TEAM DAI 2022 EDITION
Notes and itinerary – November 24, 2022
We hope that your leg muscles are ready for the challenge as the countdown has begun!
The organising committee wants to communicate the following important points:
PRE-RIDE ACTIVITIES:
• Bike: Make sure your MTB/gravel bike is in tip top condition and read the checklist Bicycle care in appendix 1.
• Packing list: Check the Packing list below in appendix 2 and make sure to bring some light winter gear as it might get cold!
Prior to the ‘take off’:
Tuesday evening, November 29th: our traditional pasta party
From 17:30pm: Traditional Pot Luck Party @ Civitas Office. Click here for the location.
Come on over to meet the rest of the riders, drop off your bicycle, and receive the new Team Dai 2022 cycling jersey. All riders should bring some (carb loading) food, sides, and drinks to share and get excited for the adventure ahead.
The plan is to have all bicycles transported on Wednesday to our starting point, Thasi. So bring your bicycle, ready for transport on a (flatbed) truck. This means you are resonsible to package your bike, suitable for going on the truck the next morning. Bicycles will go on Wednesday November 30, we will depart the next morning on Thursday December 1. Note that some of our crew will travel with the bicycles on the Wednesday to make asure your bikes are kept safe overnight. If you are kind to them, they may even set your bike up to be ready on Thursday!
TDC 2022 – Back to the Mountains
The route this year takes the group back to the mountains through Xiengkhouang and Xaisomboum. The route incorporates parts of the 2019 TDC Mountain Stages route and 2015 TDC through Xaisomboum.
For those who joined the 2019 Mountain Stages, you’re in for a treat. The climb up Phou Samsoun to the second highest peak in Lao is now sealed.
Thursday, December 1: Thasi to Muang Mok – 59 km 1,850 m climbing
We will wake up very early and drive to begin Day 1 around lunch in Thasi. The ride will be shorter to get the legs warmed up for a big Day 2. The route will take us uphill through windy, sealed roads in Xiengkhouang Province. The route is in generally good condition but will have three big climbs in the first 40 km and then a long descent into Muang Mok.
Friday, December 2: Muang Mok to Thathom – 81 km, 2,540 m climbing
Day 2 is the real deal. This is one of the most challenging, beautiful, and fun rides in Laos. It will climb from Muang Mok to the summit of Phou Samsoun, where there is a small Hmong village and radio tower. The climb is about 25 km rising over 2,000 meters at 7.2% average grade for a true “HC” climb. At the summit, take a few minutes to climb up to the radio tower for an incredible 360 viewpoint and into Vietnam. Your efforts will be rewarded with a very long descent to a village on the plateau and then down a regraded and slightly rerouted road to Thathom. While sealed, be wary of potholes and loose stones descending from Samsoun. The downhill from the village is graded gravel and very steep in sections. It was not sealed in Feb 2022 but could be by now.
Saturday, December 3: Thathom to Anouvong – 79 km, 2,180 m climbing
Day 3 will take to the heart of Xaisomboum in the shadow of Phou Bia mountain. The route is now sealed from Route 1D. The gradiant is gentle to start to shake off day 2 but there are two big climbs to bring us up in altitude into Anouvong - the capital of Xaisomboum Province.
Sunday, December 4: Anouvong back to Route 13. 64 km, 1,370 m climbing
It’s the last day. Your legs are toast, your butt hurts, but there’s one last push to the end. The route has us climbing early on a sealed road for 30 km and then progressively downhill. It takes over the range and then behind the long mountain you see driving on Route 13 between Thabok and Paksan. It is mostly on dirt tracks through a beautiful valley.
APPENDIX 1: BICYCLE CARE
Having a well-functioning bicycle will make your tour safer, more comfortable, and means you are more likely to complete and enjoy the challenge. This year's challenge includes long distances in mixed dust and asphalt conditions, descending on dirt roads.
There will be a small tool kit in the truck but this should be used mainly for emergencies and not as your annual bicycle maintenance check up! We will also carry 1 spare bike. There are too many different types of bike drivetrains to have spares.
In general, if you haven’t had a full bike service then get one this week. This includes verifying your chain, cassette, cables, headset bearings, clean freehub, brakes and the trueness of your wheels. (It’s about 250-300,000 kip). You’ve all done a lot of kilometres in the last few months and bikes need tender, love, and care especially after rainy season.
