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

The VAR tyre lever is brilliant and pretty portable.

oooh that is cool, is using one enough? or is two necessary for getting the last impossible bits of tire over the rim wall.

I have a couple of those, well 1.5 since the first one I was sent didn't have the second lever in the middle. I don't think I've ever used them though. I have used the Speedier Levers though:
https://www.amazon.com/CRANKBROTHERs-Crank-Brothers-Speedier-Lever/dp/B008UY1MXW

Not these
https://kk.org/cooltools/crank-brothers-1/

I just use the one, sometimes headbutting it in place then use the inner bit / standard lever on each side to work the bead over

I've got one, but it snapped when I tried to use it on a Conti 5000 TL!

The Japanese ones that @cycleclinic sells are my current favourites

The speed lever was a fine idea except it only worked one out of about every thousand times you used it as intended. I gave mine to someone I don't really like that much at work.

I'd like to think I'm at the stronger end of the cyclist spectrum and they definitely can be hard work but they're also pretty quick and can be great when your hands are a bit wrecked.

As much as I liked them once they were on, I will never return to challenge.

Ok, time to start spending some money on parts...

I'm going to switch to a 50-34 chainset and ideally want a 11-32 or 11-34 cassette. Think I have the short cage derailleur. Would I still need to buy the longer cage for 11-32 or will it be fine?

(50-34)+(32-11) = 37

From: https://guides.wiggle.co.uk/rear-derailleurs-buying-guide it seems you'll need medium cage for that capacity.

I ran an 11-30 on an ss just fine. If that's any help.

If you've got it. And your gonna get a bigger cassette anyway. Go with it, if it doesn't work get the gs.

But personally for this type of event. I'd be looking at sub compact chainset and some sort of franken 14-34

I ran 36T on old version Ultegra long cage and 42T on new version (R8000, Shadow mount) long cage. 32T worked on old version short cage so 34T probably ok on short cage new version.

But it's normally a case of trying it out as it will depend on front ring choice and chainstay length. You don't need a 50T in the TCR so the cool kids ride 46T or similar which can help RD capacity.

You have the newer Ultegra R8000 so they'll probably both work without Wolftooth. Borrow a cassette to test?

^this I was a little dubious at first.

Cool, thanks all.

@hippy, cheers and yep sounds like a good idea.

Also is it not under serious threat of not happening?

I guess it must be right now. Still, a fair amount of time until the start so hopefully things will have improved by then.

I'm currently on 52/34 with 14-32T on a short cage RD.

SS is natively designed for 28T for older RDs and 30T for the current gen but they can both go a couple of teeth bigger (respectively) with some B-screw adjustment.

Yeah have seen a few videos saying it's fine. Will give it a go and see how it handles it.

Also is it not under serious threat of not happening?

Nothing said, but who knows how things will pan out over the next couple of weeks, let alone 5 months (shit - is it only 4.5 months to the start!)?

Definitely go for low gears.

Things nobody says at the end of TCR:
'I wish I'd had a bigger gear for pushing on the flat'
'I never used my bottom gear'

Most people who have done it more than once put lower gears on.

FWIW I'm planning the same gears as last year which are 30/46 and 11-40

I think my progression was something like:
TCR4: 50/34x32
TCR5: 50/34x36
TCR5: 46/34x36
TCR6: 46/34x40

I'd be surprised, given how disrupted next few months are likely to be.

Reasons to be optimistic:
New case numbers are coming down in China.
Flu-type diseases tend to decline in the Summer.

Do you think it will take a lot longer to get back to normal once the cases decrease? That might be right, I haven't heard any informed views on what the tail of it might look like.

No idea feels like we are at the start.