whose the loon signed up for the transcontinental race?

[Gruffy]

Marcellus said:

Another goodie Darren,.

(btw the beep, beep, boop gates are the continuation of the electic fences aren't they? So they can keep cattle in but let cars/bikes through?)

I wasn't electrocuted on my way through, so probably not.

[Rocksteadyeddie]

Gruffy said:

Apologies for the lull in updates. I've been swamped with selling, buying, renting and planning. But I'm back on the case and here's Day 4's write-up, covering roads which might be familiar to many PHers. To my mind this is where it starts to get interesting, where things start to go wrong.

https://theadventurecapitalist.wordpress.com/2016/...

AFC x

[Marcellus]

Gruffy said:

Marcellus said:

Another goodie Darren,.

(btw the beep, beep, boop gates are the continuation of the electic fences aren't they? So they can keep cattle in but let cars/bikes through?)

I wasn't electrocuted on my way through, so probably not.

I assume your tyres were made of rubber.... ie you weren't earthed which is why birds can sit on electricity cables.

We used to see them in Les Carroz with yam yo mo when we were riding in the summer and yes we did get a shock if we walked through them

[tr7v8]

Gruffy said:

Apologies for the lull in updates. I've been swamped with selling, buying, renting and planning. But I'm back on the case and here's Day 4's write-up, covering roads which might be familiar to many PHers. To my mind this is where it starts to get interesting, where things start to go wrong.

https://theadventurecapitalist.wordpress.com/2016/...

Darren, that link takes me to your blog site but not the write up.
https://theadventurecapitalist.wordpress.com/2016/...

[tr7v8]

Another excellent write up, looking for the next installment.

[Gruffy]

tr7v8 said:

Darren, that link takes me to your blog site but not the write up.
https://theadventurecapitalist.wordpress.com/2016/...

Wordpress has an annoying habit of assigning the date that you first started drafting rather than the date you publish. I only realised after publishing and then of course changing the date changes the cataloguing and URL. Thanks for the correct link

[Gruffy]

I'll be joining Felix Lowe and a couple of other TCR riders for a Q&A session at Look Mum No Hands on Thursday evening as part Huez's Speaker Series. Pro Continental rider Rory Townsend is also on the bill. Tickets are free and available on Eventbrite.

[Gruffy]

The Huez evening was a blast. We overran by about 20 minutes because the questions kept coming and there's no shortage of stories from a 4,000km race. It was really interesting to meet Rose McGovern (who I'd not met despite racing together) and Laura Scott (Trans-Am rider). Hopefully the first of many.

Apologies for the long wait for the next blog write-up. I'd like to say it's all down to work and the renovation project but the truth is that Day 5 was a tough one to write.

Gruffy said:

"Peeling the shorts off was excruciating. I folded myself into some kind of extreme yoga pose next to the bedside lamp so that I could get a photo of the area and see how bad it was. Then I wished I hadn’t."

https://theadventurecapitalist.wordpress.com/2016/10/27/tcr-day-5-highs-lows-in-the-swiss-alps/

[Luke.]

And then you posted it in the LB. Bad man.

Edited by Luke. on Friday 28th October 23:13

[Gruffy]

That was Day 3's arse. Just imagine what it looked like by Day 5, let alone the final days of the race.

[K50 DEL]

Just found and read Day 5, I'm wincing in empathy with you but looking forward to Day 6

[Gruffy]

Transcontinental Day 6: The Hurty Day

[adamwri]

Pleased to see the updates coming back through, Darren. Cracking read as always!

[kiethton]

^^^^

What he said, always enjoy seeing this thread pop up

[Celtic Dragon]

Meant to ask Gruffy, which wave rectifier / power converter did you go for in the end?

[K50 DEL]

You do have a way with words, that's for sure.... Watching you on the tracker I knew that CP2-3 wasn't being kind to you, didn't realise quite how tough it was though.

[Gruffy]

I didn't want to share the full depth of the struggle at the time. I didn't want to admit how much I was suffering, to the world or to myself.

[Gruffy]

Celtic Dragon said:

Meant to ask Gruffy, which wave rectifier / power converter did you go for in the end?

I used a B+M USB-Werk, which performed faultlessly. Cables, on the other hand, were awful. I used three different iPhone cables and three mini USB cables. Cables are not an area to scrimp on, though in fairness I had problems with OEM cables as well as non-brand replacements.

[tr7v8]

Excellent, looks a lovely area & a place I have never been.

[Gruffy]

This is the area where the Maratona dles Dolimiti is held. The Giro usually passes through as well. It's a stunning part of the world. We honeymooned there last summer (climbing, MTB, via ferrata, eating) and we're heading back this winter to ski it. It's also got quite a gastronomic identity, with Ladin cuisine bridging the gap between Italy, Germany and Austria.

The whole place feels like Disneyland for mountain lovers. The grassy hillsides are mown to store food for cattle and it makes the region feel like it's been manicured. Then you get the contrast of rugged vertical Dolomite peaks jutting out of the tops. It's a cracking place. Highly recommended.