A chat with Ollie Whalley, rookie winner and record setter of the 2012 Tour Divide, on completion of his winning ride in the inaugral Tour Te Waipounamu.
So Ollie, it's been a few weeks now since your very successful ride in the inaugural Tour Te Waipounamu and on the surface it appeared to be a fairly trouble-free run. With the amazing weather we had it will take a special effort to beat your time of 5 days and 10 hours. Were there any issues that happened that we may not have noticed? For instance, we heard that there was a GPS cable issue?
Yep a fairly trouble free run with the most significant issue being that my GPS (Garmin Edge 800) wouldn’t take charge from either my dynamo or backup battery. Turns out it was a dodgy USB cable, which may have fatigued from all the bumps. I used my back-up navigation (app on my phone), which while frustrating at times got me to the finish.
I finally ran out of GPS battery in Methven so had to try and optimise my phone for navigation after that. I put it in battery saver mode, turned off the lock screen and dimmed it as much as I could
Did you have an actual holder for your phone or were you constantly getting it in and out of
your pocket/gas-tank?
No phone holder so initially I just stashed it in my pocket. First the pocket of my jersey, but at the end when the terrain got mellower I put it in the handy side pocket of my Ground Effect limousine shorts. I was really paranoid about losing it! For my long stint on the last night I Macgyvered up a system where the phone case was taped to my gas tank. This made it a bit easier at night but was pretty floppy so I put it back in my pocket for the final ride to the finish.
The other thing I noticed riding down from Stag saddle was a cracked handlebar, probably from an earlier off-track excursion. Again they got me to the finish but have been retired from bike packing duty.
I saw earlier that you went with one of the new Shimano dynamo hubs which are supposed to make more power at the lower speeds compared to the SON and SP hubs. What was your experience and if you were to do it again, would you recommend the dynamo approach?
Dynamo was awesome especially with the Shimano DH-UR700-3D hub which as you say puts out some good power at low speeds with the K-Lite charger. At 20 km/h I could charge my GPS in two hours, and 10,000 mah powerbank in 8 hours. I never ran short of charge despite the higher power usage of using my phone for navigation, and didn’t need to use my power socket USB charger at all.
What supplementary lighting system did you go with for the slower stuff where the dynamo
wasn’t able to give you enough light?
I used an Exposure Diablo Mk7 which puts out 1300 lumens when required. I usually dialled it right down so it would last for 24 hours. USB charge, super light and simple to use.
What about tires, did you err on the robust side, or did you go lighter and ride more conservatively?
I changed at the last minute from some butty Exo wall Ardents for some Specialized Renegades in 2.3 width. Super fast tread but quite thin sidewalls so I rode pretty conservatively, which is normally the best approach anyway. Would love to go back on my enduro bike and properly shred some of those downhills!
The only issue was a slow leak which wouldn’t seal on the Hawkdun range. I put in some goo (still no sealing), then a tube which got me to the finish. I got lucky with sharp rocks. I saw Martin’s deflating experience up Rainy River road where an innocuous rock massacred his sidewall and went on to cause him no end of drama.
Is it more of a hassle if you get a rear puncture with a Rohloff, than a typical derailleur set-
up?
Not really. Similar amount of faff to a rear derailleur once you learn the tricks to the Rohloff .
Was going with the Rohloff something you did specifically for this event, or was it just what
was on your bike at the time.
Didn’t put it on especially, it is my preferred transmission which I’ve run on my hardtail since my first Brevet in 2010. Like no other bike part it seems to get better the more I use it!
I noticed that my tools alone weighed more than half a kg. Do you feel like you took any risks in this department or did you treat it extra seriously, given that there were not really many places you could get help enroute? Did you take any spare cables, gear or usb, spokes or sidewall mending kit?
I took my normal spare parts kit which I think is pretty conservative. It included 2 x brake pads, spare chain links, spare bolts, tire plugs, spare goo, 2 x tubes. I did agonise over the last decision but remembered when I’d double flatted once in the past and how much it sucked.
