Transcontinental Race
Discussion
Caught up on the blog earlier this week. Great reading Gruffy and good to see you're being relatively open with how difficult you have found sections.
Your series to Bilbao was epic, hats off for that in itself! London-Edinburgh section was a great read as I'm personally interested in LEL2017 and hoping to grab a spot. Only condition appears to be how much travel I have with work so I can crack on and get some decent mileage between now and Jan 2017.
Your series to Bilbao was epic, hats off for that in itself! London-Edinburgh section was a great read as I'm personally interested in LEL2017 and hoping to grab a spot. Only condition appears to be how much travel I have with work so I can crack on and get some decent mileage between now and Jan 2017.
I realised later that my £10,000 fund-raising target almost exactly equates to 1p for every turn of the pedals over the race distance. It'll be a huge help when I get to the darker moments, knowing that every revolution is a ker-ching in the coffers for Cancer Research.
I've now added a page to the blog to that effect. You and me versus cancer.
I've now added a page to the blog to that effect. You and me versus cancer.
[quote=Gruffy]It's been a busy couple of months since my last update here. I rode from London to Bilbao via the Tourmalet in 5 days. Then I rode from London to Edinburgh in a day and a half. It's coming together and I'm gradually ironing out the problems and learning how to be quicker.
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Pro -ones, good tyres I used them on TABR. Big fan of tubeless. Is that Alpkit?
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Pro -ones, good tyres I used them on TABR. Big fan of tubeless. Is that Alpkit?
Yes, I'm running Alpkit. It's good stuff and seems to have coped well with the frankly grotty conditions I've been riding through. I have a removable velcro divider in the middle of the frame pack but it's a bit restless when it's full and you start rummaging around. I'm still figuring out the best way of packing everything in there and I might knock up some kind of shaped container to sit at the front of that and hold the electronics (USB-Werk, power pack, cables). I'd like to keep a good portion of the front of the frame bag clear for food.
The Pro-Ones have come to the end of their lives at 3,500km for me. Most of that is monster rides and about a third is regular stuff out of London (and all the debris that comes with that), so I'm hoping they'll last the distance for the race. Twice now I've been sat in my office working and picked up a puncture with the bike in its stand next to my desk. I'm guessing it's temperature changes that affect the pressure. It's now got half a dozen holes that have sealed themselves up. I still need to have a practice with tyre plugs. The one time I did try and use them I think the hole was too small and I couldn't get one in.
Did you have any punctures on the TABR?
The Pro-Ones have come to the end of their lives at 3,500km for me. Most of that is monster rides and about a third is regular stuff out of London (and all the debris that comes with that), so I'm hoping they'll last the distance for the race. Twice now I've been sat in my office working and picked up a puncture with the bike in its stand next to my desk. I'm guessing it's temperature changes that affect the pressure. It's now got half a dozen holes that have sealed themselves up. I still need to have a practice with tyre plugs. The one time I did try and use them I think the hole was too small and I couldn't get one in.
Did you have any punctures on the TABR?
Not crazy about Alpkit, I think their business model sucks, they are good value though. Much prefer Apidura. Had only 1 puncture on TABR, and that was because I had to revert to tubed on my rear wheel after I chewed up two of Schwalbes finest(tubeless tyres were near impossible to find in LBS in the States) but I was to blame as I failed to keep an eye on tyre pressure.
Also had a piece of wire from a blown out truck tyre cord go through the front tyre, but it instantly sealed itself.
Lucky because my hands lost all strength with all the pressure exerted on them.
It took over 1 1/2 hours to fix the puncture I did have as a result, had to get help in the end as my fingers couldn't even undo the valve.
Moral of the story; Carry a tyre pressure gauge and definitely zip tie on a spare tubeless tyre onto your frame.
Also had a piece of wire from a blown out truck tyre cord go through the front tyre, but it instantly sealed itself.
Lucky because my hands lost all strength with all the pressure exerted on them.
It took over 1 1/2 hours to fix the puncture I did have as a result, had to get help in the end as my fingers couldn't even undo the valve.
Moral of the story; Carry a tyre pressure gauge and definitely zip tie on a spare tubeless tyre onto your frame.
Gruffy said:
I don't plan to be carrying spare tyres, but I do intend to drop into a couple of pre-researched bike shops en route and blag 3 minutes on a track pump. I've also got a little schrader/presta adaptor so I can use petrol station air pumps if I choose to. No gauge though.
That is a IRC Tubeless tyre following plenty of gravel strew roads on Sunday. There is a small self healing puncture, but if the cut below goes through the tyre I don't think it will self heal.
Are you taking a tubeless repair kit? Or will you just use a tube and tyre boot should something similar happen?
Id superglue that. Never heard of using plugs before, personally I wouldn't waste time- shove an inner tube in and use a boot if necessary. Having a spare tyre on an ultra event is well worth the weight penalty, equivalent to 1/4 litre of water, in peace of mind alone. Good luck getting tyres in Eastern Europe.
