This gallery contains 10 photos.
Earlier this week I decided to give it a try, again. My idea was to cycle up to the Baltic …
Longer ride during winter time
11 Saturday Feb 2017
Posted in Bikes and Gear, General, Rides and Races
Category Archives: Rides and Races
Transcimbrica – 2nd Edition
24 Thursday Nov 2016
Posted in Transcimbrica 2017
For guys who don’t mind or even love ride ride in rain and possibly also snow, Transcimbrica is an excellent option to start the cycling year 2017! For a so called “Schönwetterfahrer” this event might be an even bigger challenge.
The second edition is scheduled and open for registration now.
The race starts at midnight in Hamburg and goes up to the very north of Denmark along the Baltic sea coast line. Back along the west coast. Roughly 1200kms shall be on the meter when back in Hamburg.
A huge difference for the second start is that ALL components and equipment are now tested for several thousands of kms. Last year the bike had a test mileage of some hundreds kms and some uncertainties in components.
One more thing, do not expect Denmark to be a flat land. On the bike you gonna meet hills, surprisingly many.
Quick introduction for the upcoming Transcimbrica in 2017
24 Thursday Nov 2016
Posted in Transcimbrica 2017
Ohne Radeln fehlt einfach was, kann nichts daran ändern. Seit einer Weile bin ich infiziert, was längere Ausflüge anbelangt. Dabei geht es um den Weg und das einmalige Gefühl von Freiheit; Wind rein und laufen lassen. Gibt es was Besseres? Nein.
War dieser Jahr für meine Verhältnisse viel unterwegs, auch ist das Rad nunmehr in seiner Gänze vollends erprobt. Seine Feuertaufe bei Version 1 hatte es schmerzhafterweise nicht bestanden.
Dass es diese Fahrt gibt, hatte ich eher zufällig 2-3 Tage vorher erfahren, René hatte sein präpariertes Rad auf Strava präsentiert. Dann ging alles ganz schnell.
Doppel gemoppelt ist besser gehoppelt, deshalb in 2017 sehr gerne wieder. Eigener Rythmus, um eine grosse Runde zu drehen! Freue mich sehr drauf!
Sandig und tragisch. Schwamm drüber, auf ein Neues!
Der Herbst kommt, langsam aber sicher.
27 Tuesday Sep 2016
Posted in Transcimbrica 2017
Jetzt wo das Wetter endlich langsam wieder mistig wird, beginnt -zumindest für mich- die Zeit, dass das Plänemachen für das nächste Jahr beginnt. Denn irgendwo muss ja die Harmonie daheim gewahrt bleiben, da müssen die Termine frühzeitig eingetragen werden, da bleibt dann auch für den Rest der Familie Zeit, die Balanceaktivitäten anzumelden. Ein zwei Tage einschieben, geht immer, doch ich habe die leise Vermutung, dass ich im kommenden Jahr wieder ein bisschen öfter im Sattel sitzen möchte.
Lange Rede, kurzer Sinn:
Haben wir schon einen Termin für die offizielle zweite Auflage des Transcimbrica?
Nasser Gruss aus Heidelberg!
.max
Checking the basic conditions for participating T-J-O
06 Tuesday Sep 2016
Posted in The Japanese Odyssey 2016
The you think about something, the more you get into it. Months ago I was talking about this ride with Ferg and Ville. We had the idae to let this ride be the second edition of the dream team ride to Monganshan back in October 2015.
But no, now I am considering to go for it just by myself. Anyway there are at tleast two other riders from Shanghai starting in that particular 2nd edition. Tyler and Ewen.
Timeline is tight, talking to the organizers, they are willing to accept a late registration, so I need to follow up all relevant details to get to the starting point and back home from the finishline, quickly and smooth. As I have a deadline again, being back in Heidelberg on September 30th.
Flights
Handling of bicycle suitcase
Transportation to the starting point as I won’t fly into Tokyo but to the finish line, Osaka.
Accomodation required? Need to get clear on this point before the start.
Get a real idea about the route
Getting sensitive for Japanese cycling specifics
Get a proper feeling for the climate
This should be it for the moment
I should not participate but the heart wants to join. What shall I do? As a real final for this year?!
Hm, still not clear and decided on what to do about it.
Jersey sneak peak on the instagram account of T-J-O.
The Japanese Odyssey
03 Saturday Sep 2016
Posted in The Japanese Odyssey 2016
Thought up by Emmanuel and Guillaume.
This ride was brought into my field of view by Ferg, a mate from Shanghai, months ago. Now more and more people are talking about this event. Also it is a topic at Eurobike, and it is only two more weeks to its start on September 17.
Cycling in Japan, one of the big cycling dreams. Getting closer to understand why Japan has such an amazing cycling culture. Getting into the Japanese culture and tradition, in general!
