endurance playbook: packing and transportation

The age-old adage of expedition racing is that the hardest part is getting to the start line. For many, the puzzle of packing gear, shipping or transporting it, and transporting yourself is the least enjoyable part of the experience, even if it’s not TRULY the hardest! But don’t let this logistical hurdle stop you; good planning and attention to detail goes a long way to helping minimize that stress. With almost no exceptions, you will fall into one of two categories: you will drive to the race, or you will have to fly.
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Driving

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​On one level, drivers have it easy. No flights to contend with, no mathematical conundrums as you sort out weight and bag limits for bike boxes and gear bins, no questions of whether to fly with a gear bin or acquire one on site. And it’s a lot cheaper! On the other hand, for a race like the Endless Mountains that requires racers to use ARWS standard bike boxes, it can get tricky figuring out how to transport the bike box to the race.
 
For better and worse, there isn’t too much to say on this front. It’s really about the bike boxes, assuming the rest of your gear will fit in the car. Some have bike boxes that fold up and might be able to lay flat in the car. Easy. For those with rigid boxes, here are your options:​

• If someone on the team has a vehicle large enough – think sprinter van or large SUV – stow them inside and call it a day. We have even managed two bike boxes, lying flat in the back of a Subaru, though there was no room for other gear.
• If that fails, consider whether you SAFELY secure an empty or gently packed box to the roof of your car.​

• If not, consider shipping your box. We have had good luck shipping boxes domestically, with the bike packed safely inside. That said, if you are nervous about that option, you can ship a box packed with other gear, like clothing and food, or simply pack it with filler, and then transport your bike on a traditional bike rack. If you ship your bike through a service like FEDEX, consider opening an account as you can save money and more easily track your bike. Also, take special care to pack your bike well (more on that in the next Expedition Playbook post).
• You might also think about whether it might be worth renting a team U-haul or a trailer.
• Finally, try to network. There are a considerable number of racers with sprinter vans or trucks; it’s usually not that hard to find a willing helper, especially if it’s not for the whole team.

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FLYING

​For those flying in from further afield, you have harder logistics. Notes about bike boxes above still apply: how are you going to get all your gear and bike boxes to the airport? How to deal with weight restrictions? How to pack everything without paying the airline a small fortune in extra fees? Here are some tips to consider when flying to you race:

1)Give yourself time to pack and repack. Lay out all your gear. Obviously, prioritize what is mandatory, and set it aside. In this pile you should include clothing that you will absolutely, definitely want to wear. That gear is non-negotiable. Then lay out all of your other gear: all of your food, extra clothes, extra shoes, extra equipment that MIGHT be useful. Keep these items in a separate pile initially so you can easily adjust if you find you have too much gear. Prioritize from there until you are forced to leave things out. And remember, at most events you can always buy food on site. More on that below.

2)Make sure you know what you are allowed to bring on the plane. How many checked bags are you allotted? Carry-ons? How much does each bag cost? Weight restrictions? Size limits? If you have disposable funds, this isn’t as stressful, but if you have a tighter budget, micromanaging each pound becomes important. Know what you are allotted.
1)What is your airline’s policy on bikes? Some airlines have started to allow for the free transportation of bikes, but make sure you know the associated costs, weight, and size restrictions you are dealing with. And read the fine print. Not all routes are treated the same.
2)Airport to race HQ: this often is the hardest puzzle to fit together. Flying and transporting gear is tedious, but you will either figure out what to leave at home for financial reasons or you will shell out for that extra bag. When you land, how do you – and your gear – get to race HQ? Start off by studying the race website. Some RDs include pre- and post-race transportation in the race fee. Others include it as an add-on. Some don’t offer any assistance at all. If the website isn’t clear, reach out to the RD. Some of the best races we have done offered no transportation perks, so don’t let that deter you. That said, make sure you are planning WELL ahead of time to avoid paying extra or ending up stuck without any apparent options to get to and from the race.
3)If your race does not include transportation assistance, consider the following:

• Car rental. Remember, you have multiple teammates, which means you need to transport one or two large duffels per person, and you will have up to four bike boxes. That’s a lot to transport. You may need to rent multiple vehicles. Many racers have rented vans or trucks to move all their gear to HQ. Some have rented multiple vehicles.
• Ask. Even if the RD isn’t offering assistance, email them. They often know people who are well positioned and ready and willing to help, especially if you are traveling from overseas.
• Network. Post to the event website or on local discussion boards. In two of our races in the UK, we have connected with wonderful local racers who have graciously helped us with airport pick up and gear transportation. We rented our own car to travel about and make grocery store runs, but they helped us get our bearings and handled our bike boxes. There are almost always local racers willing to help, and they are likely to have the means to help you store and transport gear to the host site. Network.
• Ship your bike. FEDEX is a well-tested option, and there are also bike-specific services such as Bike Flights. It may not necessarily save you money on your gear, but it may allow you to rent a cheaper car. This may create bigger logistical challenges when racing internationally, but domestically, it may be worth exploring.
• Bike rentals. This often comes down to personal preference. Few experienced racers risk renting a bike that isn’t their own, but it happens. Some have gotten lucky and rented quality bikes. Others, less so. To some degree, it’s what you are willing to pay for. Renting a bike may not save you any money, but it will make travel easier. Keep in mind that you will likely still be required to have a bike box. Here, too, reach out to the community through the RD, race page, or a group like AR Discussion Group; you may be able to borrow or source that locally.

