Rigs of the Tuatara

GK Gravel
4 days ago
5 min read

Updated: 3 days ago

While the riders are preparing to journey around the Deep South - here are the rigs they have chosen to ride. Enjoy.

Gary M

2025 GIANT REVOLT ADVANCED 0

Mechanical GRX / 2.1 Schwalbe THUNDER BURT tyres / Apidura Bags (food pouches to add) / Wahoo for NAV!

Aaron W

It’s a 2022 Kona Rove DL that saw me across the USA and Canada that same year. Mismatched bags with my favourite being the frame bag sewn together by my girlfriend. Ratio 1x12 drivetrain upgrade for some nice big climbing gears and a few other bits and pieces.

Hayden B

My rig is a Canyon Grizl in Wildberry, a bike originally engineered for spirited gravel adventures, but now bravely serving as the overburdened pack animal for a 100 kg+ rider who still packs like every trip might turn into a surprise expedition. It’s running a 1x SRAM XPLR drivetrain with a Wolftooth 32T chainring, which is basically the mechanical equivalent of whispering “I’m sorry” to your bike before every climb. The Panaracer GravelKings do their best to keep things rolling, despite being asked to carry a loadout that suggests I'm fleeing the country rather than going for a weekend ride. With bags stuffed to structural‑integrity‑questioning levels, the whole setup radiates strong “I haven’t mastered minimalism, but I have mastered denial” energy.

Kelvin W

Binary Havok Frameset

XTR cranks, GRX derailleur and shifters

750mm drop bars with profile design aerobars

Vittoria Peyote race tyres

Son dyno/K-lite

Revelate/Robo kiwi bags

Brooks Cambium carved saddle

Ruben E

Bike: Surly Ghost Grappler xs

DT Swiss M1900 Vittoria mezcal 2.35 front and rear.

Shimano XT 2 x 11 speed 26/36 & 11/52

Surly corner bar / Profile Aero bars

Revelate Bags: frame / 2x feed bags / Top tube bag / Aero bar bag (adapted revelate roll bag outer) dry bag

Blair C

Specialized str

SRAM xx1 group set with absolute black oval chainring

Zipp 303 xplr with pathfinder 50mm

Running robo kiwi bags

Garmin 1050 nav and Garmin front light

Bivy bag for sleeping

Andy C

Specialized Crux

Profile Designs Aero Bars

Apidura and Fernway bags + Sea to Summit Dry bag

DT Swiss Wheels + Maxxis Rambler 45mm tires

SOL Bivi bag

Shane B

The rig is a 2x11 xt specialized chisel. Upgraded wheels to handle bike packing. Full set up of restrap

When bike packing there’s a msr hubba and msr wind burner on board

Neil C

2022 Trek Checkpoint SL6

Sram Force D1 Xplr groupset / 42t front, 10-44t cassette

Prime Blackedition 38 wheelset + Pathfinder 43mm tyres tubeless

Revelate saddle bag

Good old Aliexpress top tube bag and fork bags. Frame bag Geosmina.

Hydration back pack.

Macpac bivy, sleeping mat and sleeping bag.

Garmin 1030+, Gemini lights on bike and Giant headlamp.

Nathan L (Alaska)

Super excited to be riding this bike a bit earlier than normal this year. Being from Alaska it doesn’t usually get used in the winter much. Whit Johnson built this for me in 2023 and it’s seen some pretty grand adventures each summer since. Two years of doing the Westfjords Way in Iceland and then last year I managed a 1000km circle around South Central Alaska (49 years old in the 49th state) that included a ferry ride!! This year it’s here in New Zealand where it just completed a route that started in Blenheim and adventured to Gore over the last two weeks. Hoping all will go well with the Tuatara at a more racy pace. Currently planning on doing the Bright Midnight in July and the Rift XL a few weeks later. Whit calls this a TiDirtDrop. I call it my Wrambler Scrambler. Whatever you call it, it’s a damn fine steed.

Terry W

Curve Kevin of Steel

Running revelate designs bags and two stealth feedbags for on the go snacking

Vittoria T70 tires on Curve’s dirt hoops and mechanical sram drivetrain.

Outdoor research bivvy, sleep mat and Macpac sleeping bag for power naps.

Andrew L

Cube GTX with Salsa fork, Apidura/Alpkit/Stealth bags, sleeping in bivvy.

Geoff K

Canyon Grail CF SLX Di2

Apidura frame bag and rear bag. Cheap (but not nasty) front handle bar bag.

Tyres: Pirelli Centurato 45mm Front 40mm Rear (tubeless)

Wahoo Roam navigation.

Weight with bags loaded 15.0kg

Brian B

Specialized Chisel - 1x12 10-51t with a 30t up front, Rovals with fast track tyres, Restrap and Blackburn bags, Deda aerobars, Magicshine lights, Durstan X-Mid1 tent, Sea to Summit sleep system.

Marloe A (Philippines)

CURVE BIG KEVti with zipp xplr wheels wrapped with Tufo Thundero 48, sram Force axs drivetrain with blips on the aerobars which i love so much, frame and seat bags by Restrap and evoc, lights by magic shine and lastly COROS Dura for navigation. Oh and i love pink.

Paul H

This is a Nicolai Argon GTB Pinion hard-tail mountain bike. The bare frame and gearbox was imported from Germany as a Covid shutdown project. It has a Pinion P1.12 gearbox with DS2 grip shift, Gates CDX Carbon Drive belt, 29” DT Swiss wheels, Rock Shox front fork, dropper seat, Jones bar, SON dynamo hub. While riding the hub charges a Goal Zero Venture 30 power bank which keeps Garmin, phone etc charged. I use a Freeride carrier so that I can use the dropper seat. Bags are all Revelate Designs: Ranger Frame bag, Spinelock liner, handle bar, Mag Tank, Joey Downtube bag and Egress Bag.

I’ve covered 15,000km so far, No problems with the drive belt, it still has 10,000km of life left. One oil change of the Pinion is all the maintenance that has been required - so good.

Mark G

This is my favourite bike for trails in Central Otago with a hybrid setup from bags taken off a Mountain bike bikepacking setup. So things don’t all fit perfectly, but what the hell.

The handlebar roll has my sleeping bag and a warm jacket for evenings (I am not planning to ride all night) along with breakfast food supplies.

The seat post bag has clothes, first aid kit and some food, primus, and gas.

The frame bag has the tent and mechanical spares.

My forks have a sleeping mat, and the other snacks.

I think I am a bit overloaded with food, given there are supply stops, but let’s see how we go.

If anyone needs a muesli bar on route, ask me.