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Both on bikepacking tours, whether with an overnight stay in a tent or hotel, and on ultracycling tours, you spend many hours in the saddle. What is less of an issue on a 2-hour after-work ride can become unbearable in the long run.
1. long-fingered gloves against disgust
Especially in the height of summer, I feel the need to wash my hands after just a few kilometres on the bike. The sweat sticks between the handlebar tape and my hand and between my fingers. On the one hand, it's disgusting. However, the dwindling grip on the brake/shift levers is also crucial to safety. Sometimes it becomes slippery for the fingers, especially when dirt is added to the sweat. Braking and shifting then becomes difficult.
After a few years of trying to learn to endure the disgust, I tried long-fingered gloves. And lo and behold: it was much better. Who would have thought that, as it is of course a bit warmer in gloves. But the pleasant feeling of not feeling sweat or dirt on my hands outweighs the increase in warmth. And safety on the brakes and gears is also much better with gloves.
A selection of long-fingered gloves:
2. menstrual cup lasts longer
I only used sanitary towels on the very first day of my first period. I found them very uncomfortable. Tampons have this annoying little band that can be uncomfortable just by its existence when cycling. To make matters worse, it soaks up fluid and leaks it out. Depending on how heavy your periods are, tampons need to be changed relatively frequently. This means that you always have to carry plenty of replacements with you and find somewhere to change them. If there is no toilet, you have to somehow transport the bloody tampon on your bike. The menstrual cup, on the other hand, can be reused for years and takes up much less space than the required number of tampons.
It is also practical that menstrual cups (e.g. Rubycup) and menstrual discs (e.g. Femdisc) absorb more menstrual fluid than a tampon. This means that they need to be emptied less often than a tampon change. A menstrual disc can even be emptied when it is inside the body. The cup must be removed for this. Ideally, you should wash your hands before and after. If there is no running water, water from a drinking bottle or a wet wipe will do.
For me personally, the menstrual cup is the best fit. I don't get on so well with my menstrual disc and often have the feeling that something is leaking somewhere.
How often the cup or disc needs to be emptied varies greatly. For me, once in the morning and once in the evening is enough, for others it's once every few hours.
The menstrual cup is also a game changer for me on days in my cycle with increased discharge, as it catches the secretions. This keeps your cycling shorts clean, which is particularly important on long days in the saddle and even more so on bikepacking tours. However, you shouldn't forget to rinse the cup out in the morning and evening.
3. rain jacket with hood regulates temperature and keeps water out
The Gore Lupra 2.0 replaces the Gore Endure jacket, which is my faithful companion on bikepacking tours but also in everyday life. The jacket has a hood that fits over the helmet. The hood can be raised and lowered to regulate the temperature and prevent rain from running down the back of the head and onto the neck. The new Lupra is made with the Gore-Tex ePE membrane, which is PFAS-free and, according to the manufacturer, has a reduced CO2 footprint. From a functional point of view, the new jacket is exciting because it has a two-way zip, which offers even more flexibility and temperature regulation.
4. the right cycling shorts for comfortable sitting and stowing
Many cyclists can tell you a thing or two about seat problems. Sometimes it's chafed skin, sometimes inflamed hair follicles and pimples, the sometimes even grows into boils. For a long time, my main problem was pressure further forward, i.e. in the vulva area. After a few hours in the saddle, I always wished I could finally take my cycling shorts off. I tried bike fitting, different saddles and different trousers. And at some point I came across a pair of shorts that made the pressure at the front less bad. I was able to master my first ultra-cycling race (840 kilometres, 15,000 metres in altitude, challenging gravel) and even rode through the last night. What had I changed? A new pair of trousers that fitted me better than ever before. In the meantime, I've found different trousers that fit me well. It's important for me that the padding is relatively firm and that it's sewn into the trousers properly. So not too far back. I also sit very well in trousers without any padding at all.
I would also like to have a smartphone, an action cam or a cargo bag that comes with more and more trousers.
My favourite cycling shorts
- Everve Ezero Cargo: no padding, pee-friendly, cargo pockets
- GripGrab Women's EXPLR Cargo Bib Shorts : Fixed padding and cargo pockets:, unfortunately not pee-friendly
- Universal Colours Mono Cargo: the Mono was the first pair of trousers I sat well in
- SQlab SQ-Shorts ONE12 Women : comfortable, firm padding, pee-friendly, unfortunately no cargo pockets
- Triple2 Long Distance Cargo Bib Shorts: makes a good impression; SQlab padding, pee-friendly, cargo pockets
5. wash cycling shorts: First in the sink, then in the towel
Sweat, salt, dust and dirt collect in cycling shorts. This can be unhygienic over time and can also lead to seating problems. My tactic on bikepacking tours is therefore firstly to pack two pairs of trousers and secondly to always spend the night in a hotel or on a campsite where I can wash them. A washbasin and soap are sufficient. A towel to wring them out is ideal.
Washing in 4 steps:
Step 1: Washing
The trousers and other laundry go into the sink. Warm water and soap or Rei in a tube are added. Then everything is given a good squeeze. It's always amazing how much dirt comes out of cycling shorts that you've only worn for one day.
Step 2: Rinsing
After washing, the mixture of soap and dirty water has to be removed from the trousers. To do this, I wring them out roughly and rinse them several times in fresh water.
Step 3: Wringing out
To ensure that the trousers and the rest of the clothes dry as well as possible overnight, it is advisable to put energy into wringing them out. Firstly, the clothes are wrung out as well as possible over the sink. Then I spread out a towel and place the clothes on it. Now the clothes are wrapped in the towel and then everything is rolled up. The towel, a cotton towel in the hotel is ideal, is rolled up as tightly as possible into a thick sausage. I often stand on one side of the towel sausage and twist the other end with both hands. The towel absorbs the water from the clothing and prevents the seams and material from being subjected to a lot of stress.
My clothes are usually dry and ready for use again the next day.
Bonus: Sunbathing on arse rocket
If the cycling shorts are not completely dry overnight, they can continue to dry on the arse rocket in the sun. If the sun is shining.
Sandra Schuberth
Editor
