Round-the-world cyclist Mark Beaumont will attempt to break the Cairo to Cape Town cycling record, a distance of 10,609km, when he sets off today. The record is currently 59 days, but Beaumont aims to reduce the record to just 50 days.
Before he hits the road, Mark has posted this video walking us through the main details of his bike. He's aiming to travel as light as possible, and reckons the kit he's carrying weighs just 8.5kg, which is very impressive indeed considering he's carrying a tent, sleeping bag, tracking kit and spare clothing.
The bike, a Koga Solacio Disc with a carbon fibre frame with Shimano Di2 and hydraulic disc brakes, probably weighs no more than 8.5kg, so it's not a lot of weight at all.
The Solacio Disc is available off-the-shelf in several builds, starting at 105 for £1,399 and topping out with a Shimano Ultegra mechanical groupset and hydraulic disc brakes, costing £2,249. Beaumont’s Solacio isn’t standard though, he’s upgraded to a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupset, the electronic drivetrain offering the sort of reliability in adverse conditions you want in such a distance challenge.
Wheels have also been upgraded. Pacenti SL25 disc-specific rims, which have a 26mm deep profile and 24.5mm width, and an internal width of 20mm, will be shod with Schwalbe One tubeless 28mm tyres. They which should minimise the risk of punctures during his attempt.
He’ll be using a Supernova dynamo front hub to power lights and, via The Plug USB stem kit he has fitted, his computers and other electrical equipment essential for recording the record attempt.
Time trial extension bars are a popular addition for distance and endurance cyclists, and Beaumont is using a PRO Missile setup with a ski-bend, with optional Di2 TT shifter buttons, so he doesn’t have to change position to change gear. For transporting the luggage for his record attempt, Beaumont is using Apidura bike packing bags. He’s using a Mountain Frame under the top tube, a Handlebar Pack, Saddle Pack and a Top Tube Pack.
Cast your minds back to 2008 and Mark Beaumont rode around the world, a distance of for the 18,296 miles, beating the then world record by 81 days with his time of 194 days and 17 hours. Beaumont’s bike of choice was a custom built Koga Signature Traveller with an aluminium frame and 14-speed Rohloff gear hub and Smitz front hub dynamo.
We’ll have more details on the record attempt when Mark Beaumont announces them on Monday. More details at his website http://markbeaumontonline.com
Add new comment
16 comments
Mark says why he chose Di2 on http://www.cyclinguk.org/cycle/africa-solo.
"It seemed a risk to take Di2 and hydraulic brakes. But when hands start to numb, it is so much easier to have buttons than levers. I did break a sprocket, which left me riding a broken cassette for 1,200 miles, but that’s not a Di2 issue. The system needed charging twice, so about every 15 days."
Good luck and godspeed. It is an almost counterintuitive choice of gear - I can't imagine Di2 offering any advantage in such a quest. The quoted "reliability" is unsupported by any data I am aware of, unless you mean reliability of shift (as opposed to "not breaking")
The other choices I can understand - this is a race against time, so if the frame breaks, it's over. Carbon as we know is tremendously strong but brittle, so while a touring cyclist would choose a steel frame that could be repaired in any big town, that's not the point here.
I heard an interview with a group of MTBers who did this route (on tubed tyres) and one of them had no punctures the entire trip. Average was just two or three for each in the group, so while tubeless are a right PITA to fit, I can see why they might be an option.
Disc brakes - again a trade-off of complexity against the ability to ride further with a wonky rim, but hydraulic? Fingers crossed. Dynamo hub is reliable enough, and although the first rule of driving in Africa is "don't drive at night" probably essential in a record-breaking run like this. He will run into some awful roads and then some that look good until there is a crater in the surface - BTDT.
I'd love to see more on his kit - not much detail on his website. I see he's on his way already - hope he gets there safely and quickly.
Can't help thinking your views a little "slow adopter" Steve. With the exception of the Di2 (though I think that's probably 50 50) most of the stuff he is using has been proven enough.
Good luck to the man either way though
I certainly can. Having had nerve damage in my left wrist since an accident 15 years ago, I find shifting gear increasingly difficult the longer a ride goes on.
Electronic shifting would be a game changer for my audax setup (sadly, you know, the wife).
Goes to show how reliable equipment is getting if he's using di2 as the 'rugged choice' certainly doesn't seem to be as fragile as some people make out gears etc are.
I hope he does really well, that's certainly not a lot of stuff to be taking with you, I guess I should probably stop worrying about how much I carry on my morning commute really...
Carbon frames, Di2, ultra-light gear, disc brakes... seems there's a whole new generation of long distance exploration and time challenges at the moment spurred on by these technological advances - very exciting stuff. Seems a far cry from the retired geography teacher riding across Europe on his Galaxy/Brooks/Carradice combo, although that's not to say there isn't a place for both.
Bon voyage and good luck, Mark.
You can run a Di2 charger straight out of the Supernova's THE PLUG III no problem for charging on the hoof.
Brilliant, I wish Mark well. I would love to be in his shoes.
Strange choice to 'upgrade' to Dura-Ace Di2 in my view. I'd have thought rugged, touring gears would be more suited to the dusty roads he's likely to be travelling on. Dura-Ace was not designed to be on a bike fully-laden with luggage to be ridden thousands of miles through desert conditions. Good luck to Mark though!
There are Di2 USB chargers, I don't know if you could charge the battery when cycling, but you could charge a USB battery during the day from the dynamo and charge the Di2 at night from the that battery.
The frame has no space for mudguards. All that weight mounted high up will give it pig like handling.
For Africa he would be better off with his previous bike but with properly built wheels.
Mike Hall used dI2 on the Trans America route last year and that was ~7,000km so on bike charging is possible.
If Mike Hall were to attempt this record, He'll do it in less than 35 days.
Fingers crossed for a safe and successful record bid Mr Beaumont.
12,000km on a single Di2 battery charge?
don't Shimano claim up to 3000km per charge?
He could charge the Di2 from the dynamo hub if necessary. The DC-to-DC converter is a bit chunky though.