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, plus a pack of Surlys. Now it’s the turn of the ‘something a little bit different’. Small brand bikes, custom builds, and even a home made bike and luggage made specially for the event. Get your geek on.
Mike Lehmann
- Bearclaw Beaux Jaxon
- mike_lehmann
Why this set up?
I was looking for a bike that could handle gravel biking and bikepacking in British Columbia and, as things open up, rides like the Great Divide and other international destinations. I found out about the company from a friend who was passionate about his Bearclaw Thunderhawk and after online research and speaking to Chet Bearclaw, chose the Bearclaw Beaux Jaxon.
- Frame: Bearclaw Titanium
- Fork: Bearclaw Ramhorn Carbon Fork
- Wheels: Enve 525 with Industry Nine Hydra Hubs
- Tyres (and inserts?): Schwalbe Thunder Burt 2.25, Tubeless
- Drivetrain: SRAM Force 1
- Brakes: SRAM Force 1
- Cockpit: Enve Gravel Handlebar
- Saddle: Selle SLR Boost Gravel Superflow
- Bags: Revelate: Spinelock seat bag, Tangle framebag, Pronghorn handlebar harness, Mag-Tank toptube bag and Mountain feedbag
- Key Sleeping/Lights/Food/Power/Accessories: Big Agnes Copper Spur 1 person bikepacking tent, Thermarest Corus Quilt, Garmin Edge 830, Biolite Charge Powerbank
- Key clothing items: 7Mesh Revelate Jacket – keeps me dry!
What’s your preparation been for this event?:
As much riding as possible!
What’s your goal for this year’s BC Epic 1000?:
Finish!
Santiago Yanez
- 2001 Klein Attitude Comp
- Thetangostudio
Why this set up?:
Basically it is the bike I owned for a long time and works well for me. Though I have made quite a few changes to this bike for this event, it was a pure cross country v-brakes from the 90’s.
- Frame: Aluminum 18″
- Fork: Carbon 26″
- Wheels: 26″
- Tyres (and inserts?): Tubeless Continental 2.2
- Drivetrain: 1×12
- Brakes: Disk Tectro
- Bags: Mix of bags
What’s your goal for this year’s BC Epic 1000?:
Enjoy every moment as much as I can!
Kevin Wirtanen
- Viral Derive
- dusty.wheel
Why this set up?:
Pinion and Gates combos are pure magic for bikepacking. Ride far, repeat … maybe rinse occasionally. Modern geometry, fantastic ride and a very versatile fork/rack. Two years and ~15k km in, this rig has exceeded every expectation and has been virtually maintenance free.
- Frame: Ti
- Fork: Trek 1120 with rack
- Wheels: I9 Enduro 305
- Tyres (and inserts?): Mezcal 2.35
- Drivetrain: Pinion C1.12; Gates Carbon
- Brakes: SRAM G2 RSC
- Cockpit: Jones w. Profile Jammer GT
- Saddle: Selle Royal Scientia A3
- Bags: Oveja Negra & Revelate
- Key Sleeping/Lights/Food/Power/Accessories: OR Interstellar bivy, RAB tarp and bag, Thermarest Uberlite, Acebeam H50 light on bars.
- Key clothing items: OR Helium top and bottoms
What’s your goal for this year’s BC Epic 1000?:
Enjoy the ride, finish, 4-5 days.
Bastien Jean
- Curve GXR
- bastienjean
Why this set up?:
Best versatile and light option, plus it’s so comfy.
- Frame: Curve titane GXR
- Fork: Curve Carbon
- Wheels: Hifi 650b
- Tyres (and inserts?): Schwalbe G-One allround 650bx2.25
- Drivetrain: x1 Shimano Ultegra GXR
- Brakes: Shimano Disc Ultegra
- Cockpit: Easton 70 with a little flare
- Saddle: Selle anatomica…..simply the best
- Bags: Apidura Expedition
- Key Sleeping/Lights/Food/Power/Accessories: MEC Spark 1 tent, Mountain Hardwear Phanom -2c sleeping bag, Thermarest NeoAir sleeping pad + patches, MEC dry food, Powerbank, Bluetooth speaker.
