Transcontinental Race No. 7 - TCR7 - #TCRN07 - 2019

Pfft.

I'm already carrying two spare bikes...

in body fat.

Ah cheers for the offer! I’ve not squirrelled away any money thinking I’d not be taking part plus every I’m earning now is going towards the masters

Hope you enjoyed Australia. When you didn't reply for a while I was thinking an Aussie driver might have got you! Sorry you're not coming along this year, but good luck with Masters.

Fat

Drunk
Can’t sit down
Spends all race moaning on Twitter

My ankles are too big
My rim tape is wrong
I've been bitten by ... an arm warmer!

My ankles are too big

Too many NSAIDS which in turn was a symptom of calf guards

My rim tape is fucked

ftfy

I've been bitten by ... an arm warmer!

No shit, I still have a mark/scar on my upper arm from RaTN

Hot tip - don't wear anything tight. Elastic is the devil.

Sounds lame but feeling a bit more up for it now having looked at a few of the big race Instagram accounts. Badlands in particular looks good!!

Don't forget your doctors notes, insurance proof and extra beer money for my drinks.

Keep the mouse in the house

Hot tip - don't wear anything tight. Elastic is the devil.

I thought you wore calf guards, arm coolers and all that stuff the whole time?
I usually go for naked limbs.

Rear reflector and bell.

doctors notes

My doctor's note is a bit shit in that they didn't give a general assessment of health, just talked about specific stuff from last year (heart bypass). I CBA to go back and ask for another one. And it does mention TCR. I can't imagine that they read these things in detail and get picky about the wording. If they do, I might be rushing to find a Bulgarian doctor!

bell

you are!

I think all it has to say is TCR and "ok to ride" or something similar.

Not any more. Too many issues with tendons getting fucked up. I often start in that stuff but have alternative kit. RATN was colder so I had arm warmers on from the get go and didn't take them off... until my hand stopped working. I do use arm coolers in TABR/TCR but they've never messed me up like the arm warmers did.

I’ve had issues with arm warmers being too tight around my upper arm. Used the decathlon ones mentioned here on TAW and really liked them. Not super warm but pack down small and they are super stretchy with no silicone gripper.

Yeah, I've got 'less grippy' warmers now. I think the issue wasn't the upper arm (although that's still marked so maybe it contributed) but was near the wrist and was exacerbated by the constant on aerobars/off aerobars for the fucking bike path RABS. Instead of just blasting over a RAB on the road, every fucking junction was a series of 90 degree turns. It was near the wrist, under the gripper that the issue was worst. Realised too late what was going on. Finished a bit limp wristed in more ways than one :S

10 days fellas. You know, just in case it's fallen off your radar ;-)

Why I oughta!

There's a pile of junk sat in the lounge after TP waiting to be repacked, much the same as it was sat on the lounge floor after RATN waiting to be packed. I may as well just live out of a bike box this year.

Most pressing thing for me is to finalise route, chop into bits and install on all my GPS devices.

Oh, I think I might take a file to the Mason to give me some more room to adjust the rear caliper, once I've put the new pads in. Disc brakes are so damn noisy. Oh and I still haven't fitted my dynamo stuff. Shit. Oh and I need to mark all the adjustments we made last night to position so I can replicate when I put it back together. New chain and tyres are ready to go.
Hope my jersey has enough life in it for another 7000k...

Just did a final final check over my route and spotted an error!!
Now at 4024, 45928

Doesn't sound good!!

That's shorter than mine but more hilly!

to shy to post your numbers??

I'm embarrassed at how flat my route is!

No, I think there is huge variation in what different routing programmes, and also the different map options, give for climbing, so comparison is not an exact science

Well I'm a novice. I prefer my route with the change.

share the good ones? Lots of things on IG called badlands...