Need to discuss with my family sponsor, as this trip gonna be awesome in very direction.
Any considerations and ideas from your side?
Factory Five, presence at TCR
18 Thursday Aug 2016
Almost ten months ago, in October 2015, Nelson Trees #TCRno4s80, Jeff Liu #TCRno4s37, Joshua Rea #TCRno4s64 and myself met for racing from Shanghai to Moganshan and back within 24hours. I assume for two of us, Josh and myself, this was the starting point for longer distances. At that time Nelson and Jeff had already finished their first TCR no3, in 2015. This event had been held by F5, FactoryFive, webuildweride.
This year we met the day before the race started and shared some time and for me -the last beer- before two weeks of abstinence. During the ride, Josh, Jeff and myself met quite sometimes. Nelson was out for racing, as his target was to fight for top ten. Totally different preassumptions for this race, my plan was to ride it and to reach the finish line, no more, no less.
Social media world accompanied TCR
18 Thursday Aug 2016
Posted in Transcontinental Race 2016
During this ride Anna and Mike bet on social media, pretty much. Which definitely makes big sense!
As a not-member of the social media world, I have my wife who follows up on these channels for me, at least for TCR stuff.
TCR sent out two race cars and a media car/ van.
I met the media van quite some time, although I almost never met the race cars. Good indication that I was not riding upfront the race.
I must have been an internal decision to focus on the faster riders. In my imagination the stories are more being written by other racers. The ones that might struggle and get back into the race. Nevertheless, the clips that are online until today, are really really well done.
Even more the images that are being taken during this race are more than just beautiful. You should consider that it is not really easy to actually find a spot out on the road. Driving the car all day long and looking for riders. Then getting these riders into some good shots. For me this is one of the most challenging jobs during this race, aside from the riders doing their race.
There is a general youtube channel from TCR, as well as an Instagram Account.
Camille (instagram)and John, thank you for your great work! Even I do really like your pictures. Now, I can even enjoy them, during the ride it was not something I got really into, until some friends sent me screenshots of myself in any of the social media channels.
Francis Cade (youtube), thank you as well. I enjoy watching your movies, keeping this ride and many sceneries even more alife than my own pictures, not my memories!
Updates from TCR website
18 Thursday Aug 2016
Posted in Transcontinental Race 2016
As my wife Nico is excellently following the TCR details and news, here are some updates and details from my ride, that really surprised myself.
(The link in general: http://www.frrt.org/tcrno4/riders)
The recorded route via tracking and routing from TCR differs to mine, but only in a smaller range:
3622km TCR measurement
3678km Max garmin
My dots:
http://www.frrt.org/tcrno4/r/82-max/map?bounds=39.50404,-13.53516,51.17934,43.37402
Dates and classement for check point passing. Surprising for me is the small variance in the classement during the entire race. From 51st to 39th, so only 12 places variance during 13 days of riding. Big surprise for me, indicates a relatively constant cycling, which I do not feel at all. Also the daily distances are variing quite a lot.
Start: Geraardsbergen
22:00 Jul 29th
Control: Clermont Ferrand
13:42 Jul 31st (51st)
Control: Col de Ceyssat
14:54 Jul 31st (46th)
Control: Grindelwald
12:50 Aug 2nd (51st)
Control: Furkapass
20:23 Aug 2nd (53rd)
Control: Alleghe
19:26 Aug 4th (51st)
Control: Passo di Giau
20:26 Aug 4th (47th)
Control: Pluzine
12:25 Aug 8th (44th)
Control: Zabljak
17:53 Aug 8th (42nd)
Finish: Canakkale
7:09 Aug 12th (39th)
The daily breakdown indicates quite obviously that there had been some serious climbing, at least for my experience. The climbing itself and the lack of my brakes functionality directly shows the low mileage on the climbing days. And yes, the chase to Canakkale from Alexandoupolis had really been the fasted part of my entire race, so not only in my mind also on the records. Simply looking at the climbing figure, I get dizzy, really dizzy. I like climbing, but I do not like racing up the hill if I know another thousand kms are waiting to be pedaled:
Day 1
0:02 – 21:19 Jul 30th
Track / Route: 340.2 / 369.2 km
Climbing: 3508.0 m
Moving: 17.3 hours, 21.3 km/h
Day 2
9:26 – 21:52 Jul 31st
Track / Route: 324.3 / 354.4 km
Climbing: 3768.0 m
Moving: 23.6 hours, 15.0 km/h
Day 3
22:02 – 20:27 Aug 1st
Track / Route: 199.2 / 220.9 km
Climbing: 3343.0 m
