Taking on Desertus Bikus with Alice Segre

If you’re looking for an adventure that covers a vast expanse of different landscapes, whether that’s the sun’s rays bouncing off the Atlantic, lush green vegetation hugging rolling mountains or shimmering sands that stretch endlessly under the scorching sun, there’s a unique competition that boasts it all, which is captivating the hearts of adventurers and thrill-seekers alike. Welcome to the exhilarating world of the Desertus Bikus race, an extraordinary test of endurance, skill, and determination on two wheels.

Prolific adventure seekers, like Megmeister’s ambassador Alice Segre, are set to navigate a journey that will take them over 1,350 km of varied terrain with 13,500m of elevation through some of the most challenging environments on Earth, and the time limit? Seven days! This gruelling competition demands not only physical prowess but also strategic planning and mental fortitude as participants traverse the vast desert of Bardenas Reales, Spain. The first pedal stroke will be taken in Anglet, Pays Basque, France and the last, for those who make it, in Setubal, Portugal.  

 

 

Success is the result of meticulous planning –- wrong kit, wrong route, wrong frame of mind and you’re instantly stacking the odds out of your favour. We caught up with Alice in the hours before her adventure was due to start to find out more about the kit she’ll take that will make the next seven days of her life as comfortable as possible, and how she mentally prepares with such a mountainous objective ahead of her. 

MEGMEISTER KIT BAG   

When a race takes on such varied terrains the limited kit you’re able to carry with you has to be good enough to withstand what those terrains will demand. As Alice crosses Spain the temperatures during the early mornings and night time will drop to less than 10 degrees whilst the mercury, during the middle of the day, will rise to near 30. Managing that core temperature change over the coming seven days requires her kit to perform and help her manage her comfort levels.     

 

 

KIT LIST 

 

2x Women's L8 Signature Bib Shorts (one black and one navy)

2x Women's Prestige Aero Jersey (green + turquoise)

2x Women's Sleeveless Base Layer W/ Drynamo™ (white + blue)

1x Women's Drynamo™ Long Sleeve Base Layer (for sleeping in)

2x Warp Knit Seamless Sports Bra (pink + black)

1x Women's Thermodream Winter Jersey (forest green)

1x Women 2-In-1 Pro 360 Jacket 

1x Women's Air Jacket (grey)

1x Ultratherm Arm Warmers 

1x Ultratherm Leg Warmers 

MENTAL PREPARATION 

 

It’s normal to feel nerves heading into an event like this, but finding ways to handle those nerves can make the whole experience more enjoyable. Alice has some sound advice about how she has managed hers over the last few months, weeks and days to get a handle on her pre-race jitters. 

 

 

Alice’s Advice

 

Plan and take control of things that are within your control 

“What really helped was spending time planning the routes and informing myself on nutrition and everything that I can organise for the race. I think there is still way more that I could have done, but as it’s the first time for me doing an event like this I feel I spent enough time learning enough to help make me feel more confident.”

Visualising potential challenging moments 

“I spent time imagining all the things that could go wrong, like not being able to fall asleep at night, getting lost, having flat tyres. Moments in which you could get angry and stressed and I would visualise them and how I would react and what I could try and do. I’m not sure if that will be useful during the race, but I feel like the visualisation techniques have helped me process what the race could hold.”

Friendly support

“What has really helped the last couple days before leaving [for the race] was catching up with close friends and having them reassure me, and talking about the race with their support. It was the final boost of energy and excitement that I needed before leaving to the race start, and not getting too stressed.”

Rest 

“In the last few days before the race I’m focussing on rest as much as possible and trying to sleep well to be able to arrive at the startline with enough energy to be able to enjoy the experience. Of course I remember that it’s a competition but it’s also the first time that I am doing it and it needs to be a fun adventure.”

 

 

 

Join us as we delve into the captivating world of the Desertus Bikus race, and follow Alice’s journey over the coming days.

If you would like to see Alice’s progress you can find the race tracker here 

Her cap number is 167. 

There will be a documentary made capturing Alice’s journey during the course of the race, that will form part of a series of impressive human undertakings. If you would like to help support this project, you are able to via her funding page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/desert-lilies-a-docufilm