First full single speed around the world.

In the last couple of days, a German long-distance cyclist, completed a full circumnavigation of the world. This makes Markus Stitz,  the first to (unofficially) single speed around the world! He averaged 96.5kms per day, to complete the 33796 kms journey in 12 months. Many riders undertake cycling trips of varying durations, levels of difficulty, riskiness and fitness, but in the bike touring fraternity it is not often that all this is done with one gear. Although Markus has had a number of cycling adventures before, it was this unassisted, enduring trip across the globe that has recently gained attention.

Markus Stitz -Singlespeed around the world

More detail about his actual trip and experiences can be found elsewhere in cyberspace. His exploits have been making headlines lately especially considering that the local UK media were quite taken with his adventuring and have been active in following his final closing kilometres given his trip terminates in Scotland. Having lived in Scotland for 2.5 years myself, it makes me incredibly nostalgic to think of travelling through the landscape contemplating life, the universe and everything.

There is so much about Markus’ story that I find appealing; taking a year off to cycle through and across the world, doing it unassisted and completely under his own steam, finishing his 33796 km trip in Scotland, reading about some of the amazing experiences he has had and seeing some of the stunning photos he took along the way. It is a reminder that bicycles are a vehicle for freedom, and often the only limiting factor to that freedom is our inability to recognise and embrace it wholeheartedly.

Being an avid singlespeeder myself, I find the idea of riding one anywhere and everywhere is tantalising, and I certainly understand the attraction. However, practically it is something that I was interested to see how it worked on a daily basis. That is why I appreciated Markus keeping a blog (as best he could) during his time on the road. I like the fact also that he explained the most inspiring aspects, but equally the more challenging and difficult times as well. Not only does it have a slew of juicy travel tit-bits detailing the locations he visited and recollections of interactions with locals and the like, but interspersed throughout are some technical difficulties (so few) – he did the full 33,796 kms trip with ‘just one broken spoke and no punctures since Singapore’.

He has a Youtube Channel with some videos you can check out here.

Click here to see more of Markus’s blog.

Markus Stitz Instagram: @reizkultur

 

What do you take on a trip like this?

Source: Markus Stitz

One thing I was very interested to see from his blog were details of everything he took on his trip. With his gear and bike (which he speaks more of here) weighing in at about 32kg, here’s Markus’ list of what he took on his journey:

Bike:

Surly Ogre with Halo Vapour Rims, SP Dynamo Hub in front, Surly Ultra New Hub in back, Halo Clickster 18t freewheel, Schwalbe Marathon Mondial 2.0 tyres with tubes, Thomson seat post, Brooks Cambium C15 saddle, ESI silicone grips, ESI bar tape and silicone tape, Jones 710 Loop h-bar aluminium, Avid BB7 brakes, Shimano square taper bottom bracket, Middleburn RS7 cranks, Surly 32t chain ring, KMC chain

Mounted on bars and frame

• Exposure MaXx-D Mk4 Front Light
• Garmin eTrex20 with 16GB MicroSD and Energiser rechargeable batteries
• GoPro Hero3 in casing with bar mount
• CatEye Strada wireless cycle computer
• Specialized Cage with Optimus 0.6l Fuel Bottle
• MuckyNutz fender
• Spot Gen3 Satellite Tracker

Salsa Anything Cage HD with Salsa Anything Bag 1:

• Alpkit titanium pot and lid 800 ml
• Primus Omni Fuel stove and fuel pump
• Foldable cup
• Matches & lighter
• Tea and coffee in plastic bag
• Windshield and ground shield for stove
• Sea to Summit Ultra Sil Day pack
• Olive oil in Nalgene container

Salsa Anything Cage HD with Salsa Anything Bag 2:

