Since we're doing this trip with no additional support, and it's three weeks, stuff gets washed - here's a typical bedroom window post-shower! I'm very pleased with the ease of doing this, and how unsmelly stuff gets.
When I first considered doing this trip, for real rather than just "LEJOG - wow that would be cool", I had a recurring knee pain which I took to the sports therapist I use. I suggested that in an ideal world is have a blonde 24 year old masseuse to loosen me up every evening, and he suggested the Foam Roller as a more practical alternative. An instrument of 21st century torture, it appears to be keeping my legs in better shape, repaying its enormous weight and bulk :) it is strapped on the pannier rack in a plastic bag and serves as the wet gear repository when not actually massaging.
Panniers are a pain because everything is basically dropped into a bucket,and gets jumbled about. There's also a 50% chance that you'll undo and ratch through the wrong one. I can't easily fix the first problem other than using ziploc plastic bags to separate things, but I've imaginatively labelled them Bike and Stuff to increase the chances of picking the right one when we stop for a break and I want something. In fact I've got quite a slick routine going now, with the split of materiel and bags, so I can get into the room and crack on with a shower right away, or find that all-important wallet or item of clothing during the day.
And the moment we've all been waiting for... Most critical to this operation is the chamois cream, or as ex-colleague Amgus has it, minty arse lard :) I have two pots so there's no chance of running out, and it gets reapplied mid-afternoon if required. We're taking it easy, 50 miles a day, and maybe 8 mph up to now, which means 9 hours sitting down - the TdF guys only do 5, so I'm happy that the cream is working to spec!
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