Silk Road Mountain Race Bikepacking Kit List

The Silk Road Mountain Race No 1, was not only a challenge for the body and mind, but also for my equipment choices. In the 14 days of racing, we endured temperatures of more than +40 Celsius in the day and as low as -12 Celsius at night. We battled snowstorm, swamps, river crossings, strong winds, dry desert, no water, frozen equipment, altitude and much more. Without the right kit, many of these conditions could have become dangerous or put an early end to my race. 

You might also be interested in:

Race Report from the Silk Road Mountain Race and gallery of images.

 

Overall Kit Weight

The bike loaded on the start line with everything but food and drink, weighed in at 18kg’s. In addition, I started with 3.5 kgs of food and 1.5 kgs of water. This was the most food I carried throughout the race, on average I expect I had more like 3kg’s of food and drink combined on the bike. It’s also worth noting that I was racing as a pair, which meant some of the equipment, such as tent and stove etc, was able to be shared out between us.

Below is the generic kit list of everything I took on the race. If you want to know the specific make and model of items I took, why I chose them, and what each weighed, then please check out the Silk Road Mountain Race spreadsheet by clicking on the link below.

Bike & Bags

MTB 29er Hardtail – I didn’t own a bike suitable for the Silk Road Mountain Race, as I only had a carbon road bike, so a new purchase needed to be made. It took a lot of time and deliberation to decide between a gravel bike and a 29er hardtail mountain bike. I eventually decided on a mountain bike for two reasons. Firstly as I am very inexperienced in off-road riding I thought the mountain bike would provide greater comfort and give me greater confidence descending off-road. In addition, I thought I would get more use from it after the race than I would a gravel bike. On arrival at race registration in Kyrgyzstan, I had many moments of doubt about my bike choice when I could only see 5 or so mountain bikes and nearly 90 gravel bikes!! It was only a few days in that I realised I had very much made the right choice. Despite being a nervous and inexperienced descender, I found I was not only enjoying the descents but actually overtaking people on the technical sections. Having spoken to many people after the race, a large proportion of them said if they were to return to do the race again they would choose a mountain bike over a gravel bike.

Tubeless Tyres – I had never run tubeless before but had no issues or punctures for the entire race.

Front Bag – I choose a 20L roll style handlebar bag, to be filled with lightweight items, such as my sleeping bag, so that it did not alter the handling/steering too much and so that I had good clearing above the tyre.

Top Tube Bag – This is where I kept all my electronics so that they were easily accessible, such as my camera, phone, charging block etc.

Food Pouch / Stem Bag – This bag I stuffed full with easy access snacks, as well as sun cream, lip balm, water purification tablets etc.

Rear Bag – My 17L saddle pack was home to pretty much everything else, such as clothing, camping equipment, spares, first aid etc.

Backpack – Unlike most of the competitors, I chose to ride with a backpack. Firstly, I wanted to keep the weight of the bike down, but also I wanted to keep the area where a frame bag would go clear to make pushing and carrying the bike as easy as possible. I was very aware that I would need to push my bike a lot during the race as I am not a particularly strong rider, plus there would be many river crossings. So I trained with a light bike and a light backpack, doing lots of hike-a-bike, and it worked well for me. The backpack’s weight changed constantly, as this was where I carried my water and food. I also found that I could stuff warm and waterproof clothes in there to make for easy access, as during the race I seemed to have to change my clothing every hour or so, as the weather was incredibly changeable. It was quick, easy and efficient, and gave me plenty of room for bread. I would definitely use this system again if I were to ride a similar race, but I would maybe reduce the size of the backpack to 15 or 20L, I didn’t really need the 35L, but it was just a bag that I happened to have at home and saved me from spending more money pre-race.

 

Electronics

Mobile Phone – I opted for a model that had very good battery life, was robust, waterproof and good in cold temperatures. It was on 100% of the time, recording the rides on Strava as well as helping with navigation through Ride With GPS. I topped up the charge once every 2 days.

Power Pack / Battery Pack – The electronic setup worked perfectly and meant I had no need for a dynamo hub. I would not change anything if I were to do it again. The power pack was charged just twice during the race, and this provided plenty of power for the light, phone and cameras. During the second week when temperatures dropped drastically during the night, all batteries and electronics were kept in my sleeping bag with me to help retain the charge.

