a 160mm rotor in back. Elite VIP Universal Cage Mount to add a bottle cage to the underside of my down tube.
Bike Bags:
Porcelain Rocket handlebar bag – I kept my rain gear and any extra clothing in the main bag and food in the accessory pouch.
Nuclear Sunrise silo bags (2) – For keeping food and drinks handy
Nuclear Sunrise custom frame bag – I made Big Dave work a little extra on this to put storage for a hydration pack on the bottom which is the opposite of his standard design. This kept a 3L bladder, tools tubes, and other necessities.
Revelate Designs Visacha – For my sleep system. I also have my Spot attached to the top of the Visacha.
Revelate Designs Gas Tank – For all my electronics keeping them within reach of the USB.
Clothing:
I only brought and wore one set of clothes. This was my first time not bringing separate clothes for sleeping.
Dyna Racing team issue jersey from Castelli
Dyna Racing team issue wind vest from Castelli
Craft Cool Mesh base layer
Assos T.Cento_S7 bib shorts – I had a lot of issues with saddle sores early on. I’ve had no issues since splurging for these shorts.
Pearl Izumi thermal leg warmers
Pearl Izumi arm coolers
Smartwool socks under a pair of Dexshell waterproof socks
Specialized Body Geometry Gel gloves
Novara transmit bike gloves – For rain or a little extra warmth
Outdoor Research down jacket
Shower’s Pass jacket and pants
Dyna Racing team issue cycling cap from Voler
Warm beanie – for sleep and to wear under my helmet in the mornings and nights
Buff – Mostly used for sun protection and to allow me to breath on dusty roads when cars went by
Rudy Project Sterling Helmet – High visibility pink
Rudy Project Zyon glasses with photochromic lenses – Never have to take them off or change lenses
Sleep System:
Sea to Summit Spark II 35 degree sleeping bag
Klymit Inertia X Wave sleeping pad – This was my first trip with the Klymit. It is half the size of my Big Agnes pad and works great.
MSR AC bivy – I usually bring a tent, but this allowed for much easier stealth camping
Electronics:
Exposure Revo light mounted to aero bars and powered by dyno hub
Sinewave Revolution USB adapter powered by dyno hub
LimeFuel Blast L60x cache battery – When not running my light, this was plugged into the USB adapter. I then plugged whatever I needed into the battery to ensure charging regardless of speed. I rigged this with an angle USB plug and a zip tie to eliminate the problem with the micro USB port breaking.
Fenix LD22 – Powered by rechargeable AA batteries and zip tied to my helmet
Garmin Etrex 20 – Powered by rechargeable AA batteries
USB-Powered battery charger – Could charge AA batteries for my helmet light or GPS as well as AAA batteries for my Spot.
Light & Motion VIS 180 tail light
Samsung S6 Active – Dust proof and waterproof so no need for a case.
IPod Touch
Cheap digital watch – With hourly chime enabled to remind me to eat
Extra Gear:
Emergency repair kit: two tubes, bottle of Stans, multi-tool, small Leatherman, tire levers, patch kit, duct tape, super glue, needle and thread, and zip ties.
Sawyer water filter – Used once
Other items consisted of a lighter, TP, toothbrush, toothpaste, sunblock, and Chamois Butt’r.
Two water bottles – These bottles plus a 3L bladder is the most water I’ve ever carried. I was worried about long stretches without water in Eastern Washington. I carried way too much.
For more stories and info on Troy, head over to his website, http://www.bandok.com. Facebook: Troy On Trails Instagram: TroyHopwood Twitter: @TroyHopwood
Track Troy here: http://trackleaders.com/bcepic16
