If you get chance to do the 5 Dales sportive they took over I’d recommend that, or at least the 4 Dales version, takes in Buttertubs. Starts and finishes at Richmond.
Think I’ve done it about 3 or 4 times when the cycling club ran it.
Anyone ever tried bikepacking on a TT? First seedlings of thought of doing some long-distance minimalist riding similar to @doka and @cobbie set ups, ie one saddle ± a frame bag, and still hit >200km days.
Any idea how much your extra stuff had on avg speed?
My first thought was no way … but after a few seconds that turned to why not?
The main issue would be comfort I think? I’ve never had a TT bike though so I may be wrong in that. Multi-day cycling is all about being able to get up the next morning, in a decent enough condition to set off.
Speed is genuinely the last thing on my mind on my trips. I aim to set off at 8ish and be done by 6. Sometimes I stop for a proper lunch but other days maybe just for cake. I like to take photos and admire the scenery so stop for a minute or two fairly often. 100 odd miles a day suits me … but as I get older I expect I’ll drop the distance a bit.
I reckon my torpedo pack weighed in at about 5kg
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Surely the speed is irrelevant? Adjust your distance to align with the power you want to hold?
I would have thought that extra weight at the rear would adversely affect handling at the front on an optimised TT bike. Remember, the long distance guys you see riding with aero bars have maximised comfort, so their head stack will be higher. (unless they’re some kind of flexi freak!).
It’s probably doable though, as long as there is no backpack involved.
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You’ll probably need to read:
Personally I don’t think it’s enough all round to warrant the extra discomfort, just make sure you have aero bars on the road bike and a position to use them comfortably.
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Agree that it’s still about enjoying the experience and I’m not looking into doing any form of ultra racing. I’d have plenty of stops for sleep, food and photos etc. BUT if I’m looking at doing 1000km+, there’s only a limit of days I can spend off work etc and so don’t want to crawl at 20kph. I’m also not a mountain biker, and not in a position to buy a separate gravel bike to go down that line.
I never thought about TT until I’ve just read a blog of a normal enough person crossing Australia on one (with zero issues), and made me remember Mark Beaumont used one, and so I assume all ultra distance racers use one too? And that given I’ve happily ridden 7 hours on my TT in IM training with no issues, figured adding a spacer and more relaxed position might be comfortable for multi-days too 
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My opinion is that you flex the distance to suit the trip, unless the challenge is to cycle 1000km in 5 days.
When I went round Wales, I averaged 105 miles/170 km and 2600m of ascent a day (I think it was 1030km in total). You’d not need to be a much better cyclist than me to push that up to 200km /day and do 5 rather than 6 days on the road. So, it’s eminently doable.
However, I would strongly suggest that you do some prep to make sure your set-up works and that the position allows you to cycle comfortably 3 or 4 days in a row.
On the route, I spent a lot of time thinking through what ‘round Wales’ really meant for me. I would have needed 10-12 days to follow the coast and you need to find sensible overnight stops the right kind of distance apart. If you’re planning to head for less populated areas then this might be more difficult than you think.
I’m planning to head round Wales again this year (by a different route … all of which was probably discussed earlier in the thread) and it’s definitely a very satisfying experience to plan and execute your own trip.
Look forward to hearing about it as it develops! 
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I agree with Cobbie, you have to ask why? If it’s a road race then TT would win it no brainier, if you want to see things, contemplate life & go on the less busy (read shit) roads then a road bike with some bigger tyres will be a more enjoyable experience. TT on the bars with some weight aboard wouldn’t take much of a pot hole to puncture the front & rattle your teeth on anything but great roads.
On my 1000km/5day Scotland trip I averaged 25km/h with 32mm tyres on the roady loaded up with tent & such. Obviously the weight is most noticeable on the climbs.
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Some good points that I hadn’t thought of.
I had a puncture 30 miles from the finish line, largely through tiredness (went over a puddle that turned out to be a pot hole). It had been raining all day and I was fairly exhausted.
The point about road surfaces is a good one too. 25s would be very sensible (assuming rim brakes), 28/32 if using disc brakes.
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Agree, but I think Australia Vs UK speaks for some of the difference here. To feel like I’ve had an adventure and got off the usual routes I do, the next peninsula is 300km away one way if I go north. The next biggest town/city (popn 21k) is 400km away to the South. The nearest big city to go to Melbourne and back is 750km one way, making ~2000km round trip to go a scenic route via Great Ocean Road. Usually only one or two roads in each direction. So the interest in (some) speed is in order to see more things, not the other way round in this case.
My first thought about feasibility was I didn’t want a heavy rack and pannier style set-up with 50mm tyres. Road bike with 28s and ticking along 25-30kmh (flat roads) would suit judging by how little gear you guys have managed to take and is what I searched the threads for. TT just in back of mind as another option
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Good points.
I understand your reasoning better now and also the challenge you face with distance and lack of roads.
I definitely recommend light weight / b&b as a style. For you though it’s more of a necessity!
Have you been on TGOR? very very little of it is on the ocean.
Dug out my frame bag for tomorrow’s audax. A little overdressed as I could probably get away without it, but might as well start practicing with some of my kit. Thankfully spotted that my rear wheel bearings where completely shot and had a spare wheel to throw on. Could have been interesting if it had failed in the middle of nowhere.
Really looking forward to tomorrow after a long week.
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What ride you doing @wheezy ?
Weather should be alright
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The KWCC Gently Bentley 200. Yes, weather looking good👍. Did it last year but missed a control so couldn’t get it validated.
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Had a really good day out. A group of 5 of us set off but 3 had hardly ridden and were quite slow. We stayed together for the first few hours, then my riding buddy and I applied the ‘Top Gear Rules’ and promptly left. TBF, if was cold when we stopped so wanted to keep going, where possible, so we bumped the average speed up quite a bit over the second half. A lovely route. Lumpy without being too difficult.
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Sounds like a great ride, well done. What’s going on that plastic?
It’s my buddy’s Rapha rain jacket. Think he’s trying to dry off the sweat. 
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Yes seen a few on my Strava feed today.
It looks a good route!
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Good of you to carry the team spare tubes & tools 
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