Fast and long

I dunno if they'd bat an eyelid to be honest. A large number of the UK audaxes I've done have been on a TT bike. I think there's far less 'kit shaming' going on in audax vs. racing.

Also, if you ride any audax near London, half the field are on £5-10k superbikes.

Aren’t there rules for aero bars in PBP? Something about the extensions not protruding further than the shifters or something?

Indeed there was that silly rule in 2019, for the first time, before that they were simply not allowed. Wasn't really any safer as one still ends up resting their elbows on the pads and then your hands are further forward than the extensions. Looks like they've changed the rule again?

Pour des raisons de sécurité, l’utilisation des prolongateurs est
vivement déconseillée en peloton.

https://www.paris-brest-paris.org/reglement/

@Samuli - my French is OK, but that's a stretch! Does it say extensions are strongly discouraged in the peleton? But not outright forbidden? For sure, I wouldn't be using aerobars in a group, but I found there was a lot of solo riding in 2019.
I heard on the grapevine that prior to 2019, folks put padding on the tops of the bars, and a strategically placed 'bar bag at the right height/distance, and voila...

as you say, discouraged in peloton formation, but not forbidden.

I rode alone for a good while too last time and enjoyed my aerobars there. It was more comfortable than on the previous one without them.

Some adventures into carbon fibre

I've been farting around with carbon for a few years. Mostly on-structural bike bits. I redrilled all my shoes for mid-foot cleats (above), but I also made some insoles too after getting some problems with some heat-formed Sidas insoles. The Sidas ones (blue ones, below) were good for a few years, but gradually, the ridge where the carbon support stops (maybe you can see this ridge behind the ball of the foot, running all the way across the insole) became more pronounced and was really uncomfy.

I used the Sidas insoles as a mould for some new solid carbon insoles, and they've been comfy for the last 6 months, I guess. Power transfer (for what its worth) is good, and they don't absorb water. I use resins and cloth from easy composites, and nothing more sophisticated than that. I do it just like papier-mache, no vacuum, no oven. It takes a lot of sanding doing it this way, but with patience...

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Bike spec (pt 1)

I'm busy scribbling down all the bits and pieces I want to bolt onto my frame. One drawback to getting a frame from China is the length of time it takes between ordering and receiving... I want it NOW!!

Anyway, the frame comes with fork, headset, thru-axles, seatpost and integrated handlebars. I've checked and rechecked the saddle-hoods reach measurements of my current bikes, but ordering the integrated bar/stem length still feels like a bit of a punt. I guess I'll be able to use a conventional stem and bars, just without the benefit of full cable integration.

I'm going to run a Shimano R8020 groupset. It'll be my first hydraulic disc road bike; on previous disc road bikes, I've used TRP HyRd and Juin R1 cable/hydraulic calipers. I'll take 2x spare brake pads (as I have had pads lose their bite mid-ride, and its no fun). This never used to happen with rim brakes... ;-)

Shimano 11-speed mechanical shifting is, to my mind, the most reliable/fixable choice. Every shop should carry spares. And there are loads of cassette choices. I'll probably go with 11-32 (with 46/33 chainrings).

I think I'll run my Rotor 3D24 175mm chainset - its been reliable over many years. I'll try to find a 110bcd power2max spider for it.

The BB is one thing I can't quite make up my mind on. As I understand it, the best options for BB86 will be single-piece tubes like Hambini, because the bearing alignment is best, and it largely dials out any inaccuracies in the frame. But I'm not a Hambini fan, and at over 200 sheets, its a lot to pay for a tube and two NTN bearings. The Hope PF41 is probably my preferred choice right now, even though its a two-piece sleeve.

This never used to happen with rim brakes

At least when you're braking with discs you're not eating away at £££ worth of wheels.

Hambini

Fuck that guy.

I used Wheels Manufacturing BB with my Rotors but I have thread BB shells as much as possible because fuck pressfit.

When I've thought this type of build through in the past, I keep wondering about Genevalle shifters on TRP Hylex Hydro brakes, Friction shifting makes a lot of sense to me for reliability and simplicity.

At least when you're braking with discs you're not eating away at £££ worth of wheels.

Yeah, agreed. And I'll be running carbon rims anyway. But one thing that I've found (and no-one seems to mention when you move to discs) is that when disc pads lose their bite, it happens fast. You can start a ride with decent brakes, and suddenly braking goes to sh!t. Is it just me? Or just TRP HyRd? It happened on PBP, and I was so bl00dy lucky that the French mobile mechanics ran around to find a spare set of pads.
So, spare pads always in the spares bag now.

I used Wheels Manufacturing BB with my Rotors but I have thread BB shells as much as possible because fuck pressfit.

