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Discs
Di2
Aero
Luggage carrying abilityHmm... 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.
hippy-
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.
skinny
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.