The Stans jizz is excellent, its liquid enough that it gets entrained in the air within the tyre and seals very quickly, with minimum air loss. The mini 2 oz bottles are graet too, doubling up as an applicator. Top tip for fitting the tyre (tubeless) is to press hard down on area around the valve whilst inflasting
I'll be taking plugs and some superglue. I'm going to try and find some tubeless patches too (any recommendations, anyone?).
With a spare tyre, it's more about the size than the weight. My set-up is very streamlined and a tyre is a bulky thing. Fix and make do is the strategy, though I hope I don't come to regret it somewhere in the Balkans. I do have two tubes as a last resort anyway.
With a spare tyre, it's more about the size than the weight. My set-up is very streamlined and a tyre is a bulky thing. Fix and make do is the strategy, though I hope I don't come to regret it somewhere in the Balkans. I do have two tubes as a last resort anyway.
G I use inner tube patches. I've tried a few and now stick to Leeches. They're a thicker foam material that I have also used successfully & long term on the inside of tubeless tyres, assisted by a glob of superglue. Halfords sell them.
I'm not sure about using tubeless worms on smooth tyres. The kit including the special tools (required to enlarge a small hole
) glue and gubbins you need for them to work take up much space also. A needle and thread in place of a spare tyre though?
(Not the nicest repair job to do in the pissing rain with f
ked hands though)
I'm not sure about using tubeless worms on smooth tyres. The kit including the special tools (required to enlarge a small hole
) glue and gubbins you need for them to work take up much space also. A needle and thread in place of a spare tyre though?(Not the nicest repair job to do in the pissing rain with f
ked hands though)TheCycleClinic sell these http://thecycleclinic.co.uk/collections/tubeless-b...
I cannot remember where I have seen an actual tyre repair patch!
I cannot remember where I have seen an actual tyre repair patch!
That's the set I already have, Alex. Between that, superglue, patches, makeshift tyre boots and two last-resort inner tubes, I'm hoping I have things covered.
Weirdly, I've done 3,500km of mostly ultra-distance rides in foul weather and very mixed roads, but the punctures I've had have all been on clean roads during recovery rides. I get the impression that pressure changes have played a big role, so I'll try to keep them well inflated. I have new boots to put on before the race but I'm going to keep running these old knackered ones to see how they behave and maybe force myself to try the remedies as they deteriorate.
Weirdly, I've done 3,500km of mostly ultra-distance rides in foul weather and very mixed roads, but the punctures I've had have all been on clean roads during recovery rides. I get the impression that pressure changes have played a big role, so I'll try to keep them well inflated. I have new boots to put on before the race but I'm going to keep running these old knackered ones to see how they behave and maybe force myself to try the remedies as they deteriorate.
Gruffy said:
That's the set I already have, Alex. Between that, superglue, patches, makeshift tyre boots and two last-resort inner tubes, I'm hoping I have things covered.
Weirdly, I've done 3,500km of mostly ultra-distance rides in foul weather and very mixed roads, but the punctures I've had have all been on clean roads during recovery rides. I get the impression that pressure changes have played a big role, so I'll try to keep them well inflated. I have new boots to put on before the race but I'm going to keep running these old knackered ones to see how they behave and maybe force myself to try the remedies as they deteriorate.
Odd, sounds more like bad seal rather than a puncture? Weirdly, I've done 3,500km of mostly ultra-distance rides in foul weather and very mixed roads, but the punctures I've had have all been on clean roads during recovery rides. I get the impression that pressure changes have played a big role, so I'll try to keep them well inflated. I have new boots to put on before the race but I'm going to keep running these old knackered ones to see how they behave and maybe force myself to try the remedies as they deteriorate.
I get this on my back wheel due to a dented rim. Applying Stans fluid externally on the bead/tyre side walls as a lubricant when fitting your new boots may help.
You decided on a route yet?
It's very definitely punctures. I've been watching/encouraging the sealant to close the holes each time. Are there any tips for getting a quicker seal? I've found pinching the tyre has helped but that might've been a one-off.
I've done only the most basic of route-planning so far. Originally I'd planned to spend a couple of hours each week for the last few months, thinking how important it is, but I've been so busy. It's a job I'll start properly on Monday. I'm still deciding between Kosovo-Macedonia-Greece or Serbia-Bulgaria. Probably the former, if the borders aren't too compromised.
I've done only the most basic of route-planning so far. Originally I'd planned to spend a couple of hours each week for the last few months, thinking how important it is, but I've been so busy. It's a job I'll start properly on Monday. I'm still deciding between Kosovo-Macedonia-Greece or Serbia-Bulgaria. Probably the former, if the borders aren't too compromised.
How old is the sealant? it does degrade. Also I assume you have been topping it up? I've never had a problem getting a seal but then I have never had many punctures, probably because I change tyres very early. On the premise that as the tyres age one will get more and more issues, I bin them early, maybe too early. I'm the same with chains too.
Some good chat on LFGSS re route.
Some good chat on LFGSS re route.
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