# Route planning. - Mind boggling



## steveindenmark (1 Feb 2019)

I rode Tuscany Road last year. My first long distance ride. 550km and 9500m climbing in 2 days. It was hot and hard but I learnt a lot. I really enjoyed it.

I signed up for the Transcontinental Race this year and am in ths route planning stages and thought I would share my concerns

The entry fee is paid. Flight booked. Accomodation for the first couple of days paid. A courier is sorted to take the bike down to a friend near the start. All is well. 

But unlike a lot of people reading this. I am not a "real" cylist. I commute to work and thats about it. I have never ridden an Audax ride or been a member of a club. I have never ridden with a group of riders. I explain this just to let you know I am totally out of my depth. But am really looking forward to it.

I have been planning my route for the past 2 weeks. Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia, Slovakia, Austria, Italy. The distances are massive and all roll into one. So much so that after the first day. I could not explain the route to you.

The River Drava?

I had never heard of it until I started planning my route. But it appears that we will be keeping each other company for about 500km.

My route planning is a mix of paper maps, RWGPS, Komoot, Strava, Strava heat maps and the cycle path systems through Italy and Austria. Thats as far as I have got up to now.

But the enormity of the task has hit me during the route planning stage. 

I will be 61 when we set off. I decided to ride the TCR this year because when you get to 60 its a good idea not to wait too much longer to do things.

I have no expectations except to meet some old friends and enjoy the experience. How far I travel is not a concern at the moment. Its an experiment.

I am telling you this just to get it off my chest. You never know it may encourage someone else to have a go next time.


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## I like Skol (1 Feb 2019)

You cannot possibly be the only person in your position considering this. You just need to link up with some of the others and pool resources, planning and any knowledge you may have between you.


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## Milkfloat (1 Feb 2019)

I see it that your challenge is 99.9% more than most cyclists will do. Even if you get 1000km into it and decide it is not for you, then you would have achieved far more than most. Worst case you have a shorter holiday than you originally planned.


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## steveindenmark (1 Feb 2019)

I like Skol said:


> You cannot possibly be the only person in your position considering this. You just need to link up with some of the others and pool resources, planning and any knowledge you may have between you.


I think a lot of us will be in the same boat. Riding the Tuscany Road already makes me more experienced than some. I know a lot of riders who have taken part in TCR. Some have got to the end and some have not. They are all there to offer advice. They all say one day at a time and its easier when the cycling starts.

Fortunately we are heading East to West and will be racing towards Lidl, Aldi and Spar supermarkets.


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## mjr (1 Feb 2019)

When is it? Do we know which dot we should be watching?


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## Ajax Bay (1 Feb 2019)

"The race is expected to start either late on Friday 26th or early Saturday 27th July 2019" from Burgas, Bulgaria.
I'm sure Steve will share his race number in due course.
https://www.transcontinental.cc/
https://www.facebook.com/transconrace/
And it's planned to finish (15 day party) in Brest on 11 August, 10 days before rather more cyclists arrive there!


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## steveindenmark (1 Feb 2019)

Ajax Bay said:


> "The race is expected to start either late on Friday 26th or early Saturday 27th July 2019."
> I'm sure Steve will share his race number in due course.
> https://www.transcontinental.cc/
> https://www.facebook.com/transconrace/


I will and I am sure Frank will as well.


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## Ming the Merciless (1 Feb 2019)

That is the idea is it not to stretch yourself? It is not meant to be easy. Sure you will settle into the task.


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## Ajax Bay (1 Feb 2019)

steveindenmark said:


> I have been planning my route for the past 2 weeks. Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia, Slovakia, Austria, Italy [France FTFY].


Route is (East to West this time):
* Start: Burgas, Black Sea coast, Bulgaria.
* Control Point (CP) 1: Buzludzha Monument, Shipka, Bulgaria
* Control Point (CP) 2: Vranje, Serbia
* Control Point (CP) 3: Passo Gardena, Corvara, Italy
* Control Point (CP) 4: L'Alpe d'Huez, France
* Finish: Brest, Brittany, France


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## johnblack (1 Feb 2019)

There was a recent Cycling Podcast about the TCR, good listen. Best of luck, what a great challenge.


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## steveindenmark (1 Feb 2019)

Ajax Bay said:


> Route is (East to West this time):
> * Start: Burgas, Black Sea coast, Bulgaria.
> * Control Point (CP) 1: Buzludzha Monument, Shipka, Bulgaria
> * Control Point (CP) 2: Vranje, Serbia
> ...


I know where I am supposed to be going. Actually planning it in detail and making sure it is correct is really time consuming.

The first control is quite simple though. It looks like a 200km time trial. Which I have never done before.

But I recieved a map today. Thats technology I understand.


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## ianrauk (1 Feb 2019)

This reminds me of a conversation I had with Rimas after his first TCR. I asked how did he work out a route. He said he didn't. He just plotted an A to B on Bike Hike... The day before..


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## Ming the Merciless (1 Feb 2019)

steveindenmark said:


> View attachment 450097
> 
> I know where I am supposed to be going. Actually planning it in detail and making sure it is correct is really time consuming.
> 
> ...



