Another new gadget …

We’re now very much in thinking about the actual race now … and i’m considering more and more my tactics and approach to the day. When will i eat – what will i eat (& drink of course) – and even how will i drink. And nearly as important, how to transport the mechanical bits & bobs hopefully not needed to use on the course, but needed as insurance in case of punctures <groan>

General best practice seems to be for athletes to use this baby from PROFILE, both to render it easier and quicker to take in liquids whilst in aero position, but supposedly having this bottle in place (even if empty) actually improve the aerodynamic profile of the bike itself -> so some small time improvements!

and so i handed over my money to my man Rob for bottle, holder and bracket for the aerobars.

First day out with this in place – X miles out the road this yellow mesh on the top popped out on going over a serious bump and down onto the road … slam on brakes go back retrieve etc. Even with the mesh fully in or even half in, there is liquid being sprayed around as we go over any sort of bump / rough ground. My poor old Garmin is covered in sticky goo – my knees and part of my shorts are covered in sticky goo – its everywhere. I din’t find it easy at all to use … hopefully i will get more and more used to it in time, but some of the Irish roads do not inspire confidence to allow the cyclist use the straw without the likelihood of the straw going up through either the roof of my mouth or my nasal passage ;-(

So for now it’ll be water only – no funny sticky gooey stuff. Come race day when i can get water i’ll load up with water, take on board some gels to use with the water, and have the two bike frame bidets with High-5 probably.

OTHER changes to Black Peggy this week was a new stem … a slightly shorter stem so as to reduce the strech for my aero position and hopefully enable me to go faster-longer-harder … enough already, get on with it! [What's a STEM - here]

Reader – just to confirm that i’m not completely mad, buying everything and anything, i actually reconsidered and didn’t buy the following possible toy

which was a possibility that would hold my spare tubes, CO2 cartridges, even more water bottles … the whole shebang. However i decided against it in the end! I’ll have enough (I hope) food in my bike jersey, some gels on the handlebars and will buy an under-the-saddle bag that actually fits my saddle (my present TT saddle doesn’t lend itself to using my two other bags!)

The money saved in not buying this allowed me buy other stuff … WETSUIT – which is another post some other time.