Before I knew it, only 10 days remained until the main event. For someone like me who can usually be called a master of last-minute preparation, I am uncharacteristically doing some advance planning.
The reason is simple: based on my past two entries, I had a vision in my head of what kind of bike would be best, and I decided to make it a reality.
Riding the Doppo MTB ver.OMM!
First, for the base bike, there was no doubt in my mind: it had to be the Doppo MTB released by SimWorks. The reason is simple; since I was involved in its production, this might sound biased, but it’s a bike capable of toughing it out through any terrain—like OMM, which features everything from trails and paved roads to gravel and river crossings.
As for the specs, based on my past experience, I changed it from my usual off-road setup to one that can also handle some pavement. The changes are:
- Suspension fork to rigid fork
- 27.5×2.8 tires to 29×2.22 SimWorks Super Yummy
That’s the only major change. It’s a testament to the high level of the Doppo MTB’s basic design that this is even possible. Here is the Doppo MTB ver.OMM.
I haven’t taken it for a test ride yet, so there may be minor adjustments, but I plan to go with this setup for the most part.
The highlight for me this time is the dual bottle setup.
You might think, "Do you really need that much water in Hakuba in October?" But think again—I plan to fill one of the insulated bottles with hot coffee. While I dream of winning, that's probably impossible, so enjoying the event is the top priority. If that’s the case, I feel like coffee is essential for a break while looking at the magnificent mountains of Hakuba. That said, if I start bringing a dripper and boiling water, I’ll stop feeling like I’m in a race (drawing the line here is important if you want to keep the dream of winning alive), so I think a thermos-style bottle is the best fit.
So, that’s decided based on my "brain-simulation" of the OMM. Of course, I plan to ride it for real before the event to fine-tune the details. I’ll report back on the results then.
OMM BIKE/LITE will be held on October 17th-18th!
https://www.theomm.jp/omm-bike-hakuba-otari-2020/
Stay tuned!!!