A Look at Allan Shaw’s Latest Race-Ready Omnium Cargo

Following a successful Silk Road Mountain Race, Allan Shaw will soon attempt another ultra-distance race aboard a cargo bike. In this piece, he shares an in-depth preview of the unique OMNIUM Titanium Cargo V3IR he plans to pedal some 4,000 kilometers between Spain and Italy. See his one-of-a-kind Via Race rig here…

Photos by Mads Madsen

This July 20th, 100 riders will roll out on the inaugural ultra-distance Via Race, retracing the steps of the second century BC Hannibal’s war against the Romans. A legendary story on a fleet of North African War elephants, Hannibal fought his way from Cartagena in southern Spain and across the Iberian Peninsula, the Pyrenees, the Alps, and all the way to southern Italy.

OMNIUM Titanium Cargo V3IR
  • OMNIUM Titanium Cargo V3IR
  • OMNIUM Titanium Cargo V3IR
  • OMNIUM Titanium Cargo V3IR

It was a journey of both brutal challenges and historic triumphs, cast into ancient European history. Hannibal’s unique choice of vehicle is part of what made this ambitious journey so historic, especially with so many high alpine mountain crossings. His elephants were known for their size and seemingly unstoppable power. Remembered as one of the greatest ancient war tacticians, Hannibal used a strategic approach to the battles he faced, analyzing the strengths and weaknesses to overcome his enemies.

  • OMNIUM Titanium Cargo V3IR
  • OMNIUM Titanium Cargo V3IR
  • OMNIUM Titanium Cargo V3IR

The race is in its inaugural year, adding some thrill of the unknown. It’s expected to be around 4,000 kilometres (2,485 miles) and with a maximum finish time of just 15 days. All these elements together called out to me last year as I was thinking about my calendar for 2024, and this has become my big project for the year.

The Bike

My war elephant for this year’s race will be my Omnium Cargo, a unique choice and a powerful machine. It’ll be my second ultra-distance race on my Omnium Cargo after completing the Silk Road mountain race in 2023, based on another legendary journey from human history. Unlike the Silk Road Mountain Race, this race will be all road and open routing, replacing the tougher terrain with tougher daily mileage goals. My latest draft of my proposed route is 4,012 kilometres (2,492 miles) and has 43,000 metres (141,075 feet) of climbing, with a target finishing time of around 13 days.

Allan Shaw, Omnium Cargo Bike, Silk Road Mountain Race
Allan’s Omnium as it was previously set up for the Silk Road Mountain Race

By the time I had reached the finish line of SRMR last year, I already knew I would do it again. After so many years as a full-time cargo bike courier, my cargo bike is still the most comfortable bike I own. I often make the joke that it’s like my sofa, or that a long day on the cargo bike is just another long day at the office. Get to work!

The race and the experience helped me see how ultra cycling could be for me, to keep switching it up and changing the parameters in interesting and fun ways, to not try to define my goals in line with getting things perfect and instead to think outside the box and do things my way. In many ways, I feel like the ultra-competitive and perfectionist road cycling culture has infiltrated the pro gravel scene, and in turn the gravel pros are entering ultra racing, all looking for that new challenge. The result is a skyrocketing level of performance, and with it come ambitions for that perfect set up.

2023 Silk Road Mountain Race, Allan Shaw, Silk Road Cargo Race
  • 2023 Silk Road Mountain Race, Allan Shaw, Silk Road Cargo Race
  • 2023 Silk Road Mountain Race, Allan Shaw, Silk Road Cargo Race
Racing the Silk Road Mountain Race (photos by Nils Laengner)

I’m very aware that at this point I’m fortunate to work with quite a few really great brands and have access to some amazing kit, but I still have the same lack of desire for everything to be perfect and still have strong feelings about not wanting access (or lack thereof) to great kit to be any kind of barrier to to participation for anyone. By choosing the cargo bike, I want to show that you can do this your own way, define your own goals, and set your own expectations—regardless of what everyone might be telling you what you supposedly can’t live without.

The Nerves

I’ll come clean straight off the bat and say I’m feeling pretty nervous about this race! I have quite a bit of skin in the game these last few years, competing in four ultra-distance races last year alone, but this is my first race on road and my first doing open routing. On the one hand, the bike messenger in me likes the flexibility of switching up the route on the fly. On the other hand, the off-road ultra racer in me can barely imagine pulling the required daily mileage to make it to the finish line on time. I know how to pull very long days in the saddle, but I’m worried about the mammoth daily distances.

  • OMNIUM Titanium Cargo V3IR
  • OMNIUM Titanium Cargo V3IR
  • OMNIUM Titanium Cargo V3IR

The bike gives me no nerves at all, especially with the experience of the Silk Road Mountain Race. I know how amazing a machine it is. Whereas last year I felt like I had something to prove to everyone else, and that this bike was capable of finishing this race, perhaps this time around I feel like I have something to prove to myself, that I am capable of finishing this race.

