Preparing For The Trans Pyrenees. Race Bike To Ultra Endurance Bike

On the 24th June 2023 I am taking part in the Tran Pyrenees event, starting in LLanca and finishing in San Sebastian.
In this video I talk you through bike adaptations I have made, what I will be taking with me and other equipment choices I have made.
Follow the full story on the ‪@lecolcc‬ Channel and learn more about the Trans Pyrenees here: www.transiberica.club/transpy...
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Veloforte Nutrition: CHRISO25
Use this link glnk.io/mzv1x/chris25 for discount on the food I eat on my rides from Veloforte, the code also helps me with a little commission and it is genuinely good nutrition which is made from natural ingredients and most importantly causes no digestive issues when I use it.
Use code OPIE15 for discount on Le Col clothing.
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My Details
Chris Opie
178cm
76-80kgs
For coaching enquiries please follow this link www.aero-coach.co.uk/coaching
Supported By Lapierre Bikes UK
www.lapierrebikes.com/gb-en/
Currently riding:
Lapierre Pulsium Sat 6.0 AXS
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Lapierre Crosshill 5.0
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Lapierre Ezesty AM 9.2
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Lapierre Overvolt TR 5.6
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Lapierre eSensium 3.2
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Lapierre XRM 8.9
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Komoot www.komoot.com/user/754176209656

[@GeekonaBike]

a headband light in a must for nighttime repairs, packing & unpacking. Twice the number of free hands!

[@chrisopie87]

Very good point!! Thank you

[@KeatB]

Great setup. Make sure you take the security key for the tailfin rack, you’ll need it if you need to take the wheel out. Also, consider changing the hand held extra torch for a head torch, fixing a mechanical at night will be much easier if you can use both hands.

[@chrisopie87]

That is a very good point 😅easy to overlook 🤯😅. I have a helmet mount for the handheld, so that's good!

[@galenkehler]

10:09 chris goes full dad mode "thats not going anywhere" so now its secure!

[@heatherbellbikes]

I’d no idea you had your own channel but stumbled on it this morning. It’s great to see you after finishing GCN. Regarding your packing, what everyone says is that they always overpack on their first expedition and they always say they took too many clothes. Your bag looks huge compared to others I’ve watched. Jenny Graham and Josh Ibbett have done videos on what they pack. Jenny did one recently with a fellow Scottish MTBer and she told him to throw away loads of his stuff. There always seems to be a formula to how people pack for ultras i.e. what goes up front, what goes in the tube bag and what goes on the rear. I’d bow to the experienced pros. No point trying to reinvent the wheel. Can’t wait to watch your endeavour. Best of luck!

[@chrisopie87]

Thank you for taking the time to share this, still in the process of repacking things 😅. Looking forward to sharing the story as we get back.

[@heatherbellbikes]

@@chrisopie87 What a great challenge it’s going to be for you. Excited to see how you find it compared to racing. Thanks Chris. 😊

[@chuckyfox9284]

I have ridden a week in the same bibs and merino jersey... I have a few tips if you are interested: I'd replace the handlebar bag with a small drybag strapped to your aerobars. That's gonna save a lot of weight and make you much more aero. It's always hard to tell someone to sacrifice their hygiene, but a merino jersey can last a lot longer than you might think. With bibs it's even more sensitive, but I have never had any issues reusing mine. I'm not saying you should go that extreme, but 2 bibs with one being washed in the evening and drying in the day are probably enough. It'd recommend getting a top tube bag for stuff you need to access while riding (powerbank, headphones...) and 2 feed bags for snacks, you need to eat as much as possible. I don't think you mentioned a sleeping pad, if you don't have one I highly recommend getting a cheap air pad from amazon. I don't know if you checked the sleeping bags comfort rating against the temperatures you'll be expecting, but freezing at night is a horrible experience, so I'd make sure. There is a lot more stuff, but I don't wanna sound to bossy, I hope this helps, have a wonderful trip :)

[@GeekonaBike]

I forgo padded bibs or shorts & go with lycra boxers (washable in a sink or stream) under some comfortable shorts. a second pair of the boxers take almost no room & with a daily rinse, you're always riding clean. A padded chamois is highly overrated, Just break in that bum..

