Going the Distance: Joshua and Jasper at Bentang Jawa

Some rides begin with a plan. Others begin with a passing thought that refuses to go away.

For Joshua and Jasper , Bentang Jawa began somewhere in between.

Joshua first discovered the ultra through a YouTube video of its inaugural edition. He knew riders who had taken part, including Faris from HyperBikeStore and friends from Bandung, and the more he heard about it, the more appealing it became.

Scenic. Fun. Far from the familiar roads of Singapore and Malaysia. It felt like a good excuse to attempt his first ultra.

Jasper's introduction was considerably less serious as Joshua first told him about ultra-distance racing in 2024. His reaction? He joked that he would do one with him.

A year later, they registered. In 2025, they tried. It did not quite go according to plan. So they came back, with a little more experience, a little less luggage, and apparently a lot more beer.

Joshua's view on preparing for Bentang Jawa is refreshingly simple:

You cannot really prepare for something like this.

You can ride more mileage. Spend consecutive days riding into Malaysia. Head to Bandung to understand the terrain, elevations and climbs.

You can also figure out how much food your body actually wants after riding for hours. That part mattered. Instead of relying heavily on gels, Joshua learned to eat normal food. He figured out the electrolytes and, occasionally, even incorporated a little beer and a lot of junk food into training.

Because apparently, preparation has its priorities. The 2025 attempt taught them something else.

They had packed too much. For six days on the road, Joshua realised they may not need much at all.

One set of casual clothes. Two cycling kits. Three pairs of socks. A glove. An arm warmer. A rain jacket. A shoe cover. Medication. Tools. Toiletries. A tech tee. A visibility vest.

And, naturally, their mind and soul.

Everything had to fit neatly into their frame and saddle bags. By then, Joshua had become something of a craft master of packing.

Even after Bentang Jawa, Joshua reckoned he could have brought less. There was, however, one thing he would add next time.

A rest bar. Ugly or not. Joshua said he is handsome enough to make up for it.

For Bentang Jawa, Joshua took his Argonaut GR3. It is the only gravel bike he rides and races, and turned it into something better suited to six days across Java.

The 44-tooth chainring became a 40 for more range across the endless undulations. Continental Terra Comp 40c semi-slicks replaced his usual race tyres, giving him speed on tarmac while still handling rough and broken roads.

The saddle changed from the S-Works Power Evo to a Wove Mag. Thicker Burgh Endurance bar tape added comfort, while metal brake pads replaced the organic ones.

The philosophy was simple: use what you trust, then make it comfortable enough to survive the distance.

SRAM XPLR for robustness. Continental for durability. Apidura for bags proven in the bikepacking world. Exposure lights for their brightness and battery life.

A Wolf Tooth tool covered as many roadside problems as possible. Dynaplug came along too. He did not use it. But if he had needed it, it would have saved time.

Jasper noticed something else.

Their setups were fairly similar, but after watching Joshua ride 40mm tyres across Java, there was one thing he wished he had brought himself. Thicker tyres.

Sometimes you do not need a product review. You just need to watch your friend suffer slightly less than you do.

If Joshua had expected the route itself to be the biggest challenge, Java had other ideas. 

The first problem was accommodation.

The place they had booked simply did not exist. They wasted time trying to find it, eventually settling into a run-down hotel. It was a long (National Day) holiday weekend, and there was not much else available.

Less sleep than planned. Less recovery than planned. The first hiccup had arrived. It would not be the last.

Day Two brought a different problem. It was drizzling and Joshua's stomach decided it had had enough. Solid food went in. Solid food came back out.

Water was manageable. Electrolytes were not. For a while, soup and noodles were about all he could handle.

Heat, poor nutrition and accumulated fatigue left him with very little power. Joshua's verdict was characteristically blunt:

The final two days would be worse.

Fatigue had accumulated. Injuries appeared. Rest became increasingly scarce, and both of them found themselves chasing the cutoff rather than simply chasing the road.

