Trust me, the hard core guys get the CTR done in half the time, but thanks :-)

For half the price of the MSR, check out the Exped Vela 1.  I've never used it, but I like the sound of the ventilation strategy. And at 3lbs, its not that heavy.

as far as drenching rains and getting wet and wanting a fire... been there. done that. Though I didn't get the much desired fire started... http://www.bikepacking.net/forum/index.php/topic,2502.0.html

My main challenge with this years CTR was that instead of a tarp, I brought an emergency bivy and hoped for the best. Clearly not a great strategy. But I survived, got stronger, and smarter (maybe). If it rained again I was going to cut the bivy open and use it as a tarp. same weight, more protection!

As far fire is concerned, while I know how to get a fire started in the rain using one match... it's a time and energy consuming process. I like to cheat. I thought that using the store bought fire starters would work... not so much! I have to admit that "I should of listened to my Dad" - he likes the steel wool mixed with some vasaline impregnated cotton balls. Another lightweight emergency fire starter is 1 oz of stove fuel. 

Even with these cheaters it still comes down to dry wood though, and that's the time consuming process...  Here's what I've done in the past. In the NE you can search for wood that's tucked under downed trees, or protected in the rain from some natural cover. Collect a bunch of different size twigs/sticks. More then you think you will need. Get your knife out, find your driest piece of wood and whittle till your hearts content and you have a couple of fistfuls of shavings.  make a little fire pit and make two small parallel rows of rocks. Take some 1/2 inch twigs and make a little platform over the rocks. With your platform in place place your shavings on it. The idea here is to allow air to flow around the shavings so that they get all the oxygen that they want. Either put your vas aline/cotton-ball/steel-wool firestarter in the center of your shavings, or drip some stove fuel over the shavings. Light it and slowly add small twigs.  Keep adding small twigs until you have some coals once you have some coals you can start adding bigger and bigger twigs.

maybe I'll go for a more breathable bivy, and give the tarp a real shot on a trip/ rainstorm before i give up on it. any suggestions on a breathable lightweight bivy?

I love my titanium goat bivy. 5.5oz. Breaths exceptionally well. Waterproof floor. It needs another DWR'ish treatment on top though. I think it needs to breath, but still bead water. The top seems to soak in water, which is bad.

Hey couchmaster, yeah, I don't think tarps are great for all out down pours, never meant to suggest they were. My moto is if it's raining too hard to stay dry, get up and move.  I used a moonstone goretex bivy for 8 years through all seasons in the Adirondacks with a synthetic bag with pretty good success.  I then used that same bivy in the rockies for another 7 years after moving to colorado.

I remember one trip in the 'sacks, the plan was to spend 3 weeks climbing as many routes on wallface as I could and look for new route potential in the process. I would be using the bivy as my only shelter.  You have to hike back to Indian Pass and then bushwhack about a mile to the base of wallface through one of the most amazing ancient feeling forests I've ever been through. Huge pines and hard woods, and thick green moss all over these massive boulders, very cool place! Well, as it typical NE weather, I hiked the 85lbs of food and gear back to my base camp in the rain. I mean pouring rain. The kind that just makes you put your head down and hike... listening to the rain bounce off your jacket... knowing that this weather isn't going anywhere. Well I sat the next 4 days out while it rained non-stop! After 4 days of being by myself, in the rain, stuck in my bivy for much of the time, I was going stir crazy. So I decided to cache my food/gear and hike back to my car and drive into town to see when this rain would stop. The Mountaineer in Keene was kind enough to help me get a weather report.  Rain for another 1.5 weeks. So I decided to leave most of my cache and go back after this weather system rolled through.  Even though I wouldn't be climbing for the next couple weeks I would be camping and had to hike back in and get my camping gear.  I spent the next 1.5 weeks at various lean-to's, in my bivy, waiting for the storm to finish it's task.  I learned a lot about breathable bivy's on this trip. While I did get through it, it also became clear that I wished I brought my double wall tent.  Even in the relative dryness of a lean-to, with the bivy turned inside out, I could never dry it out because of how humid it was.  And because of this my bag was always damp.  Since I had a synthetic, it was still keeping me warm enough, but I had learned something about single wall sleep systems and their limitations.

Two years after getting schooled on wallface I did another 3 week trip to Vermont and Maine to hike as many of the 4000'ers as myself and two other friends could. For this trip I brought a double wall tent and NEVER dealt with a damp sleeping bag even though we dealt with lots of rain from Stowe to Katahdyn and on to Acadia. For me NE = rain + humidity.

