Bike, Run, and Ski gear guide

The required equipment for each race is listed on the specific race guides. The information here may be of interest to racers in either race. It is hoped this will answer many questions regarding specific equipment used by racers in each of the three divisions. If some of this is unclear or you have questions after reading this section, please email us at info@susitna100.com.

Universal Gear

Applies to every racer, every division.

  • The most common mistake racers make is overdressing. Your body throws off enormous heat while you're moving. During most of the race you're a portable space heater, and you'll be surprised how warm you stay just by moving. Overdress and you'll sweat through your layers, gain water weight, lose insulation, and end up colder than if you'd worn less.

    Aim for two things: enough venting to let heat escape before you sweat, and enough wind protection to keep the wind from stripping your heat away (or worse, freezing skin). In practice that's a windproof front, breathable back, layered light, with a wicking layer (Capilene, Drilete) against your skin. Multiple thin layers with neck zippers let you dump or trap heat as you go.

    A note on "breathable waterproof" fabrics like Gore-Tex: they clog with ice below freezing. Fine as a windproof front panel, but on your sides and back they trap moisture and ice up. And if it's 20 to 30 below, venting is the least of your worries. Get your whole body in a good shell.

    Heat packs (Grabber, MyCoal) put out warmth for hours. For feet, place one on the ball of the foot with a thin sock between the pack and skin; add a second on top of the toes for more. Disposables beat reusables: lighter, more effective.

    One rule that holds all race: if you feel warm at the starting line, you're overdressed.

  • The rules require an insulated container of at least two quarts (64 oz). Make sure to test your hydration system thoroughly before race day!  Insulate the bottles or bladder tube well.

strictly for bikes

More than any other division, the bike race rewards equipment knowledge. What's here minimizes failure. For a competitive edge, that's on you.

  • Most cold injuries hit the feet, and bikers are more vulnerable than anyone. The rule: be proactive. Don't wait for your feet to get cold. By the time it hurts enough to stop, you've likely done damage, and you'll lose real time (and maybe toes) recovering.

    A foot-protection system that works, inside to out:

    1. Liner sock, thin as possible

    2. Neoprene sock: waterproof, windproof, not so snug it cuts off circulation

    3. Expedition-weight polypropylene sock

    4. Shoe oversized a couple sizes to fit layers 1 through 3; stuff the dead space in the toe box with insulation

    5. Neos overboot, your primary armor against wind, snow, ice, and water. Insulated nordic overboots also work.

    The trail will force it anyway, but the blood flow keeps your feet alive. There's a reason runners get away with less foot gear.

    Hands: carry 2 to 3 weights of glove to wear under pogies (oversized mittens fixed over the handlebars). Pogies let you ride barehanded when you'd otherwise need gloves, and gloved when you'd need mittens: better bike control and easier eating, drinking, and adjusting.

    Below zero, cycling speed generates enough wind chill to freeze exposed skin fast. Watch your riding partners' faces for white spots. Careful with metal and plastic: glasses, jewelry, and zipper pulls get cold enough to cause frostbite. Carry an extra insulating layer, about 20 degrees' worth, in case you have to walk a while.

  • It's all about tire width. Occasionally the trail's firm enough for 2.2" (56mm) tires, but usually more width means more riding and less pushing. Fat bikes are the equipment of choice (carbon, aluminum, or steel frames with 4 to 5" tires) because conditions change fast and unpredictably.

    Save weight on your other gear before spending on a lighter bike. Dropping the rear rack and panniers, mounting your sleeping bag under the bars, and using a big seat bag and frame bag saves about 3 pounds for far less money.

    Test your fully loaded bike on snowmobile trails before the race. Groomed multi-use trails give you a false sense of adequacy. Trail firmness isn’t uniform and changes during the race. There's no substitute for training on Susitna Valley snowmobile trails.

  • The most common bike problems we see: flats from tire creep, racks and panniers damaged by rough trail, and broken chains.

