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Mike Cotty's 666km trans-Alpine bike setup

A look at Mike Cotty's bike and tech setup before he embarks on 666km ride through the Alps on Monday morning

Tomorrow morning Mike Cotty will embark on a 666km trans-Alpine epic challenge, pitching him against 17 cols and 16,000m of climbing. We revealed the details of the route and a video teaser last week, and now we can take a look at the bike he'll be riding, plus some of the other tech challenges he faces in the 36-hour non-stop ride.

At this point we’ll pass over to Mike to talk us through the details of his bike, his lighting solution, Mavic backup and a glimpse of the food he’ll be working through on the ride.

At the heart lies a Cannondale Evo Hi-Mod frameset equipped with Mavic Cosmic Carbone Ultimate wheels and Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 9070 11 speed groupset. The conclusion I quickly came to is if the Evo is good enough to take everything Peter Sagan can throw at it then, even in anger, my legs aren't going to worry it too much.

With the distance and amount of climbing that I hope to achieve, weight is a major consideration, but not to the detriment of durability or performance. I'm not into crazy light (and sometimes dangerous) components just to shave off the equivalent of two gulps of water in weight as I'd much prefer to have full confidence in my equipment, especially when hurtling down the Galibier in the dark.

I normally reserve my Mavic Cosmic Carbone Ultimate wheels for "special occasions", but they've be summoned back to the front line for this ride. Their ridiculous light weight and stiffness give an immediate "feel good factor". The only thing is they're so responsive that they seem to continually be begging to be ridden faster so I'll have to do what I can to hold my composure.

For me, Shimano Di2 is something of a revelation for endurance riding. Fatigued hands may not be the first thing you think about when on your bike but I've found that literally just having to make the slightest finger movement to shift (especially on the left side) all adds up to feeling fresher over the course of my longest rides. I'm going to coin that as an MC marginal gain...

I prefer to try and maintain a higher cadence, especially when in the mountains, so am running a 34x28 as my lowest gear. My main goal is to try and make it to Nice. The distance alone is one thing: chuck in 17 mountains like some bright spark did (oh that was me) and I need to give my legs all the help they can get.

The prospect of sitting on the bike for the best part of 36 hours is daunting to say the least so it's essential to be very intimate with your touch points. I've used the Fi'zi:k Aliante saddle since it was launched and despite not being able to gloat having a stature like a "Bull" (more like a Sparrow) as the Italian brand's marketing would suggest I've found that the curvature and padding suit me well.

USE Summit carbon handlebars help to soak up some of the road vibration and with integrated cable guides it also makes neat work when routing Di2 wires as I found out when building the bike. As they have an oversized diameter I keep bar tape to a single wrap as I don't like it feeling too chunky.

To light the way during the darkest depths of the night I'll be using an Exposure Reflex on the bike and Joystick on the helmet. Dishing out a combined 2600 lumens I've given up being surprised when oncoming vehicles flash me to turn them down. Out back Exposure's Blaze will have the job of keeping me seen, even if I'm not heard. At this time of year I expect to be in the dark for around 7.5 hours which shouldn't be a problem in terms of battery life and burn times.

Talking of battery life, one area that I've paid particular attention to is powering the Garmin for the duration (estimated 36 hours). Using an Exposure Piggyback battery, and boost cable, will fully charge the unit three times whilst on the go. My biggest problem was actually having enough clearance to plug the USB connector into the unit without it fouling on the faceplate of the stem. I got around this having a custom clamp 3D printed by Raceware Direct that is 15mm longer than standard. Don't you just love technology?

Having dedicated an extortionate amount of time training for this, sometimes to the detriment of my personal life, and not wanting things to be scuppered by a mechanical I'll have a spare bike ready in the form of an EVO with Ultegra Di2, setup exactly the same in terms of position and touch points as my main bike should the unthinkable happen."

Here’s the full details of his bike build:

Frameset: Cannondale EVO Hi-Mod (56cm)
Wheels: Mavic Cosmic Carbone Ultimate
Tubulars: Mavic Yksion Pro Griplink & Powerlink (23mm)
Shifters: Shimano Dura-Ace 9070 Di2 11 speed
Calipers: Shimano Dura-Ace with Swissstop Yellow King pads
Crankset: Cannondale SiSL 2 crank with one piece 34/50t spider-ring
Pedals: Mavic Zxellium SLR Ti
Cassette: Shimano Dura-Ace 11-28t
Chain: Shimano Dura-Ace
Handlebar: USE Summit Carbon (420mm C-C)
Stem: USE Race (120mm)
Seatpost: USE Alien Carbon (27.2mm x 270mm)
Saddle: Fi:zi'k Aliante Carbon
Bottle cages: Lezyne Carbon SL
GPS: Garmin 800
Lighting: Exposure Reflex, Joystick and Blaze
Weight: 5.9kg (excluding lights)

Will you have any support on the road?

