Author Topic: Transcontinental 2018  (Read 25751 times)

Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #100 on: 06 August, 2018, 05:46:31 pm »
Roger, Rider 34, the guy trying the TCR on a Brompton Scratched this morning, seems he had mechanical issues with his alfine 11 speed hub. He still managed 1200km.

I'd love to know how the Alfine idea came up, and what alternatives were also considered. The easy way to give a Brompton lower gears is to fit a double chainring (or just a smaller one!).

Well done CrinklyUncle!

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #101 on: 06 August, 2018, 06:23:39 pm »
I'd love to know how the Alfine idea came up, and what alternatives were also considered. The easy way to give a Brompton lower gears is to fit a double chainring (or just a smaller one!).

Not sure, As someone who rides a Brompton with an 8 speed hub, and twin chain rings (manual shift on the front). I'm not sure it's as good an idea as an Alfine 11 would be. I think it's not just about being low on the gears, but the range of gears. I did the maths of what he was running, and his smallest gear is about 2.2m, which isn't that big.

The big problems with the Brompton for this type of ride are the tyres, and the suspension block. The options for tyres on the Brompton are limited, Roger was running Marathon Greenguards as the other option of Kojaks just don't have the puncture resistance needed for a ride like this.

The suspension block, Roger had a prototype unit, but I don't think it's enough to deal with the amount of losses in suspension.

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

Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #102 on: 06 August, 2018, 06:51:37 pm »
This might have been covered elsewhere, but how many of the racers this year have an audax background?

I know if a few: Parky and Paul Alderson spring to mind. Hippy is also a regular audaxer nowadays. And a few younger guys got into audax to prepare for the this.

Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #103 on: 06 August, 2018, 07:14:08 pm »
Anisa Aubin, rider 21, has done a dozen or so audaxes over the last year. And she only finished the 7300km of North Cape to Tarifa a couple of weeks ago!!

mr ben

  • Some routes may be arduous.
    • ramblings and randonees
Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #104 on: 06 August, 2018, 07:22:04 pm »
Awesome job CrinklyUncle! I knew nothing about the TCR a week ago but I’ve been caught up with the dot watching and inspired by your ride!
Think it possible that you may be mistaken.

Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #105 on: 06 August, 2018, 10:46:19 pm »
Ede, first woman at the moment, rode LEL last year.

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #106 on: 06 August, 2018, 10:51:07 pm »
There's quite a gathering appearing at Cp4. Looks like the race within a race, for 2nd, is going to be an exciting one. I wonder if they will start off together again, or if it will be a who sleeps least... If they don't get moving soon, James is going to have 2 whole countries between him and who ever is 2nd.

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

Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #107 on: 07 August, 2018, 06:06:27 am »
Bjorn is the faster rider, and the last section is straightforward with little route variation so he should get second fairly comfortably. 

Third will probably be closer, but I'd go for Stephane as he was first there so should be faster / fresher. 

Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #108 on: 07 August, 2018, 09:07:20 am »
CrinklyUncle has scratched (#23)  :'(

CrinklyUncle has indeed scratched, in Austria northbound.

I'm incredibly proud of quite how unbelievably far beyond his comfort zone he has pushed himself. It's about 8 years since he came out on his first forum ride - a 30odd mile night ride from the rally in York, led by the EldestCub who at the time would have been about 9, which my sister rode on a hand-me-down shopper bike donated by Tiermat's wife and her (then) FWHTBAB (friend who happens to be a boy) rode on his slick-shod hardtail. A better bike and some mild audaxing followed, then a road bike and more audaxing leading to a heroic ride around the 2013 LEL, finishing with a handful of minutes in hand. Illness during the qualifiers put paid to hopes for PBP 2015, but he came back for LEL 2017 (a married man by then!)  and made it look almost easy - even quite like fun.

TCR is a whole new level of hard. No cosy controls with volunteers to mollycoddle you every few hours, riding through multiple countries (often in one day) and a distance roughly equivalent to one and a half LELs before you even get to the turn in Poland and start riding south towards the end. Not to mention the elevations. Or the heat. Or the surfaces. Or the navigation challenges. Or the language barriers. Or a whole load of things!

I _think_ that, apart from a little tourist bimble round Paris with my l'il sis, his nephews and me, this _might_ have been the first time he ever rode a bike overseas. I reckon that's quite an impressive way to try it out.

