Meaghan Hackinen’s Taurus Mountain Race Bike Check

The debut edition of the Taurus Mountain Race is officially underway, taking more than 250 intrepid riders on a 1,440-kilometer journey across Türkiye. Meaghan Hackinen is out there racing, and her latest video shares a detailed look at her bike and gear. Watch it here…

Words by Meaghan Hackinen, photos and video by Cameron Russell

The inaugural Taurus Mountain Race route clocks in at 1,440 kilometers with a whopping 34,849 meters of climbing on a 70/30 gravel/paved split. From Antalya, the route winds east through the increasingly wild and remote Bolkar and Aladağlar Mountains before looping back to finish on the Mediterranean coast in Erdemli. Here’s what I’m packing:

THE BIKE: I’m racing on a Salsa Cutthroat C Rival GX AXS Transmission SUS with a 32T chainring and 10–52T cassette. I’m using flat bars with SQlab inner barends and grips for comfort. Wheels: Light Bicycle WG44 carbon rims, laced with a SON dynamo hub up front and a Hope Pro 5 rear hub. The dynamo is paired with my trusty kLite to light up the nights and keep my electronics charged (shoutout to Jefe Velo for setting me up!). I opted for 29 x 2.2 René Herse Fleecer Ridge tubeless tires, offering the traction and control needed for steep, loose mountain slopes while still rolling quickly on the fast gravel and paved stretches between them.

PACKS: My Apidura Backcountry bag system is centered around a prototype bolt-on frame pack (for my hydration bladder and smaller layers) and a long top tube pack (for electronics and hygiene). I’m using a seatpost pack for my sleep kit and warmer layers, and a stem pack for resupply—starting with Precision Fuel & Hydration PF 90 gels + PF 60 chew bars. I’m also carrying Apidura’s tiny packable musette bag, which expands to 7 L for longer stretches between resupply points.

APPAREL: My daily 7mesh kit includes an Atlas Jersey, WK2 Shorts, and Ashlu Merino socks. I’ll layer up with Hollyburn Tights, a weather-resistant S2S Vest, and Colorado Arm Warmers. For rain gear, I’m bringing the Guardian Air Jacket and Apex Pants.

SLEEP SYSTEM: Rab Bivi (strapped to the handlebars) paired with an ultralight Rab Mythic 180 down sleeping bag (rated to 0°C/32°F), plus a homemade DIY sleeping pad.

NAVIGATION & MISC: COROS DURA bike computer. Lube from Godfather’s Garage.

If you’re interested in taking a deeper dive into what I’m bringing and how I’m carrying it, I’ve broken out everything in my kit list in more detail below. The video above also walks through everything if you’d rather watch a more extended walk-through.

THE BIKE

Frame: 2026 Salsa Cutthroat C
Fork: RockShox SID Select 3P 100 mm travel
Crankset: SRAM Force 32T
Derailleur: SRAM X0 Eagle AXS Transmission
Shifter: SRAM Force AXS
Cassette: SRAM XS-1275, 10–52t, 12-speed
Front Wheel: Custom Light Bicycle WG44 with a SON Dynamo hub
Rear Wheel: Custom Light Bicycle WG44 with a Hope Pro 5 Hub
Front Tire: Rene Herse Fleecer Ridge 29 x 2.2”
Rear Tire: Rene Herse Fleecer Ridge 29 x 2.2”
Handlebar: Teravail Radia 24 Carbon
Saddle: Specialized Oura

HANDLEBAR

Rab Bivi strapped to handlebars
7mesh Guardian Air jacket strapped to handlebars

COCKPIT

Apidura Expedition Stem Pack (1.3L)
29 x 2.2” Rene Herse TPU tube x2
29 x 2.2” rubber tube
Godfather’s Garage lube
Garmin inReach
Snack storage
Apidura Backcountry Long Top Tube Pack (1.8L)
KLite Micro-D electronics
Electronics bag: cables, wall plug, backup computer, AXS batteries x2 and charger, CR2032 batteries x2
6000 mAh battery pack x2
Petzl Headlamp
Quad Lock mount
Multitool
Tire plugs
Hygiene kit

FRAME

Apidura Prototype Backcountry 5.8L Full Frame Bag
Apidura 3L Hydration Bag
7mesh Desperado Arm Warmers
7mesh neck buff
Waterproof socks
Dissent 133 thermal gloves
Dissent 133 waterproof gloves
Dishwashing gloves (backup)
Katadyn BeFree .6L water filter
Soft flask .5L
Spare spokes
Zipties x10
Passport
Little Hotties hand warmers x2
Repair kit

REAR

Apidura Backcountry Saddle Pack (6L)
Apidura Packable Musette
7mesh Guardian Apex Pants
7mesh Hollyburn leggings
7mesh Desperado Merino Hoodie
Montbell 1000 fill down jacket
Wool socks
Pyjama shorts
Emergency blanket
First Aid Kit
Repair Lit

Further Reading

Make sure to dig into these related articles for more info…