02 TCRNo8 – My Rider Introduction

You’re now at post 02 of my TCRNo8-series. To jump to all so far existing posts on this in chronological order:
01 TCRNo8 –About the Race & Live Tracking (Cap63) – Start: 24.7.
02 TCRNo8 – My Rider Introduction
03 TCRNo8 – Equipment & Packing List

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The organization of The Transcontinental Race asked all riders to publish a brief introduction on their social media. Here is mine… copied from my Instagram @maltecyclingtourist

Hello!!

BIKE

I simply feel at home on Rose 🌹. She’s set up with all kinds of perks for comfort: custom gearing (Force22, 46/33 + 12-36), Rockshift suspension stem, 32mm tubeless Schwalbe Pro 1, padded bar tape and aerobars, Specialized Power saddle and overall perfect geometry in all positions. My favourite accessories however are: her little rear mirror and modestly hidden but not-to-joke-with bell.

Setup

SETUP: SON dynamo and light, Igaro D2 dynamo charger, 2 power banks. Tailfin, small frame triangle, 2 Revelate Designs food pouches & fuel tank, all set up for small frontal area & easy access. Bedroom: mat, bivy, silk liner, dedicated boxers/t-shirt.KIT: cyan/orange for the jolly Miamy look to lighten my mood when necessary (or yours) and for good visibility. Bibs: now in team kit of my Cologne cycling club 🧡 (shoutout @rtcdsd )

RIDING STYLE

Rather impulsive, luckily it got a bit better over time. My performance over the course of a race is usually very volatile; my specialty: catching up with long mid-race night rides. As I love independence and flexibility, my setup is designed to sustain me for a few days outside between the occasional BnB nights.

TRAINING

On the positive: I generally have a crappy diet, so I’m perfectly prepared for running XX days on 7day-Croissants, Pringles and Coke. On the negative: my cycling season tends to start… late. One doesn’t ask a gentle(wo)man for their yearly mileage. I tend to compensate for it with my enthusiasm and curiosity to do it.

Can’t wait for all the landscapes, people, ❤️ on the road, interaction with dotwatchers. Shoutout also to Dragan 🐩 & Cruella 🐕, the 2 stray dogs that will make me loose my day‘s food pack at 1:35am on day 8.