Two parents, one trail, one double bike.
Chris and Marni Plesko of Westminster, Colorado, have achieved an uber-impressive bikepacking feat. Last week, they became the first tandem cyclists to tour all 540 miles of the Colorado Trail. They completed the ultra-endurancey Colorado Trail Race (CTR) in just 10 days.
Recently, the athletic parents of two set their sights on a tandem send of Colorado’s longest backcountry bike trail, the Colorado Trail. In an interview with Bikepacking, Chris Plesko indicated that the goal was more or less born in quarantine:
“With us both having to parent and teach throughout the challenging pandemic, our short outside rides and runs were often the only alone time we had together. We began dreaming of an adventure together, and when we realized how much we loved riding tandem, we just decided to give the CTR a shot. We knew it would be incredibly challenging, but that was a big part of the draw.”
“… [Ignore] all the naysayers who call it a divorce bike,” Marni added. “It’s way more doable than it seems and so much fun to ride together.”
We caught up with Chris and Marni to hear how the ride went, and we took a deep dive into their record-setting gear!
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Riding the Colorado Trail Tandem
To prepare for the 2021 Colorado Trail Race, the Pleskos trained multiple systems. They put hours into long tandem rides, sussed out their technique across all manner of terrain, and lifted weights regularly.
Registered under codename “The Parent Trap,” the couple set off atop their fresh MTB Tandems Fandango bike in the early hours of July 25. Along for the ride? A shared wealth of endurance experience, general familiarity with the route and the CTR, 37 pounds of pure bike, and another 40 pounds of bikepacking gear. (For the Pleskos’ full gear list, scroll down.)
Chris had attempted it four times prior, finishing it once in 2017; the 2021 attempt would be the couple’s first as a team. Over the next 10 days, the Pleskos would negotiate switchbacks, hoist their 75-pound “bear” of a setup over impassable terrain, weather downpours, and endure alpine temps. Reportedly, both riders relished every mile of the journey.
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The Colorado Trail
Interview With the Pleskos
GearJunkie: The CO Trail is gnarly. When did things get especially hairy or difficult?
About how much hike-a-bike did this require?
How did you train for this record?
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Any mechanical issues along the way? Any wildlife encounters?
Can you give us a rundown of your day-to-day nutrition? What was the plan going in, and did you stick with it?
Does having a partner on the bike ease frustration when things get tough, or can it be even more difficult?
What records/challenges are you eyeing next?
Finally, if you had to sum up the whole ride in just a couple of words for someone else about to take it on, what would you say?
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Gear List: Chris and Marni Plesko’s CTR Tandem Bike Tour
- Bike: Fandango Ultimate Race Edition from Alex at MTB Tandems
- Groupset: SRAM AXS Eagle
- Suspension: MRP Ribbon front suspension and a Thudbuster suspension seat post in the rear
- Hubs: SON28 dyno front hub and DT Swiss rear hub
- Rims: 29-inch NOX Farlow carbon rims
- Saddles: Sella Italia SLR saddle in front and Ergon saddle in rear
- Handlebar Grips: ESI Chunky grips in front, Ergon Grips in rear
- Bike-Mounted Packs: Custom frame bags and matching seat bag by Joe at JPaks Revelate Designs Pronghorn (sleep kit); 2 mountain feedbags
- Helmets: Smith (Chris notes they’re “probably too old and sun-faded but ya know …”)
- Eyewear: Rudy Project photochromic prescription sunglasses
- Shoes: Chris — Sidis; Marni — Pearl Izumi X-ALP Canyons
- Backpacks: Salomon Adv Skin 12 with 500mL soft flasks
- Electronics: Garmin inReach mini and Garmin eTrex 32x for navigation
- Lighting: K-Lite Bikepacker Ultra MTB with backup Fenix HM50R headlamps
- Repair Kit: A derailleur hanger, two tubes, extra Stans, zip ties, bolts, cleats, tire sewing kit, Kevlar spokes, Dynaplugs (regular and mega), some tapes, and glues
- Tent: Black Diamond Firstlight
- Sleeping Kit:
- Chris: Western Mountaineering Highlite bag and 1/8-inch Gossamer Gear pad
- Marni: Montbell UL down 950 #3 bag and Therm-a-rest XLite shorty pad
- Main Kits:
- Chris: “I wore a pretty standard bike kit with bibs and a jersey, crew-length wool socks, and my trusty, very old, and VERY worn white Patagonia Cap 1 long-sleeve shirt.”
- Marni: Two pairs of Specialized bibs, a Twin Six jersey, two long-sleeve Montbell shirts (synthetic and wool), and crew-length wool socks
- Rain Gear (both): Rain jackets, rain pants, gloves, and waterproof socks
- Chris: Old Bozeman Mountain Works puffy
- Marni: Montbell synthetic hooded puffy