[@chuckyfox9284]

@@GeekonaBike I am jelous of you, but I can do that for no more than 5-7 hours a day. When I ride for 15+ hours I need bibs.

[@chrisopie87]

This is top advice and much appreciated! Thank you!

[@bitchoflivingblah]

@@chuckyfox9284 Leah Wilcox super-endurance racer and winner of the Tour Divide rides without chamois I recall, so its yup it's possible. But to find the right saddle clothing combo as you say might take a while but once adapted you are set for life.

[@andrewengland781]

Good luck! Great setup and thanks for taking us through it.

[@chrisopie87]

Thank you 😊

[@dave136]

All the very best Chris..stay strong and good luck 👏🏻👏🏻🙏🏻

[@chrisopie87]

Thank you 🤞🚴

[@01FozzyS]

Good luck next weekend,Chris! You've got this!

[@chrisopie87]

Thank you! I'm not sure I have😅

[@jamespurchase4035]

Best of luck and enjoy the ride!

[@chrisopie87]

Thank you!!

[@michaelevans797]

Good luck Chris, and enjoy.

[@chrisopie87]

Thank you!!

[@johansiren510]

All the best, Chris! ❤ You are my cycling HERO.

[@chrisopie87]

That is very kind, Johan, thank you.

[@guythacker6010]

Good Luck !! Can't wait to see how you do. Have Fun .. Be Safe .. Enjoy Yourself

[@chrisopie87]

Thank you!! 😊

[@n22pdf]

Wow Chris sounds amazing good luck dude 😃🚴🏻🚴🏻🚴🏻

[@chrisopie87]

Thank you 🚴

[@leedorney]

All the best on that Chris 😎

[@chrisopie87]

Thank you!! 😊

[@jonwarner4512]

Good luck Chris. Sounds like you’re going to have quite an adventure. Make time to take it all in and remember to have fun - if that’s possible with the amount of climbing that you’re doing. See you in July for a debrief on Zwift

[@chrisopie87]

Thank you Jon! Looking forward to sharing! 🚴

[@jonpoon3896]

If you need to strap a bag to the frame, use helicopter tape. And for light, K Edge makes a computer mount with GoPro mount underneath

[@chrisopie87]

It was exactly this sort of mount that caused me hours of hunting as I had misplaced it. Luckily Meike found it 😅. Noted the helicopter tape, thank you!

[@biggertree7063]

"The route is 1,050km long with 25.000m of elevation gain." 😧 Good luck Chris. Hope you can document this epic ride.

[@chrisopie87]

😅thank you. All to come as we enter July on the Le Col KZbin channel.

[@danielmisse7463]

I know it's a bit late ..but: Close the Gap make beautiful Wahoo/Garmin Mounts with GoPro/Lightmount underneath. All the best for the race.. now 4 days in!

[@TomFitton]

Perfect timing. I'm doing the LostDot version of this in September and similar to yourself my riding experience is the other end of the spectrum. Keen to hear your opinion on the Tailfin - I've never liked having a big saddle bag because of the sway issue when out of the saddle, so this looks like a good option.

[@nickfitzpatrick5302]

There are some brilliant tips within these comments 👍🏼

[@petaratanasov4664]

Good luck :) A couple of tips perhaps: 1. Don't put too much in the bag at the back - it will be fairly uncomfortable on steep hills and it can make the bike unstable; 2. It's quite handy to have a top tube bag with access to water / food / batteries / stuff on the go :). Enjoy the event!

[@chrisopie87]

Thank you, advice noted!! I have access to a top tube bag, so may consider using it! Thank you!!

