Equipment Needs
Transalp mountain bike trips definitely keep
you honest in terms of keeping your equipment to a bare minimum.
Our guests frequently express their amazement over how little
gear they comfortably manage to get by on and the independence
gained by traveling in such a light manner.
The nature and spirit of Transalp riding (under one’s own power) rules out the use of support vehicles. Whatever gear you may need during your 1-2 week trip ultimately has to be carried by you in a single small backpack.
We post the suggested equipment list below as a guide to what you can expect to carry on our trips. We recognize that most people have somewhat different comfort levels and gear needs and may wish to bring additional or doubles of items. In turn, many of our guests end up with a backpack weighing about two pounds more than what is suggested below. However, it is entirely possible to fully enjoy a Transalp Riders trip of one- to two-week length by sticking to the following light-weight equipment list.
| Quantity | Item | Weight (kg) | Weight (lbs) |
| You are wearing on your body: | |||
| 1 | Bike Jersey | 150 g | 5.3 oz |
| 1 | Bike Shorts | 170 g | 6 oz |
| 1 | Pair of Socks | 50 g | 1.8 oz |
| 1 | Pair of Bike Shoes | 1,000 g | 35.3 oz |
| 1 | Pair of Bike Gloves | 100 g | 3.5 oz |
| 1 | (Sun)glasses | 30 g | 1 oz |
| 1 | Bike Helmet | 300 g | 10.6 oz |
| 1 | Watch | 80 g | 2.8 oz |
| Sub-Weight | 1,880 g | 4.1 lbs | |
| You are carrying on your back: | |||
| 1 | Backpack (27-35litres) | 750 g | 26.5 oz |
| 1 | Pair of long bike pants | 260 g | 9.2 oz |
| 1 | Extra pair of shorts | 170 g | 6.0 oz |
| 1 | Extra Bike Jersey | 150 g | 5.3 oz |
| 1 | Pair of arm warmers | 50 g | 1.8 oz |
| 1 | Fleece sweater (mid-weight) | 500 g | 17.6 oz |
| 1 | Rain jacket | 450 g | 15.9 oz |
| 1 | Rain pants | 500 g | 17.6 oz |
| 2 | Pairs of extra socks | 120 g | 4.2 oz |
| 2 | Pairs of underwear | 80 g | 2.8 oz |
| 1 | Pair of nylon trekking pants with zippered, removable pant legs | 450 g | 15.9 oz |
| 1 | T-shirt (sleepwear?) | 150 g | 5.3 oz |
| 1 | Long-sleeve shirt (light-weight) | 300 g | 10.6 oz |
| 1 | Towel (small Easy-Dry) | 50 g | 1.8 oz |
| 1 | Pair of light-weight Teva-style sandals | 500 g | 17.6 oz |
| 1 | Shampoo (small container) | 200 g | 7.0 oz |
| 1 | Tooth brush | 20 g | 0.7 oz |
| 1 | Tooth paste (small tube) | 30 g | 1.1 oz |
| 2 | Disposable shavers | 20 g | 0.7 oz |
| 1 | Sunscreen (SPF 30+) | 50 g | 1.8 oz |
| 1 | lip balm | 10 g | 0.9 oz |
| 1 | Comb | 40 g | 1.4 oz |
| 1 | Spare (clear or tan) lens for glasses | 10 g | 0.9 oz |
| 1 | Wallet (passport, credit card, money) | 300 g | 10.6 oz |
| 1 | Digital camera | 500 g | 17.6 oz |
| 1 | Map | 100 g | 3.5 oz |
| div. | Other travel documents | 250 g | 8.8 oz |
| Sub-Weight | 6,010 g | 13.2 lbs | |
| You are mounting on your bike: | |||
| 1 | Saddle (tool) wedge | 150 g | 5.3 oz |
| 1 | Patch Kit | 50 g | 1.8 oz |
| 1 | Tool kit | 200 g | 7.0 oz |
| 1 | Spare Tube | 180 g | 6.3 oz |
| 1 | Air pump (small size!) | 120 g | 4.2 oz |
| 2 | Water bottles (plus cages) | 300 g | 10.6 oz |
| 1 | Bike Computer | 50 g | 1.9 oz |
| Sub-Weight | 1,050 g | 2.3 lbs | |
| You are riding your: | |||
| 1 | Front- or full-suspension mountain bike | 11-14,000 g | 24-30 lbs |