Packing with the Nomads

This winter may be remembered as the winter that never was, and while I may lament the lack of  snow days, there are no complaints about bike time. For racers who spend winters in B.C. that has been an added bonus. Chris Johnston and Dylan Wolsky  of the Nomads have been pretty stoked on the weather, getting in a lot of riding and training for the upcoming season. Even with the prime riding conditions here the call of adventure has them heading south to Chile, kicking off their race season with the Andes Pacifico in Chile.

The race, which began February 11th, spans the width of the country, starting high in the Andes mountains and venturing west to finish at the Pacific Ocean. When racing internationally packing everything needed can be a challenge, especially for a race that takes in so much terrain. Here is a look at what Chris and Dylan are packing to Andes Pacifico when we caught up with them last week to see how their preparation was going.

Packing efficiently is essential to avoid excess baggage fees.

NSMB – So Chris how is the preparation for the first race of the year going?

Chris – Pretty good, obviously we have been out riding a load with the weather being so mild here in BC, so it’s been amazing. We are both feeling excited to get racing again and we are just getting our new bikes built up for this race.

NSMB – Being sponsored by Santa Cruz gives you a bunch of options for bikes to race, so which one are you taking for this race?

Chris – Wolsky (Dylan) and I decided to take the Bronson. The terrain in this race is so varied that we decided the Bronson would be the best fit, it’s a bike that can deal with big terrain but also is good for pedalling up some of the bigger climbs. We are running the Fox 36 on the fork with 160mm travel to give it a bit more burl up front. Wolsky put together a short time lapse video of building up his bike.

A fresh new Santa Cruz Bronson packed up and ready to fly. With a Fox 36 up front and Shimano Saint Brakes this Bronson is built up on the burlier side. That rear shock doesn’t look standard does it?

NSMB – Some interesting choices on the build there. We are seeing more and more racers with power meters on their race rigs. I see the benefit for training but do you use the Stages power meter much when you are racing?

Chris – The Stages power meter is a great tool to have on the bike. It only weights 20grams and connects wirelessly to the Garmin. It is a great training tool and also comes in handy racing. For example when you are sprinting up a climb you can see how much power you are putting out and keep an eye on your output based off of your training numbers. So it allows you to maintain a solid pace without blowing yourself up before the top and then have enough to do that again on the next stage.

Riding gear plus spares (and a magazine). We’ll work with the Nomads on image quality for next time.

NSMB – Trying to pack everything that you might need for a race in an area like Chile must be a challenge? Chris – Yeah, we have to be fairly economic with what we take. There are a few tricks. We obviously have to take a few essential spares, just in case, but beyond that it is just the important gear that we will need for riding everyday.

Given the remote terrain of Andes Pacifico, the minimalist approach to you race pack is not advised. Chris’ pack is laid out here and would have most pack rats nodding in approval.

Here is a look at what we have packed in our hydration packs for the race days;

• pack cover in case it rains, which given the altitude we get to the weather can change quickly
• Race Face Nano jacket, nice a light weight windproof
• tire pump with duct tape wrapped around handle, which saves taking a whole roll of tape
• tubeless tire string repair kit, this is perfect for super quick tire repairs on the go
• tire pressure gauge, spare tube and tire levers
• super glue, so small and light and super useful for a bunch of stuff (ed – this is a good idea and I may copy this for my own pack)
• zip ties
• multi tool with chain breaker
• spare derailleur hanger, chain pins and spare valve stem
• spare shifter cable and brake pads
• small first aid kit
• chain lube, because of the dusty conditions that we will see I will lube the chain during the day, I hate it squeaking!

NSMB – Looks like you have all the bases covered there. Nice speedo too. I didn’t see much underwear being packed there, are you planning on recycling them over your trip?

Chris – Ha! I didn’t think you guys needed to see that. No, there’s a pair of undies for each day, but I might be washing them in the river or doing the inside-out trick if there’s any sketchy moments. Wolsky has only packed his speedo but claims its for river swims during the race and for it’s quick drying properties, I’m not so sure. Watch out ladies!

NSMB – So this race was where you did a number on your elbow last year. How is the elbow feeling?

Chris – I had a second surgery on it in the fall and since then I have more range on motion in it which is awesome. I’ve been working hard at phyiso for it still and it’s feeling good. I’m really looking forward to finishing the race this year and getting to ride on some of the terrain that I only got to hear about from Dylan.

NSMB – Thanks Chris and Dylan for taking the time out from building bikes and packing to share this with us. The Andes Pacifico started  February 11th, and is 4 days of riding in Chile from the high mountains of the Andes down to the Pacific Ocean, which sounds like an amazing adventure to us.

Here’s a short vid of Dylan ripping his 5010 Down Under.

Top 30 after day one. Click here for full results.

Click here for full Andes Pacifico results after day one.

Chris (who sits in fourth after day one) and Dylan (15th) will be bringing us some excerpts from their travel diaries this year and give us a behind the scenes looks at the behind the scenes antics of two privateer racers on the Enduro World Series tour.