[@BikepackingAdventures]

Yeah echo what Peter says in regard to the aeropack. Having completed 3 ultras now and my next in less than 2 weeks I would seriously considering cutting back on shorts and jerseys. I'd say 1 spare pair of shorts minimum is a must (think rain or fall and get damaged) and 2 spare jerseys - especially so with all that climbing. Whatever you do, do not sleep in cycling kit if sleeping outside you'll feel chilly from dampness of clothing. Instead of shorts for sleeping replace with some thin trousers or even longjohns for added warmth and stop bugs eating at your legs. 😅 If your planning any hotels stick any clothing in shower, roll them into towels, squeeze and leave to dry whilst you sleep. Good luck with mounting bracket for aero bars, I'd love to stick my sleep gear there, but not yet worked out how to mount exposure light on the aero bars successfully. Good look and have fun!

[@BrianRPaterson]

I'd definitely try out the top tube bag fully loaded first. Just to make sure the bag doesn't interfere with your knees, especially when you stand and crank. A bag that's even a little bit too wide can be massively annoying. Good luck!

[@KeatB]

You really don’t need 6 sets of kit. Clean shorts every day is a must, but jerseys can go a few if you’re wearing a base layer. 2 pairs of shorts and 2 jerseys is plenty if you have access to washing facilities, quick rinse and they’ll dry after being wrapped in a towel.

[@huntos83]

Totally agree with the top tube bag, or alternatively feed pouches. On long endurance rides it’s very useful to have some storage that is easy to access while riding, it makes it so much easier to stay on top of your fuelling and minimises stoppage time needing to dig stuff out of other bags. I also agree it seems like you are taking too much cycling kit. I do get that cleanliness is important but you may well find other opportunities to wash kit, even if it’s just a quick hand wash in a sink. Try not to take things that serve the same purpose, for example if you are taking arm warmers then there isn’t really a need for a separate long sleeve top

[@AshRolls]

By the fifth mountain I think the personal hygiene will go out the window and you'll be chucking away kit to save weight! Good luck and have fun, really looking forward to following along!

[@chrisopie87]

Haha, I really hope not. But you could be right 😅thank you!!

[@askmeaboutmattweiner]

Lol drive along a few days later for some free Le Col kit

[@bobfrode]

11:25 totally agree. the thought of riding in a pair of used C-shorts the next day would be a no-no for me too...hehe I would also bring som antibac just in case i started to get a few soars in unpleasant places But good luck Chris... probably an epic journey 😄

[@chrisopie87]

Haha, pleased I'm not the only one!! Thank you, will be an experience 😅

[@GeorginaWilcox]

For the front bar bag, restrap make a bumper bar specifically for keeping the bag off the head tube: looks like you don't need it because you worked out a solution, but might help for people with smaller framed bikes.

[@chrisopie87]

This is brilliant advice, I'm sure someone will benefit from it, thank you!

[@kovar2344]

incredible carbon rack. Didnt know they make em for axle bikes too. Best of luck Chris!

[@chrisopie87]

Beautiful looking kit!! And thank you.

[@willpomeroy1743]

Moonrakers & Sunseekers! If the bar bag interferes with your hands on the hoods and drops consider turning it 90o and mounting under the extensions, this works best if you've a crown mounted light

[@chrisopie87]

I'm not sure how I managed to get that so wrong 😅thank you for the correction. I'll keep the bag orientation in mind, too!

[@willpomeroy1743]

@@chrisopie87 it was close enough. Enjoy TP, the multiday stuff is where it's at!

[@chrisopie87]

Haha, thank you. I'll let you know if I agree afterwards 🤣

[@AlanJames]

The small round bag of food is a good one to put in that position, if you can orient it such that you can open the bag between the aero bars. I've had great success with something similar.

[@GeorginaWilcox]

​@@chrisopie87I hear there's this Bristol Glasgow Bristol ride that's very good value. Entry fee just 1 pence per kilometre, must be a good deal.

[@HarryTzianakisTheGodOfSpeed]

Hi Chris! nice setup,, the uppercut to the chin 💪😆 What if you try strapping the thing from the front sleeping bag to the stem ,, but i think you need to flip the bag around ,,, hope you guys have a great trip!!

[@chrisopie87]

Haha, I'm glad it was noticed 😅front bag now removed entirely 🤯

[@HarryTzianakisTheGodOfSpeed]

@@chrisopie87 yeah !! Who needs sleep ha ha ha 🤣 Ride on!!!

