The ultra-distance doyenne is racing a Corvus Akio fat bike at the Iditarod Trail Invitational
Lael Wilcox will ride 500km through Alaska in temperatures reaching -30ºC on a fat bike with studded, four-inch tyres.
The ultra-endurance star is tackling the Iditarod Trail Invitational, a 350-mile self-supported race across frozen lakes, mountain ranges and windy tundra.
Competitors set off from Knik Lake, near Anchorage, on Sunday 25 February and Wilcox hopes to reach the remote village of McGrath in three days.
They follow in the paw prints of the Iditarod dog ‘mushing’ race, which Wilcox followed while growing up in Alaska.
There is not a set route, but competitors must pass through seven checkpoints, where food and basic accommodation are provided.
Nonetheless, Wilcox has strapped sleeping gear to her Corvus Akio fat bike, in case she needs to sleep out.
Let’s take a closer look at the bike and kit Wilcox is taking.
Lael Wilcox’s Corvus Akio fat bike
One of the previous record times for the Iditarod Trail Invitational was set on the Corvus Akio, a carbon fibre fat bike.
Corvus, an Anchorage-based brand, says its most balanced and capable bike is equally at home in the backcountry and on trails as in the snow.
Wilcox’s Akio is built around a 12-speed, mechanical SRAM XO Eagle groupset with a 30t Truvativ Stylo carbon crank.
At the back, the Akio has a 10-52t SRAM XO Eagle cassette, which Wilcox may need to winch the heavily loaded bike up the Iditarod Trail’s mountain passes.
If the snow is particularly deep, Wilcox tells BikeRadar she may end up having to walk at 3km/h for hours at a time.
To cool off speed down descents, Wilcox has specced SRAM CenterLine rotors (180mm front and 160mm back) and SRAM Level TLM brakes.
Four-inch, studded tyres
The Akio rolls on 27.5in Corvus Big Su carbon wheels, which can be run with tyre pressures as low as 4-6psi, according to the brand.
The Alaska Edition 150SL hubs are claimed to provide fast engagement, even in cold weather.
Wilcox has chosen to run the Terrene Yippee Ki Yay 27.5×4.3in lightly studded tyres set up tubeless. They are said to weigh 1,640g each and cost $230.
A 3D-printed saddle
The £290 / $325 Specialized Power Pro with Mirror saddle stands out as a luxury component on an otherwise functional build.
But 500km is a long way, even by Wilcox’s standards, so it’s understandable she wants the added comfort afforded by a 3D-printed saddle.
Flat pedals are a common choice on fat bikes, but Wilcox will ride Time Atac XC 8 clipless mountain bike pedals.
A crowded cockpit
Packed around a 780mm Corvus Carbon Dive Bar, Wilcox has slotted two Hydro Flask insulated bottles into feedbags. At least one of these will carry Gnarly Nutrition Fuel20 energy drink.
An Egress Pocket handlebar bag sits in front. A Mag-Tank 2000 top-tube bag will hold “lots of cookies”.
Wilcox says: “You have to carry food with high concentrations of fat so it doesn’t freeze rock hard.”
She will have to carry a lot of food and water with her because opportunities to resupply on the Iditarod Trail are rare.
You’re a fire starter
The same goes for spares and repairs. In her frame bag and panniers, Wilcox has packed a pump, inner tube, tyre lever, tubeless plugs, derailleur hanger, quick-links, a quick-link tool, a multi-tool, zip ties and chain lube.
The inclusion of a fire starter and matches underlines the Iditarod Trail Invitational is not a typical bikepacking race.
Wilcox has also packed a powerbank to recharge her Wahoo Rival cycling watch and extra AA batteries for her Black Diamond Icon Polar Headlamp.
A $1,170, -32ºC sleeping bag
Wilcox’s Puma GWS Expedition sleeping bag from Western Mountaineering is rated for -32ºC. The shell is made mostly from Gore Infinium fabric and it costs $1,170.
Along with an insulated sleeping mat and Mountain Laurel Designs FKT Event Bivy bag, this is packed into a stuff sack strapped onto the rear rack.
Unsurprisingly, Wilcox is aiming to make it between the checkpoints, where there are canvas bell tents, without sleeping. However, there is a 130km gap where she might have to.
When sleeping in such low temperatures, Wilcox says: “You don’t really recover. It’s just so cold and it’s hard to rest. And it’s hard to pack all your gear the next day with big mittens on.”
Ski goggles and a balaclava
Wilcox will don a Fjallraven Nordic Heater synthetic fur hat over a North 45 Anti-Fog magnetic Balaclava. This full-face mask has a magnetic attachment to hold her Smith ski goggles.
Included on her heavily wool-based clothing list are the $495 45Nrth Wølfgar Boa Boots.
Compatible with two-bolt cleats, these winter cycling shoes are claimed to use NASA-grade insulation to keep your feet warm down to -32ºC.
Round the World preparation?
Wilcox will attempt to break Jenny Graham’s Guinness World Record for the fastest female circumnavigation of the world in May.
But she doesn’t see the 350-mile Iditarod as specific preparation.
“I wonder if they really have anything in common: riding the fat bike in the winter and then getting on a road bike in the summer riding a lot faster,” she says.
Instead, she wants to complete the shorter version of the Iditarod to qualify for the 1,000-mile event next year.
Wilcox says she’ll ride the Specialized Roubaix for her Round-the-World record attempt. Keep an eye on BikeRadar for a preview of that bike.