Transcontinental Race
Discussion
Gruffy, PedalHeaven in Fleet supplied a Ultegra Di2 groupset and installed it for about £1k, their head mechanic who builds all there race team bikes did it, unlike some of the online merchants chain set size, rear mech and cassette spec were all options rather then taking what was on offer online.
You may find cheaper online but they did a great job. Unless of course you are looking for cheaper then internet prices but with LBS service.
You may find cheaper online but they did a great job. Unless of course you are looking for cheaper then internet prices but with LBS service.
I plan to assemble everything myself. It'll be useful to have that experience should anything go wrong during the race. So for me it's all about price.
50/34 and 11-32 (which means SS cage rear derailleur)
Hydraulic disc brakes (160mm)
5-way Di2 junction box & TT bar-end shifters
Haven't found one supplier yet who offers all that in one package, so may end up sourcing from several.
50/34 and 11-32 (which means SS cage rear derailleur)
Hydraulic disc brakes (160mm)
5-way Di2 junction box & TT bar-end shifters
Haven't found one supplier yet who offers all that in one package, so may end up sourcing from several.
Interesting. Good progress G 
Hydros. I know they're brilliant and all that, but not easily or quickly fixed if you lose fluid, gain air or nick or rub a hose. Cable disks are well proven, probably no heavier, miles cheaper and a spare inner is cheap and light insurance.
Yes, I could say all that about Di but here the advantages (less fatigue) outweigh the disadvantages (risk of it or the battery going wrong) much more than with the brakes.
Hydros. I know they're brilliant and all that, but not easily or quickly fixed if you lose fluid, gain air or nick or rub a hose. Cable disks are well proven, probably no heavier, miles cheaper and a spare inner is cheap and light insurance.
Yes, I could say all that about Di but here the advantages (less fatigue) outweigh the disadvantages (risk of it or the battery going wrong) much more than with the brakes.
Interesting to read your lab test - while I don't partake in the ultra long distance stuff, I would say not to worry too much about your weight (James weighs 10kg more now than when I raced with him years ago), 11.8% BF I would say is about ideal for something that is going to batter your immune system to f
k, sub 10 and you start being a lot more open to getting sick and what not. Personally I would be trying to raise that FTP as much as possible, that coupled with the fat burning stuff will see you in a good place.
k, sub 10 and you start being a lot more open to getting sick and what not. Personally I would be trying to raise that FTP as much as possible, that coupled with the fat burning stuff will see you in a good place.I'll check them out. Thanks.
The whole race is an exercise in risk management and judicious corner-cutting. There are compromises everywhere.
richardxjr said:
Hydros. I know they're brilliant and all that, but not easily or quickly fixed if you lose fluid, gain air or nick or rub a hose. Cable disks are well proven, probably no heavier, miles cheaper and a spare inner is cheap and light insurance.
The main reason for hydraulics on a TCR bike is they need less power to activate, which is a real issue over ultra-distance racing, where you expect to lose the function of your hands. I also like that they auto-adjust as they were; also useful over 4,000km of racing.The whole race is an exercise in risk management and judicious corner-cutting. There are compromises everywhere.
Six weeks since my last update here, though I've been updating the blog a bit more frequently.
It's been a busy time. I tried track riding at the Olympic velodrome and was caught in a big crash on my stage 4 test. That made a mess of my helmet, stole some skin and caused some fairly severe whiplash that I'm now working with a physio to recover from. The following day I test rode the J.ACK from J Laverack and fell in love with that. The morning after that I flew to Japan forsnowboarding 'cross training'.
Since I returned from Japan I've been focusing on the whiplash and trying to gradually increase the time I can spend on the bike again. It was just an hour or two for a while, but last weekend was a century from Rugby to London. I was trying an ISM Adamo saddle, but that didn't go so well so earlier this week I pulled out the big guns and went for a pressure-mapping saddle fit session at CycleFit.
The physiological test I did in January threw up more questions than answers in the end. The numbers were significantly different from what I was seeing out on the road in the rides that followed, so I was none the wiser with regards to power or heart rate zones. I'm seeing Dr Palmer again tomorrow for a retest, so hopefully I'll have a bit more data to work with soon.
It's been a busy time. I tried track riding at the Olympic velodrome and was caught in a big crash on my stage 4 test. That made a mess of my helmet, stole some skin and caused some fairly severe whiplash that I'm now working with a physio to recover from. The following day I test rode the J.ACK from J Laverack and fell in love with that. The morning after that I flew to Japan for
Since I returned from Japan I've been focusing on the whiplash and trying to gradually increase the time I can spend on the bike again. It was just an hour or two for a while, but last weekend was a century from Rugby to London. I was trying an ISM Adamo saddle, but that didn't go so well so earlier this week I pulled out the big guns and went for a pressure-mapping saddle fit session at CycleFit.
The physiological test I did in January threw up more questions than answers in the end. The numbers were significantly different from what I was seeing out on the road in the rides that followed, so I was none the wiser with regards to power or heart rate zones. I'm seeing Dr Palmer again tomorrow for a retest, so hopefully I'll have a bit more data to work with soon.
Not everybody goes to such lengths. Some of the riders are regular audax guys and are already used to banging out massive mileages. I'm sure there'll be some who do bugger all and just rock up on the start line, coping just fine. I'm not foolish enough to think I can win the thing but I'd like to do the best job I can, so I'm applying myself the best way I know how. I don't have youth, athleticism or experience on my side, so I'm substituting with preparation, cunning and optimism instead.