GPS Unit – I opted for a GPS unit that was powered on Lithium AA’s rather than a rechargeable unit so that I could save power. I used 8 batteries in all over the 14 days.

Compact Camera and Action Camera – Both were charged twice over 14 days and I took in excess of 600 images and videos between them.

Bike Front Light (rechargeable), Bike Back Light (very little on road so didn’t need a particularly powerful back light, took a small battery-powered light), Mini Bike Lock, Watch (with alarm), 2 x USB double Adaptor wall plugs, Spare Lithium AA’s and AAA’s.

 

Spares & Repairs

Bike Pump, Duck Tape and Electrical Tape wrapped on the pump, Bike Multitool, Tyre Levers, Tubeless Repair Kit, Inner tubes, Tube Repair Patches, Cable Ties, Spare Spokes, Nipple Spanner, Spare Brake Pads, Magic Chain Links, Spare Gear Cable, Spare Brake Pads, Dry Lube, Cloth for bike cleaning, Toothbrush for cleaning cogs, Gloves for bike repair/cleaning, Emergency Spoke Fixer, Spare Hanger, Needle & Dental Floss, Tyre Boot, Micro Multitool, Spare Cleat Bolts, Spare Tent Pegs, Tent Pole Repair Tube, Sleeping Mat Repair Kit.

Pretty much everything in this list went for a bike ride and wasn’t needed, which was the perfect scenario! I didn’t get any punctures or any mechanicals. I bought a can of WD40 twice during the race and used the whole can to clean the chain and cassettes, and then lubed the chain as often as needed.

 

Medical Kit

Paracetamol, Flu & Cold Capsules, Anti-diarrhea, Altitude Sickness Tablets, Ibroprofene, Anti Inflammatory Gel, Anti Inflammatory Tablets, Needles (for hospital use), Antibiotics – Co-amoxidav, Antibiotics – Metronidazole, Antibiotics – Ceftriaxone, Steroid Cream – Prednisone, Antihistamine, Myofatic Clotting Dressing, Steristrips, Sterile Dressing, Antiseptic Wipes, Antiseptic Cream, Triangular Bandage, Strapping Tape, Medical Tape, Vet Wrap, Rehydration Sachets, Teeth Gel, Safety Pin, Tick Tweezer, Eye Drops, Foil Blanket.

Thankfully nearly all of this list was not needed. However, I don’t regret taking such a comprehensive medical kit. Although it looks a lot, it weighed just over 400g, which was a weight I was willing to carry to potentially save my life in a remote wilderness and to keep my race alive with smaller issues that could get worse if untreated. One set of Antibiotics I was carrying saved my race when I became very poorly at the start. Other racers with the same condition sadly had to pull out of the race to receive medical care and antibiotics. Some of the needles and intravenous needles were for if I was rushed to a hospital, as Kyrgyzstan has a reputation for re-using needles. So for the almost non-existent weight, I chose to take my own. Pretty much every item in my medical kit I have needed during a race or expedition in the past, and therefore I would find it very difficult to leave any of it out. Pre-race I also took a refresher on my Wilderness & Expedition First Aid.

 

Clothing

Cycle Clothes:

Cycle Jersey – I took the fantastic Gabba jersey. It was actually a last-minute decision to bring the Gabba over a normal thinner cycling jersey, but with the very cold temperatures during the second week of the race, the warmth and windproof nature of the Gabba turned out to be a brilliant last-minute decision.

Sleeveless Base Layer – I took this to wear on its own if it was really hot and as a base layer under my cycle jersey when it was very cold. With temperatures ranging from +40C to -12C this turned out to be a great decision.

Cycle Shoes – I would have been better using a vibram sole shoe with more flex, as did a lot of hike-a-bike. However, I couldn’t justify a new pair of shoes prior to departure so made do with what I had.

Cycle Bib Shorts x 2 – Bib shorts with a zip at the back to allow for peeing without getting undressed (makes life easier in cold temperatures).

Lightweight Rain Poncho – This is my ‘must take item. It only costs £10 and although it always makes me look pretty ridiculous, it’s just so useful! I throw it on over the top of my clothes, even over my waterproofs, and I never get wet. It also goes over the top of the backpack. In addition, on this trip, it was also used as a groundsheet for extra protection for the tent, and my partner’s poncho was used as a waterproof tarp to cover the backpacks at night as they were left outside the tent.

