2025 vs. 2026
One of the hardest aspects of ultra racing is avoiding second-guessing your setup. If you show up to a start line of any ultra, you’ll see every sort of setup, from ones designed for a week of bike packing to others that might be more at home at a 100-mile event. It’s hard not to second-guess your own choices, but I’ve learned that while there is not one right way to approach packing for an ultra, there is a wrong way. That wrong way is assuming that what works for someone else works for you. Heck, it might not even work for them, and they are just gambling and hoping it pays off. In 2026, I’m making some changes, and they’re about optimizing for the course to go faster overall, not for weight or instantaneous speed. Here are the Changes to My Setup:(I dive into detail about them after)
What I’m Not Changing and WhyThe Bike and Contact PointsThe theme of this setup is iteration. I’m not starting with a clean slate because there’s no reason to. Overall, I was very happy with my setup last year, and the tweaks I have made are to optimize, not to overhaul. The Vault with a Rudy 40mm fork and 40t chainring with 10-52t cassette was perfect for this course. It’s fast at times, but also very rough in areas. You need the fork to help with fatigue management and the easy gearing to manage the steep climbs. Some people dislike the large gear jumps of the Transmission setup, but I’d much rather have a wide range than small jumps. I’m sticking with the same 40cm Zipp XPLR SL70 bars (stock on the Vault), Force E1 shifters (the best), and shifter bonus buttons programmed to switch my bike computer screens and zoom in and out of the map.
 The TiresI’ll be honest that I wanted to run the T70 tires in 50c, but the rest of the world was too quick to realize how good these tires are when they were released in a 50c, so I only have 55c and 45c. I’m sticking with the tried-and-true T50S in 50c, which I ran last year, but expect to see me on the 50c T70S a LOT next year. Both are grippy and good all around, but the T70 tread pattern makes them a little faster on pavement while also handling corners amazingly well and digging in well on steep climbs. I love this tread, and I will admit I bugged Vittoria about making it in a 50c for a long time, so I’m glad to see that others were as excited as me and beat me to the punch in terms of procuring them! The Air Liner Light inserts will always be in my tires for races. They add a massive safety net when riding a heavy bike on rough terrain, and I feel more confident pushing it down rough descents.
The BagsI’m sticking with the trusty 3.8L Tailfin half frame bag as my largest repository of spares, clothes, battery packs, and eternal hope that the finish is near. I use this in every race I do on the Vault. It allows me to fit two 750mL bottles in the frame while still carrying all of my clothes, battery packs, electrolyte tablets, helmet light during the day, and a few other key items on the right side, and spare AXS batteries, chamois cream, and my credit card and ID on the left. The USWE Rush 8L pack isn't as comfy as their smaller options, but it lets me fit a 3L bladder while carrying 12+ gels in the front pockets, plus sunscreen and money. In the rear pocket, I put my tracker (so it faces the sky), and any spare food I cannot fit on my bike or in my pockets when I stop at shops.
The LightsI run the Six Pack and Diablo from Exposure for almost every race, and after getting through Badlands last year with enough charge on my Six Pack to do another night, it’s a pretty easy choice to keep this setup. The Boost-R is the Exposure Light I talk about least but use most (in training), and it’ll accompany me again across Andalucía. It’s tiny, takes up no space on the seatpost, and is like a benevolent cockroach. You can’t really kill it. One charge before the race will be plenty for the two nights of riding.  HydrationI’m bringing the same water carrying capacity this year: 3L in my pack and 1.5L between two bottles. Temperatures will get up to “only” 36 C, but I know better when it comes to cutting corners here. The great little secret thing about vessels for water is you don’t have to fill them all the way. If you’re really that worried about a kilogram or know you don’t need as much water in a section, you can fill your 3L pack to 2L. What you can’t do is fill a 2L pack to 3L when you really need it. It’s better to have the option than not. The KitMuch of my kit is staying the same. The Julbo Intensity glasses with 0-3 REACTIV photochromic lenses still are, in my opinion, the best ones out there for ultra cycling (or any riding, for that matter). They fit my head well, do not pinch, and allow me to see day or night while protecting my eyes. I’ll also stick with the same theme of warm clothes with knee warmers, arm warmers, and a light jacket for extra layers, with a normal summer kit as the base. The Electronics and SparesMost of the spares I carry have become pretty standard. I have one thing in the back of my mind: no matter what, I want to finish. I want to have the spares I need to find a way to get across that line. That means tubes, multiple ways to re-inflate tires, a way to plug tires, tape parts together, and generally keep moving forward. What I AM Changing and WhyKit
I’ll be running the Pearl iZUMi Pro custom kit. The left cargo pocket (which I use as a trash can) has enough room to fit about 15,000 kcal worth of candy wrappers, while the right serves as my storage for tire plugs and one CO2, and often my phone. The Pro Jersey is not as tight or “aero” as their new PI Black kit, but I choose to race in it because I can fit a lot in the pockets: think 20+ gels. I also love these bibs because they fit my long legs. For the first time, I’ll most likely be running short-finger gloves. I really have liked the padding on the PI Elite gloves during training, and it will be nice to have my fingers exposed to grab food and feel what’s in my pockets better. The PI Pro Wind Jacket is what I use 99% of the time in the winter in Girona. It packs down light and has a two-way zip so I can access my pockets, something I did not have last year. I might be adding a rain jacket or a 2nd light jacket, and not because it’s going to rain. I got very cold on the 2nd night (it got down to 4C), and I want to make sure I am prepared for that.
Contact Points
I am running aero bars this year, and only 20% for the aero gains. Most of it has to do with comfort and having another position where I can let my hands rest. After years of running alloy-rail saddles, I have now upgraded to one of the fanciest options out there. The Wove Mags are comfy, durable, and allow me to sit well in an upright position and an aero position without thigh rub or other issues.  Wheels
The Capitals was my first time on the Scandalous G Force 40s, and the 28mm internal width, along with the way they are tensioned with tires installed, is noticeable. They’re comfy an responsive, and the wider internals (I had 25mm last year), makes the bike feel even more planted and the tires grippier.
Bags
My bag changes are possibly the most crucial. Last year, I almost ran out of food on the first night. I learned the hard way that I needed almost 16 hours of food carrying capacity. This year, I’ve gone up a size in my TT bag and added a larger saddle bag so I have more extra space in my frame bag for food and clothes. This should allow me to be less stressed about rationing food at night.  Food/Hydration
Last year, I messed up my hydration plan. While I knew I would run out of Carbs Salted Gels (450mg sodium each), I didn’t think I’d run out so fast, and I didn’t realize the electrolyte capsules I brought were so liable to explode and turn to a paste in my bag. I ended up having to buy a salt shaker and use that as my sodium source. This year, I’m sticking with the regular Carbs gels (120mg of sodium each) and hydro tabs with 500mg of sodium each. I’ll put 4 in my pack and 1 in each bottle at refills. I need about 780-880mg of sodium per liter to replace 90% of sweat loss (based on a lab test), and I sweat about 1.3-1.5L per hour on average. This amount of electrolytes should put me right at that sodium intake when paired with other food. This year, I’ll also carry a few more gels to start. For caffeine, I now have tablets and gum. The gum is great because it gets into your system sublingually, so you feel the effects fast, and also has the added bonus of cleaning your teeth a bit and making your mouth feel fresher after a lot of junk food.
Electronics and Spares
My collection of spare parts is always evolving. The larger battery bank capacity is probably the most notable. I could get away with 1 20k mAh bank, but if it breaks, I want a spare. I’ve also changed electric pumps. The battery life on the Cycplus is much better than the Silca. |
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