Arghh! I had left packing to the last minute, but thought there was plenty of time….until I realised as I printed off my flight details that Air NZ had changed my flight to an hour earlier!

I hurriedly took the unicycle apart and packed it into a wheelbox (thanks Ben from Johnsonville Cycles), which fit perfectly although needed a bit of taping to get the wheel in with tyre inflated. 

Next up was the 35L pack. I had miscalculated the space, because it was pretty tight, and needed room for food/water. Out came the first aid dressings, the Covid rapid antigen tests, the bike lock, the camping utensils and bowl.  That’s better! There is a reason  I went for 35L to stop me bringing too much junk. 

Mum came over and gave me a hand, while Anna went to pick Gryffin up early from Kindergarten. Crisis averted- I made it to airport with 45min to spare.  

I’ll miss my family a lot over the next month, but luckily Wellington is half way. I should be back in 2 weeks. 

Here is my TA packing list

• 29″ Triton unicycle
• Lowe Alpine Aeon 35L pack
• 3L hydration bladder
• Unicycle.com carabiner
• Macpac raincover
• Giro Radix MIPS helmet
• Ergodyne sun brim
• Dry bag and spare bags
• Packable grocery bag
• 2x N95 and 2 surgical masks
• 6 clothes pegs
• 2 tent pegs
• Duct tape
• Rag and oil soaked rag
• Leatherman Wave multitool
• Gerber Cool Tool
• Ground Effect tool wallet
• Lezyne pump
• Toiletries- Colgate bamboo toothbrush, Gilette Fusion razor, 1/3 sensodyne tube, 3/4 Palmolive shave foam, bar of soap
• Cocoa butter, sunscreen and insect repellent (Picaridin based)
• spare tube and puncture kit
• spare 4x AAA Energiser Lithium batteries for spot tracker
• North and South Island Tour Aotearoa guide books
• Selfie stick
• Oakley Chamfer prescription sunglasses, Oakley Crosslink glasses, spare pair of old glasses
• Lumia 500L bike light, Lumia helmet front/rear light, Knog Cobber back light
• Cables for charging
• Cygnett 20,000mAmph/hr powerbank
• Forty2 gloves
• DHB Arm warmers, unknown pair arm sun guard sleeves
• DHB Leg warmers
• Route 7 ear warmers
• North Face zip off cargo pants
• Thermatech top
• Adventure Unicyclist, Triple-0 and Louis Garneau cycling tops
• Tour Aotearoa T-shirt
• Fox ranger cycling shorts
• Arsuxeo cycling shorts
• 2x bike short inners
• Polyprop thermals
• Kathmandu merino socks, Kathmandu Coolmax socks, Thorlo thin calf length ski socks
• Moutain Warehouse Curlew shoes
• Mac In a Sac Neon jacket (10,000mm/8000gsm)
• Outdoor Research Helium Bivvy
• Black Wolf Hiker 200 down sleeping bag (+8C comfort, 3C lower limit, -11c extreme)
• Silk Sak sleeping bag liner
• Macpac large pack towel
• Wallet
• Samsung A52 phone

Total unicycle weight: 5.1kg

Total pack weight (without food/water): 8.6kg

I’ve been collecting gear for the TA over the last few months, and with less than a week to go, I think I’m almost there! There are two approaches to riding the length of New Zealand- carry everything including the kitchen sink, or travel light with a credit card. The hardened unipackers lug an incredible assortment of racks/bags/stuff, but to push 100km+ a day, it doubles the physical effort, so I am going for a minimalist strategy.

That’s not to say I’m not prepared. There are long stretches of NZ with limited food, water and shelter, so I need to be able to camp out in an emergency. Gear has to functional, light, and above all, compact.

It’s a good excuse to go shopping! Here are the highlights:

Outdoor Research Helium Bivvy. My excuse for a tent without a tent. A bivvy is basically a waterproof sack that allows you to sleep inside with your sleeping bag. At 459g, it’s half the weight of the lightest one person tents, and super compact once packed. There is a a light frame that keeps the front off your face, complete with a insect netting, but expect it to look more like a deflated bag than the puffed up structure you see in promotional material. I tested it on a recent camping trip- it’s very roomy for a shortie like me- enough for my pack, and wriggle space to get changed inside. The pertex material is supposedly waterproof, but if it’s raining you best strip off and get inside quickly.

A bivvy is not complete without a sleeping bag. My old down bag is warm but bulky, so I got myself a Black Wolf Hiker 200, which packs down to nothing (800g)!

Next up is a Low Alpine Aeon 35L pack. I needed a pack somewhere between my trusty Osprey Talon 22, which I use for commuting, and the 45-60L packs I use for tramping. A bigger pack risks overloading with unnecessary equipment, but it had to be sufficiently large to carry food/water/clothes and sleeping bag/bivvy. I haven’t used it yet, but it sits comfortably on my back and seems well designed. I’m a little worried about the mesh material used for the side and front pockets- will have to keep the sharp things in the main compartment. It’s mated to a bright orange Macpac rain cover, which I will keep on for regular riding to keep mud/dirt/sun off and to make myself visible on the road sections.

