The BC Epic 1000 is one of those long distance unofficial organised events in the tradition of the Tour Divide or Highland Trail 550. With this year’s Tour Divide disrupted by border closures between the USA and Canada we thought the dot watchers out there might be feeling a bit bereft. The BC Epic 1000 might just give you that long distance voyeurism fix, head here to dot watch from June 26th.
We’ve already brought you a host of Salsa set ups for this event, and now it’s the turn of the Surlys. This line up feels like quite the mix of ‘it’s a bike’ to ‘what I had/could borrow’ to tried and tested kit choices. We wish Cory ‘got to be back for the family camping holiday’ Ostertag all the best with making that goal!
Nathan Siemens
- Surly Krampus (I think 2012)
- yepyepnotnope
Why this set up?
My friend was selling his frame and I had a bunch of great Frankenstein parts.
- Frame: Surly Krampus
- Fork: Fox 34 Factory
- Shock: Nope
- Wheels: DT Swiss 240 rear hub, Velocity rear rim, Nukeproof front rim
- Tyres (and inserts?): Maxxis Ardent 2.4 and Ikon 2.35
- Drivetrain: SLX 11 Speed, Raceface Turbine cranks 32t
- Brakes: Shimano XT
- Cockpit: Surly Moloko bars, no name grandpa height stem
- Saddle: Selle Anatomica
- Bags: Rockgeist barjam and front pocket, RandiJo Fabrications bartender bag, Porcelain Rocket frame bag, Apidura top tube bag, Blackburn seat bag
- Key Sleeping/Lights/Food/Power/Accessories: MEC Spark tent and Talon sleeping bag, Klymit sleeping pad, Lezyne light and GPS, Ankor powerbank
- Key clothing items: The only thing that matters is merino undies.
What’s your preparation been for this event?
Cycling is really fun, so I’ve been riding my bike.
What’s your goal for this year’s BC Epic 1000?
To crack some sweet jokes.
Phil Pharand
- Surly Karate Monkey
Why this set up?
It’s my wife’s bike. It’s nicer than mine and I think it’ll be great on this route. Thank you for letting me use your bike!
- Frame: Medium
- Fork: RS Pike RC
- Wheels: Sun Ringle, Duroc 40
- Tyres (and inserts?): Bontrager Chupacabra 27.5 x 2.8
- Drivetrain: GX ?
- Brakes: SRAM Level
- Cockpit: FSA stem, Full On Funn bar, Ergon grips
- Saddle: Brooks B17
- Bags: Revelate Designs 14l Terrapin, Topeak Frontloader, frame bag made by a friend.
- Key Sleeping/Lights/Food/Power/Accessories: Six Moon Lunar Solo, Neo Air, old Kathmandu sleeping bag. Edge 530, inReach mini.
- Key clothing items: Endura MT500 jacket, Specialized shorts.
What’s your preparation been for this event?
Mountain biking and a bit of gravel.
What’s your goal for this year’s BC Epic 1000?
6-8 days. Sleep at night, pedal during the day, eat lots of food, have fun.
Allan Knibbs
- Surly Ogre
Why this set up?:
This has been my endurance bike for a quite a few years now and was built up to be my bikepacking/endurance rig. Although I would love some suspension up front as I get older, and something a little more fleet of foot, I appreciate the simplicity of a metal frame and fork. It has never let me down so we will continue on together as long as we can.
- Frame: Surly Ogre
- Fork: Ogre Fork
- Wheels: Stans ZTR 29er
- Tyres (and inserts?): Maxxis Ikon 29 x 2.35
- Drivetrain: Shimano SLX
- Brakes: Shimano SLX
- Cockpit: Jones Loop Bar with Ergon grips.
- Saddle: Selle Anatomica
- Bags: Frame Bag- Porcelain Rocket – Front Sling-Revelate – Seat Bag- Revelate Jerry Can-Revelate Gas Can-Revelate- Feed bags-Revelate
- Key Sleeping/Lights/Food/Power/Accessories: Marmot Sleeping bag with a Mont Bell Bivy. Original K-Lite powered by a Son 28 Hub/Sinewave USB. Wahoo Elemnt GPS.
- Key clothing items: Favorite Clothing items: Patagonia Micro Puff serves as my warm layer in the morning, warm layer riding into the night, and my pillow – love it. Gore Bibs. Icebreaker socks. Giro Terraduro Shoes. Bikepack Canada cycling cap
What’s your preparation been for this event?:
My commute to work is 30km each way so that gets me a good base. On the weekends I try to get a longer gravel ride in and mix it up with some single tracking.