TwistingMyMelon said:
Good blog, love the text and images, well jel.
You mention you have had issues with your knees in the past, mind expanding on that, as my left one is just starting to give up!
I played a lot of basketball in my teens, so lots of jumping as high as possible and then landing on concrete. That wore away at my meniscus and also chipped away at the cartilage of the trochlear groove - the knuckle that your kneecap slides up and down in. Every time I landed the kneecap would dig into the groove and now there's nothing left. In 2010 I had surgery to stitch the meniscus on both sides (it'd torn almost clean through as well as wearing down in thickness) and chondroplasty to smooth down the ridges that had formed in both trochlear grooves. Recovery was glacial and the legs faded away to nothing. In 2012 I went back under the knife and had micro-fracture surgery. This is a fancy name for drilling lots of little holes in the bone to create scar tissue that acts like a rudimentary cartilage substitute. The legs still refused to recover, despite 10 hours a week gym time and constant physio. It wasn't until I temporarily decamped to France in 2014 to renovate a property that the penny dropped. I suddenly made real progress even though I'd done no exercise for 8 weeks. The difference was not sitting at my desk for 12+ hours a day. It turns out that even the gym work couldn't counter the damage of the sedentary life of a desk jockey. We did a ski season after the renovation but when I got back I started cycling and things have been improving steadily ever since. I still have real limitations (I can't run, jump or squat) but I'm able to do ride relatively freely.You mention you have had issues with your knees in the past, mind expanding on that, as my left one is just starting to give up!
TwistingMyMelon said:
…my left one is just starting to give up!
Get thee to a physio! Seriously, one of the biggest mistakes I made was letting things drag on too long. Too much time spent 'protecting' my knee introduced problems that are so much harder to resolve than the injury itself. Go big and go early. A good physio is worth their weight in gold and will help you avoid introducing any imbalances as well as diagnosing the knee problem.
A follow-up to the test in January https://theadventurecapitalist.wordpress.com/2016/... The numbers weren't matching up closely enough with what I was seeing out on the road so we did a retest to try and figure things out.
Gruffy said:
Not everybody goes to such lengths. Some of the riders are regular audax guys and are already used to banging out massive mileages. I'm sure there'll be some who do bugger all and just rock up on the start line, coping just fine. I'm not foolish enough to think I can win the thing but I'd like to do the best job I can, so I'm applying myself the best way I know how. I don't have youth, athleticism or experience on my side, so I'm substituting with preparation, cunning and optimism instead.
Cheers for the detailed reply, glad you are at least part recovered. Just waiting on a physio appointment next week. I feel my knee isn't half as bad, but does seem unsteady , clicky and not tracking properly. Unfortunately I also have a desk job, which means I often spend 12 hours a day sat down! Its made me realise how much we take standard body features for granted and how complex they are TwistingMyMelon said:
Good blog, love the text and images, well jel.
You mention you have had issues with your knees in the past, mind expanding on that, as my left one is just starting to give up!
I played a lot of basketball in my teens, so lots of jumping as high as possible and then landing on concrete. That wore away at my meniscus and also chipped away at the cartilage of the trochlear groove - the knuckle that your kneecap slides up and down in. Every time I landed the kneecap would dig into the groove and now there's nothing left. In 2010 I had surgery to stitch the meniscus on both sides (it'd torn almost clean through as well as wearing down in thickness) and chondroplasty to smooth down the ridges that had formed in both trochlear grooves. Recovery was glacial and the legs faded away to nothing. In 2012 I went back under the knife and had micro-fracture surgery. This is a fancy name for drilling lots of little holes in the bone to create scar tissue that acts like a rudimentary cartilage substitute. The legs still refused to recover, despite 10 hours a week gym time and constant physio. It wasn't until I temporarily decamped to France in 2014 to renovate a property that the penny dropped. I suddenly made real progress even though I'd done no exercise for 8 weeks. The difference was not sitting at my desk for 12+ hours a day. It turns out that even the gym work couldn't counter the damage of the sedentary life of a desk jockey. We did a ski season after the renovation but when I got back I started cycling and things have been improving steadily ever since. I still have real limitations (I can't run, jump or squat) but I'm able to do ride relatively freely.You mention you have had issues with your knees in the past, mind expanding on that, as my left one is just starting to give up!
ALawson said:
Unsteady and clicking are enough to justify a MRI and Arthroscopy!
Gruffy, liked the latest blog post. You will result in my Waitrose bill being bigger this month, or is Holland and Barrett better for half that stuff.
I bloody hope not, will be gutted if its serious, Came on quickly, been riding too hard with the saddle 2cm too low since christmas, hoping it is a case of the outer quads overpowering the inner ones, although will see what the physio says. Gruffy, liked the latest blog post. You will result in my Waitrose bill being bigger this month, or is Holland and Barrett better for half that stuff.
When I read unsteady, I took that as the knee having given way and you almost/or come close to falling over.
Clicking, well I refer to one of my normal sources of information.
http://www.kneeguru.co.uk/KNEEnotes/knee-dictionar...
Probably nothing major but worth looking into.
Clicking, well I refer to one of my normal sources of information.
http://www.kneeguru.co.uk/KNEEnotes/knee-dictionar...
Probably nothing major but worth looking into.
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