I rode TABR in 2017; in 2018, I joined the ranks of the keen dot-watchers, the likes of Ron Nelson and Tony “Grmaa-pa” Shawley in absorbing the TABR action. My fellow TABR veterans from 2017 such as David Gates and Peter Andersen were riding again, and I was also keenly tracking some other riders I’d found interesting, such as Nishanth Iyengar and Louis-Eric Simard. I’d see how many hours each logged on their saddle per day, the stop options that were available to them on their route, and most importantly, the amount of climbing they had to do on the path ahead. For the last, i.e. calculating the climbing work ahead of the riders, I wrote a python script called elevprofiler.py which is available on my git repo here. Using this tool, and the official ridewithgps track for TABR 2018, I was able to get the amount of climbing in meters, when I keyed in the start and end points on the track.
The 'Chengi Century' explained
TABR 2017 Day 5: Mount Vernon to Baker City
When one rides a ride like the Transam Bike Race, all manner of formulae get tossed out of the window; you can make all the plans you want to, but you’ll have to have the ability to change them at a moment’s notice, due to changes in conditions, or factors you’d not accounted for, making a difference. That said, a good Plan-A is also very important, else everything you encounter is a surprise, which is not always nice. When I stopped in Mount Vernon the previous night, I intended to get out at the crack of dawn, but I found myself leaving just before seven. I’d taken a look at the climb profile, and it seemed pretty tough. It would see me climbing three hills in quick succession, and Baker City lay on the other side of those three hills. The temperature was in the high 20s (Celsius), so it would be essential to maintain good hydration, and keep a cool head.
TABR 2017 Day 4: Redmond to Mount Vernon
The soak in the tub and the good night’s sleep felt great, and I was up and ready to go. Probably a bit too excited to leave, as I failed to ensure I picked up all of my belongings before leaving :( I forgot my excellent 10400 Mah battery pack and my wind-free ear covers, in my haste to leave. By the time I noticed it, I was some twenty five kilometers away, and just didn’t want to lose two more hours, riding back and forth. I called the motel owner, explaining that I’d forgotten some stuff, and if he could put it away safely for me. When I called him back later, he said nothing was found, so I guess somebody quietly pocketed it. Their gain, my loss. Losing the wind-free was particularly bad, as it did a very good job of cutting the wind whine around my ears, as I’m a bit sensitive about that, and it makes my tinnitus worse.
TABR 2017 Day 3: Coburg to Redmond
Previously: TABR: Day 2
Looking back at my TABR ride now, I realize the many, many ways I could have done things better, and I believe the experience will hold me in good stead for my future rides. Back then however, it was hard not to get overwhelmed; I was afraid of getting into a state of panic, so I often overcorrected, and was perhaps a bit too relaxed. On a ride like TABR, it’s important to keep stops short, and even a few minutes saved makes a difference, as it all adds up. My Day 3 of TABR 2017 started at a quarter to two A.M (0145 hrs). I rose, packed my bivvy, whose liner was quite damp, after two consecutive nights of bivvying, and knocked on the fireman’s quarters door, to ask to use the restroom.
TABR 2017 Day 2: Salmon River Hwy to Coburg
I woke up at 0330 hrs, in the park, determined to try and have a better day than the previous one. The GPS said the temperature was 5°C. I was shivering a bit, as I rolled up the bivvy, and tightened up the saddlebag. I’d stopped before it got dark the previous evening, so the lights were flicked on for the first time, and I noted that they were aimed too high. Stopped, adjusted them a bit, and was off. My rig has a Shutter Precision PD-8x dynamo hub which powers an Axa Blueline 50 front lamp and a Busch + Müller Toplight View Plus rear light. When the lights are not being used, the dynamo powers my Cinq Plug III converter, which supplies a USB outlet to feed electrons to my phone, GPS etc, and on this cold and pitch dark morning, the Axa lit up the road quite brilliantly, and I was rolling down the Salmon River Highway quite confidently, at speeds near 40 kmph. I could have easily gone faster, but was afraid there might not be much time to react and avoid, if there were potholes or any other debris on the road, but my fears were largely unfounded; the surface was truly beautiful.
TABR 2017 Day 1: Astoria to Salmon River Highway
June 3, 2017: The day started early. I’d been checking the time on my watch every few minutes, to see if it was time to be up, and when it was half past four, I got up, showered and packed the clothes I’d washed the previous night, into my saddlebag. Harrison was next up, and David the last. We were soon all set. Harrison suggested we grab something to eat at the cafe nearby, before heading out to the start, but it turned out that the cafe was not open yet. We started rolling to the start line. It must have been only about five hundred metres, when I felt I’d picked up a flat. I asked Harrison to see if I indeed had a flat, but nope, it was my saddlebag, rubbing heavily against my wheel. This would be a recurring theme over the next few days.
TABR 2017: Pre-race anxiety
June 2nd, 2017: This was the rest day, and the day to get in any last minute shopping done, before the race. It was also the day we picked up our caps, and those of us who’d rented Spot trackers got their trackers, from Nathan Jones. I was staying at the Rivershore Motel in Astoria, and David Barstow Robinson (DBR) and Harrison McClain were right next door. Harrison had already written to me, asking to share my motel room on the 2nd, and we both decided to let David bunk with us too. They arrived just before noon, and I decided to head out to the local bike store, which I was told was getting busier by the minute, thanks to all the TABR racers who were descending on it!
TABR 2017: Ride to Astoria
June 1st, 2017: I’d slept fitfully the previous night, and rose by 0500 hrs. After some more tinkering with the saddlebag setup, a quick shower, and a banana and a smoothie for breakfast, I was ready. It was drizzling, so both Meaghan and I threw on our rain jackets and hit the road. She knew the way to the meeting point selected by TABR racers heading to Astoria, so that was one less thing for me to worry. After a few minutes of rolling, we made it to the meeting place, and saw many other racers had already made it there. Brad and Alexis Crossley were going to drive to Astoria, but were there anyway, to meet other riders. Ever the nicest of folks, they even offered to transport stuff to Astoria, if any of us didnt feel like lugging our gear all the way. I also met Jen Colestock, Eric Fishbein, Jack Peterson, Timothy Stephen, Andrew Suzuki, and other riders for the first time there.
TABR 2017: Arrival into Portland
I was set to leave to the United States, for the Transam Bike Race 2017, on the 31st of May, with my bike and all accessories in a bike box. The idea was to disembark in Portland, use the tools available at the Portland airport (they have a special bike assembly section!), discard the box and ride to my hotel. Then, there was this little matter of things not going according to plan.