Travis Jolly’s 2024 Trans North Georgia Adventure (TNGA) Bike Check

The Trans North Georgia Adventure is a bikepacking race across the state that covers 360 miles and about 56,000 feet of climbing. That’s a lot to bite off with gears, let alone a singlespeed, but the singlespeeders dominated this year’s grand depart, taking the top three spots. Travis Jolly led that charge with a blistering-fast time of 58 hours and 56 minutes, which also happens to be the fastest known time on a singlespeed. This was his first attempt at the course, and he said he plans to return for some more in the coming years, hoping to best his record. Let’s check out the bike that made his attempt possible.

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Travis’s ride started as a stock Specialized Epic 8 Expert, but of course, the first thing he did was rip off that shiny new SRAM transmission and replace it with a Wheels MFG Single Speed XD conversion kit, because why not? Aside from that, the rest of the bike mostly stayed stock, with Travis adding a few bells and whistles on the cockpit, such as SQlab bar-ends and wrapping his bars near the stem to allow for a more aero position while on the Silver Comet rails to trails path or any other road sections.

For the TNGA, riders need to carry everything they need for the race since it’s unsupported. Thanks to the SWAT storage system on the Epic 8, Travis was able to omit a frame bag and put his repair tools and spares inside the downtube. This allowed him to carry two bottles in the triangle, which he refilled often with water filtered from sources along the route.

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In his small bike bags, he carried everything from an extra GPS unit to what he says is the single piece of kit that probably saved him from scratching: four pairs of merino wool underwear and the same number of socks. This year, there was heavy rain on the first day’s evening, so he could swap into a new pair of socks and keep going after stopping to let the storm pass. Travis said this was not the last time he’d race TNGA. In the coming years, look for him to best his own single-speed record.

Post-ride thoughts from Travis Jolly

Having lived in the Southeast for five years after moving from Texas, I finally decided to take on the TNGA. I’ve heard about this race since my dad and I began diving into bikepacking and what it took to complete a bikepack race, specifically the Tour Divide, back in 2015. I even attempted the Tour Divide (northbound) once, only making it through New Mexico before realizing I may have bitten off more than I could chew.

Fast forward to now, and I have spent the last couple of years, based out of Knoxville, exploring many of the gravel climbs and trails in the Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee and figuring out the gear required to overcome the beautiful and somewhat relentless terrain we get to explore every week. Having a background in riding fixed-gear bikes for commuting, competing, and adventuring for my remaining years in Texas, I figured single-speed mountain biking would be the way to go for most of my escapades here in my newfound home of adventure.

After researching the TNGA course, I realized there were decent food options every eight hours of riding or so. And the weather was looking pretty decent despite a chance of rain on the first day. This contrasts the food desert I experienced during my last bikepack race in Arkansas, Ozark Gravel Doom, where distances were up to 100 miles without food. Easter Sunday provided little-to-no food options throughout an essential town. But I digress. Therefore, my gear choice remained simple. Just pack like it’s a 100-mile mountain bike race… and maybe add a couple of extra clothing and self-care items and call it a day(s). Simple, right?

Travis’ Singlespeed Specialized Epic 8

• Frame: Specialized Epic 8 EVO Expert
• Fork: RockShox SID 120mm
• Shock: RockShox SIDLuxe
• Cranks: SRAM GX Eagle, DUB
• Chainring: SRAM 34T
• Rear Cog: Wheels Manufacturing SOLO-XD Kit, 20T
• Rear Derailleur: Rohloff Chain Tensioner
• Wheels: Roval Control
• Hubs: DT Swiss 350
• Tires: Vittoria Syerra 29 x 2.4″
• Handlebar: Specialized Alloy Minirise
• Seatpost: X-Fusion Manic Dropper Post
• Bar Ends: SQlabs
• Pedals: Shimano SPD
• Shoes: Giro Ventana

Let’s start at the front of the bike. In front of my handlebars, I used a small Topo Designs handlebar bag. This contained my self-care items. Self-care items are essential, as you use them to remain fresh. Take a shower, wash your teeth, gather water, etc. I had a toothbrush, wet wipes, an emergency blanket, and a water filter. I would brush my teeth a couple of times in a day and at night. This ensured a fresh breath and enabled me to maintain my appetite for the sweetest foods. When I changed out of damp or muddy clothing, I used wet wipes, wiping away any potential salts that could add chafing and some extra face scrubbing to keep that smile sparkling. The water came in handy, as it usually does. I always take just two bottles and a filter for all my rides in the mountains down here. The water availability in this area is unmatched, as it is a temperate rainforest.

