Bikes of Race Around Rwanda 2025

vincent van de Mortel

Age: 31

Cap number: 32

Location: Eindhoven

Bike: Canyon Grail CF SLX

Key items of kit: Shimano GRX DI2

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 35mm-39mm

Electronic shifting: Yes

Szymon

Age: 41

Cap number: 90

Bike: S-Works Epic HT 2019

Key items of kit: Triglav bags set, chainring 28T.

Frame type: Hardtail - Fully Rigid

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: No

Jon Hindley

Age: 52

Cap number: 72

Location: South Africa

Bike: Specialized Diverge

Key items of kit: Tailfin Aeropack & top bag. Plenty of prayers.

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 25-29mm

Electronic shifting: No

Juris Skrebels

Age: 44

Cap number: 8

Location: Latvia, Riga

Bike: Cervelo Aspero-5 Sram AXS XPLR 1x12 electronic shifting, 36t front, 10-44t rear, Zipp 303 Firecrest wheels, 40 mm Pirelli Cinturato Gravel RC tubeless tyres, Prologo Scratch M5 Pas Nack 140 mm saddle, Shimano XTR mtb pedals

Key items of kit: Apidura Expedition Frame Pack (5L Tall) (rain jacket, thin insulated jacket, leg warmers, powerbank, charging wires,repair toolkit,spare tube, food), Brooks Scape top tube bolt-on bag (food), Garmin Varia UT800 front light + Knog Pwr 700 front light, Bontrager Flare RT rear light, Petzl Swift RL headlamp (backup light) , Garmin 1040 for navigation, Garmin Fenix 7X (backup navigation), 2 x 500ml water bottles, USWE Outlander 3 hydration backpack (water, food, ID-card, money, meds, buff), ass saver, chamois cream & patience :)

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 40mm-44mm

Electronic shifting: Yes

Jan Bakker

Age: 35

Cap number: 13

Location: Netherlands

Bike: Rosé Backroad 2022

Key items of kit: SRAM force XPLR 10-44, 36t Apidura backs

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 45mm-50mm

Electronic shifting: Yes

Rafal Podles

Age: 30

Cap number: 94

Location: Szczecin

Bike: Rondo Ruut AL2

Key items of kit: Ortlieb saddle bag, JackPack Płetwal and ACEPAC MKII on top of main tube, JackPack Ultra Żwirek under main tube, EVOC for tools.

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Aluminium

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 45mm-50mm

Electronic shifting: No

Fred Monet

Age: 47

Cap number: 11

Location: Brussels, BE

Bike: Canyon / Grail CF SLX 8 AXS

Key items of kit: Zipp 303 Firecrest SRAM Force XPLR AXS, 12 Tufo thundero 40 (HD rear) Tubeless Fizik Vento Argo X3 GEAR GROOVE Aero Extension

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 40mm-44mm

Electronic shifting: Yes

Roland Lösslein

Age: 39

Cap number: 115

Location: Salzburg, Austria

Bike: Rondo Ruut Titanium GRX 1x12 with 38T Woolf Tooth and Garbaruk 10-52T Continental Race King 2.0 on Hunt 4 Season X-Wide Redshift suspension stem Deda Aero Bars

Key items of kit: Bespoke bags from Parallel Universe

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Titanium

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 45mm-50mm

Electronic shifting: No

Debroux Lionel

Age: 50

Cap number: 55

Location: Belgium

Bike: Specialized Diverge

Key items of kit: SRAM GX

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 40mm-44mm

Electronic shifting: Yes

Jelle Hanseeuw

Age: 41

Location: Belgium

Bike: Orbea Terra

Key items of kit: The touching points will problably be key: a Fizik vento argo adaptive (3D printed) saddle, Deda aero bars (to take on different positions) and Time Atac pedals (comfortable). Further on I went for reliable gear: alu Hunt gravel wheels with Schwalbe G One R tyres (puncture resistant and good both on and offroad). Standard GRX 810 group set with a Rotor outer chainring. 46-31T in the front and 11-32 in the back.

