Author Topic: Transcontinental 2019  (Read 47105 times)

Re: Transcontinental 2019
« Reply #50 on: 09 January, 2019, 11:02:25 pm »
Me too

Re: Transcontinental 2019
« Reply #51 on: 09 January, 2019, 11:09:05 pm »
Ditto
“That slope may look insignificant, but it's going to be my destiny" - Fitzcarraldo

Re: Transcontinental 2019
« Reply #52 on: 10 January, 2019, 12:47:56 am »
Delighted for you guys. I hope to be able to follow your #'s and perhaps meet you with a handshake/hug/beverage in Brest.
A truly awesome experience, of which you Frank, are already fully aware.
Good luck with the training, and don't slack off on the route planning!
often lost.

Re: Transcontinental 2019
« Reply #53 on: 11 January, 2019, 04:18:04 pm »
Congrats all.

Before today I thought you were nuts- then I saw for the first time that my local Supermarket sold 7 Days croissants.  I had one in your honour and now I know you are nuts.  :sick:

Good luck all...

Re: Transcontinental 2019
« Reply #54 on: 14 January, 2019, 09:02:54 pm »
Will there be a list of participants?

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: Transcontinental 2019
« Reply #55 on: 15 January, 2019, 01:07:19 am »
Will there be a list of participants?

This is normally posted nearer the time, as not everyone who is offered a place will accept.

J
--
Beer, bikes, and backpacking
http://b.42q.eu/

Re: Transcontinental 2019
« Reply #56 on: 15 January, 2019, 06:47:01 pm »
Fair few of the top shelf riders from prior years have not got a spot.  I think its possible that the guaranteed reentry requires a higher placing this year, though I may be wrong..it maybe that some of those riders have skipped a year so their previous top placing doesn't count, I'm not sure.
 There is still a policy of accepting all females (which I think is a good philosophy) and there has been the largest contingent entered for #7 to date.
often lost.

Re: Transcontinental 2019
« Reply #57 on: 15 January, 2019, 07:35:23 pm »
It's PBP so some people will want to ride that.
I heard that Bjorn Lenhard entered. He would be the obvious favourite, in the absence of anyone new on the scene. James didn't enter, having won it twice, he is looking for a new challenge

Re: Transcontinental 2019
« Reply #58 on: 15 January, 2019, 07:46:00 pm »
It's PBP so some people will want to ride that.
I heard that Bjorn Lenhard entered. He would be the obvious favourite, in the absence of anyone new on the scene. James didn't enter, having won it twice, he is looking for a new challenge

Oh I hadn't realised that James was sitting it out. That makes things interesting. Mathew F is super strong and is entered. That will be a good battle between him and Bjorn.
I actually meant that I had seen a few disappointed top riders on social media that had not secured a place despite entering.
often lost.

Re: Transcontinental 2019
« Reply #59 on: 16 January, 2019, 09:14:21 am »
Yes, having won it twice, James is looking at new challenges, although if Kristof had been up for a showdown he would have entered.  If Kristof had more of an ego he might want to beat James and show he was still the best, but I think he is pretty internally referenced!
Good that Matthew is coming back. He'll be a contender (if in good shape, etc) . Bjorn should be quicker based on last year's form but can't afford to screw up his routing again if he is close behind!
Who else has said in public they are not riding / didn't get a place?

Re: Transcontinental 2019
« Reply #60 on: 16 January, 2019, 08:08:01 pm »
Raymond D. top 25 last year. I think one of the other French dudes too.  Ian To. (didn't race last year)  A fair few others but I now see they were lower down the field.
There are other events out there now which is great for the disappointed candidates.
often lost.

Re: Transcontinental 2019
« Reply #61 on: 17 January, 2019, 05:35:42 am »
I hadn't heard about Ian To.  I had a fair amount of sympathy for him but he was widely criticised for the way he responded to the dangerous road situation in 2017.

Re: Transcontinental 2019
« Reply #62 on: 21 January, 2019, 08:54:32 pm »
I don’t suppose anyone could recommend a decent wheelbuilder for a TCR proof rebuild of my rear wheel? Preferably London based.  Ta.

Re: Transcontinental 2019
« Reply #63 on: 22 January, 2019, 11:19:59 am »
Pete at Rat Race Cycles has built quite a few TCR wheels and is widely recommended. I personally use Arup Sen (http://www.yogarup.com/wheels/) and will be getting him to build a new set for TCR once I decide on a flip-flop hub.
“That slope may look insignificant, but it's going to be my destiny" - Fitzcarraldo

Re: Transcontinental 2019
« Reply #64 on: 22 January, 2019, 12:56:04 pm »
Thanks Ivan. Going to be using Arup I think.  Just deciding on hub.  Fixed wheel TCR!  100 percent success rate so far for fixie riders. You will be the third I think.

