Indian Pacific Wheel Race - IndyPac - IPWR

https://www.indianpacificwheelrace.com/

I seem to be on the verge of entering this. Is anyone else doing it?

I was planning to but don't have enough holiday time given that I'm doing TD. So maybe next year.

Only vicariously through someone I know ;)

Should be good. Was chatting to Sarah Hammond about her preparations for it the other day.

I'm getting ready to fly off on Wednesday. Trying to minimise time away from wife and work means that I'll not have a load of time to acclimatise and adjust to jet lag when I get there (Thursday lunchtime), but I reckon that jet lag is less of an issue if you're not actually planning to sleep long or at regular hours. It may even be an advantage as the winds seem to be worst in late afternoon, when I might be at my sleepiest.

Today's worry is around stock levels of water and grabbable food at the roadhouses. A guy on the Australian Cycling Forum reckons that they'll run out of stuff after the first half a dozen riders have gone through - each buying 8 bottles of water. I guess that won't be a problem for Sarah!

The tracking site is here:
https://indianpacificwheelrace.maprogress.com/?embed=yes

Thought Kristoff entered.. All the best Frank!

Thanks!
Yes, Kristoff is going to be there. But I did spot that neither he nor Mike are yet listed on the tracker. Maybe a bit of brinkmanship, or not got round to it yet

And... ? Or is it top secret?

So King Sean's advice about always being up the front is right again... :)

Good luck @frank9755. Enjoy sizzling across Australia.

So King Sean's advice about always being up the front is right again... :)

'Twas ever thus

Good luck @frank9755. Enjoy sizzling across Australia.

Cheers - was thinking about you when I was trying to work out how to carry 6 litres of water on my bike!

Not enough thick-shake stops for @bananaskid

Mmmm...

You must know a little bit about the route - presumably pretty dire in terms of supplies or accommodation?

@frank9755 what's your water setup? If I was heading into the desert I'd be tempted to have a giant platypus that I could just roll up when not required or fill up and strap anywhere for an emergency. Maybe trucks will stop and help? You bivvying? So many questions, seems completely different to the TCR

I've been telling Frank, I know what it's like to ride in the heat and in remote, arid areas but I've never been further west than Adelaide so don't know much about the specifics of the Nullabor, etc.

My bike is bigger than Franks so I have more options for water storage than he does.

I think the temps are more moderate than when I was riding at xmas - mid-30s rather than 40s so that will help. But if you get a stonkin' headwind for 10 hours...

Maybe trucks will stop and help?

LOL

@frank9755 what's your water setup?

This is the bike in normal mode:

Then, for desert mode, pannier attachments on the rack pack zip down. They can easily take a 2l bladder on each side, or a couple of bottles, plus extra food. So I'll have capacity for 6l of water which should be enough. I might even take an extra bottle just in case.

It's still missing the triangle bag between the bottles - custom made one in the post somewhere.

Overall it will be a bit more ergonomic than my TCR setup, with the rack pack being easier to use than an Apidura and a better triangle bag, but might be slightly less aero with the rack struts. Weight will be slightly up, but only because I'll take more spares.

I can't decide on bottles vs bladder for the rack bag. I've not worked out how to drink effectively from a bladder in the back panniers. I guess I need to put the tube between my legs and fasten it somewhere near my bars, but it is pretty long and there is a risk of it ending up in a wheel. Bottles could be easier as I could just reach them out without stopping and swap over. Then just chuck them at Adelaide.

I've not got my racing wheels on yet. Am debating whether to take the mudguards off and put on wheel covers.

I'll be bivvying with the odd hotel stop. I'm not using a dynamo (saves equivalent of 10W higher threshold power + a big faff) so will need to charge at least every 6-7 nights. I could spin it out as I won't need much power in the Nullarbor: no-one could get lost there as there's only one road and I don't expect the phone signal to be great

a stonkin' headwind for 10 hours

10 hours I can cope with, 10 days is what I'm worried about!

Oh you'll have a headwind for 10 days. I'm just thinking worst case for water refills :)

@hippy @skinny or anyone else who uses them:
What do you do with your camelback hose when you are not drinking out of it - fix to bars? What is the best way to do that so it doesn't get in a wheel, get dirty, etc?

My bladder mouthpiece has enough weight to it that it just hangs over the aerobars somewhere. It came with a magnet thing to attach to the bars but I've not bothered fitting it.
It does get dirty but you can avoid this a bit with slightly more clever positioning, ie. hooking it around a GPS so none of the wheel spray gets on it.
You could cover it with something or stuff it into a stem bag but I don't bother. I'll just toughen up my guts with road bacteria...

OK, thanks

a magnet thing to attach to the bars but I've not bothered fitting it

I guess the magnet would come into its own if you decided to hunt down a set of steel bars

Mine sat on top of a front bag, attached to aerobar with the camelbak magnent thing.

You could get the end cap cover if you want to keep it clean.

Also, FORZA Frank.
Have a great race.

It has two parts.
One goes around a handlebar and the other is on the tube. So it doesn't require steel handlebars :P