Shoes are one of the most important considerations for a unicyclist. Rotational weight matters a lot- in order to go fast, you have to spin at high cadence, and heavy shoes just don’t. My race shoes, the Merrell Bare Access 2 (360g/pr) and Adidas Terrex 225 (452g/pr) are great for spinning at 150rpm, but would fall apart after the first river crossing. It’s not a race….so I went for beefy footwear instead- Mountain Warehouse Curlews. With heavy duty tread, material and toebox, it felt comfortable and gave peace of mind despite being 876g/pr. As a bonus, they are also waterproof- I tested by standing in a stream- as long as you don’t submerge past your ankles. For $NZ62.99, they seem pretty good value.

Clothing- my trusty NZO shorts are falling apart, so I decided to try some Fox Rangers, along with a cheap pair of Arsuxeo shorts from Hong Kong to see how they compare. I’m liking the Fox Rangers so far, but it’s too early to tell.

Helmet- my Giro Aeon is getting a little worn, and I wanted a peak for my helmet to keep the sun off my face during TA. After trying a multitude of helmets, I went for another Giro (they always fit me best). This time it’s the Giro Radix MIPS helmet. It uses MIPS technology to protect against rotational forces in a crash. Clever marketing ploy or real improvement on older helmets? I don’t want to find out. There are big vents but it would take quite a helmet to beat the swiss cheesy Aeon. I was pleasantly surprised- it felt very light on my head (as feathery as the Aeon), but also breezier. Could be my imagination or the new haircut, but I like it a lot.

On that subject, I found this cool helmet hat attachment, an Ergodyne hard hat brim, for NZ$18. It slips over your helmet and attaches with velcro at the back to keep the sun off the side of your face and neck.

Raingear- having been disappointed with (loss of) waterproofing on my old bulky Gore Tex gear, I got cheery yellow Macinasac jacket. Another very compact and well priced item NZ$102.

I’ve collected a whole heap of other things which I won’t bore you with. The TA will be a good test of my gear choices.

The most important thing about unitouring is the unicycle. After all, without a unicycle, you’re not unitouring, you’re just touring!

My big decision is on which wheel size to ride. Looking at the route, most of it appears to be gravel, which will be ideal for a 36″ unicycle. My choices are between a 36″ Schlumpf (too heavy/complicated), my 2003 airfoil Coker (bombproof but also heavy), or my ultralight Alchemist carbon 36. Unfortunately the latter two have rims that are extremely tight- I don’t fancy having to wrestle a tyre off on the side of the road after 80km. Punctures are fact of life, especially on a 3000km trip.

Stepping down to the 29″ wheel makes sense- the tyre is easily removed, it is light and compact, and I have a lot of experience, the majority of my unitours were ridden on a 29. I have a whole stable of 29″ wheels, but my trusty YUni 29er was my initial choice. It is one of the earliest 29 unicycles, and has been with me everywhere over 20yrs, from the deserts of Uzbekistan to the grassland steppe of Mongolia, from crazy traffic in Cambodia to carrying groceries in Dubbo (Australia). Unfortunately, it uses square taper cranks. I didn’t fancy bringing multiple cranksets on the trip, and the tapers are getting rather worn.

That leaves me with my race unicycles. I am a big fan of the Triton, and have four sets of the Russian made titanium frames. The original 2008 version is the one which has seen the most action, and, after almost 15yrs of use, still looks brand new. I am not riding disc brakes (or any brake), so the newer Triton disc 29″ isn’t necessary.

I paired this up with my racing wheelset from the last two Unicons- a Lightbicycle RM29C14 carbon built around a Nimbus Equinox ISIS hub. It is very light, but also strong- getting me around the Karapoti Classic multiple times.

Tyres are next, and is a tricky thing to get right. With lot of helpful information on the TA forum, I went with their recommendation of a gravel tyre- the Vittoria Mezcal 2.2. It is very similar in appearance to one of my favourite 29 tyres, the WTB Nanoraptor, but has bigger volume, and is relatively light (649g). A light tyre is no good if doesn’t go where you point it, but after a test ride, I was very happy. It has a square profile and stiff sidewalls, which means it handles camber very well.

The crankset is a Nimbus VCX triple hole 100/125/150mm, saving a bit of weight over carrying two sets of cranks and a crank extractor. Pedals- am undecided between my Wellgo MG1 or a set of Gusset Slim Jims. I’m leaning toward the latter, which are heavier and more solid than the MG1s.

Seat choice comes next- 3000km is serious potential butt hurt! More choices! I have been riding the Mad4One handle saddle for a while now- I love the simplicity and lightweight design. It is very strong- there are very few welds and no moving parts. However, I decided to use a carbon NNC flatfish paired to a KH T-bar. The extra hand positions will come in handy. There is also a convenient place to attach my Garmin computer.

