TransAm 2016 - www.transambikerace.com

Yeah. Or when you're fingers stop working because of nerve damage.

I'm very happy with open pave.

On the point of nerve damage, get gel pads and put them under your bars where you normally grip them. Also consider double tape or a think tape under your preferred tape. This will take our some road buzz.

I was going to use gel for PBP but I couldn't face retaping the bars. In the end I didn't need it but 1200k vs. 6000k... I tend to agree with you. Then again, TransAm I'll be back on aerobars so it's possibly less of an issue than PBP.

I ride aerobars and I still got it.
Try riding aerobars over slabbed Italian roads when tired and you'll fall off.
For the sake of a few gel pads it's worth it.

I ride aerobars here. All the Europeans roads I've ridden leave Britain in the darks ages, save for the goat tracks that Mike sent you over. I'll be fine.

I have MarSAS Audax foam under the tape on my Audax bike.

http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/marsas-audax-shock-absorbing-foam-1-set-for-drop-handlebars-prod5278/

Better or worse than the gel shit from roadiedouchecompanyltd?

Ok, so Jesse says his kit was safe, not necessarily comfortable. So if he lived then I should be able to get away with that kind of setup #fat #insulation

Tyres: Tubes. I know them. Tubless is too 'like woah man'.

Frame: Tarmac? Or should I base this shit off something new/modern? TCR riders going for Scott Something 20s designed for this shit. Tarmac doesn't have disc brakes. Everyone bones discs...
Thoughts? @skinny what frame were you on? You had stockish frame + aerobars + bags yeah?

Discs are really good. They're great in the wet, and also very powerful and strong with very little finger input. I'd consider them as you're heavier than I too, so they'll have more benefit at stopping you. I can stop myself with one finger from 50+mph very fast.
They other key benefit is that they're plug and play. You won't need to adjust, change or even think about. Rim brakes need adjusting and maybe even changing. Hydraulic disc you just forget about. Same with di2.

Frame wise I ran a stock frame for this year. It had a few limitations but bar getting something custom built was the best I could do. I rode a focus cayo, which has stood up to everything I've thrown at it. It's a bloody good frame. I'd change the geo slightly if I could but more to try get a better aerobars/hands position. It's a trade off when running clip ons.

You could ride a tt bike. But I think once you've kitted it out, a good road bike setup is proberbly just as aero. So it's more a case of ride what you're happy with, as ultan did.

Sleeping wise. It's all about picking where you sleep. If you remember what mike said about where he slept, if you smart you can travel with very little stuff. And if there weather is crap get a hotel/motel. As if it's raining you don't want to bivi wet already on the side of the road. I raced tcr with no sleeping stuff. Just a down gilet and merino hat. I was cold that one time but more due to tiredness and having lost my gloves. But I found somewhere warm.

Discs
Di2
Aero
Luggage carrying ability

Hmm... What about my Shiv with a disc-fork swap?

Actually, I'd prefer road bars for more comfortable climbing so aero road bike with discs and di2? Do they exist? Most important would be working out my position on aerobars that still gave me OK road position.

How cold was TCR? I think TA could get stupid cold at night at altitude. I'm also a bit more worried about free camping in gun-toting USA vs. Europe. I'll have a read of more rider blogs to get an idea of what's possible.

New bike time?

I often climbed with hands on aerobar pads. As you can't ride on tops. So you could climb on shiv.
Aero is more about position/luggage position that actual bike aeros. Could go aero wheels, like zipp 303, which come in disc.

Some nights were - figures. I just didn't stop. Or stop outside.

Always new bike time.

It's not the tops I'm worried about. My TriRig bars and hydro levers aren't great for long periods or descents. I like the bars that Jesse used - seen them? Road bars with padded tops and extensions.

Sleep during the day then you reckon? Ride through the cold.

https://www.haero-carbon.com/en/shop/handlebars/triathlon-handlebar-h380-tr

They look interesting, hadn't seen!

I didn't really make a plan. I just adapted to as needed. Trans am is different as it's longer, so more sleep needed. 3h a night or so.

80% moving time would only allow 4-5hrs off the bike so depending on feed stop time yeah I guess 3hrs at the most? Not sure what other racers have survived on. Does mike hall have the record? Any graph of his ride showing stoppages?

http://trackleaders.com/history
http://trackleaders.com/transam14
http://trackleaders.com/transam14i.php?name=Mike_Hall

Though his page seems messed up for some reason. And yeah he has the record. Though it's only been done twice.

http://trackleaders.com/transam15i.php?name=Jesse_Carlsson

Jesse mentioned some comfort issues with those bars though, see around 1:20 ish. https://video-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hvideo-xpt1/v/t42.1790-2/11165001_10154034566769816_2139578448_n.mp4?efg=eyJybHIiOjYxMywicmxhIjoxNjc1fQ%3D%3D&rl=613&vabr=341&oh=23ef9f8dffc8f09f594ca2df9277c8fb&oe=55E1E138

Oh yeah, and CONTIS :-) no flats.

Trans Am will have fewer opportunities for hotel stops as the route is more isolated than TC?

That link doesn't work for me. What's he say?

But they exploded when he got home and killed his dog.

Really? It's a bike tourist route so might it run through small towns with motels etc?

Hmm doesn't really show his stop time. What's his total time?

Google street view and make a route card with possible hotels/food stops. Workout your speed and plan ahead each stop and variable alternatives.

16.5 days.