Atlas Mountain Race

Is that true? I mean I know the impact of aero gains increase non linearly with speed so at 15km/h one might think aero gains might be small... but over such long distances surely it would add up?

🤛

#teambigham

Try riding some sort of aero position over rocky terrain. You'll soon find you're going slower due to falling off or just inability to handle.

You'll save more tim.eby optimising resupply stops. Or leaning to shit off the bike downhill.

You’re absolutely right... I when I posted I thought I had added a sentence saying something like: there are probably more important factors off road, but surely important in a race like tcr?

Road (tarmac) ultra is different.

I once calculated the benefit of a 50mm aero rime over a box section for 4000km on road, and at best case it was 3h30 (ish). So would likely be a bit less, around 2h advantage. I considered that interesting but not everything.

You have to think, the most important aero thing and say 25kph is the body position, and just going into aerobars will help. You can't use an aero helmet as you will roast. You could optimise luggage, but that woluld be ££. Perhaps I am in a position to do those now. But also I quit time trialling because it became an arms race, and I don't want this to become that - or be the person that starts it off. I would likely move else where (ie. off road) because it kills the spirit for me.

When you first did the full frame bag on tcr (which generated a bit of discussion) I speculated it might have been partly an aero choice but no idea whether it would have actually improved things over the more conventional half frame bag setup.

Now we’re talking about it didn’t someone try to do tcr on a tt bike with custom luggage, but struggled with the gravel sections?

The arms race is also partly why I started racing cross. I’ll still do tris (and therefore TTs for training purposes) but tting already puts me ahead of the curve compared to most triathletes (aerodynamically) anyway so I don’t have to think about it too much.

Now we’re talking about it didn’t someone try to do tcr on a tt bike with custom luggage, but struggled with the gravel sections?

The legend that is Utlan Coyle.

I've spent a lot of time thinking about aeroz for rides like TCR and experimented with a few things. There are gains to be made but I agree with @skinny says about body position being the vast bulk of it, and the sort of time saving from using deep section rims.

I used wheelcovers for IndyPac, which is a longer, flatter, windier ride. I worked out they might save me 4 hours over about 19 days. Not a massive amount but worth having. I thought about using them for TCR. Benefits would be less but they would still help a bit. I abandoned the idea as on the wheels I wanted to use, I couldn't get them to fit without sacrificing my lowest gear.

Frame bags should be more aero. Look up Trimble frame.
But they work much better for people with big frames. I tried one and there just isn't much room inside it.

There's obviously a reason why people use saddle packs rather than panniers or saddlebags (carradice). It's marketing - but they are more aero too!

Helmets are worth thinking about. Other things, not really much to be gained, unless you go really radical like Ultan, and one or two others to a lesser extent.

Body position is the main thing, making sure you can ride on your aerobars for hour after hour. I had that sorted out for the first time last year, but I then got Shermer's neck - it was the first time I'd ridden 17 hours x 6 days straight, mostly on aerobars. So there's always more to think about, and aero isn't a magic bullet, got to be in the context of what's achievable.

You'll save more tim.eby optimising resupply stops. Or leaning to shit off the bike downhill.

Something Tom Dumoulin should have thought of in the 2017 Giro

MAD MAX IN THE ATLAS MOUNTAINS
An interview with Christian Meier
https://theservicecourse.cc/atlas-mountain-race

Dirty Kanza, the Rift in Iceland, going to the Faroe Islands, the Tajikistan trip; AMR
custom bike for amr

I should get another job. He seems like a cool guy though!

It's a weird interview. I'm sure the sponsors are pleased with the write up, but I read it is as 'n00b bike packer scratches after untested distance and kit prevents finish'. Not much to learn other than he probably should have experimented with his kit and exertion / sleeping pattern before spunking out on the Atlas mountains. Smacks very much of those bros who have never done an audax but decide to do TCR on an brand new £9k bespoke bike but end up scratching in Germany beause of weak legs and hypothermia.

He has a nine minute video on his fuckin gravel bike tho.

Yes. 'Clueless newbie fails to appreciate challenges in hard event beyond their experience' is a timeless story that will keep getting replayed, and it's fun when it's a pro cyclist playing the part of the clueless newbie.

He would have done better if he had got a cheap bike and got a few more miles in on it!

Can't reply to my own posts but here I mentioned Matthew Walkers 'Why We Sleep' book. Just seen a criticism of it from Aelexy Guzey: https://guzey.com/books/why-we-sleep/ that is as interesting as the book was.

Take this to the ultra thread, it'll be better there.

Is anyone still following the #amr2020 on Instagram?

Proper LOLs at the minute.

How do you mean?

#amr2020 appears to have become adopted by members of a pyramid scheme selling cosmetics.

@skinny looks different to how I'd imagined

I don't know, I think the leopard skin really suits him. Bit heavy with the mascara though.

Surprised noone has mentioned this:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=e5k5ayE9iqU

I very much enjoyed the premiere!

Watched it last night. Very enjoyable!

yeh that a nicely put together. @rj star of the show. Sorry you didnt have the bestest of times out there.

@rj star of the show.

"Breathe man, breathe!!"