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Agree with that.

PBP isn't a race for most riders so not many are looking for fastest setup.

TCR has risk of Macedonian gravel and, last year, was very hilly so i ruled out carbon wheels for it.

Kristof is pretty conservative with his equipment so will probably use box section rims.

For mike, given he's using aero wheels, I can't see why he's not using a disc.

Sure, I wasn't fussed about it, just clarifying. He's posing for a photo.

From what I gather Mike didn't use a frame bag on the TransAm so perhaps there is a hidden platypus in there.

That would make sense

What's the red thing on the saddle rail?

Dunno - it's pretty small! I'll see if I can get a closer look on Saturday morning!

You sure about that? Chain looks pretty far down (up?) the cassette to me.

The other picture, the one you posted, looking at his arse. He looks like he is cross chaining in that. The mech is completely stretched out

He also appears to have ditched his 700-series Garmin

He might be able to get away with three small bottles, but that has to be a big mistake!

Kent valley run today. Amazing weather, its often frosty for this. Lots of people in shorts.
Got into a group going quickly for the second quarter, was fun but did a bit of knee damage so not the best idea
I did it with full IPWR kit as a test, so 6 litres of water and 2.5 kg of food meant any little rises were hard work!

It's a bit strange, isn't it?
I just assumed he hadn't got round to taping them, but who knows. Now everyone will be doing it.

Maybe he's going to be on the aerobars all the time so there's no point...?

Mike Hall's set-up.
3 bottles, look like c.650ml each.

He's gone for proper brakes and I think he has got a dynamo.

I think he's gone too deep with his rims, though. I'd only have gone for 50mm, on the front at least / a disc on the back. Maybe I will use my TT wheels after all? But they are a bit narrow so would go best with 23s and non-tubeless so harder on the hands / arse. Decisions, decisions...

We do some on the Amersham Road courses at weekends
Also Wednesday evenings at Hillingdon

Currently researching methods for eating pancakes on the move. Which toppings are best?

For Australia, the recommendations I am getting are that dead flies would be the most practical and widely available topping

One day I will just open my house and call it a bike shop and be done with it all :)

Or put it on line and call it eBay!

Yes, when people say 'I can't imagine spending that long cycling across Europe/America/Australia they don't realise that's the easy bit, compared to all the hours we have to put in on forums, facebook, wiggle, etc. They don't realise what it is like to own 25 bits of bike luggage, most of which you will never use but can't send back because you cut the tags off to see if it would fit.

Thanks, but I've got two x 2l bladders which I would potentially use (which I've fitted with extra long hoses using the tubing from eBay!). So I'll try one, or both, of those.

I've done a little bit of work now. I will go home early, but need to stay a little bit longer because I got my Wiggle order to be delivered to the office.

I think I'll try a bladder on a 200km on Saturday and see how I get on.
I might make a magnetic bar-fixing device with 2 magnets and some tape.

I might do some work later today as well!

It is that, I can see it in his picture.
He took a foam roller! I'm looking forward to getting away from mine... I fucking hate that thing.

Good luck @frank9755

Thanks!

So it doesn't require steel handlebars

I thought I'd spotted the design flaw.

Yeah, I'm trying to decide re bottles vs bladder. I have room for bottles but the disadvantage is that I can't zip them away so will be a bit un-aero. I can chuck 4 of them out at Adelaide so maybe not such a big deal.
Other option is to use shop bottles for the extra, then I can chuck them out. With one bladder as an emergency container.

Maybe I'm over-thinking it!

Also, FORZA Frank.

Have a great race.

Cheers - I'll do my best!

What's a 'water key'?

It might be one of these things.

A guy in the Indy Pac facebook was recommending taking one for road houses when they take the tap handle off to stop scallys leaving the tap running. Actually it would have been handy in France on the first night of TCR as I found a tap with no handle at a garage there.
It's a lump of metal, but I was thinking of getting one.

OK, thanks

a magnet thing to attach to the bars but I've not bothered fitting it

I guess the magnet would come into its own if you decided to hunt down a set of steel bars

@hippy @skinny or anyone else who uses them:
What do you do with your camelback hose when you are not drinking out of it - fix to bars? What is the best way to do that so it doesn't get in a wheel, get dirty, etc?

a stonkin' headwind for 10 hours

10 hours I can cope with, 10 days is what I'm worried about!

@frank9755 what's your water setup?

This is the bike in normal mode:

Then, for desert mode, pannier attachments on the rack pack zip down. They can easily take a 2l bladder on each side, or a couple of bottles, plus extra food. So I'll have capacity for 6l of water which should be enough. I might even take an extra bottle just in case.

It's still missing the triangle bag between the bottles - custom made one in the post somewhere.

Overall it will be a bit more ergonomic than my TCR setup, with the rack pack being easier to use than an Apidura and a better triangle bag, but might be slightly less aero with the rack struts. Weight will be slightly up, but only because I'll take more spares.

I can't decide on bottles vs bladder for the rack bag. I've not worked out how to drink effectively from a bladder in the back panniers. I guess I need to put the tube between my legs and fasten it somewhere near my bars, but it is pretty long and there is a risk of it ending up in a wheel. Bottles could be easier as I could just reach them out without stopping and swap over. Then just chuck them at Adelaide.

I've not got my racing wheels on yet. Am debating whether to take the mudguards off and put on wheel covers.

I'll be bivvying with the odd hotel stop. I'm not using a dynamo (saves equivalent of 10W higher threshold power + a big faff) so will need to charge at least every 6-7 nights. I could spin it out as I won't need much power in the Nullarbor: no-one could get lost there as there's only one road and I don't expect the phone signal to be great

Good luck @frank9755. Enjoy sizzling across Australia.

Cheers - was thinking about you when I was trying to work out how to carry 6 litres of water on my bike!