Les Contamines-Montjoie, France

Less than a month to go before my “Everesting Mont-Blanc” adventure. Still no exact date set in stone, I’ll wait until early July for a clement weather window to set off on my Everesting solo road-cycling challenge: a 350 kilometre loop around the Mont-Blanc range totalling over 9,000 metres of ascent.

I’m not in it for the glory or to set any kind of record; I’m just a keen cyclist who enjoys riding beautiful mountain roads. A man who wants to test himself to go beyond his limits and see how far I can push my own boundaries. Last year, after cycle touring across the Alps, I came across a few videos and articles of “Everestings” and thought it would be an exciting goal for 2017. Until then, I had never ridden over 4,000 metres in a day; so reaching 8,848 metres of ascent in less than 24 hours was an ambitious challenge to set myself.

I started with the question of finding a route. The Tour du Mont-Blanc is a classic ride; though often ridden over 3 or 4 days. Add the 2016 Tour de France climb to Le Bettex, and add the ride home to Les Contamines-Montjoie; The route was set with over 9,000 metres of ascent, a ride across France, Italy, and Switzerland over some of the most iconic alpine passes: Cormet de Roselend, Col du Petit Saint Bernard, Col du Grand Saint Bernard, Col de la Forclaz, etc.

Next step in the preparation was to build a bike. Not that I needed a new bike; I bought my first road bike only 3 years ago, and it would have been appropriate for the adventure. But the “Everesting Mont-Blanc” plan was the perfect excuse to satisfy my “n+1 syndrome” and to build a specific high-end lightweight road bike.

Early contacts with the teams at Keith Bike and microSHIFT got them as excited as me about “Everesting Mont-Blanc”. The team at Keith Bike understood my search for a lightweight bike that would balance aerodynamics and comfort for a 20+ hour ride. Just as importantly, although mostly irrational, the bike would have to look the part. So Keith Bike proposed their custom-painted Rotary frameset, with a handcrafted paint job by Kuo Shi Lu.

Adding lightness without compromising robustness made the choice of components rather easy: microSHIFT offered their Arsis 11 mechanical drivetrain and lightweight cassette, paired with Ridea’s CNC-machined cranks, duo-oval chain rings (50-35 for the climbs), and crazy-lightweight carbon saddle. Naturally, TRP joined in to complete the build with their TTV aero brakes. They sit inside the Keith Rotary frame and fork, offering a perfect aesthetic and aerodynamic integration.

Wheelset selection will depend on the weather forecast on the day of the Everesting. With a choice of intermediate-section Cole Rollen Elite wheels (26mm deep), or deep-section Climax Queen 48C carbon wheels (48mm deep). As my tour will start at night (around 2 a.m. if my alarm clock wakes me up), and most probably finish at dawn, LuminTrail are providing a 3000-lumens headlight and a set of tail lights. Having a strong light that can last throughout the night to allow me to see the road and around steep curves was a priority for this ride. With just of few weeks of training left before Everesting Mont-Blanc, the pressure is increasing. After a few training rides with over 5,000 metres of ascent, I am starting to realise to extent of the challenge I’ve set for myself. Though, I’m still just as excited and impatient, waiting for the last alpine cols to open. It’s all about riding nice bikes on nice roads, surrounded by nice mountains; it’s just fun.

For the “boffin cyclists” like me, here is a detailed spec of the bike build:
Frame, Fork, Seat post: Keith Bike Rotary (size XL), custom paint job by Kuo Shi Lu Stem and Handlebar: Keith Bike, 110 mm; 420 mm centre to centre
Brakes: TRP TTV Aero v-brakes
Front and rear derailleurs: microSHIFT Arsis 11
Brake/shift lever: microSHIFT Arsis 11
Cranks: Ridea BBB24 3D, RS-CT 5 arms
Bottom Braket: Ridea BBB86
Chain Rings: Ridea LS R5CT 50-35 Duo-Oval
Cassette: microSHIFT CS-G110 11-28 lightweight
Saddle: Ridea ESC S143 full carbon
Bar tape: Ridea
Chain catcher: Ridea LS SCA3
Front light: LuminTrail TB-3000 lumens + 53 Wh battery pack
Rear lights: 2 x Lumintrail LED waterproof safety lights
Intermediate-section wheelset: Cole Rollen Elite, 26mm
Deep-section wheelset: Climax Queen 48c

About me: I’m Greg Jacob (Greg is my first name, Jacob is my last name. I know, it’s confusing). I’m 37, I live in the Alps, just 10 kilometres from the summit of Mont-Blanc. I’m a mountain enthusiast: ski touring in the winter and mountaineering and cycling in the summer, enjoying the freedom of the hills and any “outdoorsy adventure challenge”.