[@bikeanddogtripsvirtualcycling]

Interested to see how the bags etc work out as I am in the prelim planning stages of my first holiday since 2006. Hoping to either cycle from Naples to Treviso along the east coast of Italy (naples, rome and then over to the opposite side) - or my other option would be rome - treviso and then across to monaco. will hopefully be in 2025

[@chrisopie87]

Good luck with your planning!! I will report back in July with how things held up.

[@patrickdrewello4196]

Good luck Chris. Take a few cable ties and plenty of food.

[@chrisopie87]

Yes, top advice!! Thank you!

[@dioright]

Keep going

[@chrisopie87]

😅the most famous of all road side cheers! Thank you.

[@benjamescycling]

Try using black cloth tape or insulation tape over the frame paint work if you are worried about paint rubbing on the frame, comes off easy enough after

[@chrisopie87]

Really good advice, thank you!!

[@seandonevan3918]

Your videos on the Transpyrenees race are super. I am preparing for the Transpyrenees 2024 - would appreciate your thoughts on what kit was essential and what you could have left behind. Is it possible to stay in hotels/airbnbs every night or are the options too limited in the villages on the route.

[@HughChain]

thanks for the content ! One question: why not use the Lapierre Pulsium bike that is an "endurance" road for an ultracycling event ?

[@andrewmcalister3462]

I'm considering a Tailfin to go with my soon-to-be purchased gravel bike. I'll be interested to see how it goes.

[@chrisopie87]

So far, so good. I will do a follow up with my thoughts on each item!

[@bikeanddogtripsvirtualcycling]

Chris Opie, strong and brave Rides through Pyrenees, a daunting glade Endurance his ally, his bike his steed A race of grit and will, he takes the lead Our guy Chris, strong and swift, Conquers mountains with every shift. Pedaling hard through Pyrenean peaks, Enduring pain for weeks and weeks. Over hills and valleys, he pedals on Through sweat and pain, he carries on The Pyrenees test him, but he won't give in For Chris Opie, the ultimate win His bike, his ally on this quest, As he pushes on with sheer finesse. Miles and miles he'll ride each day, Till he reaches the finish without delay. With each mile, his spirit soars His heart beats fast, his passion roars For he knows, at the end of this test Lies a victory, a moment of rest Chris Opie, a champion of the bike Conquers Pyrenees, with every strike A true inspiration, for all to see A hero, a legend, for eternity. Biker Chris, a true champion, With grit and determination that can't be undone. Ultra endurance, his forte, his game, And Pyrenees, his ultimate claim to fame.

[@chrisopie87]

That is genuinely brilliant. No idea how you created that so quickly, but it is thoroughly appreciated! Thank you.

[@bobfrode]

chat-gpt? 😄

[@bikeanddogtripsvirtualcycling]

@@bobfrode nope

[@bobfrode]

@@bikeanddogtripsvirtualcycling well done then 😉

[@chrisvanbuggenum871]

Good luck mate!! I got no advice. Just be safe!

[@chrisopie87]

Thank you!! 😊

[@chucktalks63]

Push the pads back in with the pads in the caliper. Stops any damage on the Shimano ceramic pistons.

[@dalailager]

This ^ I found out that ceramic pistons aren’t all that robust the expensive way…

[@chrisopie87]

Definitely an option, although wanting to keep the other pads a careful person won't crack a piston...

[@JSC131]

Great content Chris will be a incredible trip what gravel tyres do you use?.

[@chrisopie87]

On gravel I use Pirelli Cinturato M. Or Continental TerraSpeed for very smooth stuff

[@JSC131]

Thankyou Chris much appreciated.