Moving: 12.4 hours, 17.8 km/h
Day 4
22:07 – 20:23 Aug 2nd
Track / Route: 179.8 / 236.7 km
Climbing: 7593.0 m
Moving: 17.1 hours, 13.8 km/h
Day 5
22:11 – 21:46 Aug 3rd
Track / Route: 159.5 / 202.8 km
Climbing: 9095.0 m
Moving: 15.3 hours, 13.3 km/h
Day 6
22:37 – 21:59 Aug 4th
Track / Route: 209.6 / 259.5 km
Climbing: 11292.0 m
Moving: 17.5 hours, 14.8 km/h
Day 7
22:08 – 21:46 Aug 5th
Track / Route: 206.0 / 241.3 km
Climbing: 5223.0 m
Moving: 11.7 hours, 20.6 km/h
Day 8
22:05 – 21:50 Aug 6th
Track / Route: 204.5 / 225.8 km
Climbing: 4918.0 m
Moving: 12.9 hours, 17.5 km/h
Day 9
22:10 – 21:56 Aug 7th
Track / Route: 211.3 / 232.0 km
Climbing: 3578.0 m
Moving: 11.0 hours, 21.1 km/h
Day 10
22:06 – 21:54 Aug 8th
Track / Route: 200.2 / 253.4 km
Climbing: 11337.0 m
Moving: 16.2 hours, 15.6 km/h
Day 11
22:36 – 21:54 Aug 9th
Track / Route: 170.2 / 223.8 km
Climbing: 8014.0 m
Moving: 14.3 hours, 15.7 km/h
Day 12
22:04 – 21:53 Aug 10th
Track / Route: 279.9 / 304.2 km
Climbing: 3318.0 m
Moving: 15.6 hours, 19.5 km/h
Day 13
22:03 – 21:59 Aug 11th
Track / Route: 294.8 / 327.3 km
Climbing: 3514.0 m
Moving: 17.5 hours, 18.7 km/h
Day 14
22:20 – 7:09 Aug 12th
Track / Route: 150.3 / 170.2 km
Climbing: 1460.0 m
Moving: 7.5 hours, 22.7 km/h
Summary about riders and co
15 Monday Aug 2016
And there were the riders, that I met from time to time. In the early days there had been more riders, the closer I got to the finish line the less people I have met.
In France it was almost crowded by people and it was not really easy to get relaxed. The more we headed on the more relaxed I got. Also I turned away from the idea of looking at this thing as a race way more to a ride.
I had my three boys from Shanghai and we chatted regularly. In the early days I also met with Josh and Jeff sometimes, by chance. At least for me as I did not know where the other dots had been moving.
For me it is still a bigger things to get rid of the racing gene.
- Taking a rest and someone passes, usually meant to finish my rest quickly and catch him again.
- Seeing some riders upfront, usually meant to eat them. Even this did not make any sense at all. Luckily during the last days I was almost happy to meet people, having a small chat, riding a while together.
The riders I met most had been Jeff and Josh in the beginning.
Also Gerkö crossed my way for several times, but he was already in France talking about scratching from the race, so it is quite possible he did not make it to the finish line.
Already on the second day, I met James. I think we met the most during this ride, had some talks, rests and drinks together. In Andermatt we invaded the cemetery of a church to have a good rest after a rainy descend from Furka. The last time I meet him was the CP04 Durmitor.
Frank was the rider I met second most on the roads, anywhere. We spend longer times together on the roads. We met in almost every of the countries after Italy. During the early morning towards Canakkale I met Frank for the last time really struggling with his tiredness on the road.
With Patrick I met first at CP04. We spent time for dinner together. Then we met again in Greece, for breakfast and he helped my out with his medication, as I was still suffering from my achilles pain. This was kind of salvation for me as I could carry on cycling from this point. The night before I did only stopp to do some lymph leg massaging to relax my feet, but not sleep. Then we met again during the biggest heat close to Viotopos lake for lunch. During that time I repaired my only flat. It had been a great company as we all come down to the level or real persons and not what we used to be in our daily lives. I can only speak for myself, but try to interpret this to some of the other riders.
During the last night ride from Alexandroupolis to Canakkale, I met Dario and also Emily for the first time. As I had a special arrangement with Nico early the next day, I had to carry on. Carl woke me up during one of me two or three short stops in Turkey, but also he carried on.
Bela, I think we met three times, before the race, before and after CP04. He reminded myself that we already knew each other from hardcro, which I did not remember, unfortunately!
I would have loved to spend some more time with all these people in Canakkale but to be honest, I am sure the best and most special time is the time out on the roads!
Thanks to all of you, that made me enjoy these days so much.
A big thank you also to Anna and Mike and all your supporters as Leo, Jamille, John, etc. pp. You all made this experience possible!
I am more than happy to join you again, as soon as you decide to go for the next round!
Thanks a million times!
Best wishes
.max
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