#GoCrinklyUncle

That is a great write-up.
<i>Marmite slave</i>

Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #109 on: 07 August, 2018, 01:04:15 pm »
#60 Parky has scratched :-(
“That slope may look insignificant, but it's going to be my destiny" - Fitzcarraldo

Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #110 on: 07 August, 2018, 01:14:36 pm »
 :(   Hope he is OK.

Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #111 on: 07 August, 2018, 02:08:49 pm »
Rumors that his frame may have broken...

zigzag

  • unfuckwithable
Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #112 on: 07 August, 2018, 06:57:44 pm »
Rumors that his frame may have broken...

very unfortunate especially as the frame was only few months old..

better luck next time!

Phil W

Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #113 on: 07 August, 2018, 07:03:08 pm »
Real shame as he was progressing steadily.

Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #114 on: 07 August, 2018, 07:11:28 pm »
The cycling group that I ride with has  a rider Number 11, Chris, he is doing well plodding along somewhere in Austria on Monday morning .He has little history of this kind of riding so being alone he deserves top marks for courage to undertake this ride ,but then he is from The Fylde Coast and a Lancastrian.

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #115 on: 07 August, 2018, 08:00:57 pm »

James has made it to the finish, 8 days, 22 hours, and 55 minutes. Bjorn is still 260km behind him.

He's gonna have a long wait for some company... And even longer for the finishers party...

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

Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #116 on: 07 August, 2018, 08:53:20 pm »
Stunning effort by James.  Seems to keep a remarkably high level for longer than all the others.

Anyone know what has happened to #12? gone from 2nd to barely top 10 since CP4. Assume some sort of catastrophic bike failure?

Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #117 on: 07 August, 2018, 09:03:36 pm »
“That slope may look insignificant, but it's going to be my destiny" - Fitzcarraldo

Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #118 on: 07 August, 2018, 09:07:15 pm »
James is a phenomenon. Putting out about 130W for 19 hours a day. Superhuman stuff.
Rust never sleeps

Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #119 on: 07 August, 2018, 09:58:17 pm »
Winning by a country length! Staggering. Just let that sink in for a bit....

Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #120 on: 08 August, 2018, 08:31:15 pm »
My cycling friend Chris N0 11, has had to scratch.On Tuesday evening he stopped at a T junction somewhere in Austria to check his route when a car ran over his foot.He went to Hospital but was forced to pack it in this morning. That was after me giving him a big build up last night. Chapeau Chris.

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #121 on: 08 August, 2018, 08:34:36 pm »


Looks like Matthew Falconer has made it in 2nd, in 9d 23h 07m. Bjorn is due in any minute now, he's just coming down the Parcours. He lost 2nd by only a few km.

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

Phil W

Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #122 on: 08 August, 2018, 09:54:48 pm »
He lost it coming into Greece by taking a much hillier route.

Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #123 on: 09 August, 2018, 06:27:57 am »
I'm just back from being a volunteer at CP1. (Rode there from Paris, then on from CP1 to Ljubljana to fly home.) Just to add to some of the stuff mentioned above;

Anisa arrived at CP1 with a knackered rear shifter, forcing her into riding 2 speed. She still had a smile on her face and was clearly loving life.  :)

I left CP1 on Friday morning and met Roger Seaton and his Brompton at the summit of Bielerhohe Pass (CP1 Parcours). Rode with him for an hour or so and thoroughly entertaining it was too! Sadly, I think he knew the writing was on the wall even then, as his Alfine hub was sounding distinctly terminal.

Lost more brilliant stories that I hope to scribble down before I forget. Had a mini adventure all of my own! I throughly recommend volunteering if you can. Probably the most inspirational thing I've ever been involved with.

Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #124 on: 09 August, 2018, 05:54:43 pm »
He loat it coming into Greece by taking a much hillier route.

A few people have been tempted to avoid Pogradec and take the route further South through Gramsh and Devoll Valley. On paper this looks like a good option, fairly flat along the side of the river most of the way. Unfortunately it's the site of a new hydro project, they have moved the road higher up but it takes massive roller coaster swoops down and up at every tributary. Then half-way the new tarmac disappears and the unmade road is battered by the construction trucks. This is all probably too new to show up on Google Streetview. Very scenic, though!
Quote from: tiermat
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