  • OMNIUM Titanium Cargo V3IR
  • OMNIUM Titanium Cargo V3IR
  • OMNIUM Titanium Cargo V3IR

Despite the nerves, I’m mostly feeling very excited for the time on my bike. This last year has been one of big life changes for me. Moving countries, changing jobs, and a lot of personal investment, and I’ve missed the time in the saddle, challenging myself to do something outrageous in some beautiful part of the world. I expect this race to be hard, but hard is what I’m here for. I want to step out of my day-to-day and spend the time just with me and my favorite bike.

The Build

Once again, we’ve built a bit of a dream machine. A lot of the bike is very similar to last year, and I’m feeling more and more confident with this set-up. The focus has been on trimming any extra weight and streamlining everything that we learned from the experience last year. One item that has been catching a lot of attention is the Zipp Vuka aero bar setup, including shifters at the end of the aerobars, entirely likely to be the world’s only cargo bike with such a setup! I’m excited about them because we’ve added enough spacers to bring their position up, which will hopefully mean much more comfort over many hours and days. I’m also excited about the Supernova M99 DY Pro light set-up as it’s their strongest dynamo light to date, helping me push through the long night shifts with plenty of light.

Silk Road Cargo Race, Allan Shaw
The previous iteration of Allan’s Cargo in Kyrgyzstan (photo by Nils Laengner)
  • Frame/Fork: OMNIUM Titanium Cargo V3IR
  • Front wheel: OMNIUM carbon rim with SON28 dynamo hub
  • Rear wheel: Classified G42
  • Tires: 40mm Schwalbe G-one Speed
  • Handlebars: Salsa Rustler Carbon
  • Aero bars: Zipp Vuka Carbon AXS Clip-ons w/ 50mm rise
  • Grips: Ergon GC1
  • Crankset: Cane Creek eeWings Mountain, 165mm
  • Chainring: Absolute Black Oval, 42T
  • Pedals: Shimano R8000 Ultra SPD-SL
  • Cassette: Classified 11-40
  • Chain: SRAM Red 12-speed
  • Derailleur(s): SRAM Red AXS XPLR
  • Brakes: Shimano M9100 XTR two-piston
  • Shifter(s): Classified Smart Thru Axle and Ringshifter
  • Saddle: Brooks Cambium C17, carbon rails
  • Seatpost: Gemini Älsak
  • Stem: Extralite HyperStem – 80mm/6°
  • Lights: Supernova M99 DY Pro (front) / Supernova E3 Dynamo Taillight (rear)
  • Other accessories: OMNIUM carbon rack, steerer tube, and steering rod
  • OMNIUM Titanium Cargo V3IR
  • OMNIUM Titanium Cargo V3IR
  • OMNIUM Titanium Cargo V3IR

The Kit

There may be a handful of last-minute changes, but the following is a reasonably accurate and detailed packing list for the inaugural Via Race, not including food and water.

Bags

  • Brooks Scape Feed Pouch x2
  • Brooks Scape Frame Bag
  • Brooks Scape Top Tube Bag
  • Brooks Scape HandleBar Bag (Drybag only on the rack)

Clothing

  • PedalEd Odyssey Shell Jacket
  • PedalEd Element Merino Neck Warmer
  • PedalEd Element Arm Warmers
  • PedalEd Element Leg Warmers
  • PedalEd Odyssey Waterproof Gloves
  • PedalEd Element Airtastic™ Windproof Vest
  • PedalEd Element Base Layer Sleeveless
  • PedalEd Element Jersey
  • PedalEd Element Airtastic Windproof Jacket
  • PedalEd Element Tie Dye Socks X2
  • PedalEd Element Lightweight Bib Shorts X2
  • PedalEd Trail Power Dry Tee
  • PedalEd Down Alpha Jacket
  • Gorewear Endure Goretex Pants
  • Smith Trace Mips Helmet
  • Smith Ruckus Sunglasses
  • Quoc Escape Road Shoes
  • Unbranded Basic Running shorts

Sleep

  • Robens Moraine Sleeping Bag
  • Robens Mountain Bivvy Bag
  • Robens Inflatable Sleeping Matt

Tools

  • Omnium Multi-tool
  • Restrap Tyre Boot Kit
  • Patch Kit
  • Chain Lube
  • Tyre Sealant
  • Spare Tube front and back
  • Valve core Remover
  • Dynaplug Kit
  • Spare Brake Pads x2
  • Leatherman
  • Tyre Levers
  • Master Link
  • Pump

Electronics

  • Hammerhead Karoo GPS
  • iPhone 15
  • Ricoh GR III
  • Olympus Mju
  • Quick Charge Plug
  • Battery Pack x2
  • Spare Batteries SRAM
  • Spare Batteries Classified
  • Charging Cables

Other

  • Omnium Water Bottle x2
  • Albion Cargo Vest
  • 2.5L Water Bladder
  • Passport
  • Wallet
  • Chamois Cream
  • Sunscreen
  • Lip Balm with SPF
  • Wet Wipes
  • Toothbrush
  • Toothpaste
  • Basic First Aid Kit

Further Reading

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

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Bikepacking Bikes

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