• Cable and combination lock
• 2 spare Schwalbe tubes
• Brooks MT 21 multi tool
• workshop gloves
• Optimus tool for stove
• Ice Tools chain checker
• 1 tube of Schwalbe Latex for tubeless tyres
• Freewheel tool
• Purple Extreme Lube and 2 cloths
• Diverse nuts and bolts, spare cleats, chain link, brake cable
• Patches & tyre boot
• ESI silicone tape
• Electrical tape
• 2 sets of Avid brake pads, sintered
• Cable ties
• 1 small tube of grease
• Leatherman Wingman tool
• Torx T25 key
• Strapped outside on bag
  • Schwalbe Rocket Ron foldable tyre
  • Lezyne Micro Floor Drive Pump with pressure gauge
  • Oakley Racing Jacket glasses with black, yellow and clear lenses in Swiss Eye protective case

Apidura Handlebar Pack Compact (lined with Exped Dry Bag)

• Nordisk Telemark 1 ULW tent (aluminium instead of carbon poles)
• Yeti Purity Down Jacket
• Exped Synmat Hyperlite M sleeping mat
• Montane Extreme Mitts
• Tineli Thermal Gloves
• Tineli Thermal Booties

Apidura Accesory Pocket

• Sea to Summit X-Pot expandable 2.8l pot
• Sea to Summit X Bowl (fits into pot)
• 1 tube alcohol gel
• 2 tubes sunscreen
• Opinel knife and Snowpeak titanium spork
• Logitech Keys To Go portable keyboard (in Sea to Summit dry sack)

Spokwerks Jones Loop Bar Bag

• Xtorn Powerbank Air 6000 (in Sea to Summit dry sack)
• PDW Aether Demon USB backlight
• USB cable for charging light
• USB cable for charging Exposure light
• Pepper spray
• Citrus Squeezy (against dogs)
• Sinewave Cycles Revolution (USB charger)

Spokwerks Cookie Jar 1 (lined with Sea to Summit Dry Sack)

• 2 Duracell batteries for Canon S120 camera
• 4 Energiser AAA batteries
• 2 Energiser AA batteries
• Charging cable for portable keyboard
• Charging cable for GoPro & GPS
• Shoulderpod mount for iPhone
• Additional mount for GoPro
• Tripod mount for GoPro
• Apple USB charger
• Apple iPhone cable
• Petzl Tikka Plus head torch

Spokwerks Cookie Jar 2 (lined with Sea to Summit Dry Sack)

• Canon S120 camera in Hama Case
• Montane Featherlite Jacket

Apidura Frame Bag (Prototype)

• 6 spare spokes and nipples
• Camelbak 3l reservoir
• Katadyn FIlter Mini
• Manfrotto Pixi Mini Tripod

Apidura Top Tube Pack Extended

• Used for food only

Apidura Saddle Pack Regular (lined with Exped Dry Bag) & everything I wear on my body

• iPhone 6plus with Lifeproof NÜÜD case
• Specialized BG Gel Wiretap gloves
• Lifeventure wallet
• Bottle opener (!)
• Buff mobile phone cleaner
• Pen
• Nike Free 5.0 Shoes
• Travel towel
• Lake MX175 MTB shoes and 45NRTH Japanther Boot (Iceland)
• Gore Bike Wear Element GT Paclite Jacket
• Surly 5’’ wool socks
• Halo Aireator socks
• Defeet Woolie Boolie 6’’ socks
• 2 boxer shorts
• Tineli Knee Warmers
• Tineli Aero Gloves
• Tineli MTB Trail Shorts
• Skins A200 compression tights
• Tineli Thermal Bibtights
• Tineli Lime Bibs x 2
• Montane Bionic SS base layer
• Montane Bionic LS base Layer
• Short sleeve base layer
• Tineli Lime Intermediate Jacket
• Tineli Lime SS jersey
• Tineli Sun Protectors
• Defeet Merino Arm warmers
• Insect and UV proof Buff
• 45NRTH Greazy Merino Hat
• Tineli Winter Cap
• Tineli Team Cap
• Specialized S3 Helmet
• Yeti Passion 3 Sleeping Bag
• Teeth Kit: Tooth brush, floss, interdental brushes, tooth paste
• Wash Kit: Shower gel, soap, shaving water, ear plugs, hand cream
• Pixo C-USB Charger
• Moleskine Diary
• Medical Kit with plaster, antibiotics, Ibuprofen, scissors, bandages, gloves and sewing kit.

Source: Markus Stitz