Transcontinental Race No. 8 - TCR8 - #TCRN08 - 2022

Shame!

Greg Melia, the guy who stalked us in 2016, has got a place this year. He should do OK, did about 470 in the 24 last year and rode round the world.

I found the 32mm GP5000s fine on the gravel last year, but slashed a sidewall in the Dolomites, wouldn't seal, forgot to pack TL patches and couldn't get the bead to seat with a tube in - ended up binning it in Annecy for a 28mm Gatorskin.

Ah right. I can't remember what previous editions ran at. I normally tell people there's 900ish apps and 300ish get spots but maybe that was earlier editions. Wonder how many women applied last year? Has that number gone up?

Problem is my biggest aero improvements were using a helmet I don't own and getting into a position that might not be sustainable for the 12hr, let alone doable at all with my beer gut. So, the weight isn't the issue so much as the paunch I'm now trying to make disappear. Anyone got any meth?

The one thing I've got going for motivation at the moment is simply that I've targeted the 12hr. In theory that should be enough to at least get me to the start line is some kind of shape. Whether or not I can hold the necessary power at the event as well as not fucking something else up, that's another matter.

I'm surprised you've not done a 4hr 100. I thought that'd be right up your street and pretty achievable. I'll probably try and do some 100s this year just for shakedown rides with no real goal for a fast time.
The only other 'big one' for me to go for would be an 18min 10mi. I've kinda done everything else and that's why I don't race TTs so much. For me it was almost always about numbers or club records, not winning races, and once the big ones are done, chipping off arbitrary chunks of time is a bit meh compared to racing around Spain, etc :)
What's your club 24hr record? Who's got that one? Surely one for you to get, no?

I'm just double checking the dates. Starts on 24th Jul right?
So, most people will be through Roubaix before the weekend of the 25th/26th and that's the weekend before the Breckland 12hr so yeah, I don't think my plan to be at Roubaix will happen.

Yeah, saw he got in. He should be able to put in a decent ride but then, so should I - as you know it doesn't always happen :)

How do TL patches differ from tube patches or, say, Park tyre boots?

I'll probably have my first TL race this year and first gravel race and want to make sure I have everything I can possibly carry to be able to fix TL tyres quickly and with minimum homicide.

Club 24 record should have been within my range. It's only 456 miles. Set in the 50's by the same guy whose 12 record I broke. But I've never done a decent 24. First time I had no clue what I was doing, then I had a wedding clash with it, then I DNF'd after a reasonable start after I panicked. Then I DNS'd because I had neck issues which made it too painful. That has gone on for 5 years but might be fixed now but not sure I want to do it enough - as you say, other stuff is more fun, plus with young kid can't get time to do the miles that I used to (unless I just cut down on working, which I would do, but it would mean doing all the miles on my own which I increasingly find too boring if on the same old roads).

The only reason I've not done a 4 hour 100 is that I'm too slow! PB is a short 4:10, on a good day on the Eatwall course. I've not even done a 2 hour 50, so it would need a bit of work. I've never been arsed to experiment with helmets so would need to get fully aeroed up and train to at least the level I was at 6 years ago. I really like 100s but I have no LTS's now and they have got a lot harder to get into so would probably need a couple of years to get a shot on a faster course. 100s fit in with doing some other stuff though, so am minded to try and do the ones I can make.

Not sure exactly, but the tube patches I bought en route didn't stick - should have tried some gorilla tape but didn't think of that

Starts on 24th Jul right

Yes. Best not to get that close to Belgium the weekend before your A event!

I don't know either. I've always used normal patches, but sometimes they are too flexible so they get pushed through the hole and re-puncture. Maybe TL patches are stiffer.
Some people cut a bit off an old tyre, which should be stiff enough.

But if you are patching, you need a track pump or compressor to reinflate. CO2 might work, but you only get 1 shot per canister you are carrying.

The other thing to think about is Dyno Plugs. They are a bit expensive but meant to be better than the standard anchovy/worms
http://www.dynaplug.com/bike.html

Park tyre boots

They're shit, IME. Only time I've used one was the one that they gave us for TCR 2016. I used it on IndyPac and it slowly gave.

One nice thing about the GP5000s is that they reseat just with my (high volume) hand pump. Tempted by the dynoplugs.

You've had a bad run at those 24h! I thought you'd gone further to be honest. Sounds like you're getting in your own head though and talking yourself out of a decent performance. It's all just arbitrary numbers though so I can understand getting out there and thinking "why the hell am I doing this to myself".

Unfortunately for me, I respond quite well to big volume, but I'm so sick of riding in this country and dealing with the weather and the twats that I just don't want to do it any more. I'm doing more turbo now which may or may not be having any positive effects. I mean, it worked for the 25mi and I wasn't too shabby for TABR straight after that (fucking seatpost, I need another go at it!) but it's not fun and it doesn't really simulate holding a position for 12 hours so I don't know if I'm going to be able to get a decent 12hr TT out of it.

I don't think I have an LTS now for 100mi but I'm only using them for training this year so not really bothered. But yeah, it would mean like a 2yr commitment or getting fast, smashing an early season one and hoping you got into a fast course later the same season. Every fucker is throwing cash at aero testing. I've done some but it bores the piss out of me and/or is expensive. I'd rather spend money on a house in Spain and go touring :)
I guess that's what happens - priorities change. If I had endless cash I'd just throw it at the Boardman tunnel and buy the fastest everything but I'll try and do this on the old Shiv, I might treat myself to a new skinny and I will have to buy a new helmet since I can't knowingly race with a slower lid if I'm going to put this much effort into it.

Interesting. I did try the GP5000s but they were the most bastard tyres I have ever tried to put on a rim. I actually broke a rim putting them on. It might be my rims, but there is no way I could use them as I could never re-mount them in the field.

Yeah, the only event would then be my Alcoholic event.

Have you seen Slug Plug? It's like a Dynaplug I think but like 10% of the price. Jesse and Sarah were talking about it in Jesse's Race to the Rock packlist video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_4D9uZ5GUY

Wonder how many women applied last year? Has that number gone up?

64 this year. Up by about 3 from last year. Really surprising because Fiona.

Yes, that was what I was thinking about! I saw it on Jesse's vid but I couldn't remember what it was called but I could remember Dynoplug!

They didn't give us Park boots, they gave us Lezyne boots.

I used a Lezyne one when I got run off the road 5min into Romania. I've used a Park one somewhere and it was fine. I had to use another Park one during Transiberica but since they'd been sitting in my toolkit from TCRNo4 the glue had gone dry and it wouldn't stay in place so I had to be very careful putting everything back together. It then cut through a day later and I binned that tyre and went to my spare.

Yeah, I'd have thought there'd be a bit more interest. Then again, Lael and Sarah didn't have that effect in those races either.

I've already got one of these, from when I first experimented with TL.

I might get myself a Slug Plug kit as well though since it's a bit of a neater package and anything that makes flat repair quicker is worth spending money on just because it might cut down on my rageface.

Yes, I'll get one.
IME the anchovies don't really work on road tyres.

Lezyne boots

OK, they're shit then. I didn't read the instructions properly.

I've had one of those Ryder plugs in a wide gravel tyre for a couple of months now, holds air. But these might be better, haven't tried https://www.notubes.com/DART