Traka 360 with Tubolito

Preparation is everything. After spending countless hours training on the bike just to be capable of riding the 360K, it’s just as crucial to have your gear dialled in if you want any real chance of finishing, let alone finishing well.

As always, I aim to maximise my odds. On a course as demanding as this, safety and reliability are non-negotiable. That’s why I chose to ride tubeless: punctures can usually be sealed instantly with sealant, and if not, a plug often does the trick. Still, I don’t leave things to chance, I carry a set of Tubolito S-Tubo-CX/Gravel-All tubes as backup. They’re light, compact, and have become an essential part of my setup.

By the time race day rolled

around, everything had been tested, checked, and double-checked. The start felt great, the energy was high, and the months of hard work were about to be put to the test. I started in box 2, just behind the Elite riders, and quickly settled into a strong group. Most of them seemed to be riding for teams, which, as an unsponsored athlete, was as impressive as it was motivating.

But everything changed at kilometre 40.

Despite pushing solid watts, something felt off, my legs couldn’t possibly give out this early. That’s when I realised my rear tire had lost pressure. At first, I wasn’t too worried. I inspected the tire and couldn’t find any visible holes. I used a CO₂ cartridge, hoping the sealant had already done its job. It worked, briefly. Just 5km later, it was flat again.

Frustration set in. I tried again after bumping into a friend who caught up with me. He encouraged me to give it one more shot. This time, I could hear the air escaping from the bead looked like the tire had popped off the rim.

“It just needs a minute to reseal,” we told ourselves.
Spoiler: it never did.

There I was, 40km in, 320km to go, and motivation draining fast. But I had one last option: the Tubolito S-Tubo-CX/Gravel-All tube. I had never used one before, but at that point, all my hopes, 320 kilometres’ worth, were riding on it.

I pumped the tire harder than I normally would, nervous that another flat could mean the end of the race. As the kilometres ticked by, I took some heavy hits on the wheels, and to my surprise, the Tubolito held up amazingly well.

The Traka 360 is hands-down one of the toughest terrains I’ve ever faced. If there’s one piece of gear I can confidently recommend for this kind of ultra-endurance race, it’s the Tubolito. It saved my race.

Despite all the setbacks, I crossed the finish line in 298th place out of roughly 1,200 riders. Not bad for my first ultra, and with more than my fair share of bad luck.