Over a decade later material technology has not improved enough to change what I had learned with that goretex bivy. Tent design is improving (and personally I'm in love the tarp tent moment design). Regardless, I spend enough time in a single wall tent/bivy each year to know that things are gonna get wet from condensation unless you vent them extremely well.  I don't mean to bash single sleep systems.  Quite the opposite! I have a bibler 3-season tent, a bibler 4-season tent, a golite shangri-la 1, and a titanium goat bivy. The three season tent I rarely have condensation issues with because the sides are mesh and venting rocks.  The 4-season tent on the other hand is more difficult to keep the hoar frost off of though. From the mountains of colorado to base camp on Aconcagua, the 4 season single wall tent suffers from condensation issues and you have to use venting strategy's to deal with this fact.

For me, a double wall tent in the NE is worth it's weight if I was bikepacking and not racing. If I was racing, I would most likely use a tarp and plan on being somewhat wet because even I was to use my shangri-la 1 I would end up somewhat wet from the condensation.  In my dreams I want the Moment to solve this condensation issue because it looks like it has a better venting strategy, but unfortunately I think it is just a dream. At the very least the moment is faster to set up!

In the end, regardless of what tent/tarp you go with it comes down to your skills I guess. I finally got a BPL membership this year to learn more about the SUL world. There are folks out there with tarp set ups that stay dry in climates like costal Alaska on multi-week outings, but they have mad skills! I want to learn from them.  Each time I figure out how to reduce the weight of my kit for anything from fly fishing to hiking to bikepacking, I end up having a better experience. A 3.5oz cuben fiber tarp may not be be for everyone….

hmm - I used to live in the NE. Did lots in the Adirondacks. The one thing that I wonder about for single wall, no breathable tents is humidity. Even with good venting it seems that non breathable tents just drip all night long here in the very dry mountains of colorado. Ever consider a tarp? Your breath still condenses on them, but the venting is typically better then a tent.

Just out of curiousity, what is "CC"?

Seeing as I do suffer from altitude related issues, I can't wait to hear about folks experiences. As I'm getting older, the problems seem to be showing themselves less and less.  I've learned that age can sometimes be a good thing for acclimatization. While individual experiences will be helpful, in the end, the only thing that will matter is how you respond during the race.  Do you know how you respond when going higher? If not, maybe you can do some hiking/mountaineering trips to 13,000'.  Not sure where you live, so that may be harder then it sounds.  Since dealing with altitude is something you are interested in, you might find books like "Going Higher: Oxygen, Man, and Mountains" by Charles Houston M.D. and published by The Mountaineers to be a helpful read. Being able to quickly and accurately identify altitude related symptoms in myself has been critical over the years.  Before I read this book I would often mis-read my body's responses to the thinning air and end up hurting badly.  Once, while on a 14'er here in Colorado, I was unknowingly dealing with HAPE, coughing up blood, etc... and my partner had to almost drag me down the mountain. Big mistake! So I started reading as much as I could on the topic. And it has proved invaluable and has helped me become more successful on my adventures.

It seems like some people have issues, and some don't.  There are some physiological predictors that help to determine which camp you fall into, but I've never had any of the tests done.  I'm not sure it really matters though, because sometimes even folks that rarely have issues succumb, so I think it is really important when traveling in the high country to be knowledgeable of HACE and HAPE symptoms, and what to do when/if they appear.  Lots of folks will say, "Go for it!" because they want to encourage. I say "Go for it, but be prepared!"  Like the Czech mountaineers on Mt. Whitney recently found out, folks can and do become afflicted with HACE even at 12,000', and die.  It's a sad thing for family's and those involved that have to deal with these situations.  

So arm yourself with some knowledge, and better yet go on some biking/hiking/mountaineering trips to elevation if you can.  The CTR bug is a tough one shake. Once it got in me, it was all I could think about too!

I've done bagels for years while hiking/climbing/mountaineering without any issues. I used to to toast them and add peanut butter or jam.  Loved it! So I tried bagels for the BV to Silverton section while on the CTR and hated it! I had cinnamon and raisin bagels which I typically like and just suffered trying to choke them down.  I had plenty of water and stayed well hydrated the whole race, but I just didn't have enough saliva to get these things down. Since it was my only food for breakfast, I suffered through it... usually taking about 30 minutes. I would start eating it as soon as I got up and would still be eating it when I started riding. As soon as I got to Silverton I got my trusty apple pie at Conoco for my last morning on trail.

I like your observation mmeiser about the general "theme" = "dense calories" kinda helps when walking the aisles of the market.

wow - I'm shocked I've never done cookie dough before! Sounds good to me! The toughest part for me about food and racing is getting food down. Too spicy and it's a no go. Not spicy enough and it's a no go. Too thick and mucous like (i.e. oatmeal) and it's a no go. But I'm fine with all sorts of sweets though. Especially baked goods. I just looked at the nutritional information for the Nestle cookie dough bar... There's plenty of carbs, a little bit of protein, and enough fat to make me want to eat it at night when my body has more time to process everything.

