Transcontinental Race (London - Istanbul) - #TCRNo4

Careful with the pepper spray. It's classified as s5 firearm in the UK and subject to a 5 years custodial sentence. http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1968/27

Where'd you get it?

Might not be actual pepper spray, there's more friendly stuff:
https://www.police-supplies.co.uk/dog-deterrent
http://www.bite-back.net/about.php

http://www.outdoorsmagic.com/forum/gear/dog-repellent-recommendation-please/48346.html

France, legal there.

Though just use wasp killer. Legal.

Yes. Wouldn't use it here.

Some route tips on the Facebook page amongst chat about tunnels: most people seem to be go via Bolzano and Thusis and maybe also Albula (but tunnels by it seem to be banned.
I've not looked at all this on a map yet.

I've got Bolzano, branch off to smaller road to avoid SS241 then back onto it at Ponte Nova.

Need to google those other places

Ah yeah I go through Thusis and then branch off to avoid a couple of tunnels to the east of it and then head through Albula.

So everyone is taking same route.
Nowhere near Italian lakes!

Wow, that looks a bit climby! That one back to the main road would be fun, though - looks like at least 12 hairpins.
I find the more you zoom in on the maps of the Alps, the more zigzags appear on what seemed to be a fairly straight route at first...

Isn't this further on from the lakes?

Its the alternate.

Is there something good/bad about Italian lakes?

The coffee and women.

It's a longer route for TCR too.

Lucky I'm built for climbing.

Oh.

I wonder if our Italian correspondent has any alternatives? I'm looking at you @andyp

Coffee might help me finish but the women won't.

Now Frank's got me worried about too much climbing to avoid tunnels I'll have to check around for alternate routes. While looking for rabies shots and tick protection and sleeping kit and...

I think you route is generally right.

No idea dude. If I get time in the next couple of months I'll have a go at checking it but I'm not sure I can be arsed seeking out tiny back roads all over the place to optimise distance/climb. If I notice any roads that aren't actually roads I'll post them here in case you lot have routed over them too.

I'm saying your pretty much the going the way I planned. And I have trawled the map a lot.

tiny back roads does not always mean faster, as you know from TT!

Yeah, that's why I'm loathe to fuck around with it. It's just a waste of time I don't really have.

One thing I do want to do but will probably run out of time for is checking via satellite view to make sure the route is all on actual roads. I don't want to be rerouting if I can help it.

Yeah I do that. Google earth. Useful.

When you've done your route send it to me and I'll compare.

I've learnt which colours of roads in the balkans signify a decent road or not.
Feel free to message me questions privately. I don't really feel like sharing my route publicly. As last year, my due-diligence was worth a lot of time!

Ah, Google Earth, that'll be quicker than using Satellite view in a browser. I always forget about it.

Coolio. My route is mostly RWGPS and some manual intervention to deal with illegal roads so there's no optimisation. You on RWGPS? I can add you as a friend and you should be able to view it. Obviously when you win I'll claim it was because you saw my awesome routing... ;)

Yeah I am.

Sorry, on holiday in France so had a quick look at your last route, but haven't had chance to look at it properly. Am back tomorrow (if we can get to Paris through the floods) so will look in the next few days.

So, the hub I ordered that everyone said would work with road 11spd and that I emailed and asked if it would work with 11spd road and was told yes, doesn't work with 11spd road cassettes.

Disc brake road bikes can >>>
Retailers than argue with me can >>>

Motherfuckers! #hippyisalwaysright