Some tips to help you survive the Etape du Tour]



The Etape Tips: July

| | July
40. If you're going to race the Etape with new tyres then get them on this week, with new inner tubes. This will give them two weeks to "settle in" and get a bit of wear on them.

41. In addition to inner tubes, etc., take some extra cables, chain connectors and one spare tire with you.

42. What happened to Quentin could happen to you (his bottom bracket seized). So go online now and get a list of bike shops in the locale of the place you are staying and print them out.

43. Two weeks to go. It's taper time. If you haven't done the miles yet, guess what, it's too late. Now is the time to pull back and reduce your workload.

44. Don’t pack your shoes/pedals in your bike box. If your bike goes missing at least you might be able to rent a bike and still do the event you’ve trained so hard for.

45. France is a beautiful country. We are guests there. Please don't chuck your garbage all over the road. Wait until you come to a feed zone and dump it there.

46. If you can avoid it don’t leave your bike in the event area the night before. I did that last year and it was chaos trying to get my bike out. I nearly missed the start.

47. Bike Packing Basics: 1. Deflate the tyres/tires; 2. Make a note of all your measurements, seat height, etc. and take a small tape measure; 3. If you are using a soft bag take off the rear derailleur and secure it between the chainstays; 4. The tools you use to disassemble your bike go in the bike bag with it; 5. Shoes/Pedlas *do not* go in the bike bag (remember the left pedal has a left-hand (reverse) thread; 6. When you're done give the box a shake, if anything is moving open the box and secure it, nothing should move around inside; 7. Take a picture of your bike and bike bag/box on your mobile so you can describe it easily if it gets lost; 8. Give yourself enough time to pack it, nice and slow, and remember to pack the seat and seat post!

48. You're not a mule. All you need is your bike bag/box and one holdall for your gear. Pack light.

49. No alcohol for 24 hours before. Just glug water. Lots and lots of water. Then huge amounts of alcohol 3 hours after to celebrate ;-)

50. Cut those toe nails. Snip, snip, chop, chop! Long toe nails stuffed into cycling shoes on a hot day doing 170 km will make your feet hurt like hell. So get those scissors out and do the biz. Fantastic tip from a loyal and regular contributor. Thanks very much Roddy.


| | July
 
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