What’s your goal for this year’s BC Epic 1000?:
As always, finish in one piece!
Cory Ostertag
- Surly Karate Monkey
Why this set up?
I chose a Karate Monkey because it’s a chameleon. I don’t have a dedicated bikepacking bike. I change the handlebars and wheels and can use this bike for just about anything. My wife has the same bike so we trade parts depending on the riding context. 27.5×3″ for riding Squamish single track or 29er for riding gravel. For the BC Epic I’m hoping to balance comfort, durability and speed. The bike will be set up rigid 29×2.1″ tires, a Jones Loop Bar and a 11-46 11 spd cassette. It’s not fancy but it gets the job done.
- Frame: Surly Karate Monkey size large
- Fork: Surly rigid steel with all the mounts
- Wheels: 29″ alloy
- Tyres (and inserts?): Vittoria Mezcal 2.1
- Drivetrain: SRAM GX 11 spd. 32×11/46
- Cockpit: Jones Loop bar with gel padding
- Saddle: Specialized Power
- Bags: Older, probably 1st gen Porcelain Rocket frame bag and saddle bag. Revelate Designs Jerrycan, Gastank and feedbag
- Key Sleeping/Lights/Food/Power/Accessories: I’ll sleep with a Big Agnes Pluton, OR Helium bivy and a thermarest Neoair Xlite pad. Lights are miscellaneous and hopefully enough. Garmin edge 1030+ for navigation, spot tracker and an aukey 20,000mah battery for recharging. I’ll be eating a mix of bars, H2Pro electrolyte tabs, trailbutter, and tailwinds nutrition drink mix.
- Key clothing items: I’m still deciding on clothing and that will largely depend on the forecast closer to the event. I’ll wear my lycra road kit for the convenient backpockets and will have a few layers of icebreaker merino. 7MESH Seymour tights and Thunderpant if it looks like rain is in the forecast. A Rab microlight jacket just in case. A face mask of course.
What’s your preparation been for this event?:
The event wasn’t a sure thing until a few weeks ago so like most people, my preparation hasn’t been quite what I hoped. I’ve been sticking to the basics and doing my normal road racing training. A mix of short, high intensity rides and some longer rides. I’ve done 1 bikepacking trip so far this spring to test out some of my gear setup.
What’s your goal for this year’s BC Epic 1000?:
I’m hoping for ~3 days. I have a family camping trip planned on July 1st so I REALLY need to be finished in 4 days max.
Jason E Tomm
- Surly Krampus
Why this set up?
Size matters!
- Frame: Steel
- Fork: Steel
- Wheels: 29+
- Tyres (and inserts?): 29+
- Drivetrain: 1X11
- Brakes: mechanical disc
- Saddle: Brooks
- Bags: Specialized
- Key Sleeping/Lights/Food/Power/Accessories: undecided
What’s your goal for this year’s BC Epic 1000?:
Finishing
Dave Waugh
- Surly Ice Cream Truck
- weaselgoespop
Why this set up?
The main consideration for this bike was to have one bike that could do anything that BC has to offer. Fat bike, trails or gravel depending on which wheels I want to throw onto it.
- Frame: Large ICT
- Fork:Rigid/ Stock
- Wheels: Raceface Arc 29s
- Tyres (and inserts?): Schwalbe Nobby Nics 29 x 2.6
- Drivetrain: SRAM 11 Speed
- Brakes: Avid BB7s
- Cockpit: Surly Moloko bars with handmade bag insert
- Saddle: Brooks B17
- Bags: Homemade frame and top tube bags, Revelate Terrapin seat bag
- Key Sleeping/Lights/Food/Power/Accessories: Big Agnes Seedhouse SL1, Thermarest xlite and a cheap sleeping bag that’s not particularly small, light or warm, but was a gift, so it stays.
- Key clothing items: Riding gear: Sombrio biking T, cheap shorts and merino ski socks. Camp clothes: Icebreaker merino T and hand me down pants. Rain gear: a magic totem to keep rain away.
What’s your preparation been for this event?
A ton of mountain biking and fat biking, but nothing particularly long distance.
What’s your goal for this year’s BC Epic 1000?
5 days
We’ve got more BC Epic 1000 bike checks to come. Are these whetting your appetite for adventure, or are you pulling on your sofa socks, lining up the snacks, and ready for some dot watching? It all kicks off on 26th June.