For years I've watched in awe as the yellow Mavic service vehicles patrol the peloton like a guardian angel to the professionals. For this ride I'm in a very fortunate position to have to have a Mavic support car (equipped with all my spares, kit and food) and team watching out for me.

Whilst the purists may see this as 'the easy way out' compared to an unsupported ride, for me this is a personal challenge that I wish to share with some of the closest people in my life. Have you ever tried explaining the moment to someone after it's happened? No matter how hard you try you just can't paint the same picture in words and photographs.

I know that experiences like this really are once in a lifetime. Whilst I may be the guy sat on the bike a lot of people have put in countless hours to help me get to this point which I am truly grateful for, so I hope being able to share this experience is a little payback for all their help. And, let's face it, having a Mavic support car is the stuff kids dreams are made of......well, mine anyway.

As is the volatile and ever changing nature of the mountains, it's impossible to predict exactly what conditions may be faced. Preparing for every eventuality has been a mission in itself. I've sectioned all of my kit, packed in bags and labelled accordingly so it's very easy to locate whilst on the move. Scrabbling about in a kit bag trying to find what you need, especially when sleep deprived, is not something I relish the thought of and from past experience I've found this to be the most efficient system - both for my own head and for that of my support team.

Keeping the calories coming in throughout the ride is crucial. Again, everything is boxed and prepared in advance to keep things as simple as possible. I'll mainly be using traditional energy bars, gels and drinks along with some savoury snacks for later in the ride to give my stomach a breather from all the sweet stuff.

We asked Mike about his training, the most crucial aspect of preparing for a ride like this. He told us the hardest training period was the final weekend a fortnight before the challenge, which consisted of  20.5 hours of riding in a 27 hour period.

I went through some pretty low moments that weekend, especially during the night on my own, but it was a very important part of my mental preparation - knowing how my body and mind reacts to certain situations and how to overcome the feeling that when you're completely broken there's still a way forward and the will to keep going. We live in hope.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has played a part in bringing this dream to life. Hopefully I've got just about everything covered which means the only thing left to do now is go ride. Au revoir!

Mike Cotty

David worked on the road.cc tech team from 2012-2020. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds, and you can now find him over on his own YouTube channel David Arthur - Just Ride Bikes

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28 comments

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albinosloth | 10 years ago
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I just did pretty much the exact same route (took me 6 days though  10 ) in reverse and it was the most beautiful cycling I can possibly imagine. Looks like you've finished it now so massive congratulations, what an absolutely incredible achievement.

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wyadvd | 10 years ago
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I went through all the equipment challenges you have gone through to get my super radonneur (the 600km ride totally support free I might add!- but not climbing 17 proper mountains !). I charged my garmin using right angled mini usb male to female connector from eBay . And a power walker usb battery from maplin. (10000mah) unfortunately had to carry 5kg of luggage .

Btw : get those carbs down yah! Lol

Wyadvd aka the machine ( anything but I can assure you!)

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razers | 10 years ago
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Fantastic route...wishing you lots of luck...looking forward to watching your progress

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Sudor | 10 years ago
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Good luck and take special care on those tempting descents

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Roberj4 | 10 years ago
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All the very best Mike enjoy the experience. Can't wait for your end report.

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Colin Peyresourde | 10 years ago
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 9

Erm, good point guys. I didn't know that Mavic did tyres. But I guess I should have known about the clothing....

 30  35

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chickeee replied to Colin Peyresourde | 10 years ago
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Mavic aero tyres to go with their aero wheels: http://www.mavic.com/en/product/tyres/tyres/tyres

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Al'76 | 10 years ago
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Want one...a lot  20

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Colin Peyresourde | 10 years ago
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Mike - what tyres are you using on your wheels? Also what kit are you wearing? (Assos, Castelli, Rapha, Etxexondo etc....interested to know what rain wear you're packing mostly - when the sh1t is hitting the fan it's important to have good stuff.

Good luck and bon journée.

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CycleLuddite replied to Colin Peyresourde | 10 years ago
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Colin Peyresourde wrote:

Mike - what tyres are you using on your wheels? Also what kit are you wearing? (Assos, Castelli, Rapha, Etxexondo etc....interested to know what rain wear you're packing mostly - when the sh1t is hitting the fan it's important to have good stuff.