The total weight comes to 5.1kg, fairly respectable for a touring configuration. I’m happy!

It has been somewhat of a long term goal of mine to ride the length of New Zealand, but life often get in the way- not enough time, bad traffic, too much to organise and so on. I first heard about Tour Aotearoa, known as TA to participants, about 4-5 years ago. It’s a route that takes you from Cape Reinga, at the top of the North Island, to Bluff, at the bottom of the South Island. The great thing about TA is that a lot of logistical information is available and there is plenty of knowledge from people who have completed the tour on the TA website and facebook group. With Covid disrupting my plans for a group unicycle tour, I thought this is an ideal opportunity to see more of NZ before tourists return.

The tour is a brevet, which is a timed, long distance cycling event. There is no support. Riders camp or arrange their own accommodation, carry their own gear, and pass through 30 photo checkpoints. Riders can do TA on their own, or start in official waves from 25th February. You have between 10-30 days to complete the 3000km ride. There are no prizes, just bragging rights!

“Never underestimate a man who overestimates himself“

–Franklin D. Roosevelt

So can I do it? I guess you’ll find out over the next month. I ride the 160km Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge every year- it usually takes 8-10 hours. I have done multiple unicycle tours and unipacking trips around the world. However, to complete TA in under 30 days, I need to ride 100km+ back to back, for 30 days! It will be my longest and most challenging tour to date.

The best way to get started is not to think about it. Once the entry fee (a $100 donation to charity), the carbon offset ticket, and the spot tracker hire is paid, and you tell people about it, there is no backing out!

So in a little under two weeks I’ll be riding the length of New Zealand in the 2022 Tour Aotearoa Brevet. The aim is to complete the 3000km route in under 30 days. You can keep track of my progress on the live GPS map, starting on the 25th Feb.

It is an unsupported tour, with several hundred riders starting in waves from Cape Reinga at the top of the North Island, finishing in Bluff at the bottom of the South Island. This will be my longest ever unicycle tour, and my longest ever distances back to back! I will update this blog wherever I can!

Today would be our last day of riding, but also one of the most fun. There was little traffic as we rode on the dirt roads, but there were lots of hills today! It had rained heavily the night before, and we were protected from the sun as we rode through forest, so it was cool and pleasant.
We climbed up to some old ruins which used to be a holiday home used by the King. Phea gave us another interesting talk about local history as we walked around to enjoy the view.
There was a big descent as we headed out of the park, then a fast ride along the road to the finishing point of the tour. We were greeted at the end by our support crew ready with a supply of boiled corn which was a surprisingly good snack at the end of the ride.
We got on our support bus which took us to lunch, and then headed on to Phnom Penh. Some of the riders would stay on for a few days, while others would be flying out early. We thanked all our support crew and Jason for keeping us well fed and safe through the tour. Hopefully most of us will bring back many lasting memories

Many of the riders got up early for a morning swim on the beach, which was still very warm and pleasant.  After breakfast we left Sihanoukville for a transfer to Kirirom national park.  Lunch was at a resort called ‘Picnic’, which has amazing food that they grow themselves in their organic farm.  We enjoyed the beautiful surroundings with local musicians playing traditional instruments.

Our accommodation in Kirirom was set in the forest, where riders engaged in the activities like Petanque, soccer, or just swimming at the pool on our rest day.  Plenty more cocktails were had in the main building, and there was Karaoke and dancing late into the night.

Today was supposed to be another 100km+ day, but started on a very busy highway dodging trucks yet again.  After riding this for 10km, we decided to transfer for part of our route to the quieter backroads.  This proved to be a good choice, as the back road proved very scenic, through rice paddies and quaint little villages by the river. There were lots of people fishing, and kids running out to meet us or wave as we went past.   At a rest stop Ken treated everyone to a large Durian which he bought from a street vendor.  For most, it was their first time eating what is described as the most delicious fruit in the world, or the worst, depending on their palate.

We arrived at a resort on the beach, so most of the riders cooled off in the calm and deserted beach (although Sean insisted it was abnormally calm compared to Australian waters!)

Sihanoukville is one of the cities in China’s ‘Belt and Road Initiative’, a modern day Silk Road, so the area is home to a large population of expat Chinese. Dinner was from the resort’s Chinese inspired menu, a good way to refuel our tired muscles.  We watched another magnificent sunset over the horizon as it set over the sea.

Our ride today was fairly short. It started off on a busy main highway, but we turned off on a quiet back road through salt flats. Phea gave us a commentary on the area during our snack break, which we found very interesting. Lunch was at a local restaurant Rikitikitavi, overlooking the water. Our accommodation was another 2km out of town on a beautiful spot by the river where we watched the sunset. There were two swimming pools to enjoy while we sipped cocktails, as well as table tennis and games of pool to finish our day.