Transcontinental Race No. 6 - TCR6 - #TCRN06 - 2018

Yes just use a vernier calliper.

Here's my sleeping setup. My very vague strategy will be sleeping as many nights in the outdoors as I can get away with and take a cheap hostel room every 3rd night or so. I'll be doing this really budget spec and plan to spend what I have on food (well as budget spec as I can, increased amounts of cycling have led to a massive increase in food consumption!) .

PHD sleeping bag cover
Snugpak jungle bag sleeping bag (built in mosquito net)
RAB silk liner
Thermarest Neo Air XLite

Interested to hear what others are doing or have done.

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Buy a dry bag, and keep it all inside of each other and then stuff into dry bag. Easier and quicker as you stuff it in then just stuff it down and use the drybag to push air out and make it small.

I’d ditch the silk liner. Take some loose boxers unless you want to sleep nude. The sleeping bag can just be washed when home.

do you want to borrow my PHD ultralight sleeping bag for this?
300g, +5º, stuffs ridiculously small. I think it's this but the guy I bought it from didn't seem to know.

I have:

1. Rab storm bivy
   
2. Thermarest Neo Air Xlite mattress
   
3. PHD Waferlite K series down vest
   
4. Blue Mountain cotton sleeping bag liner
   
   

No sleeping bag at present but may get one. Have you tried yours yet, any good?

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Solid advice as usual, that reminds me, I need to get those s2s bags ASAP.

Have you tried yours yet, any good?

Not yet, was going to sleep in the garden with the setup tomorrow night. Nothing like the distant din of the South Circular to put you to sleep. It's not light, the bag that is.
Thanks for the offer @platypus, will see how I get on. Its a really kind offer!

Rab bivvy bag, Cumulus down bag, Decathlon mattress and pillow.
Mattress is heavy and bulky but it's comfy and I'm running out of funds.

no worries. I waited 3 years until one came up for cheap on ebay...

Comfort > 200g, so don't sweat it .

It's a lot of sleeping kit. I only took a foam mat, bivvy and silk liner + down jacket.
I could have done with a sleeping bag on two nights but mostly wouldn't have used it as warm. But depends if you get cold when you sleep, etc.

Huh, tires are 33mm. Thought they were bigger. (who doesn't)

a pal of mine tore his sidewall on day 2 on TCRno4

the nearest french village only had 23c tires so he rode the remaining 3500km with that on his rear!

I’m sure you can get something bigger and of course heavier.

Here's one I'm thinking of.
This is Streetview from 2012. Last year there was a cars-only sign here:

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@48.7877898,21.306423,3a,75y,256.43h,86.36t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1svqGyoGYzwiJuxgLi0m3mjQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

The 38 south of Mad was also no cycling but was used by loads of racers:
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@48.1641371,21.3051031,3a,75y,149.46h,67t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s7Ho85lfv2ZkTM5S9KdB-ew!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

I did this...
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/48.1671863,21.293788/Szerencs,+Hungary/Pr%C3%BCgy,+Hungary/Tarcal,+Hungary/@48.136292,21.2011776,12z/data=!4m21!4m20!1m0!1m5!1m1!1s0x473f5186e914ef85:0x97f29e67a52809db!2m2!1d21.2048872!2d48.1590429!1m5!1m1!1s0x473f54ebc2921c7d:0x400c4290c1e4f60!2m2!1d21.2428751!2d48.0824191!1m5!1m1!1s0x4738acc412b1e179:0x400c4290c1e3650!2m2!1d21.3418021!2d48.1311328!3e0?hl=en

I don't know if any of those tracks are riders in front or behind me though although I could check if I could be arsed. I'll just tell everyone I was on the podium after everyone else was DQd. ;)

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My first one, the TCR4, 2016

Only 25mm? umadbro?

Form an orderly line...

I can't even remember what I wrote but it was almost certainly not fit for reprinting.

How do you tear a sidewall in France? Their roads are normally lovely.

I've never taken a sleeping bag but have suffered poor sleep (I get very cold, even with my natural insulation). I was tempted to try Lael's method which is just to take a sleeping bag and throw that straight down but I reckon sans-pad a lot of heat will be lost to the ground.

Last year I was touring in France in August and first and second night the temps dropped to 4°. Can't image how I would survive with just a foam mat and a liner.

Yeah, probably a mistake (the boxes have been disposed of so unable to return / stuck with them) . It's a step. up though from the 23's I've got on all my other bikes! Thought they were really comfy! :) maybe not after 12days tho.

If you can fit 28s, I would use 28s. Save the 25s for UK.