I would 100% have gone for BSA, but it wasn't an option. I'll have a look at Wheels Manufacturing, if you're recommending.
On a bit of a tangent, I have a SpeedConcept TT bike that had the "Trek standard" BB90 - what a piece of sh!t that was! Trek had to sell 0.2mm oversize bearings because after a bearing change or two, the fit of the bearings directly into the frame was too slack to stop creaks.
I have a friend with a machine shop. We took a very big drill to the BB area and bonded in a new BB86 sleeve. Worked a treat, but I don't mind admitting that when we were putting the drill through the frame, I was a bit worried!

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I've never had that, no. I've only ever used Shimano disc brakes on the road though. I still carry spare pads because unlike rim brake pads it's a lot harder to know how worn your pads are and killing my rotors in Wales with no spare pads has ended a ride before.

Drastic, but that's how annoying a BB squeak is! :)

When I've thought this type of build through in the past, I keep wondering about Genevalle shifters on TRP Hylex Hydro brakes, Friction shifting makes a lot of sense to me for reliability and simplicity.

Thanks for the suggestion(s)! I just watched the Gevenalle video thing. Mmmm. I do have occasional days when the STI just aren't happy, but its rare. Its more to do with my lack of tuning the gears rather than any fault of the shifter. It would be different if I was doing 'cross, and I can absolutely see these levers working for that.

I guess if I was going full simplicity, I'd go with downtube shifters (and I have a winter bike set up like that). But there's a trade-off. I have to take my hand off the bars to shift, and when I'm tired, that's not so good. Maybe I'd go with Shimano bar-end shifters? I don't know. I've ummmed and ahhhed about it a few times, but ultimately, I'm not unhappy enough with STI.

I also heard that the shifting on Shimano 11 speed is better than 10 speed (which is all my bikes currently), so I'm hoping my middle-of-the-road choice will be an improvement in braking AND shifting over my Genesis CdF.

Ultegra 11 speed is great and super reliable. I suggest the Genevelle set-up because they offer field repairability of downtube shifters without the need to reach. To be honest, though, I have never had any issues with Ultegra 11-speed mechanical, so perhaps I'm trying to solve an issue that doesn't really exist.

Update: the frame has been posted! Is 3 weeks reasonable to expect?!

Saddle shenanigans

24h is a long time to spend on the same perch. I always thought I was quite saddle-tolerant, but that's probably only true to a point. Above about 3h on the turbo, or 4h outside, I need a comfy place to park.

I have a bucket full of saddles I have tried and cast aside in the search for perch-perfection. Brooks of many kinds, in many states of tune. Fabrik. Flite, Fizik. I've recently been using ISM saddles on my TT bike, and I have one on the TTX that is OK, up to a point. Is it unrealistic to expect to find a saddle that is still comfortable after 8 hours?

Anyways, following on from carbon experiments in insoles (and aero extensions, more to come later...) I have bought 2x saddles to experiment on. A chassis, if you like. My most comfy road saddle to date (excluding the ISM) has been a cheap EC90 Chinese lightweight thing. I am not 100% sure that I haven't broken it, it has sagged so much; it sort of resembles an SMP (although I have tried two SMPs and not ever been quite comfy).

The new one is, again, a cheap full-carbon thing off ebay. There only seems to be the one shape available? Although its close enough to the EC90, and its just a place to start. My current thinking is that I will buy some closed-cell foam in 3mm and 5mm thicknesses, and glue them to the top of the carbon saddle, then play around with cutting them, sticking bits on and what-not.

The tape and cross-marks in pen on the top of the carbon saddle are where I think my sit-bones contact the saddle. There are two distinct knobbly bones in my downstairs anatomy that seem to bear most of the weight, whether I ride on the hoods, drops or extensions. I'm hoping that I can spread the load a bit with the closed-cell foam, by making cut-outs in the right places.

Has anyone done anything like this before? Is this a completely stupid idea? I guess I can try it inside the house before straying too far...
Anyone got any tips for cutting and shaping closed cell foam?

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If it helps, I think the EC90 is an imitation of a specialized romin

Yes looks exactly the same as the Romin I have

Dunno about DIY (other than people like Skinny removing padding) but these guys did custom saddles based on pressure mapping

https://gebiomized.de/en/products/saddles/

They seem to have OTP ones now: https://secretsaddle.com/

the best options for BB86 will be single-piece tubes

I'd rather worry about getting a 30mm axle in a 41mm bearing first. Most press fit BBs work well, but the tiny bearings never last (many of these are probably hose-happy users but that's my experience)

If it helps, I think the EC90 is an imitation of a specialized romin

Thanks, much appreciated! It does help; the quality of the EC90 isn't ace. Although its been comfy, I don't think it will last forever. Although as it has sagged a bit, it got slightly more comfy... but I can forsee total failure in its imminent future!

Is this the future of Audax?

<watches tears bead off Longflap>

It's also not uncommon for Romins to crack. It happened to me too, in that middle bridge thingy between the two sides

no, its the past, @hippy was riding TT bikes on audaxes before it was cool