First off, WOW! That trip sounds totally frickin awesome  

Here's some thoughts (read that my opinion) on your questions:

BOB trailer - Trailers make sense for roads, but not on trails.

On suspensions... For me going with a full suspension rig is a no brainer - my body loves the fact that it doesn't have to act as a shock absorb-er.  While I understand the argument for less to break, it's a risk I'm willing to take.

On Maintenance... maintenance schedules go well beyond forks and shocks for a trip as long the one you are proposing.  I'm pretty sure you'll go through tires, chains, and brake pads.  And you may go through any/all bearings (i.e. bottom bracket, hubs, headset. That being said, I was told by a friend that's been working as a bike mechanic for 8 years that the maintenance schedule for a mavic freehub is something like 25 hours.  I had to laugh because because I'm certain my hub has over 400 hours on it without ever being maintained.  And I put about 200 hours on a fox shock without any maintenance during the training and racing of the CTR and everything works just fine (though I will rebuild shortly).  I wouldn't get too uptight about the schedules, but I would plan on getting the bike serviced as needed when you get to a town. I might plan on once every 3-4 weeks, but I'm fine with the "keep on truckin" moto.  You'll know when things are going south!

food - I can comfortably carry 3-4 days of food. I'm not familiar with the trans canada trail, so what's the longest stretch between towns? However many days that is is what I would prepare my rig for, but the more important question is what's the median days between towns? If it's just a couple days, no big deal, UL racers do this all the time and are very willing to share what they eat.

Brakes - I would definitely plan on replacing brake pads on your trip.  You'll also know if you need your brakes bleed too.  I know of folks that have somehow gotten their brake fluid contaminated and needed their fluid flushed, but it's never happened to me.

Electronics - I just bring things that I can get batteries for at gas stations.

Bears - I don't have enough experience with Canadian bears to say, but... my experience with black bears in colorado tells me bivy's are fine. I see bears each summer but never have any issues with them.  I try not to sleep where I eat.

Tires - I try to avoid roads at all costs (got hit and am now afraid) so I don't focus on what works well on roads.  For me I LOVED rollin on specialized Captains this summer! They had a low rolling resistance while I was on paved sections, but I would troll through the TD threads.  Those guys have special needs that I'm not familiar with.

Hands - No magic bullet here. You've gotta figure out what works for you. Some folks like barends, some like just ergo grips, while some like any of the non-typical bars that offer multiple positions.  For me, ODI Rogues are the ticket.

My setup this season was 43lbs: 25lbs bike + 18lbs of food/gear (no water). Food = 3 full days of food plus another freeze dried dinner. A thorough re-thinking of everything and it looks like I can bring it down by about 5lbs. So my proposed set up for next year will be a 38lbs fully loaded bike with enough food for 3 days.  For me, there was no one key thing that made the difference, just lots of little tweaks.  Using the age old wisdom of "after a trip, lay everything out on the carpet and sort it into 2 groups: 1)things I used; & 2)things I didn't use."  I love this model and it has helped me realized over the years that much of what I used to bring with me in the outdoors was born out of fears that never came true. So, it turns out that I didn't need as much as I thought I did.

I'm sure there are plenty of folks with lighter setups, but if you post a complete list of gear with weight I'm certain you'll get a lot of feedback.

Anth, like you, my mountaineering/climbing backgorund is richer then my mountain biking background, but I'm working hard to change that  I used a moonstone gore-tex bivy for about 10 of the last 15 years and finally sold it.  For me it came down to weight and functionality (more on this later). At 15oz, the marmot is pretty sweet option though! My moonstone was almost 3lbs, but I did buy it in 1992 and it had two poles.

This is just a personal preference, but I like the ability to change in/out of wet clothes without getting my base layers wet and a breathable bivy/tarp seems to be an option that foots the bill here. And at a combined weight of 9.2 oz for 4 stakes, titanium goat bivy, and a cuben fiber tarp it seems to be a better weight-to-functionality ratio for me.   The tarptent Moment is another option that I keep coming back to for some reason.  I know it's 30oz, so it's more then 3 times heavier, but it's ease of setup is amazing and it does offer better protection if needed.  I guess the thing that will keep me from going the moment route is the fact that I know I don't need it, even if I want it.  The downside of the tarp is increased setup/breakdown time and more difficult camp site selection. Not that it's "hard" to set up the tarp, but in comparison to the moment there is more work for setting up a tarp. Here, the bivy wins hands down, just roll it out and jump in! I guess that's why I like the tarp option with a breathable bivy, I only have to set up the tarp if it's raining. Otherwise I just use the bivy.

Does anyone use a tarp in combination with a waterproof bivy? I can see the benefit for changing clothes and eating/cooking.

Thanks Area54, pretty insightful info about going too big.  I don't think I would of thought of that.  Looks like it's time for a bleed too.  I think I'll order a 7inch rotor and give it a try.

