Trans Am Bike Race / TransAm / TABR

Yes. I know from dot-watching the TCR last year that there are limits to how sure you can be exactly what route a rider has taken and you do get the odd rogue point, especially in narrow valleys, which confuses things.

An example of not covering the full route that cropped up on IndyPac is where there is a roadhouse that has two entrances one on either side. To begin with, I made a point of going out by the one that I came in on. But then I saw that others weren't doing that. Sometimes the entrances might be a km apart, so not utterly trivial. The purist (ie @skinny !) would say that you should go out by the same one as you came in by but I think very few riders did that.

Hard to demand a full GPS track from one of these as people's devices do crash on these long events. I don't have a full trace from either TCR or IPWR - I lost days on both and on TCR I had to navigate some of it from my phone maps.

However, on TCR, where there are contentious bits, a lot of effort is made to work out exactly where the rider did go and that would include requesting access to GPS files / strava accounts to see exactly where they did go. But TCR is much more heavily monitored than TABR.

Also curious to know peoples opinions on purposeful, significant off routings (for whatever reason) are within the spirit (even if rejoining correctly)?

A race where you can have a beer en route and still win?

That's it - I'm definitely signing up for next year. This compulsive dot watching has given me an itch that I have to scratch.

Not wishing to put you off obviously but you can have beers whilst dotwatching too...the suffering is less epic but I have to get up from the sofa and walk to the kitchen at the other end of the house to get more beer...

#dotwatcher4lyfe

Rhino back in the game after getting some help from his bike fitting guy.

Where was that posted?

On his Instagram stories: https://www.instagram.com/stories/flinnryan/

Ryan cut and paste it and posted it himself? That means he clearly doesn't believe that is against the rules. Given he is involved with the organisers of IPWR, it shows that there isn't consensus over what is and is not allowed.

Yes, it's on his Instagram and 2 days ago he mentioned in one of his stories that he was in contact with the guy trying to sort things out.

Seems silly really. If he walked into a bike shop and paid a fitter for the same advice, that would be allowed?

The rules say:

Any services utilized must always be commercially available to all challengers and not pre-arranged.

Is internet bike fit advice commercially available to all challengers? Arguably so... Is this pre-arranged? Arguably so...

Re. Tanja Hacker:

No rider will be notified of possible relegation mid-race. It is the sole responsibility of all riders to know the rules, police themselves, and in cases of course deviation, recognize their error + correct it before proceeding on route. Ideally any rider who defaults on any part of rules 2 through 5 will honorably scratch from the GC. Trans Am is…a do-it-yourself challenge…racers alone must police themselves.

Sounds pretty cut and dry.

I can't imagine riding thousands of miles over 3 weeks only to find out you've been disqualified at the end of it. I guess the possibility is going to be going through her head the whole time, and eventually you come to terms with it and just sit back and "enjoy" the ride whether you are DQ'd or not.

Its not like he turned up with a physio couch and spanners . At what point do you draw a line ?

Getting advice from your own personal bike fitter who knows your setup and history? Arguably less so...

I think the transparency is commendable if nothing else. Could easily NOT post this and avoid any controversy but he's being open about it.

Wait until he swaps bikes, like IPWR. :)

Rejoin correctly? Yes, that's in the spirit I'd say.

Yeah, seems to be a very blurry line with no clear answer. Interpreting the rules literally he could pay the fitter a token £1 for the advice and it would be legal as long as the fitter is happy to offer similar advice to other riders (though obviously this advice would be near useless as the fitter knows nothing about the setup of the other riders). If he's not paying extra for the advice it seems like it'd be illegal.

But that is a very stupid way to determine whether or not something is allowed.

Hmm the “Taco Bell” stop seems to undermine the race to me.

I think that’s ok.

Anyone could call the bike fitter up and ask advice.

As long as he fitter is treating him as he’d treat any other paying customer. Ie not taking a call at 3 in the morning.

Some said he might be following the alternative ACA route that can start at Florence and deviates in other places too, be interested to know or if he just likes Tacos!

But is he paying again, or is this ongoing support a part of the original bike fit? Who knows.

Most bike fitters will offer advice to previous customers. I know if I called my bike fitter he wouldn’t charge me for advice as I’d seen him already.

As long as I called in working hours then it’s fine.

I think it's particularly interesting to get bike fit advice since as all of us in this thread know, Hippy has been struggling with his achilles and knee for days and has been shifting his saddle about all over the place to try and sort that issue. To me personally it seems slightly unfair for him to soldier on in pain whilst others are getting their fit problems sorted out - accumulated injuries are going to be one of the major factors in a rider's decision to quit or their overall time.

But as stated up thread, I'm just a layperson watching the dots, so it's not really for me to decide what's fair or not!

Rule #1's a bit rubbish, though.

Does hippy have a fitter as he seems to need to put the call in .

Seperate to all this wouldnt you have all your set up sorted and any inherent problems addressed before you start ? Easy to say as a armchair ds of course with a wonky knee.

Luckily it only applies to the competitors, not us armchair rule lawyers.

I know if I called my bike fitter he wouldn’t charge me for advice as I’d seen him already.

Afraid I disagree with you on that one. It's calling in a favour, not a service available to someone else on an equal basis. It's pretty much the same as being coached during the race.