    1. Glue your tires to the rims with tubular glue or 3M Fast Tak, all the way around one side, leaving the other unglued for fixing flats.

    2. Tire pressure varies with conditions, so you'll have to experiment. Beginners almost always run too hard; as snow softens, so should your tires. When in doubt, let air out. Mini pumps now rival frame pumps and can ride warm inside your jacket. Presta valves resist freezing better than Schrader.

    3. Tape your tools so you're not touching cold metal during repairs. Below about -30°F, little works well. Plastics get brittle, and bottle cages, toeclips, pedals, and cable housing can break.

strictly for foot

  • Runners and snowshoers generate steady heat at low wind chill, so you can usually run lighter than you'd guess. A setup that works:

    • Head: Windblock headband, backed by a polypro hat, balaclava, fleece "bomber" hat, and neoprene face mask

    • Upper: Lightweight polypro tee and t-neck plus a single-layer Gore-Tex wind-shirt, backed by a down sweater and 3-layer Gore-Tex rain jacket

    • Hands: Thin polypro gloves and nylon over-mittens, backed by pile mittens and 3-layer Gore-Tex over-mittens

    • Lower: Polypro briefs and lycra tights, backed by polypro long-johns and nylon wind pants. Snowshoers: wear the wind pants the whole race, since the snowshoe tails kick snow up your back and legs.

    • Feet: Polypro socks and running shoes, backed by neoprene socks. Snowshoers add lightweight gaiters. Studded shoes usually don't help.

  • If it's below zero at the start:

    • Head: Switch to a neoprene headband and heavier windblock balaclava; consider wearing both from the start

    • Upper: Bump the t-neck to medium weight, add a pile jacket

    • Hands: Skip gloves, bring light and heavy mittens instead

    • Lower: Drop the lycra tights for a heavier "Koch-type" pant; make sure your long-johns fit over it and your wind pants over both

    • Feet: Add neoprene overboots as backup

  • Race in your favorite running shoes whether you run or snowshoe. Just make sure the neoprene socks you'll add after dark still fit comfortably inside. Keep moving and relatively dry and your feet will never be cold.

strictly for skis

  • Skiers fall between bikers and runners. Skating at 8 to 10 mph you'll generate lots of heat but give some back to wind chill; at a low steady pace you'll run warm like a snowshoer. As with every discipline, your job is to read your own heat and adjust, minimizing sweat loss without letting hypothermia in. (See Universal Gear above for the layering principle.)

  • Most skiers now skate. Sleds and packs affect skaters less than classical skiers, skate glide wax handles dirty and changing snow better than classical kick wax, and skate skis are faster over most conditions you'll hit.

    But classical skis have real advantages. They let you stride over narrow stretches where skaters are stuck double-poling for miles, they let you shuffle and keep moving when you're wrecked (hard to do on skate skis), they work better in very cold snow, and their extra length floats better in new or soft snow. Seriously consider classical if there'll be lots of fresh snow, extreme cold, or you plan to ski slow.

  • Skate skiers should consider shorter than standard racing length. You get less float and control in soft snow, but they let you keep skating on narrow trails, they're more durable, and they're lighter and easier to handle when you're tired. Most skaters do best on mid-length skate skis, 170 to 188 cm.

    On stiffness, varied conditions make it hard to predict, so a medium-stiff ski for your body weight is the safe bet. Remember a backpack effectively adds about 20 pounds, which flattens your skis more than usual and shortens the kick zone on classical skis.

  • No single wax nails every condition out there. Pick one super-durable job that works across a range, something like four layers of Start green, or Vauhti green fluor mixed with a couple layers of graphite. Durable, forgiving across temperatures, and holds up in dirty snow.

    Keep the poor conditions in mind on all your gear choices. You won't be on groomed trails, and a broken part out here isn't a walk back to the car. Favor durability and easy repair. Don't start on worn or untested equipment, and always carry a repair kit: duct tape, repair sleeves and hose clamps for poles or drawbars, spare binding screws, screwdriver, pliers.