Kiwi Brevet 2010

Joel, Phil and Ed are about to head off to New Zealand to do an 1100km self-supported dirt Brevet around the South Island.  There's a blog here for their adventures, where they may or may not post updates and photos, depending on the levels of internal strife and general exhaustion. 

http://2010kiwibrovet.blogspot.com/

Gear choice is crucial for this sort of ride - with 50% tarmac, 50% dirt and loads of brutal climbs, it's a challenging bike choice.  You need something relatively light but rugged and capable of carrying load, something that can climb 20% dirt pitches and descend like a mountain bike.  Funnily enough, we're all taking various builds based around Salsa's excellent Fargo frameset.  It's probably the most versatile touring bike out there.