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 40mm-44mm

Electronic shifting: No

Krzysztof

Age: 44

Cap number: 9

Location: Gdansk, Poland

Bike: 3T Racemax Exploro

Key items of kit: Drivetrain: Sram Rival 2x11, Wheelset: Zipp 303s, Tires: Tufo Thundero 40mm, Bags: Apidura

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 40mm-44mm

Electronic shifting: Yes

Beata

Age: 55

Cap number: 9

Location: Gdańsk

Bike: Exploro Race Force AXS 2X, wheels: Zipp 303s, tires: Pirelli Cinturato Gravel Hard Terrain 40mm

Key items of kit: Bags: Ortlieb, bike vest: CamelBak Chase 1,5 l, lamps: Fenix BC26R and BC05R

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 40mm-44mm

Electronic shifting: Yes

George Smith Lomas

Age: 27

Cap number: 57

Location: Kigali

Bike: 3T Exploro

Key items of kit: I'm a returning racer bringing bigger tyres and a smaller chainring for the rough, hilly stuff of Rwanda.

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 45mm-50mm

Electronic shifting: Yes

Lars Ernst

Age: 44

Cap number: 5

Location: Germany, lauf an der Pegnitz

Bike: Specialized Diverge Expert

Key items of kit: The bike ;-) Lupine and Supernova Lights Apidura and Ortlieb bags Garmin bike computer

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 40mm-44mm

Electronic shifting: Yes

Julien Christen

Age: 29

Cap number: 57

Location: Kigali, Rwanda

Bike: Canyon Grizl CF SLX Di2

Key items of kit: Top tube bag, frame bag, saddle bag, aero bars

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 45mm-50mm

Electronic shifting: Yes

Gabi Winck

Age: 62

Cap number: 62

Location: Brixen/ Italy

Bike: Trek Checkpoint SL 6; Combi Shimano GRX crank (48/31) and Shimano Ultegra cassette 11-speed (11-34); wheels: rear: Bontrager Paradigm Comp; front DT SWISS GR 531, Tyres: Schwalbe G-ONE; Syntace Aerobar

Key items of kit: Light: Front light SON edelux II; Hub dynamo: Son 28 Battery Carger: NC-17, Connect APPCON 3000; rear light: BONTRAGER flare RT and Lupine Rotlicht Max LED; substitute front light: Bontrager Ion 700 R

I hope that in the end I don't carry too many things through Rwanda in the TAILFINN AeroPack Carbon, TAILFIN pannier, Cyclite Top Tube Bag, 2x Apidura food pouch, APIDURA racing frame pack I also hope that I find my way safely with my GARMIN Edge 1040; and last but not least I hope that my seat bones are not too strained on my saddle ISM PL 1.1 in my beloved cycling shorts SKINFIT tri shorts. For a possible emergency bivouac I have with me a MSR PRO BIVY. As my lucky item I absolutely have to bring my little scuffed white BEAR with me, who accompanied me on the Northcape4000, Three Peaks Bike Races, AMR, TBR, Pan Celtic Race, …

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: Other

Tyre width: 40mm-44mm

Electronic shifting: No

Gunars Treikals

Age: 33

Cap number: 24

Location: Latvia

Bike: Fairlight Secan 2.5 size 51T with some mix of Shimano Ultegra and grx 11 speed parts. Schwalbe 45mm g-one rs tyres.

Key items of kit: Tailfin top tube and frame bags and Magicshine monteer 6500 light.

