Transcontinental Race No. 7 - TCR7 - #TCRN07 - 2019

To be honest I was in my own little world pretty much for 3 days (save for a couple of times I changed position with Daan I guess it was - cheeky fucker flew by me after I spent 20min waiting for ferry or bridge or whatever so I wasn't gonna let that stick!).
I threw all the toys out of the pram when I got passed on Sat because I had no energy to really respond and when I got passed by Bas I was like "fuck it then, that's my race over".
It's my own fault for not planning properly and being too complacent because it was an 'easy' race. #notfuckingeasy

Party on the Sunday night again, not Monday, so two full weeks plus 1.5 days.

I need to pay my final payment. I think I've been a little conscious to wait till Thursday and I've had the Dr's conclusion on my cough.
Was very frustrated to sit this weekend out, had planned to do also ride the Dawntsey Dawdle. Been planning some training rides on new routes to keep me occupied.

Had a run over my current route with routechecker spotted a few bits that would have caused issue. Annoying that the change to CP3 takes us north, seems not much further but maybe 3k more of climbing.

change to CP3

When was this changed? Between manual updates or something?

Yeah, last release

Annoying to not be able to get out but spending the extra hours on route planning will probably have more impact on your time than a couple of extra rides would!

Edit for @hippy spending the time on reading the manual would also help!

True, I'm still bit undecided on the aero bars and want some longer rides with them.

My biggest concern is route planning so I've only been looking at the Controls/Parcours for now.

If it makes you feel better @GoatandTricycle I was on the piss Sat and did nothing but wrenching, mapping and eating pizzas and kebabs on Sunday.

Haha a bit. Although you have a fair bit more experience to call on than I!

Little one has been ill so sleep has been lacking. Maybe I’ll work from home and sleep tomorrow.

I thought you had a 600! Assumed you'd be doing the flatlands, but maybe you are sick of flat roads for now and want some hills. When do they start?

Little one has been ill so sleep has been lacking

That makes everything a lot harder. My daughter seems (don't want to talk to soon) to have improved in sleeping - slept right through last night :)

Doesn't everyone build a sound-proof room for their kids? No? I see a gap in the market...

:)

Problem is that I would be inside the sound-proof room...!

I mean, that also works, it's just that it's much cheaper to soundproof a 'child box' compared to a man cave. :)

Some bike retail therapy might be the answer....

Ah, found the banned road map. That'll come in handy for another night's planning rage.

Think I might take my PBP gilet for this one although it's quite a bit more bulky than my Rapha one. Any decent high-viz+reflective windvests out there that actually pack down into a pocket?

I have the sportful one that I got in 2016 but they don't make it any more. It does pack down but not sure I'll get into it this year as it is tight. So might have to take pbp one

The hot pack one?
https://www.sigmasports.com/item/Sportful/Hot-Pack-Hi-Viz-Gilet/EAPM

Hot Pack 6 (https://www.sportful.com/gb/hot-pack-6-vest/p/110185519P-091)
Doesn't seem to have as much reflective stuff. Could add tape.

I've lost it, I had seen it but cant seem to relocate

no it's an old one that they don't make any more but that complied with EN whatever. I think @skinny recommended it originally, so it must be good :)

That looks like every road worker ever.

Come on then fashionista show us yours... ;-)

Both of mine were free so I'm pretty sure that excludes me from the fashionista world.
One's from the last PBP and one's Rapha that someone threw in when I bought their used Winter jacket a few years ago.

On reflective gilets, normally you want things to be really close fitting but I found out in 2016 that there is an issue with this. When I was caught in a thunderstorm I had my gilet in over my waterproof. Because it was close fitting, it held a layer of water on the surface of my jacket, so all the waterproofness disappeared and I was soaking straight away.
It was warm rain so not a major issue, but would make me think of using the pbp one, which is much baggier.

Yeah people always forget about layering and then regret buying that flash aero rain jacket when it doesn't fit over their down jacket and they're freezing...