- Key clothing items: Gore tex jacket and pants, Assos bibs, a bunch of merino layers and socks, and my favourites Quoc shoes
What’s your preparation been for this event?:
Not much really, just some 150k rides, some smaller intensive climbs and rides, lot of yoga, stretches and mostly mental preparation. Will take it one one pedal at a time,
What’s your goal for this year’s BC Epic 1000?:
Finishing it, no matter the time, enjoying nature and the few people I may meet. If I get under 7 days, I’ll be an happy man!!
Thanks a lot to everyone that makes it happen!!
Dan Schick
- Bearclaw Thunderhawk
- lumpycam
Why this set up?
Ride what you’ve got! The geometry is a bit aggressive for the long haul but with a few tweaks I’m hoping its comfortable enough. Thankfully the frame and fork can take 2.35″ tires.
- Frame: Bearclaw Thunderhawk
- Fork: Bearclaw Ramhorn
- Wheels: Industry Nine UL235
- Tyres (and inserts?): Vittoria Mezcal 27.5″ x 2.35″
- Drivetrain: Shimano GRX 800
- Saddle: Specialized Power Elaston
- Bags: Porcelain Rocket Mr. Fusion seat bag, Revelate Mag-Tank, Oveja Negra Front End Loader and Lunchbox, Apidura frame and fork Expedition bags
- Key Sleeping/Lights/Food/Power/Accessories: Big Agnes Fly Creek UL1 tent with Taiga down quilt gives shelter. Thick Silca Nastro Cuscino bar tape, Redshift suspension stem, and Cane Creek Thudbuster seatpost will soak up some of the bumps. Wahoo Bolt will have navigation duties and Garmin InReach will keep Trackleaders updated. 20,000mAh battery bank will keep things powered.
- Key clothing items: The weather could swing from 35ºc in the valleys to -3ºc on the 2,000m summits with sun, rain, and snow to match. Layer up!
What’s your goal for this year’s BC Epic 1000?:
My goal for this year’s BC Epic is to be counted as one of the finishers. I don’t have anything close to a baseline for how long this could take me so hopefully it’s not so long I lose all employment and personal relationships!
Steve O’Shaughnessy
- RollingDale Custom Titanium
- myback40_podcast
Why this set up?
I wanted to design a long haul Bikepacking rig with Dale And we nailed it! I wanted it fully rigid and wanted a big triangle for lots of storage. Despite it being fully rigid, it’s a really comfortable compliant build.
- Frame: RollingDale Cycles Custom Ti
- Fork: Karate Monkey
- Wheels: K-lite / IDC Revolution Carbon with SP PDX8 Dynamo
- Tyres (and inserts?): Maxxis Ikon with full protection. I only roll Maxxis tires.
- Drivetrain: 1×12 SRAM GX 10/52
- Brakes: SRAM Guide
- Cockpit: Alloy Jones bar with Ryan Correy’s (RIP) profile aero bars. ESI Extra Chunky long grips. Garmin Etrex 30x GPS.
- Saddle: WTB Volt
- Bags: Custom @coldbike frame bag. Porcelain Rocket Mr. Fusion V2 saddle bag. Revalate Mag Tank TT Bag plus two revelate feed bags. Porcelain Rocket MCA harness and pouch.
- Key Sleeping/Lights/Food/Power/Accessories: K-lite MTB Ultra dynamo light with charger. 20,000mah cache battery. No quilt or bag. Just an SOL escape bivvy, puffy jacket and merino.
- Key clothing items: Showers pass rain jacket. Not ultra lite but an awesome piece. Old Pearl Izumi rain pants cut off to knickers for easy in and out as well as venting. Lucky Spandex Panda Merino socks.
What’s your preparation been for this event?:
Ride bikes, eat well, stretching and mobility.
