The Long Ride

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Eagerly Awaited: The Maneha 250

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The Maneha 250 seems to define Overland Base Camp in many ways.  The ride is really challenging, it includes camping, offers lots of great food, provides a route that you will never forget, and is just different from what people expect.

With that in mind, the 2016 Maneha 250 is scheduled, planned, and it's time to register!

Event Details here:  2016 Maneha 250

Register here:  Bikereg.com

The 2016 Maneha is bigger than ever.  We've made a lot of changes from last year.  We've got more options for riding than ever before; this year we're offering:

  • Solo Rider:  You're relying on yourself but you can certainly ride with others.  You have to have a SPOT tracker -- you can rent one from us or bring your own.
  • Team:  You can ride with teams of 3 to 6 riders.  The entry fee is a bit less and you can share SPOT trackers.
  • One-Way:  It's still early in the season so some people chose to make the ride up and get shuttled back home the next day.  This is a good option if this type of ride is new for you.  Do not take the one-way lightly.  Riding 125 miles of mixed-terrain in a single day is very, very challenging.
  • Bikepacking:  For those survivalists or riders testing equipment for Tour Divide or other big projects, the bikepacking category provide a good opportunity to fine-tune your equipment list and test your theories and assumptions about how best to be self-sufficient.  
  • Superflyweight:  This is the category for riders that want to fly on the trails.  125 miles is a very long day no matter how light you travel.  The Superflyweight is the most popular category.

We hope that you can find a category that suits you well.

We strongly recommend that you don't miss out on this ride.  If there is one mixed-terrain adventure to participate in for 2016, we think this is the one.

If you joined us last year for the Maneha 250, and you want to ride with us again, you'll receive a 20% discount on the entry fee.  Contact us for your discount code.  Don't worry, the route is different so it'll feel like an entirely new event.  And we have some changes planned for the overnight.

We hope to see you on the Maneha trails. 

Email us with any questions about the event.

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Electricity for 24-Hour Mixed-Terrain Bike Rides

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Here's the list of electronics I carry on any given all-day mixed-terrain ride.  It's getting a bit out of control.  And it requires too many electrical wall outlets and a tangle of cables; if I were to charge all these items at the same time it would require 14 outlets.  Therefore, I have to charge everything in stages, particularly when traveling.

My primary bike also has a generator hub, generator light, and Sinewave USB charger.  Regardless, I still carry all the lights and batteries mentioned below.

Will Not Ride Without

  • GPS Device:  Garmin 1000
  • GPS Device:  Garmin 810:  I always ride with a backup GPS unit.  I've had too many adventures where my Garmin ended up having a major issue.  The backup unit provides me confidence to head into the woods without hesitation.  And, my phone is my third backup - or fourth, see below - so I have no worries.  I have other GPS units but this combination I find to work best in most cases.
  • Phone
  • Battery backup 5,600mAh.
  • Battery backup 12,000mAh.  Three reasons I carry a second larger backup battery:  
    1. In the winter, battery life gets reduced by up to 75%; I've been on rides where my Garmin dies after about 3 hours.  
    2. When I'm riding with other people I find this backup has come in handy a number of times.
    3. If I have a mishap and will end up being outside throughout an evening, this backup will keep some items powered through an unexpected additional 10+ hours of dark.
  • Headlight:  Light & Motion Urban.  I typically use this for my helmet mount.  No better light placement for night riding in the woods - so you can see around a corner, or for urban riding - where you want drivers to see you.
  • Headlight backup:  Light & Motion Gobe 700.  I've found that the only truly waterproof light is the Gobe.  They're cumbersome for helmet mounting, and for riding in general, but being stuck in a lightning storm at 2am on the trails without light is not something I want to live through again.
  • Headlight backup:  Light & motion Gobe 700.  I carry enough lights that I can ride throughout the night without running out of light - regardless of my generator light.  I've had my generator system die on me once; don't want the ride in the dark again.
  • Taillight:  Clip-on to jersey pocket.  I use a battery operated taillight, not a USB chargeable.  USB chargeable don't last long enough.
  • Taillight:  Small mounted to helmet tail.
  • Electronic shifting:  If you have Di2 or eTap electronic shifting, make sure you do a full charge before any big ride.  With eTap make sure you check the brifter batteries, too.

Vanity Items

Items I pretty much always carry on all-day rides, but that I don't really need.

  • Camera:  Sony RX100 III.  Note:  For the photo above, I used this camera so I had a stand in - that's why the 'camera' looks a lot like an external hard-drive in this photo.
  • Video Camera:  Garmin VIRB or GoPro 4.

Don't Like Riding Without

These are items for other riders, or I'll bring if the weather or riding conditions indicate it.

  • Foot Warmer Batteries:  In temperatures below 20 degrees I'll typically wear Hotronics FootWarmers.
  • Third backup GPS device:  Garmin 800
  • Video Camera Backup:  Either second VIRB or GoPro 4 - or both.
  • Headlight backup:  Light & Motion Urban.  If you're counting, this is the fourth battery operated headlight I carry.  While the Gobe is more water-resistant than the Urban, the Urban is a better helmet mount headlight.  I've never killed an Urban in rain during its first charge.  However, if I'm doing multiple days in the rain, I expect the Urban to have issues; I'll keep it well protected from water until I need it.

That's about it.  Charging all this stuff takes a while; I better get started.

What electronics do you carry for your long rides?