I’ve never taken spare cables as if my shifter crapped out the hub effectively becomes an adjustable singlespeed. You can just hop off and change gears manually at the hub. I did leave my spare spokes behind this time, logic being that I could true the wheel to get it running straight enough without having to replace spokes. I love building wheels and personally rebuilt front and back wheels before the race to give certainty that they were less prone to breakage.
What were some of the things you dropped from your kit that you might have taken on an event that required less carrying and pushing?
The only thing I can think of here is my Z-Packs tent which I replaced with a water resistant bivvy based on the good forecast. After a summer of lugging buckets of gravel up stairs at home for a landscaping project the weight of my bike and gear wasn’t much of a concern and I feel like I didn’t take too many risks.
You mentioned in your story on the Ground Effect site that at different times you rode with Steve Halligan and Martin Strelka. Do you enjoy riding in the company of others or are you equally happy riding by yourself?
I squeeze most of my riding into my lunch hours, and have found that trying to squeeze in a decent loop around Nelson’s hills in this time isn’t that conducive to social riding. So I’m used to riding by myself and do enjoy this, but also relish the opportunity to ride with others, especially awesome riders like Steve and Martin. I was in a pretty low spot on Day 2 and reconnecting with Steve before we tackled the Dampier crossing was pretty cool and helped me get my head in a good space for the rest of the ride.
Early front-runners Steve and Martin both had shoe issues, did you have any problems yourself?
I was running Specialized Rime 2.0s which were just awesome. Super grunty vibram sole, not too hot, super fast drying, boa with lacing backup to adjust fit and a good sized toe box. I still had sore feet especially when they didn’t get a chance to dry out, but I think these were great for the course. Mark and Hana also ran them.
What do you think works for an event like this with such a large amount of hikeabike. A stiff
sole or a more flexible sole?
I think a moderate stiffness is good, provided there is still a bit of toe flex for when the walking get really steep. The Rime 2.0s came it at 6 on Specilaized’s stiffness index, whatever that means!
My shoe choice worked really well for me but it may not for everyone. Martin planned it pretty well with sending himself some shoes to Boyle River, and planning to send them back in Tekapo.
What part of the event did you find the most challenging? For me it was the hikeabike, probably on the Dampier Range, but the frustration of being on beautiful trails and having to stop so often to drag your bike over logs was also exasperating.
The most challenging part for me was following the poled route from Royal Hut to Stag Saddle. I may have taken some hot lines between poles which meant I was almost rock climbing in places. Definitely a relief to make it to the Saddle!
Do you agree with the theory that having the Dampier Range up first was possibly a good thing - if you could deal with that then everything else would be easy by comparison, or is that only obvious in hindsight?
Dampier came at a really good time for me to just reset the kilometre hunting mindset and refocus on just surviving and making it through the course safely. As Steve and I did it we were just gobsmacked at how steep and difficult the carry was, and picked there would be a few people cursing Brian as they pushed and dragged up the ridge.
I've decided that you can ride your bike for a long time, and not get too injured, but riding without resting is problematic. I listened to a recent interview with Kurt Refsnider - He now only rides events of limited distance because of the damage they cause to his body. Is this something that worries you, long term damage?
Definitely, this is something I’m very conscious of after some previous medical issues. This has included achilles tendonitis and nerve damage in my hands. In some ways the tough walking heavy course made this a healthier race for me as there was less time in the saddle and lots of chances to stretch different muscles. My hands are actually really good, with no numbness and just a little bit of lost strength. I put this down to a higher front end on my bike (140mm travel) which put more weight on my bum.
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| Time-lapse photography of a micro-nap |
For you, is there a particular time of the day when you enjoy riding the most? For me it’s typically the evening, but I have to say, this time, if I happened across a hut at 8:30 then wild horses couldn’t drag me away!
My favourite time to ride is in the early morning, just before sunrise and the proceeding hours. Everything feels so fresh and new and I get pretty stoked on being out there at this time. Riding up out of Lawrence was a good example of this for me, the rollercoasters of Breakneck Road with the morning mist clearing was a highlight!
Brian Alder gave us a lot of detail on what to expect in the TTW. Where do you feel you underestimated the level of difficulty the most? For me I think it was the amount of hikeabike through the Hawkdun Range.