At one point, they were awake for around 36 hours, surviving on micro-naps whenever they could. There were a few moments Joshua would rather leave undescribed.

Fair enough.

One of the reasons Joshua wanted to ride with Jasper was simple.

He wanted someone different from himself.

Someone who could talk when things were low. Someone who could push when motivation disappeared. And someone he could do the same for in return.

They complemented each other. That did not mean it was always smooth.

They had their hiccups. They had to learn to speak up instead of constantly trying to be nice to each other. They agreed on a pace, agreed on a plan, and learned to stick to it.

Sometimes that meant pushing each other when neither particularly wanted to be pushed. Sometimes, in Joshua's words, they would hate each other for spurring each other on. Ultimately, it was the most fun ultra together and he would not have it any other way.

Jasper saw it differently. Joshua tries to help with everything. And he means everything. Whenever he can.

According to Jasper, that is simply Joshua's love language: Acts of service.

It is a small observation, but perhaps the most revealing one in the entire story. On an ultra, helping someone is not necessarily about some grand gesture. Sometimes it is just doing whatever needs to be done so the other person can keep moving.

The clearest test of that partnership came in the chase to Checkpoint Two. By then, the earlier problems had caught up.

They were tired. Injured. Running out of time. 

There was not much room left for indecision. They had to set a pace. Manage the clock. Push. Neither was particularly comfortable with any of it. But they stuck together.

Joshua remembers being especially proud of Jasper for making it to Checkpoint Two when they were cutting things extremely close.

It was not about riding beautifully. It was about getting there. Together.

Then there was Bromo. The climb towards Ranupane became one of Joshua's favourite parts of the journey.

Not because it was easy. They hiked. Walked. Stopped to chill. The temperature dropped and darkness settled around them.

Other participants were doing the same, which made the whole thing feel slightly less insane. It was also the lunar seventh month.

At various points, they saw figures in the darkness that looked rather unusual. Were they real? Joshua was not entirely sure. Perhaps it was better that way.

Eventually they reached the top of Jemplang, where a bowl of Indomie was waiting. Joshua still remembers it as possibly the best Indomie of his life.

For Jasper, Bromo produced another favourite memory. The descent. Around 11pm.

They were exhausted, sleepy, tripping over themselves and laughing. The whole thing felt trippy. Almost hallucinatory.

And somehow, in that state, they descended roughly 30 kilometres in under an hour.

There are moments on an ultra when exhaustion makes the world feel slightly unreal. That was one of them.

For all the chaos, there were moments when Java reminded them exactly why they had signed up. Another Joshua's favourites came near Jogja at Obellix Sea View area.

The climb was short, sharp and brutal, around 25 to 30 percent in places. Then they reached the top. The coastline of Central Java opened up below them.

After everything they had already ridden, it was one of those views that made the suffering worthwhile. Joshua suspects there were plenty of other beautiful places along the route.

They probably just did not see them. A lot of Bentang Jawa happened at night. That's the trade-off. You do not get every kilometre in daylight. You take what the journey gives you.

After six days across Java, Joshua did not come home thinking he needed to become a stronger cyclist.

His biggest lesson was almost the opposite. Slow down. Enjoy the moment.

You do not actually need that much to have a good adventure. And sometimes, trying to control everything is exactly what gets in the way.

"Wing it." "It is what it is."

There are moments when those two philosophies might be more useful than another carefully considered plan.

Especially when your accommodation does not exist, your stomach gives up, your joints in pain, your sleep disappears, and you are still somehow expected to ride a bicycle across Java.

Would they do it again? Joshua says yes. Just with less luggage and a rest bar.

Jasper's answer is considerably shorter. When asked how he would describe the experience in a few words: LIFE CHANGING.

Photos & Videos Credits : Joshua and Jasper

A big shoutout to the both of them for sharing their short recount of their amazing ULTRA experience and look forward to Jasper's vlog for the release of their experience. We are excited for it!