Transcontinental Race (London - Istanbul) - #TCRNo4

our 67 year old Italian hero,

Is he getting younger?

No shit, Sherlock. I told you I hate maps and that sort of bullshit.

I just follow a pink line. If I gave a fuck about route planning my pink line would've been better and I wouldn't have been off-road so much.

But I didn't take any motorway like all the other fuckers so I should get a bonus few hours...

The next solo in front of me is Stephane Ouaja and he's like 8hrs ahead and took much the same route as me towards the end (not motorway) so I doubt I'll change up from 14th solo unless Mike is quite harsh on penalties for some of the faster riders.

Actually I'm not sure where the R1102 motorway alt was so some of those guys might have taken it after all. Whatever. I finished. That's all I give a shit about.

Is that the man with the 810 who carries his bike up goat passes in the night?

https://www.strava.com/activities/672090535

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Didn't @hippy go via Eurodisney?

I think maps hate you equally! :)

I took a route that went more west than most. It saved 1000m climb for 40k extra distance. Even with my goat track detours if I'd have left CP1 instead of sleeping I'd have been 4th so it was a good route.

http://thehippy.net/blog/transcontinental-race-tcrno4-part-3/

@hippy so #TransAm next year instead of #TCRno5?

PS: Thanks for sharing on your blog your adventure! :)

I'm still fucking typing it out! Thank fuck I have a fridge full of beer. This is a chore.

I'm definitely planning a TransAm attack next year but I'd love to race TCR again. It will depend on work again but similar to this year the main goal will be TABR but I might throw a cheeky entry into TCR just in case TABR falls through again.

Your badger just reminded me of that deer, remember him? Scared the shit out of me.

This is a chore.

You sound as if you're new to this 'posting things on-line' thing.

Oh yeah, it was just a deer arse in the middle of the road. Or was that another time and this one was moving? I forget but I remember asking if you saw it.

I think I was too busy looking for somewhere to buy coffee or have a shit to care about the animals. :)

I like to post quick and fast these days. Trying to piece together a sleep-deprived 12 day journey from random tweets and photos is.. tiring.

Ran out of a bush across the road.
Think we were descending at like 50kph

Ah, there must've been another time that there was just a deer butt in the road. :)

Who's this fucker?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GMqSVHYmaQ&feature=em-uploademail

Excellent interview @skinny

Ah hadn't realised, thought you had inadvertently selected the route me home option in a sleep deprived state.

http://thehippy.net/blog/transcontinental-race-tcrno4-part-4/

@skinny how do you manage to refill your framebag camelbak without a bidon when the only water source is a fountain? (assuming that it was at the bottom of the pocket, because weight reasons). Also how big is it, 70 or 100 oz?

I was discussing with @CarlosBI about your full framebag setup, like the one used by Lael on TABR. And the refill was the only disadvantage I could come up with, but having a 500ml bidon on the bottom of the diagonal tube or on the seatpost could be a solution... or just a cheap lightweight foldable silicone cup :)

They're usually at the top and you just take out the bladder, open the top and fill it up.

Refill a 3L bladder is quicker than 2x1L bottles and lasts longer.

Tempted by https://www.revelatedesigns.com/index.cfm/store.catalog/frame-bags/Ripio if I can keep the bag skinny enough for my knees.

Great idea putting in frame bag, you can slurp as you ride. Plus fill it with ice when its really hot.
Bidons on the bottom of the diagonal are a bad idea, as you need to stop to access and they pick up all sorts of shit.

Do you have a full framebag?

I was thinking about it during the race, since seeing Paul Buckley's one.

It uses more of the triangle, means you don't have to fight with bottles, holds more water than my 2L if you can fit a 3L bladder, keeps drinks cooler, gives more storage for other shit.

But, it puts the bladder where I would be putting on-bike-access stuff I think, also means if you don't get on with a drink, you have 3L of it, drinking through a hose 'sucks', you can't use it to spray water on yourself or clean bits and pieces while riding.

http://www.bikebagdude.com/#!frame-bags/c15ur

Jay from Salsa rolled with these, they look cool as