Indian Pacific Wheel Race - IndyPac - IPWR

Pawel is laying down the hurt. He never seems to stop - and I seem to stop too often. Knee pain is back when my body cools down. I guess I should just stay moving but I find that quite hard (this is my first bikepacking race).

Apparently Pawel lost all his spare cogs though! All he has now is 17 and 18 tooth cogs on his wheel with a 46t chainring. Apparently he isn’t bothering to replace them either. The last 1500km is going to be interesting...

You can only ride your own race - what Pawel does is out of your control. And in the long run it doesn't matter. When you meet an Aussie in future and tell them you've ridden across their country they'll be impressed. They won't say 'Yeah, but did you beat Pawel?'

Staying moving is the hardest thing! So many reasons to stop, even sometimes that you just forgot to keep going. That Oppy quote about 'cycling isn't hard, just push a pedal down, then another one and repeat' is so true

Always easier to know the answer when you take in all the information provided.

We weren't discussing the quality of their survey (have you actually seen the original survey questions, because I haven't, perhaps it was clearer), we were discussing the rules.

Less stopping = more winning.

(says the person who stops all the time and loses hours and hours...)

When you meet an Aussie in future and tell them you've ridden across their country they'll be impressed. They won't say 'Yeah, but did you beat Pawel?'

I like this. :)

(evil hippy is totally going to ask him if he beat Pawel now just for the lols)

From facebook
"I got a phone call from Abdullah early this morning and helped talk him though the problem he’s rolling again and on his way to Cyclepath Bike shop in Bright only a few kms away and on the route, iv spoken to the boys there and there’s a hanger and mechanic waiting for him. Well done Abdullah .thank you Johnny for the photo , he just happens to be riding the mountain as well"

Outside assistance?
Calling @skinny!

Rhino changes his bike..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyHJdo8qQVo

Who’s the person? A friend? If so then yes 100% black and white.

If he called a bike shop himself and asked them to help then no.

But it’s not a race, so there isn’t anything to win and no rules to be broken.

As someone who drafts regulations this is ticking all my OCD boxes!!

The element where the friend called the shop to arrange stuff I get as outside interference.
But calling a friend for advice on how to fix your bike doesn't seem any different from calling a bike shop...

Facebook is full of people helping the riders:

• Pawel lost his cogs and people are shipping them to a nearby city for him to pick up
  
• Abdullah getting help to fix his derailleur
  
• People guiding racers through cities and around roadworks (trail angels? so maybe a grey area?)
  
• People mentioning riders to tell them to keep riding because of weather changes up the road
  
• Rhino changing bike and clothing
  
  

Still a crazy ride but not really unsupported for a few select?

Yes, it's deffo outside assistance, it's his friend who he called to help him who has posted. The friend rang the bike shop and sorted it out.

Sounds like it.

Lucky it's not a race. :)

It's not a race. There were some riders who took a lift from a truckie because they deemed the road shoulder not wide/safe enough

That just means it's not a race for them.

But it's still not a race :)

Facebook is full of people helping the riders:

Many of those are reacting to the riders posting their problems on social media. Maybe there should be guidance about that in the rules for future similar events.

If it were a real race then I guess:

• Racers would have a different perspective on the ride
  
• Racers would be posting less info that people could react to like that
  
• Racers wouldn't be reading those responses or refusing the help they're being offered
  

Where would the rules be about calling your own your local bike shop (if they were open) to ask for advice? It’s likely that given they know who you are and are a proven customer they’re going to be a little more receptive to you calling up for advice.

It's a race if you are racing

Where would the rules be about calling your own your local bike shop (if they were open) to ask for advice? It’s likely that given they know who you are and are a proven customer they’re going to be a little more receptive to you calling up for advice.

Mike covered that in one of his examples. If they give you the same service as anyone else its fine. If they stay open late just for you, it's not.

But it's ok if a shop you don't know stays open for you?

When you are swapping bikes, wheelsets, notifying Facebook under the knowledge you will get assistance etc. Then you are pushing the envelope against the others out on the road and those who your performance will be inevitably measured against. Skinny rode TCR in the way it should be done.

If no one else is racing though, it's not a race.

Yes, because they'd likely have done it for anyone.

Trail angel

I couldn’t call his mate up and ask for advice... it’s private.

See?

But it's ok if a shop you don't know stays open for you?

Yes, because the inference is that if they stay open for one person who calls up, they would do it for others.

There was a shop in Adelaide last year who said in advance they would stay open for people who rang in ahead. Lots of us used them.

If no one else is racing though, it's not a race.

ITT

That friendship is ultimately what I'd consider a wider pool of knowledge. i.e. knowing who best to contact. It interlinks with other elements and factors such as fluency of languages.

The outcome is ultimately a racer has called a non racer on how to fix their bike. You are judging on process, where I suppose I'm looking it from an outcome perspective.