Helmet, Sunglasses, Long Figured Cycle Gloves, Warm Gloves, Waterproof Over Mitts, Waterproof Over Socks, Sports Bra, Cycle Leg Warmers, Cycle Arms / Sleeves, Down Vest / Gillet, Waterproof Jacket, Waterproof Trousers, Socks x 2.

Tent Clothes:

Long sleeved Thermal Base Layer Top, 3/4 Length Thermal Base Layer Trousers, Lightweight Down Jacket, Socks x 1.

If I was going to add anything to this list, albeit it may be considered a luxury item, I might have liked to have taken my lightweight down booties for in the tent, as they weigh next to nothing and pack down very small and would have just speeded up the process of getting cold feet from river crossings galore warmed up.

 

Camping Equipment

Sleeping Bag – I went for a race weight sleeping bag at 560g, which had a comfort rating of -1C and an extreme rating of -16C. I was never cold, even when temperatures dropped to -12C, but I did have the advantage on the very cold nights of zipping two sleeping bags together with my partner’s to make one, which increases the temperature dramatically and allowed us to get great sleep.

Tent – The two-man double skin tent weighing in at just 500g was faultless and took me less than two minutes to put up on my own, even in very strong winds. It is very snug inside for two people, but for racing when getting warm and sleeping is all that is required from the tent then it is perfect.

Sleeping Mat – I have since brought a lighter and shorter mat which fits better in this tent and saves weight and space in my bike bags.

Stove – Took the most fuel-efficient stove as I was worried about having enough fuel. In hindsight, I should have taken a much smaller stove, as we had plenty of gas left and we could have saved significant weight and bag space.

Gas – We took a 450ml gas canister for the two of us and ate a hot meal every day. We had about a third of a canister of gas left over at the end of the race.

Water Pump, Headtorch, 2L Water Bladder (drinking water), Cycling Water Bottle (non-pumped water collected before camp ready for cooking), Bowl, Spork, Water Purification Tabs, Lighter, Matches, Tin Opener, Sponge, Zip Lock Bags for Food Storage, 2L Emergency Water Carrier.

 

Wash Kit

High Strength Probiotics – The athlete probiotics are something that my nutritionist at Loughborough University recommends I take in the build-up and during long sporting events to strengthen my gut. I took them two weeks prior to arriving in Kyrgyzstan and during the 3 weeks I was there. Unlike a very large number of the riders, I did not get sick from anything I ate or drank, whether this was solely down to the probiotics I’m not sure, but I believe it helped.

Deodorant – This was a luxury item that ended up not being used, so I wouldn’t take that again.

SPF 30 Lip Balm – Perhaps seems a bit of a luxury item but it is one of the most key items on the bike. With extreme weather and high altitudes lips can become very damaged and blistered, putting on lip balm every hour meant my lips, although pretty sore, didn’t crack or blister-like other riders.

Sudocrem – I wouldn’t bother with this in future as it went unused and I am not a fan of using any type of chamois cream.

SPF 30 Suncream, Tooth Brush, Toothpaste, Spare Hairband.

 

Food

Having tried pretty much every freeze-dried and dehydrated expedition meal manufacturers over the years, I was so happy to finally find Firepot! They taste awesome, proper food, not slop in a bag! Hurrah for Firepot. Chia Charge provides one of the best energy to weight ratio of all the natural sports nutrition bars, with 492Kcals/100g in it’s best bar and all-natural ingredients. I started the race with 3 full days of food, which included a firepot meal for breakfast and dinner plus 5 or 6 Chia Charge bars. My appetite is always small in the early stages of these races/adventures, so although I would have been burning more calories than I was eating at this stage, I knew it was all I would be able to stomach. I then carried an additional 4 firepot meals and a large supply of Chia Charges which I ate throughout the race supplemented with food I bought from shops along the way (every 3 days or so). The re-supply options were better than I anticipated, so I perhaps could have got away with taking a lot less food with me at the start. However, I think sticking to my own food in the early stages may have helped me from getting sick like many of the other racers. So I would follow the same strategy again in the future.

Feel free to ask me any questions, happy to help where I can.

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