Here is a list of things for you to check before starting on the tour!
TIRES and TUBEs – Replace old tires now. Old tires = flats and less traction. Bring at least 2 tubes. Minimum recommended size is 700x35 but 38-45 would be optimal. MTBs are fine but <2.2 is optimal. Anything too large carries a bigger rotational weight penalty. There is a lot of asphalt to pedal. You are responsible for fixing your own flats so make sure you have a patch kit, pump and spare tubes.
BRAKES. If you can’t remember when you last replaced your brake pads (rim and disc), then verify and replace them now. Rainy season (sand, dirt, mud) and gravel riding destroys brake pads. If they’re new now, you won’t need a spare pair.
CABLES – check your cables at the shifters and derailleurs. Replace if frayed. If the indexing is off, have them serviced. Cables stretch over time and need little tweaks.
CHAIN LUBE and BRUSH – I’ve seen a lot of dirty drivetrains. Black and gunk is not good. Get it fully degreased and relubed and buy dry lube, a small brush and grab a cotton t-shirt or rag for the Challenge. You should also clean your SPD pedals. You will need to clean your drive train on the Challenge, which leads to…...
CHAIN (and CASSETTE) – Do you remember the last time you chain was checked and changed? If no, and more than 1,500 km ago, get your chain checked. Bicycle chains can stretch over time... a lot. So much so that it can become a safety issue as the chain no longer meshes properly with your front chain rings and under tension can break. If you have been riding a significant amount in the past 6 months and you have not replaced your chain- do it now! A worn chain is not only dangerous, but it also causes long term damage to other parts of your bike - cassette, front chainrings, etc- which are more expensive to replace (and very hard to find in the global bike part shortage).
WHEELS – Are your wheels still true? Hold your index finger next to the wheel and spin it. Have them trued and the spokes checked. Breaking a spoke is more common on rough roads and hard to fix on the ride.
Check your WHEEL BEARINGS. You can do this by picking up your bike by either the front or rear wheel and using your hand to try and shake the wheel sideways (at 90 degrees to the direction of rotation). If your wheel has movement there- (anything more than 1-2mm) you need someone to at least tighten the wheel's cone nuts (or possibly even dismantle and re-grease the bearings inside). This movement, if left unfixed can lead to poor braking, needing to replace your hubs (which in Laos essentially means buying new wheels) and ultimately your wheel ceasing to spin....
APPENDIX 2: PACKING LIST INDIVIDUAL ITEMS
Packing list
Cycling Gear:
Padded cycling shorts – 2
Cycling shirts – 2 or 3 (we will wear our new Team Dai jerseys on Days 1 and 4)
Water bottles – 2
Tires in good condition with plenty of tread (replace old tires)
Spare inner tubes – 2 (carry one on bike)
Patch kit and handpump
Check your SPD cleat bolts, consider a spare pair
Replace your brake pads now if worn – carry a spare set
Pocket size bike tool
Squirt/chain lubricant and rag – carry on ride with small rag. You will need to clean and lube your chain often due to dust
Small brush to clean cassette and chain
Cycling gloves, shoes, socks
Helmet - mandatory
Front / back lights – charge and/or change the batteries
Bike computer with GPX files downloaded (downloaded for offline use on phone or bike computer)
Masks for riding through villages and for dust
Sunsleeves, Sunscreen, lip balm, hand sanitizer, chamois butt’r/chafe cream, Vaseline (Paul), etc.
Bike bag for camera, extra gear, etc. (if necessary)
Know what speed chain you have (8,9,10,11,12) and have a quick link for it
Personal Items:
Passport
Phone, camera, chargers, Walkman/mp3 (no earbuds allowed during the rides)
Personal snacks for riding – only basics will be offered, bring your own fancy bars and powders and stuff
Sneakers / sandals
Shorts, shirts, trousers, socks
Swimming trunks / bathing suit
Fleece / jacket
Towel (small)
Sunglassess
Earplugs, eye-shades
Sunscreen
Mosquito repellent
Torch / Head lamp – change the batteries, reverse them when put in your bag
Toothbrush+ toothpaste, hygiene products, contact lens solutions/eye wash, medications, etc. You’re all adults except one of you. ;)