What’s your goal for this year’s BC Epic 1000?:
I’m riding a YoYo for the Masaka Cycling Club. Hoping to raise a couple grand!! I’m shooting for 7 days.
Ken D’Albertanson
- Home made
- dalberken
Why this set up?
I wanted to design, build and then ride my own bike in the BCEpic race.
I made the frame from butted 4130 tubing, because it was it was a fairly inexpensive material, and was easier to work with than some other materials.
- Frame: 29plus MTB
- Fork: Rockshox Pike
- Wheels: Stan’s Baron mk3
- Tyres (and inserts?): Training on Maxxis, but likely racing on Specialized Fast trak 2.6
- Drivetrain: SRAM
- Brakes: Formula
- Cockpit: I built my own aerobar, phone, gps and light mounts
- Saddle: Specialized Power evo
- Bags: I sewed my own framebag, and I also have a Specialized Burra Burra seatbag.
- Key Sleeping/Lights/Food/Power/Accessories: For sleeping I use an Exped mattress and a SOL Escape bivy. I have a Son 28 dyno hub which powers my B&M lights, as well as my Sinewave USB charger.
- Key clothing items: I try to take as little as possible, so a wool jersey that can be used longer between washes is a plus. I don’t usually take a tent, so my Arcteryx raincoat also serves to keep my head dry at night if it rains.
What’s your preparation been for this event?:
I got a Synvisc injection in my knee in March. I haven’t been able to ride as much as I have in past years, as my knee injury kept me off my bike for a few months. I am still ramping up my training… just in time to taper!
What’s your goal for this year’s BC Epic 1000?:
My goal is to finish without injuring myself. I plan to take 6 days to cover the distance, but I am flexible, and will not be disappointed if I need to take more time.
Kevin Nemethy
- 2019 Santa Cruz Highball dropbar 29er
- kevinnemethy
Why this set up?
I rode the BC Epic in 2019 with this Highball as intended- a flat bar, 29er with front suspension. It was awesome, and worked great, but I was always curious to try this bike set up as a dropbar rigid monstercrosser. Add too much COVID tinkering and here we are. I am offsetting the switch to rigid and trying to increase the float by increasing the front tire from 2.35 to 2.6. We’ll see.
- Frame: Santa Cruz Highball CC
- Fork: Enve Mountain Boost 29
- Wheels: WeAreOne Composites Insider, DT240 hubs
- Tyres (and inserts?): Vittoria Mezcal 2.6 front, 2.35 rear set up tubeless, no inserts
- Drivetrain: SRAM AXS Mullet Force/X01 with Multiclics on the tops, eeWings
- Brakes: Hope RX4
- Cockpit: Enve Gravel Bar 48cm, Alloy 35mm stem, deda alloy mini aero bars
- Saddle: Selle Italia Boost Endurance
- Bags: Rockgeist
- Key Sleeping/Lights/Food/Power/Accessories: Sleep kit on the front: HMG Ultamid 2 shelter, MLD Superlight Solo Bivy, Sea to Summit traveler bag, Thermarest Neoair uberlite pad. Lights/Power: LynxOGT Raven headlamps x2, Specialized flux taillight, Anker 10000mAH powerbank. Navigation: Garmin 830 with Charge power pack, Inreach.
- Key clothing items: 7MESH freeflow jacket, Revo, Farside and MK3 cargo shorts. Arcteryx Norvan SL jacket, sun hoody. Norrona down puffy.
What’s your preparation been for this event?:
Too much bike nerdery, not enough riding!
What’s your goal for this year’s BC Epic 1000?:
I was hoping to go faster than 2019, with a time closer to 3 days than 4. However, current forecast is for temps around 40C along a lot of the route, so safety and keeping it fun are the primary goals now.
Are any of these ticking your boxes and making you want to hop aboard for 1000km of BC off-road riding? Do you dream of designing or building your own bike? Maybe you already have – be sure to tell us about your own interesting build here, and maybe we’ll feature it in our Readers’ Rides series.
