Trans Am Bike Race / TransAm / TABR

http://transambikerace.com/

2017 Trackleaders tracker: http://trackleaders.com/transam17f.php
2018 Trackleaders tracker: http://trackleaders.com/transam18

2021 links:

• http://trackleaders.com/transam21
  

First hurdle - airline websites that can't actually book flights. Thanks for fuck all, Virgin.

Jog to the coast and swim over. Am sure you are a closet triathlete

Isn't every Aussie a triathlete? I fucking hate swimming but I could get into the US trend of waterboarding at the end of one...

we have pictures of you wearing compression socks and riding ugly bikes

So, what are you changing from your TCR bike set-up and kit?
New frame...?
Warmer sleeping stuff?
Extra garmins?
Maybe even a new saddle!

I could not do both of these things and I would be slower. I'd rather be ugly and fast.

Anyway, my first race was a triathlon and I was still racing them in Oz before I left but the last race I did was a crit and then it was UK scene, the crits suck and fucked if I'm swimming off the coast here.. feckin' sub-zero bollocks.

I've been toying with the idea of another new bike but the cost/benefit doesn't weigh up. I could probably run a lighter frame, definitely lighter wheels and lighter bar setup but what I have is super durable and now race proven so I'm not likely to actually go through with any changes I've thought about. Besides which, after the pre-TCR bike bullshit, I think I'm better off sticking with a built bike I own already :)

Sleeping is an issue - there will be far fewer hotel options apparently. I struggle to sleep in the bivvy kit I have, at least in the early stages of a race and/or in the cold, which it will be up the mountains. So, I'm not sure what to do. Jesse managed with an emergency bivvy, thin mat and down jacket but I'm tempted to get a warmer bivvy or perhaps take a sleeping bag so I can actually sleep but then I'll be running lower on pack space. I'll probably post a question about it in the tent thread. Maybe I should start a bivvy thread?

I'm messing around with a different framebag because I don't like the knee contact I get and I'm looking for more storage for TABR due to bigger gaps between resupply.

I didn't use the etrex backup Garmin I carried for TCR so I'll probably actually take fewer Garmins. Just the 1000 and my phone.

The bike already has a new saddle on it. It was probably the first thing I did when I got back. I'm taking the Saddle of Doom #2 to Australia for my road bike over there. It's unlikely I'll find the time to fit in any multi-day rides so it should be fine.

Bivvy thread: https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/293808/

Oh and @frank9755 the longer knurled ITM bung that I bought seems to be doing a much better job of hanging onto the steerer than the one I had fitted during the TCR.

the longer knurled ITM bung that I bought seems to be doing a much better job of hanging onto the steerer than the one I had fitted during the TCR.

Good to hear. I rushed off and ordered one when I saw yours (bung envy) but not used it yet. On my TCR bike the bung I had didn't grip hardly at all and the bars were super-floppy. Seemed ok on braking but will be good to tension it more, in case I get round to being arsed to ride it again any time soon!

I'm messing around with a different framebag because I don't like the knee contact I get and I'm looking for more storage for TABR due to bigger gaps between resupply.

If it was me, I'd

• upgrade to the largest size of Apidura tail bag so it would take foam pad and sleeping bag.
  
• add those chalk bags people have on either side of their stem for food and other stuff
  
• take one of those musette things that I regretted not taking with me on TCR for extra short-term food carrying capacity.
  

I don't want to buy another saddle bag if not strictly necessary. Will see what I can fit in mine.

I have a feed bag on the bars already. Thought about a second one. Shudders at the aerodynamics though.

Musette or drawstring bag as extra feedbag could be useful.

Rad. What's your overall aim/target in the race gonna be?

Don't bother with anything other than a super lightweight bivi bag, which must have a bug net.
I don't intend to ever use a saddle bag again- they seriously mess up your pedal stroke when you're out of the saddle.
Those chalk bag things are excellent- I stored another bidon in mine.

Winning.

Really? Thanks to my saddle issues I spent WAAAAY more time out of the saddle than normal and the Viscacha was fine and dandy. Without a saddle bag I'm limiting my goods storage area a lot - I carried a spare GPS, down jacket, rain jacket and tools in it during TCR, plus anything else I wasn't wearing at the time.

I've seen some bug bivvys but they are as heavy as my normal bivvy! And they're fucked in the cold or the rain...
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001VQLMY/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0001VQLMY&linkCode=as2&tag=maxt-20&linkId=PSWWPZ7ZXAPP66ZE

Ok I guess my saddle bag was ridiculously big- plus I had shit that I needed to constantly access, Never again.

Think small bug screen where your head is, as part of bivi, rather than full on bug bivi.

Hells Canyon (all 100 miles of it) and other places will be 40 degs +

You will welcome cold and rain but only rarely experience it.

If you are caught out in full on rain (which you will be) consider yourself fucked- nothing and I mean nothing will withstand it, find any shelter as soon as you can.

You'll be silly hot again within a matter of hours.

I guess I was constantly getting out my spare shorts, putting them on for a couple of hours until the pain got too much then taking them off and putting them back in the saddle bag. If I sort a saddle that doesn't kill me, I won't need a spare pair of shorts so will only need to access jacket and/or gore shorts when it's going to tip it down. I could use a smaller saddle pack in that case. If I use a full framebag then I can put the tools in it and further reduce the need for a saddle bag. But framebags mess with my knees a bit so really I'd like to get rid of them too. Maybe I should just spend $30k and enter RAAM so some other fucker has to carry all this shit :D

Sorted: I'll look for a weatherproof bivvy for the UK and a lighter one with netting for the US.

Hells Canyon sounds fun.

Ed Pickup said he missed all the rain (though most of the midfield had it the whole race) but he had issues with humidity on the East coast.

Pouring rain if I was already riding in TCR just meant putting on the jacket and continuing riding. If I was stopped somewhere, like a market, I probably just hung around for a bit until it eased off. Humidity is great because you don't get any evap cooling... fuck.

My bag under the down tube was good. I'd recommend it. Held a reasonable amount in a non knee-rub area. Depends on frame clearance, obvs (and with no mudguard it would get fuck wet and dirty when it rains, but stuff in plastic bags shd be ok)

I considered that spot for an extra bottle, but then figured it was Europe - water can't be that far away!

Might be good for tools if the bag I used was strong enough to hold onto them. You used one of those Deuter triangles right?

Can't remember if you go through Montana? https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/oct/03/grizzly-bear-attack-facebook-video

Yep. Did this upload work?

1 Attachment

All that article does for me is confirm my thoughts of not bothering with bear spray.

I take it's not mandatory in any of the US parks? That might just be bits of Canada :/