When you carry your bike - across your shoulders - you need to figure out what’s the most comfortable position. One time I put my pump on the wrong side of the down tube and it dug into my back. Now I make sure it’s on the opposite side. I also occasionally get my pedal caught up in my backpack which makes it extremely difficult to get the bike off my back. The simple solution I’ve found is to make sure the pedal on the side that will be closest to my backpack is in the down position. It’s only by carrying your bike that you figure out what does and doesn’t work. You can change it when you’re on the trail but if you’re tagging along with other people you won’t have the time to debug the small irritations.

Chris Fisher has done a great job of putting together the riders manual. before that it really was about sucking the info out of an experienced rider. This forum is a great place to post enquiries that will get the attention of experienced riders. There is so much collective knowledge that riders are willing to share. Even the most basic of questions should be asked as many of us take certain solutions for granted and have forgotten the wisdom that led up to us doing certain things or taking certain equipment without thinking about it.

I currently don’t use a map-board. When I did use one in the early days I didn’t have a rotating map-board to orientate the maps to my direction of travel. However, before RASA I had hundreds of hours of map reading and navigation under my belt so map orientation doesn’t faze me. These days I’m familiar with the route so having maps visible on a map-board isn’t necessary. Even so, I always carry maps with me. My advice for people new to the event is to use a map-board and if possible get one that rotates. As others have said, it’s essential to always know where you are on the map.