Lael’s Chingaza FKT: Gear List and Ride Map

Photos by Rugile Kaladyte

For the past eight months we’ve been working diligently with Conservation International on an exciting weeklong bikepacking route in Colombia. The loop will leave Bogotá, Colombia, and explore the relationship between the city and its surrounding high-altitude Paramos, a breathtaking, specialized ecosystem that provides 70% of Bogotá’s fresh water. Once finalized and opened to the public, the route will take riders through some of the region’s most impressive sights and landscapes, including Chingaza National Park.

We’ve ridden the route twice in the past five weeks, each time scouting a few different options and connectors, as well as segments recommended by local cyclists Juan Pablo Ortiz and Julian Manrique. Thanks to all those involved, I think we have an incredible route on our hands and are looking forward to unveiling it just before the dry season this fall.

To complete our project on the ground in Colombia, Lael Wilcox volunteered to ride the route solo and unsupported to establish a FKT for others to try and beat—particularly those in Bogotá’s extremely competitive and burgeoning cycling scene. She set a personal goal of 48 hours, which we thought was incredible considering the massive climbs that are the hallmark of this 262-mile (420 km) route. Lael will be pedaling out early tomorrow morning (1:00 AM EST) from Parque Nacional Enrique Olaya Herrera to start her ride. Follow along on Trackleaders below (thanks Scott Morris!) and Lael set out at 1:10AM on February 19th and finished the Chingaza Loop FKT in 39 hours and 14 minutes (01:15:14) with over 36,000 feet of climbing. “Such beautiful land and so many steep climbs. I really enjoyed it and now I’m really tired. Excited for when the route is published so locals can go beat my time,” Lael added at the finish. find updates below and scroll down to find details on her bike and the gear she brought along for the ride bringing for the ride.

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  Finished my Chingaza Loop FKT: thity-nine hours and 14 minutes for 262 miles and 36,000’ of climbing. Such beautiful land and so many steep climbs. I really enjoyed it and now I’m really tired. Excited for when the route is published so locals can go beat my time. Photo by @rugilekaladyte

  A post shared by Lael Wilcox (@laelwilcox) on Feb 19, 2020 at 3:59pm PST

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  Lael left Fomeque after drinking a couple kumis yogurts and lubing her chain. The store owner brought out a chair so Lael didn’t need to sit on the street. It’s 36 miles (58 km) with almost 7,000 feet (2,133 m) of climbing until her finish in Bogota. Photos @rugilekaladyte.

  A post shared by Lael Wilcox (@laelwilcox) on Feb 19, 2020 at 7:58am PST

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  Lael has just passed San Juanito, mile 168 of 262 for her Chingaza Loop FKT. She started this morning at 1:10 a.m. @julianmanrique and @someonecallednick rode with her out of Bogota — together they saw the moon rise over the Paramos. Early on, Lael dealt with a tire mechanical and put in a plug to seal the gash — she later added more sealant. She’s been smiling the entire time. Photos @rugilekaladyte.

  A post shared by Lael Wilcox (@laelwilcox) on Feb 18, 2020 at 7:18pm PST

Lael’s Bike

One thing we realized during our scouting missions is that this route is no place for a skinny tire gravel bike. It was immediately obvious that Rue and Lael made the best bike choices in our group by bringing hardtails with forgiving suspension forks and strong hydraulic brakes. For the FKT, Lael will be riding her Specialized Epic Hardtail (with a full rebuild by Madeline Gulley at Specialized Boulder and maintenance by Hubert d’Autremont at Madrean Fabrication). Here’s the complete build kit followed by her gear list.

Bike and Wheels

• Frame: Specialized Epic Hardtail (medium)
• Fork: Rockshox SID Ultimate 100mm
• Front Hub: SON dynamo
• Rear Hub: Hope Pro 4
• Rims: Roval carbon (built by Wheat Ridge Cyclery, thank you!)
• Front Tire: 2.3” Specialized Ground Control
• Rear Tire: 2.3” Specialized Fast Trak

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Cockpit

• Handlebar: Hope carbon
• Brakes: Hope Evo X2
• Grips: Ergon GP3 with bar ends
• Saddle: Ergon Women’s SR
• Seatpost: Hope carbon
• Pedals: Shimano SPD

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Drivetrain

• Shifter: SRAM AXS
• Derailleur: SRAM AXS 12-speed
• Crankset: SRAM carbon cranks w/ 30T chainring
• Cassette: 10-50t Eagle
• Bottom Bracket: Wheels Manufacturing

Lighting

• Headlight: Sinewave Cycles Beacon with charger
• Mount: K-EDGE Go Pro Mount with Sinewave Cycles Go Pro adapter
• Headlamp: Black Diamond Icon Polar attached to Specialized Prevail helmet
• Taillight: Planet Bike Superflash

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Lael’s Chingaza FKT gear list

Good luck out there, Lael! We can’t wait to hear how it goes. Be sure to check back as we’ll update this post with details from the ride…