The Dampier crossing was definitely a rude awakening for me and after that my level of ‘normal’ difficulty was reset to the point where I didn’t perceive the subsequent hike-a-bike as being too difficult.
There were quite a few adventure racers that did very well in the TTW. What do you think it was about them that made them so competitive? Was it their creative bike carrying skills?
Lots of good crossover with adventure racing. I would say the course they race on can be pretty difficult, and the amount of hiking required in TTW would play to their strengths. It was cool to hear about Georgia’s sneaky tricks in the Pedal On Podcast. Those are out of the bag now so she’ll have to come up with some new ones!
In the gnarliest stuff, were you a pusher, a carrier or did you use a carrying harness?
I pushed where I didn’t need to lift my front wheel, then when things got slower I’d lower my seat and hook the nose over my shoulder (either from the front or the back). I’d made a special foam and plastic protector and fitted it under my seat rails which worked with my bony collarbone. This meant I could carry hands free. I was lucky to be tall to get ground clearance, and could twist across the slope to get more. It took me some fine tuning to get this working but it is my preferred way to carry now.
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| Hawkdun Range moonscape. |
At different times, different people had problems digesting their food. Are you someone that has no problem eating on the run, or do you have to stop every so often for a more relaxed meal to give it time to digest?
I struggled on the second day. It took me about a day to get through a packet of Full-o-fruit which I normally wolf down. I’m happy to eat on the run, but would treat myself to a 10-15 min stop for lunch most days to have a proper meal. (mostly wraps and flavoured tuna packets). I’ve had some digestion issues in the past and it is pretty awful so feel for those people!
You mentioned that since you started a family that your bikepacking activity has slowed down a lot. A quick look at the entrants shows quite a few people without kids. Do you feel extra lucky to be able to get out there on such a big adventure while you still have family commitments?
Absolutely. I’m super fortunate to have a supportive wife Heidi who saw how excited I was at the prospect of this big adventure and helped create some space for me to prepare. They get some benefits too as I’m a bit more chilled out during the recovery phase, lots of stories in bed and sedate family rides are enough to keep me content.
Is there one piece of equipment that really stuck out for you as being something you would be lost without?
Definitely my Ground Effect Limousines. A big fear for me was that my butt wouldn’t stand up to the abuse given the lack of chamois time, but with these amazing shorts I was fine and came through with no drama. I used the sidepockets heaps too and being merino they weren’t even (that) stinky after 5.5 long days.
Thanks heaps for sharing Ollie!
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| Slope Point. The end. |
- Liam Croziers Tour Te Waipounamu thoughts
- Ollie Whalley's report on Ground Effect site
- Tony LeSueur's report
- Brendon Pheasant's Report
- A previous Te Waipounamu story, (this site)
- https://www.highlux.co.nz/ (Mark Watson's ride)
- Lewis Ciddor interviews Brian Alder after the Tour Te Waipounamu
- The Pedal-On Podcast: The Follow-up. 1 of 3 TTW podcasts
- Hike-Bike-Cake : TTW riders and rigs
Ollies kit, (Thanks Ben) from https://hikebikecake.com/tour-te-waipounamu-2021-riders-and-rigs/
EXPERIENCE: Tour Divide winner and record holder 2012, Tour Aotearoa etc.
BIKE:I’m riding a Lynskey Ridgeline SL 29, my front wheel is a Shimano DH-UR708-3D dynamo hub on Light Bikes carbon rim and the rear is a Rohloff Speedhub 500/14 on No tubes Arch. Brakes and crankset are Shimano XT. Handlebars are Carver MyTi carbon and forks are X-Fusion Trace 140m. USB charge/light are kLite Ultra.
BAGS:The frame pack, chaff, handlebar roll and top tub garage are Bike Bad Dude with a Blackburn Outpost Elite saddle bag
SLEEPING: Titanium Goat Ptarmigan Bivy, Western Mountaineering HIghlite sleeping bag and Thermarest NeoAair XLite mat.
NUTRITION: Snickers bars
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS / STRATEGIES: Ground Effect clothing
Website: mountainpedalernz Instagram: @whalleyollie
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