Some lovely scenic places that will take you. Will be a fantastic ride for you.


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## Brains (2 Feb 2019)

ianrauk said:


> This reminds me of a conversation I had with Rimas after his first TCR. I asked how did he work out a route. He said he didn't. He just plotted an A to B on Bike Hike... The day before..



Otherwise use https://cycle.travel/map
You can download it to a phone, which means if you lose your GPS you have a simple back up

I spent days fine tuning a 4 day route across UK and France. experimenting with moving the route one way and then the other way around a hill or avoiding a village.
All the planning was to nought.
Once we were on the ground we largely found the original route as worked out by the app was the best one.

Therefore I'd say that the option of working it out the day before, whilst not ideal, would work just fine.

I'd go with whatever it comes up with as your basic route and keep the tinkering to a minimum


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## Ajax Bay (3 Feb 2019)

I think the data on the various road options in France and UK are of rather better quality than points (a lot) further south east.
Not for Steve ('cos it's 'UK') but a fellow (pub) rider introduced me to:
https://www.cyclestreets.net/
which gives three options for any route (defined by a start and a finish point).
Still prefer to design and polish my own on RwGPS, though.


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## Ming the Merciless (3 Feb 2019)

Ajax Bay said:


> "The race is expected to start either late on Friday 26th or early Saturday 27th July 2019" from Burgas, Bulgaria.
> I'm sure Steve will share his race number in due course.
> https://www.transcontinental.cc/
> https://www.facebook.com/transconrace/
> And it's planned to finish (15 day party) in Brest on 11 August, 10 days before rather more cyclists arrive there!




Reckon timing must be set such that many TCR riders will be in Brest or heading towards Brest when PBP runs.


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## Ajax Bay (3 Feb 2019)

I expect it's just drawing on the (long distance cycling) resonance of the name of Brest. Most riders will have long gone a week after the party (though I expect a few will ride PBP as well (lunatics - full moon)) but I guess a few later ones might see PBP early birds coming through. Of the 223 TCR starters last year, 104 finished within 17 days (so 13 Aug this year) and 30 finished after that, presumably most within 5 days (so 18 Aug this year). PBP first rider should make Brest by Monday 19 Aug around 1400.


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## Beebo (5 Feb 2019)

Brains said:


> Therefore I'd say that the option of working it out the day before, whilst not ideal, would work just fine.
> 
> I'd go with whatever it comes up with as your basic route and keep the tinkering to a minimum


That would be my approach.

Keep it simple, be aware that you will never be able to plot the "perfect route", I dont even have a perfect route from my house to London, I have a few options that i change depending on how I feel. 

So just go with the flow, you aren't trying to win the race, so just enjoy it.


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## Ajax Bay (5 Feb 2019)

https://reportage.transcontinental.cc/?cat=15


ianrauk said:


> This reminds me of a conversation I had with Rimas after his first TCR. I asked how did he work out a route. He said he didn't. He just plotted an A to B on Bike Hike... The day before..


"Rimas Grigenas won the Continental tyres prize for longest route, taking the wide lines through France and Switzerland towards CP2 and venturing a good way East into Hungary before making a right hand turn through Romania en-route to the finish. The Lithuanian admitted . . . he was at the mercy of his routing software."
I wouldn't rely on routing software on a 3000+km ride and those that do are rare.
Why would such software produce a better route than a well planned (by a competent human) one?


Brains said:


> Otherwise use https://cycle.travel/map
> I'd go with whatever it comes up with as your basic route and keep the tinkering to a minimum


How about: 'see what it comes up with and adapt that, and check every mile of the route online before riding'?


Beebo said:


> Keep it simple, be aware that you will never be able to plot the "perfect route"


Would you care to expand on what, in the context of a 3000km cycle, you mean by 'keep it simple'?
A starter in the TCR is aiming to finish and a good, well thought and prepared route, with 'costed options' is one element of a successful campaign. Start without one and I suggest that will reduce the chances of "just enjoy[ing] it".

I've inserted the start, finish and controls into RidewithGPS and the route it offers is:
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/29284468?beta=false
Caveat randonneur/racer.
There are at least half a dozen draft TCR No7 routes on RwGPS ('Find' tab and set start to Burgas, Bulgaria and distance to 'over 500k' (ie the max)).


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## steveindenmark (15 Feb 2019)

Im working through it bit by bit. Getting from the start to Austria is quite straight forward. As is getting across France. The bit inbetween is more challenging as the roads will be very busy in summer and the cycle paths wander about a bit. 

I am looking forward to visiting Vukovar and I am sure I will find some other places to visit on the route. I have decided not to stay at "Hotel Feel Yourself". But I have found a few Irish pubs.


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## Blue Hills (1 Mar 2020)

Can some kind soul point me at any follow up on this thread?


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## mjr (1 Mar 2020)

Blue Hills said:


> Can some kind soul point me at any follow up on this thread?


https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/bikes-on-its-way.251330/

Also https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/transcontinental-race-heads-up.242758/


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