What type of bikes do successful long distance riders actually use?
Here are all the bikes of the finishers of the Kernow and SW event. This event is 600km, 8200m of ascent in 40 hours and is thought of as one of the UKs more difficult self supported road rides.
There were two titanium, six Carbon, three Aluminium and seven steel road bikes
Carradice was the most popular luggage choice
Battery powered lights were used by more riders than generators
Only 10 of the bikes have mudguards but the weather conditions were dry
Everyone had clipless pedals
All the bikes had drop handle bars and four had aero bar extensions
Most of the tyres were 25mm and two bikes had tubeless systems
Ti bike, handmade wheels, Carradice saddle bag
Carbon Ventri bike, full Dura Ace, dry bag as saddle bag/mudguard, frame bag. Hand made front wheel, Campag rear
Planet X Ti frame, Planet X wheels, Carradice Carradry saddlebag
Focus carbon bike, handmade wheels, map trap routesheet holder
Thorn Audax steel bike, rack, top bag, tri bars, Mavic Ksyrium wheels
Giant Carbon bike, Mavic Ksyrium wheels
Spa Audax steel bike, handmade wheels, Carradice saddle bag
Steel bike Mercian, handmade wheels, rack, top bag
Steel Bob Jackson, handmade wheels, Carradice saddle bag, Generator front hub
Aluminium Trek
Aluminium Fort training bike, Union Jack saddle, Carradice saddlebag
Aluminium Trek 1420, Handmade wheels, seat post beam rack, panniers
Look 585, tribars, seat post beam rack, top bag
Cervelo S1, handmade wheels
Steel Planet X Kaffenback, disk brakes, Stans Alpha 340 / Hutchison tubeless wheels, tri bars, Carradice SQR bag
Specialized Roubaix, disk brakes, Stans Alpha 340 / Hutchison tubeles wheels, tri bars, crud road race mudguards
Spa Audax steel bike, handmade wheels, Carradice saddle bag (NOTE: this is a repeat picture! There is one bike missing!)
Condor Fretello, Handmade wheels Carradice Barley
Audaxing 
This is a really interesting post and great to see the equipment you elite lads ride. Can you please explain to me why so many of the bikes have hand made wheels. My Thorn Audax, which I’ve only had 6 months, just has the wheels it came with, and they seem to go OK.
By: Barbara on June 3, 2014
at 4:31 pm
Hi Barbara!
There’s two reasons hand made wheels are popular. First, it’s easy to get or make a hand made wheel with a high spoke count (32 or 36) and a low profile rim. Not many factory built wheels are this way. Probably Hope Hoops are the only exception. Second, if a wheel is built by machine they tend to be less tight. I suppose this is to ensure that the build works to a certain tolerance. Hand made wheels can be tightened up as much as the builder wants. This might take a little longer but it’s a time cost that is directly translated into a stronger wheel. A tighter wheel is a stronger wheel.
By: audaxing on June 5, 2014
at 3:52 pm
Nobody completed it on a fixed wheel bike this year then?
By: Francis Barton on June 4, 2014
at 8:16 am
No, one person started on fixed (Simon) but an old injury flared up and he DNF
By: audaxing on June 4, 2014
at 8:27 am
Thank you for this. I’ve been looking to do some Audaxing, assessing both my bikes (steel road bike vs steel tourer) trying to balance speed with comfort with weight. Assessing which components to change up. I’ll probably get some 25mm tyres. I’m interested in dynamo hubs (3N80) power converters for GPS and bright lights (front and rear). Any insight gratefully received.
By: Lee Pearce on June 5, 2014
at 2:47 pm