[@YaniofWigan]

Don't forget a battery bank for the electric bits and bobs :)

[@chrisopie87]

Finally packed this one 😅

[@markdeane8385]

Bike lock...😂😂there are times when I am so tired doing long distance cycling I hope someone would steal my bike....have fun..😊

[@chrisopie87]

🤣🤣🤣I can imagine that!! I think I'll be locked to mine 😅

[@simonnaylor9695]

Best of luck Chris. I will look out for you as you pass my house on, on what for you will be the decent of #10 Col de Pailheres. I hope you get to climb it in day light. It would be a shame to miss out on the amazing upper hairpin bends. Ensure you have plenty of water for the climb. Once you leave the village of Rouze there is no potable water and its a long one! Is there any live tracking on this event?

[@chrisopie87]

Thank you for the advice with this, very good to know! I believe there is live tracking, I will try and find a link and post it on the page.

[@ianball7559]

Good luck! I've no real position to advise, I've not been cycle touring for such a longtime but I would say if you're bivvying, trying to sleep outside is worth a trail run, it takes some getting used to. Perhaps eye mask, ear plugs?

[@chrisopie87]

Thank you for this, I'm a good sleeper, so I'm relying on this 😅

[@eagerbob]

"if I get oily fingers touching the cassette"... There should be no oil on the cassette. Use hot wax to lubricate your chain. Lowest friction and no dirty cassette or hands.

[@chrisopie87]

😅that's something I would love to have the time to dedicate to doing but reality for me is it's easier to lube and degrease when I wash. Maybe a consideration for the future 🤞

[@samsneyd2162]

Your going to sell me food eh? I’m pretty sure I will be selling you the same back 😂. Our bikes might not be their usual light responsive machines but they will get us to the finish I have no doubt.

[@chrisopie87]

Haha, we could just swap? 😅

[@hectorkidds9840]

That's a hell of a lot of clothes, 1 jersey, 2 shorts is plenty. Clean shorts each morning, wash shorts when you get a chance and dry on the bike. Jersey, wash when you get a chance and it'll be dry in no time. Well worth putting tape on the frame, bags move.

[@chrisopie87]

I'll let you know in a follow up how much o remove 😅

[@Richz2]

What make were your lights?

[@chrisopie87]

MagicshineUK. Have found the smaller one now, less weight and paired to the larger battery.

[@GeorginaWilcox]

Not folding the kit at the beginning of the trip is a good idea, it means you have at least some chance of it all still fitting in by the end... Much better to have a bit of spare space at the beginning if you can manage it.

[@chrisopie87]

Haha, I'd not looked at it like this before, that makes me feel better for my chaotic approach 😅

[@Frostbiker]

0:45 Channeling James Hoffmann for a moment.

[@chrisopie87]

Haha, unintentionally! He'd have been much better at describing the fear of a morning without coffee 😅

[@BladeBarn]

instantly saw "trans" in the title and was like ughhh. im sure you'll do fantastic. keep up the good work!

[@chrisopie87]

It's probably accidentally quite a popular word for a title at the moment! Thank you for the well wishes 😊🚴

[@jacklalalaful]

When will you begin your transition?

[@chrisopie87]

👀🚴⛰️

[@AG-el6vt]

25000m. That's not Everesting, that's more like Olympus Monsing climbing! Good luck 🤪

[@chrisopie87]

😅that was worth a Google! 🤯⛰️

[@AG-el6vt]

@@chrisopie87 If you finish the ride, you get bragging rights to being able to climb any mountain in the Solar System, not too shabby 👍

[@alexcollins5150]

Silca sealant the most reliable for peace ✌️ of mind 🧠

[@chrisopie87]

I'll keep that in mind 😅

[@bitchoflivingblah]

I'd nominate Sam Snede to act as the UN's chief negotiator for the Ukraine/Russia war because if he can convince someone to do a TPR then, well anything is possible. Seriously what did he say? Just a few bumps along the way? Mostly valleys? Worth it for the scenery? I'll give you some money? I'm dying and this is on my bucket list? Did he impersonate Liam Neeson when issuing his invitation? I'll buy you a coffee on the way? Or the absolute classic, "I did it last year and it's easier than it looks"?

[@iceicebaby6980]

did he die???

[@mwhittle91]

Don't take 6 jerseys and 6 shorts! 2 of each max 🙂

[@chrisopie87]

🤯😅I've removed a few!