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packing

Okay, you have sorted your logistics, you’ve done the training, you’ve spent your holiday money on new gear, and now you need to pack. On one level, this is straight forward: lay out your gear, organize it, check it two or three or seven times, and then throw it all in some bags and boxes and do it all over again when you get to your pre-race lodging.
 
If you can drive to the race, you are fortunate in that you don’t need to worry too much about overpacking. That said, we like to think of packing as the first stage of the race. This is your first chance to really start thinking about what you are going to need. How you are going to pack your actual race pack? How will your your team distribute mandatory gear? What goes in your bike box? A gear bin? What stays in your pack? How many pairs of shoes do you REALLY need, and is it worth using leftover weight for clothes, food, or something else?
 
Experienced teams show up to the race with a much better handle on their gear. Their food is often already organized into twelve-hour bags, or something that works for them individually. Clothes are packed and organized. Typically, you will receive some sort of race planner from the RD a week or so out, and the savvy racer will figure out how much food, clothing, and other gear will be required on each stage. They will organize that gear at home, label bags for each stage, and save themselves hours of time at the race site before the race starts. This translates to more sleep and less stress.

If you are flying, you will have to contend with weight restrictions unless you fork out for extra baggage. Assuming you don’t do that, consider the following tips for packing your gear to fly:

• As you pack, weigh your gear. You will have weight restrictions for the flight and for the race, typically 50-55 pounds per bag and bike box at the event. Try to keep your gear within those bounds. We typically fly with a large duffel and a bike box for each team member. So, approximately 100 pounds per racers, not including our carry-ons. A basic bathroom scale will do, or you can invest in a portable digital hand scale. These scales are handy, since you can bring them with you. They allow you to make quick adjustments at the airport, and they help you and your team pack your gear ahead of times to make weight restrictions.
• Certain gear should go in your carry-on. Lithium battery lighting systems should come with you to comply with federal requirements. Beyond that, if you smaller items that you can’t afford to be without – other lights, heavier food – add those to your carry-on. Assuming your race pack is rated to handle the load, that’s a good option for your carry-on bag. One less thing to stow underneath.
• On the flip side, some gear – knives, always; paddle shafts and trekking poles, sometimes – should go into your checked bags so as not to get flagged by security. Play it safe and pack these items in a bike box or checked bag.
• And some gear, like CO2 cartridges or gas canisters for a cooking stove, technically can’t fly at all.
• Many experienced racers know that it’s not worth packing all of your food when you can hit a local supermarket before the race. This means that you want make sure you have a sense of what will be available. Especially if you are racing overseas, don’t expect to find that specific energy bar or gel, in a local market. Is there even a local market available? Will you have time to go shopping? Even some more basic grocery items may not quite be the same. Some popular race food, such as chips, candy bars, and crackers, is generally universal, but try to get a sense of what you will find locally and be prepared to be flexible. Once you’ve done your homework on this, by leaving some relatively basic food at home can be a nice way to lighten your load, and for the record: we have always found some time to hit a local market or grocery before the race. It might mean arriving a day earlier, but the more time to settle in, the better.
• When packing your bike box, keep in mind that TSA may open up your box after you leave it with them. You should definitely pack more gear in with your bike to maximize the weight allowance, but know that airport officials will potentially poke around. It’s usually not a big deal, but we advise making things as easy as you can for them, both so that they can explore without going through lots of little items and also so they repack when they are done.
• On this note, consider how you seal your bike box. If you use something like duct tape, TSA might cut through it and do a poor job resealing your box. We have installed heavy duty Velcro on our lids that will keep the box closed. We also use a few short strips of duct tape as a backup, knowing that it’s not the end of the world if TSA cuts those strips rather than peeling them back. In short, when packing bike boxes: plan for the worst when it comes to overzealous TSA agents examining the contents of that gear.

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One final tip, from brent...

​Who is the nicest, friendliest person on your team? I have a theory that if a team travels together and allows that person to lead the way in check in, your chances of saving some money with your bikes and bags go way up. For us, it’s Abby: granted, Abby and I always travel together when we’re both racing (and we are married), so it’s easier for one of us to check the other one in. But time and again, I shut my mouth and hang back. She talks to the desk agents about the race, the bikes, how exciting it is. And we often pay less than we expected. Sometimes they waive the bike fee. Sometimes they charge less for one of the bags or the bike. It doesn’t work every time, but usually we get a great deal!