Nice idea on the canned food!  If there's only a few hours until shut eye, why not grab some easy calories?  Yeah, the can is a little heavy on the way out, but not that big of a deal if a trashcan can be had early the next day.  I'll have to take a look at calorie count the next time I'm in market.  It's been a long time since I thought about bringing canned food on trail, I guess the last time I ate some Dinty More (sp?) I was a teenager in the Adirondacks.

Ahh - I gotcha about no 170mm.  What I meant was 178mm (7 inches) like the ones here:

http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/BR307C09-Hayes+V7+Rotor.aspx

I'll update the title so others won't be confused.

I figure I would need an adapter too to make it work.  Glad to know that the 185s work well though.  I did the Stony-to-Silverton descent in the dark. Pretty freaky! Went very slowly.

I'm a light guy (started at 145lbs) and had another 18lbs of food/gear plus 100oz of water. So that's roughly170 lbs rolling on the bike at any given point in time. I can certainly move to the 8 inch rotors front and rear, but am pretty curious to see if anyone else has tried just beefing up the front rotor a little?  Hell, now-a-days I'm seeing DH pros run 6 inch rotors??? Different goals apparently 

I've been thinking about brakes for the CTR. 160mm front and rear has served me well, but never to perfection. Maybe I ride my brakes too hard, but I always ended up with modulation problems at some point after lighting things up on downhill. I've used Avid Juicy 7s (with avid rotors) and Hayes Stroker Grams (with shimano rotors - had to modify the inner pad tab so that the tab wouldn't hit the rotor spider). The Strokers had a much smoother feel to them and I generally felt safe with them.  But sometimes the levers would sink in just a little too far for my comfort.  A quick pump or two and the pressure was built back up.  I've had this experience with magura Louises on my DH bike too so I guess you could say I'm "comfortable" doing this even on fast descents. The Avids on the other hand would boil and the levers would stick out! I got used to that too, but it was much scarier for some reason.

Either way, I'm left to assume that over heating is cause of my issues regardless of brakes and my only option is too try a 170mm front rotor.

Any thoughts?  Does anyone else have issues like this?

Thanks for the info on the park chain tool Area54.  Looks like I'll be buying one for home use. But it's kinda lame that you need one of these for 10spd chains. I certainly won't be taking the tool with me on races 

I used the SRAM PC1071 chain, X9 10 speed thumb shifter, and XO short cage rear derailleur on the CTR with an Extralite 30T chainring. No problems what-so-ever while riding.  The master link is a total pain though.  I had a hell of time getting it to click into position.  I imagine trying to remove it would be even harder.  Maybe some other folks have some tricks that they can share on how to better use the 10 speed master links?

I typically just stick to the freeze dried scene for dinner but really started thinking about things after this years CTR.  I never had any problems finding/carrying enough water, and I never carried more than 100oz.  I don't really think that $5 for a dinner is a lot of money. I've found dinners that taste good to me. I'm fine carrying the 7gram graham cracker esbit stove plus the fuel tablet itself.  And my little ti mug with it's carbon lid is also perfectly acceptable to me.  So basically, there's really not much that I don't like about freeze dried dinners. But I looked at the calories and started thinking... A typical 1 serving freeze dried meal is roughly 600 calories. An apple pie is roughly 550 calories.  I'm a closet nutrition freak and in a non racing scenario would not ever really think about replacing a nutritious organic freeze dried meal with sugar laden, fried, apple pie.  But I'm gonna give it a shot next time because in the end my body seems to do just fine with the sugar.

I would NEVER try this for a typical endurance race, but for multi day stuff where your body turns into a machine the fuel to keep it going (for me) is simple carbs (i.e. sugars) - why take the time to boil water (even though I like the process), re-hydrate the food, and eat it (takes me about 10 minutes) - when I can just eat an apple pie, a few fist full ofs nuts/fruits, and fall asleep ASAP.  Not to mention, the trash is lighter too.

This idea sounds nuts to me, but it came to me the last night before Silverton.  I figured it was too late for me to get a room in Silverton so I camped outside of town.  While I was making dinner, all I wanted to do was fall asleep.  But I knew I should eat, so I staid awake and fed the machine.  I could even see 2 apple pies here for over 1100 calories.  That's some serious fuel that really easy for me to eat. And I can buy them almost everywhere (except leadville city market because they were sold out  )

I know apple pies probably isn't what folks want to here on a thread on food, but I'm gonna give it a shot!

+1 nano puff
+1 montbell alpine light

The nano is a SERIOUS favorite of mine. A wool mid-weight and a nano is all I need for riding below freezing.  But for around camp like you were talking about, the down jacket would be my choice for sure.  BPL just did a big article on down jackets and the alpine light stacked up very well in comparison to many other jackets.  I've used the alpine light for 4-5 years now and it is a really warm jacket.