Re: Transcontinental 2019
« Reply #65 on: 22 January, 2019, 01:18:48 pm »
I think fully fixed might be a step too far, so thinking of adding a freewheel to flip onto for descents, etc. Gearing choice is proving to be tricky for such a mixed terrain.
“That slope may look insignificant, but it's going to be my destiny" - Fitzcarraldo

Re: Transcontinental 2019
« Reply #66 on: 22 January, 2019, 03:35:08 pm »
Arup probably a good choice for re-building a wheel.  He did an unusual one for me a few years ago which was fine.  Lots of specialist wheelbuilders won't want to rebuild someone else's wheel, they would rather just do you a new one but I expect he'd be flexible.

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: Transcontinental 2019
« Reply #67 on: 22 January, 2019, 04:30:14 pm »

Doesn't help you much, but my wheels are going to be built by Stephen Vis (he of red hook crit fame).

As soon as I decide on which Hub and rims... Front is going to be a SON dynamo. Rear... not sure.

J
--
Beer, bikes, and backpacking
http://b.42q.eu/

Re: Transcontinental 2019
« Reply #68 on: 29 January, 2019, 11:24:09 pm »
Mike Conway (23mm.co.uk) built me a beautiful, bomb proof dynamo disc wheelset for my TCR bike. (I'll probably ask him to re-build them closer to the time as they're going to take a hammering this year.)
Pacenti Forza rims, Sapim X-ray spokes, Dt Swiss 350 hub on the back, SON 28 on the front. I ride them tubeless and they're awesome.

mattc

  • n.b. have grown beard since photo taken
    • Didcot Audaxes
Re: Transcontinental 2019
« Reply #69 on: 31 January, 2019, 12:28:06 pm »
Thank you for submitting the final stage of your application for Trans Pyrenees Race No.1. You should hear whether your application as been successful by the first week of March 2019.

Gulp.

<Looking at the route on Streetview couldn't contrast more with thinking about the snow forecast for my commute home! >
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: Transcontinental 2019
« Reply #70 on: 31 January, 2019, 03:09:21 pm »


What are peoples thoughts on tyres? I'm trying to decide between conti GP5000, and Schwalbe G-One Allround.

J
--
Beer, bikes, and backpacking
http://b.42q.eu/

Re: Transcontinental 2019
« Reply #71 on: 31 January, 2019, 05:34:24 pm »
My thought is first wait until we know what the parcours is round alpe d'huez.
If it is no worse than the earlier one then I'll go for a fast tyre. That might be the 5000 but I've not seen one yet so want too see how robust they are.
if that parcours is pretty rocky, like the Bosnia one last year, I might go for something chunkier.

Also depends on objectives and confidence in patching up broken tyres and if you want to carry a spare.

I'm not sure I want to risk tubeless after my experience last time

Re: Transcontinental 2019
« Reply #72 on: 01 February, 2019, 12:17:39 pm »
I had a look at some reviews for the Conti 5000.  They sound reasonably promising.  The 4000s were notorious for poor sidewalls - which would be an issue on the gravel sections.  Having had a sidewall puncture on a 4000 in IndyPac, and seen James Hayden have a near sidewall blowout with one last year, I would not use them.   But these are said to be better. 
https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/road-bike-reviews/continental-grand-prix-5000-tl-2018

G-One Allround sound like tractor tyres.  G-One Speed sound more sensible, but I wouldn't use anything so off-road oriented for what is essentially a road ride.  I expect I'll go for either the Conti 5000 or Schwalbe Pro One.  Will decide nearer the time.  Will also decide about taking a spare.  I needed a new tyre on both TCR and IndyPac.  Chances are I wouldn't need one, but I expect decent tyres are hard to find before Austria.

zigzag

  • unfuckwithable
Re: Transcontinental 2019
« Reply #73 on: 01 February, 2019, 06:54:07 pm »
i rode about 80km of gravel roads during the tcr, some quite rough, some ok-ish on 25mm slick tyres. there's no denying that they were not suitable for those 5% of the ride, but the tyres (and i) survived. for the remaining 95% of the way these tyres were quite a lot better than a gravel oriented tyres would have been. perhaps 28mm tyre on wide (~21mm internal) rims is the sweet spot for the tcr type rides?

Re: Transcontinental 2019
« Reply #74 on: 01 February, 2019, 09:46:25 pm »
That's probably about right.  The amount of off-road has increased in the last three years.  In 2016 there was no compulsory gravel section - although I managed to find 40km of it myself.

It would only be if they had 5 or 6 parcours with long rough stretches that it would start to make sense to use a different tyre.  Not gravel roads but rocky sections like the Sarajevo climb last year. 

I decided to get a couple of the Conti 5000s.  I ended up getting tubeless, as they are getting better reviews for sidewall strength than the tubed ones.  Bike-discount.de are doing them for €50 each which is a lot lower than UK retailers.
https://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/continental-grand-prix-5000-tl-folding-tyre-806820