AXEL CARION: THE INTERVIEW

Axel Carion is a French ultracyclist who rides with Supernova Lights! He is the founder of the BikingMAN race series. Ultracyclingworld records include the Guinness World Record for cycling across South America in under 50 days.

Are such spontaneous trips a good idea?

Deciding to go on an adventure is always a moment of excitement and apprehension - even when it’s in your home country. The current context of travel constraints with COVID-19 adds more spice to the journey as you can’t predict what tomorrow will bring. Nevertheless, I believe it's one of the major purposes of taking a journey: to embrace the unpredictable and jump into the unknown to experience life.

What is Your Most Important Preparation?

If I’m preparing for an unsupported bikepacking experience of more than five days, the equipment is definitely my number one priority. Especially if I will be facing challenging weather conditions or crossing remote areas, or completing an expedition during COVID-19 measures! During multi-week bikepacking expeditions, every detail of the equipment I bring is crucial, as I can't rely on anything else.

It's great to take the minimalist approach and focus on what's stressful for my body and mind while on these journeys. In order to lower that stress, I bring the best equipment to allow me to enjoy the experience. As an example, I love riding in the rain or during the night because I know what equipment to bring so that I can enjoy it.

All year round, the weather changes.  How do you stay motivated?

For the past decade, I've been cycling around countries (Europe, Africa, South America, Asia, Middle East) and travelling has always been my connection with cycling.As a result, it's always a great source of enjoyment for me to ride a bike as I'm never truly "training" and never get bored. I’m like a treasure hunter who is curious about exploring new roads, trails and countries.

With COVID-19, where traveling can be difficult for many people, I keep my motivation high by gathering friends and people on routes that I love most to share the beauty of the best places I know. 

Riding that same hill again and again alone will never taste as good as riding it with cycling buddies.

What role does the equipment play?

I always try to improve my "packing list" as I plan more and more expeditions in very different conditions (weather, elevation, altitude, cultures). However, there is no such thing as perfection in this world. There is no perfect gear; you must be prepared for the unexpected. That is the spirit of exploring on a bicycle.  

In terms of lighting, what is especially important to you and what role does lighting play during the day? 

The most important thing when I use a battery front light is a good mix of luminosity and burn time. Over thousands of miles of riding, I tested several battery headlights, mostly leaving them on for over nine hours. Strong beams are useless if they don't allow me to ride for longer. For that reason, I prefer to use the Eco mode, which increases the burn time to at least 20 hours.

I still vividly remember when I traversed the jungle in Laos with a battery front light. That was extremely stressful! When I use a battery front light, I always use a powerful light with a uniform beam and high build quality that will last as long as possible - like the front lights from SUPERNOVA.

How would you define autonomy?

I am referring to the battery life.

What do you mean by the combination of light intensity and autonomy?

My concern is how long the battery will last based on the brightness of the light. A long-lasting light from a battery is more important to me than a strong light that is only available for a short period of time.

Would prefer a dynamo light for long-distance races and a battery for shorter races?

Actually, I would stick to dynamo lights (as I own dynamo wheels) to avoid the hassle of charging the light with a powerbank.

Text: Axel Carion, Pictures: Axel Carion