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Steel

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 45mm-50mm

Electronic shifting: No

Nicole van Batenburg

Age: 31

Cap number: 4

Location: The Hague

Bike: LIV Devote 2024

Key items of kit: Cadex GX tubeless tire 40mm (front) Cadex AR tubeless 40mm (back) Garmin 530 Tailfin Aeropack Tailfin Long Top Tube Bag 2,2L Tailfin Downtube Pack Leyzne Macro Drive 1300XXL (2x) Leyzne Strip Pro Alert Drive 300 (2x) Headlight on helmet Specialized Power Comp Mimic Saddle Deda Parabolica 1 Alta

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Carbon

Tyre width: 30-34mm

Electronic shifting: Yes

Geraldine

Age: 36

Cap number: 71

Location: Belgium

Bike: Canyon grizl

Key items of kit: TT bars

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 45mm-50mm

Electronic shifting: No

Sebastiano Frandino

Age: 26

Cap number: 18

Location: Zurich, Switzerland

Bike: Open UP

Key items of kit: Transmission is a mix of Sram and Garbaruk, 42t chainring and 10-52 cassette. Brakes are Hope, tires are Tufo Thundero, 40mm in the back and 44mm in the front (all I can fit). I am running a dynamo hub and klite front and rear light. Bags are from Tailinf and I’ll be using a hydration vest too.

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 40mm-44mm

Electronic shifting: Yes

Ben Francis

Age: 39

Cap number: 102

Location: Sint Margriete (Belgium)

Bike: Curve GMX+ ti Carbon Curve Walmer bars - Deda tt extensions René Herse 55mm endurance knobbies Sram F-Eagle drivetrain White industries BB Wolftooth oval camo system for easy swap Son28 laced to zipp moto up front Wtb i30 carbon laced to HOPE pro 4 rear 200/180mm discs KLite adventure kit for light and charging Paul Components seatclamp Thomson elite seatpost Specialprized saddle HT pedals

Revelate framebag/seatbag/snackpouch Silca framepump Exposure rear light Apidura tt bag Bluelug safety pizza’s Restrap bottle cages with Bivo bottles Minoura big cage with Nalgene bouteille

Key items of kit: -2 bibs 1 7mesh 1 Rapha

-2 baselayers 1 café du cycliste ultralight 1 merino Rapha

-2 shortsleeve pieces 1 Patagonia lightweight merino 1 7mesh horizon

-1 longsleeve 7mesh merino

-extras: Windgilet 7mesh Rainjacket 7mesh Merino knee warmers Rapha Toe covers Agu Full finger gloves Defeet Short finger gloves with padding GribGrab Cap Buff Wintercap 7mesh

Apidura race backpack with bladder.

Frame type: Hardtail - Fully Rigid

Frame material: Titanium

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: Yes

Lise Vlaeminck

Age: 34

Cap number: 102

Location: Sint Margriete (Belgium)

Bike: Liv Devote pro SON28 laced to original rim Klite front light and charging / exposure rearlight on restrap bracket Deda TT bars Rene Herse 55mm front 48mm rear endurance tires (Fleecer / Oracle) 10-45 xplr cassette added to the original Force AXS 2x drivetrain. Sunrace range-extender. Apidura bag setup. Ortlieb fork bags. Kona WahWah flat pedals.

Key items of kit: Brought a selection of my 7mesh closet. Fizik flat pedal shoes.

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 50mm+

Electronic shifting: Yes

Dean Themachine

Age: 38

Cap number: 103

Location: Bruges ( Belgium)

Bike: Rodeo TD4 Sram Red / xx1 drivetrain Quarq powermeter with 34t oval chainring Reverse wheelset with SON28 up front Klite front light and charging system Exposure rear light + Helmet light Rene Herse Endurance 48mm tires Deda cockpit Ergon Carbon seatpost Apidura bags

Key items of kit: 7Mesh kit and 60pc Clif bars

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 45mm-50mm

Electronic shifting: Yes

Doug Higley

Age: 56

Cap number: 10

Location: Portland, Oregon, USA

Bike: Enve MOG

Key items of kit: N/A

Frame type: Gravel

Frame material: Carbon

Wheel size: 700c (29")

Tyre width: 45mm-50mm

Electronic shifting: Yes