Good luck and bon journée.

I assume his tyres are Mavic  3

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David Arthur @d... replied to Colin Peyresourde | 10 years ago
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Colin Peyresourde wrote:

Mike - what tyres are you using on your wheels? Also what kit are you wearing? (Assos, Castelli, Rapha, Etxexondo etc....interested to know what rain wear you're packing mostly - when the sh1t is hitting the fan it's important to have good stuff.

Good luck and bon journée.

It's going to be all Mavic kit Colin

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Mike Cotty replied to Colin Peyresourde | 10 years ago
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Colin Peyresourde wrote:

Mike - what tyres are you using on your wheels? Also what kit are you wearing? (Assos, Castelli, Rapha, Etxexondo etc....interested to know what rain wear you're packing mostly - when the sh1t is hitting the fan it's important to have good stuff.

Good luck and bon journée.

Hi Colin,

I used Mavic Yksion Griplink (front) and Powerlink (rear) 23mm tubulars glued to Cosmic Carbone Ultimate wheels. No punctures & I stayed upright the whole way (even when the descent of the Turini was trying its best to chew me up) which I guess is the best testament I could give to them.

In terms of kit, I spent a massive amount of time testing and putting everything together so I had the confidence in my own mind I could survive if the elements stacked up against me.

Initially I rode in Mavic Stelvio bib shorts and Infinity jersey. At the summit of the Croix de Fer in prep for the night I put on leg warmers, arm warmers, a short sleeve undervest & new Infinity jersey (the original was sodden with sweat). To keep the windchill at bay I used either the Helium gillet or Helium H2O jacket. Both are über light and can be stowed in a pocket easily. For extremities I used the Spring Race gloves, toe covers and winter underhelmet skull cap (again from Mavic). I was very, very, lucky with the weather! If it had turned I had a solid amount of waterproof kit at the ready but even with this there's only so much my body can take before it shuts down in the cold so thankfully it stayed dry and warm!!

You are right, it is very important to have good kit that you have confidence in. For me the ride was stressful enough - months of training, planning, preparation and worrying about the uncontrollable (weather). Everything else I felt I could control (like bike prep, kit, nutrition, route, logistics etc) I tried my best to get right in advance.

Thanks for your support!

Mike

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bfslxo | 10 years ago
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Best of luck Mike

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rookybiker | 10 years ago
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Time's pedals are now branded Mavic Zxellium?

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Mike Cotty replied to rookybiker | 10 years ago
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rookybiker wrote:

Time's pedals are now branded Mavic Zxellium?

......er, nothing to see here (yet) move along peeps....  3 #EagleEye!

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bendertherobot | 10 years ago
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Mad man, brilliant, super, lucky, mad man.

Can't help but feel a wifli with 32 might have been wise mind.  13

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arrieredupeleton | 10 years ago
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bikecellar | 10 years ago
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Belated good luck, hopefully Road cc will update on progress

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GerardR | 10 years ago
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Envy, envy, envy. Oh no, wait, there are mountains in the way: it's not just a ride in the northern summer.

Good luck - though good preparation usually trumps luck. Can't wait for the video.

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Nick T | 10 years ago
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John West Light Lunches? Not sure this is the time to watch the calories to be honest  3

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Mike Cotty | 10 years ago
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Thanks to everyone for all the luck and support. Very much appreciated! @Some Fella - fear not, I have some savoury treats at the ready so hopefully I can prolong the nauseous feeling that I know is a part of trying to ask my body to do something like this (when every part of it is in revolt). Thanks again all. Mike

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Some Fella | 10 years ago
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He clearly knows what he is doing (despite clearly being of unsound mind) but i do hope he has some proper grub over the course of the trip.
All them nasty processed bars will play havoc with his tummy after a while i dare say and be such a shame for such an amazing adventure to be ruined by the squits.
I love his Jiffy bagged up kit - so Rain Man!
I wish him all the luck in the world and recommend he get some serious help from a good mental health professional when he returns!
 35

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Roastie | 10 years ago
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Awesome. Good luck!

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Tom Amos | 10 years ago
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5.9 kgs? I'm not a weight weenie, honest....

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banzicyclist2 | 10 years ago
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Best of luck, I hope the weather is kind for you. As far as challenges this is MEGA  1

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cycle_physio | 10 years ago
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all the best Mike, you should have said if you needed a physio in your support car!!  3

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eurotrash | 10 years ago
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Amazing bike!

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Nick T | 10 years ago
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Best of luck with it you crazy, crazy man, and please take me with you next time.

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