Behind the bars were two stem feed bags by Restrap. They were my main compartment for food. I could fit six Little Debbie coffee cake snacks (55 grams of carbs each), Fig Newtons, breakfast biscuits from Mountainside Market, hash brown casserole from Cracker Barrel, etc. I never brought bicycle-specific foods with me as I did not want to “run out” of that style of food and felt like I was missing something more profound in the race. So, I started with all the junk foods and finished with all the junk foods. Thanks, toothbrush.

Topo Designs Mini Bike Bag

• Water Filter
• Wet Wipes
• Toothbrush/Toothpaste
• Emergency Blanket
• Tylenol

Restrap Feed Bags

• Lots of Little Debbie coffee cakes
• Biscuit sandwiches from Mountainside Market

Restrap Top Tube Bag

• Phone
• Wallet
• Headphones
• Gloves
• LMNT Packs
• Zip ties
• More Snacks

Behind the stem was another Restrap bag, the long top tube race bag. This fit my phone, wallet, some zip ties, more space for granola bars, and 20 packs of LMNT that I consumed regularly throughout the race to prevent cramps. Behind that bag on the top tube, but under the saddle, was another bag by Oveja Negra that contained electronics. I had a 5,000 mAh Anker battery, several charge cables for my devices, an extra outbound light, a back up Garmin computer, a wall block, and a lighter. I would take out the cache battery and charge my phone, tracker, and light at mountainside market at mile 180 and in my quick hotel stay in Dalton at mile 260.

Under the saddle was a Revelate Designs Shrew bag. This contained my “oh shit” clothes. A phrase adopted from my good friend and fellow TNGA singlespeed podium finisher Chris Joice. I had a wind breaker, arm warmers, extra Smartwool undies, and two pairs of wool socks (I bought an extra pair when I stopped at Mulberry Gap). These clothing items were essential. After the rain on the first day, my underwear dried out fairly quickly, but made a sock change. The new socks only absorbed the rest of the water still soaked into my shoes, so I swapped into my last pair within that same night to really keep the feet dry. And it worked. I had already exhausted my dry sock supply at that point only halfway through, which is why I decided to buy the last pair at mulberry. This makes the sock change total count up to three times. My feet thank me.

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Oveja Negra Snack Pack

• Backup Light
• Backup GPS
• Battery
• Wall Charger
• Charging Cables

Revelate Designs Shrew Seat Pack

• Three pairs of wool socks
• Two pairs of wool underwear
• Arm warmers
• Wind Breaker

Specialized SWAT Downtube Storage

• Two tubes
• Pump
• Tire Lever
• Plugs
• Chain Links
• Chain Breaker
• Spoke Wrench
• Chain Lube
• Shop Rag

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Inside the downtube of the Specialized Epic 8 is the SWAT storage system. This contained my bike maintenance kit. I had two tubes, a pump, a tire lever, chain links and a breaker, a spoke wrench, lube, and a towel. The towel wrapped up the small tools and also acted as a rag to clean myself off with. I only busted into the SWAT to use the rag and lube my chain once with Squirt. The Vittoria Syerra tires held up perfectly and never flatted, and the SRAM T-type chain also held up to the high tension style of riding required for climbing on a singlespeed even through the slop on the first day.

My GPS was a Coros Dura cycling computer. The battery life was a amazing. I ended with 30 percent battery after using the computer continuously for 57 hours and 58 minutes straight, even with the backlight and route guidance. My light source was an Outbound Mountain bike light. It also had amazing battery life. On the low setting, it lasted through the entire first night, and halfway through the second night. The bike was equipped with the Wheels MFG Solo-XD conversion kit geared at 34:20 with SQlab bar ends for the extra steep climbs. The lockout switch for the suspension was handy and kept the climbing crispy.

In the end, I was looking to just go on a long, long bike ride and not worry about the camping aspect whatsoever. My goal was to just pedal and eat non-stop. I did, however, use my emergency blanket to take a nap on the second night for two hours. I put it down on the trail to use as a pad of sorts. I’m surprised to report I had zero chigger bites or any sort of trouble from insects while I napped. I will not change anything for next year if the conditions are the same. But if it rains more, maybe I’ll just bring a couple of extra socks and undies.

Further Reading

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