Hey Bill Peshka !
Just want to let you know that your two loyal dot stalkers congratulate you!  As someone,  ahem,  from your generation we know how much fun the ride was.  Way to go!

Krampus - Bill mentions in his MTBCast that he is taking the alt.

We're Bill stalkers too!

"...influx of unindoctrinated eager beavers ready to buy a mountain bike, learn to tour, then race TD all within a semester span...and many expect TD.org to have instructions on how to do it..."

Oooooo - I smell opportunity here! Think of your new side business " Beginners Tour Divide Course". Have to add a rule "9. Riders will be DQ'd for use of training wheels."  

Plus it gets you out on the course again! ;>

Like most, not sure of the orange coding detail - it appears from his SPOT track that Tim may have taken the paved road, bypassing the Brooks Lake dirt road section, on Togwatee Pass in Montana.

Forecast for Silver City NM

Wed high 88 degrees, 60% chance of thunderstorms from 4 pm to 10 pm.
Thursday similar with 25% chance of afternoon T storms.
Friday through Sunday morning looks mainly OK, high 80's.
Sunday afternoon though Thursday (July 10) 25% to 75% chance of T storms, temps in high 80's.

"...and Muddy Mouse rolled down the hill faster and faster. The mud stuck to his fur and soon there was nothing but the tip of his nose, and the tip of his tail, sticking out of a ball of mud. The End..."

Fire situation in New Mexico.

June 29, 2014, 3:00 pm – Santa Fe, NM – Firefighters are actively suppressing the Diego Fire, located on Santa Fe National Forest’s Coyote Ranger District, nine miles southeast of Coyote [Approx 12 miles SW of Abiquiu Reservoir]. It has grown to approximately 200 acres in size. The fire, lightning caused, was first detected earlier this week. It is burning primarily in dead fuels. The fire behavior has increased and includes some torching and spotting. This morning, a spot fire quickly grew to 30 acres in size, and is expected to burn into the main fire sometime today.

June 29, 2014 – Santa Fe, NM – The Diego Fire, located seven miles southwest of Coyote, New Mexico is currently at approximately 107 acres. This lightning fire started on June 15 and is burning in mixed conifer and aspen, at an elevation of 9500 feet just off Forest Service Road 93.

Fire is being managed with a full suppression confinement strategy. Yesterday’s fire activity includes a few spots east of the fire. Currently there are five engines, one Hotshot firefighting crew, one helicopter and various other fire personnel on scene.

Today’s weather is predicted to be mostly sunny with a slight chance of dry thunderstorms in the afternoon. Winds will be out of the west at 5-10 mph with gusts at 30 mph.

Smoke may be visible from Coyote, Gallina, Youngsville and Taos.

As a reminder, Stage 1 fire restrictions remain in effect on the Jemez Ranger District, Cuba Ranger District south of NM Highway 126, and the Valles Caldera National Preserve.

For additional information on the Diego Fire, please call the Coyote Ranger District at 575-638-5526.


ASAAYI LAKE: Incident Kind: Wildfire;     Strategy: Suppression
Located:: 5 miles southeast of Crystal, NM (35.9963N, 108.9202W)
Size: 14,712 acres.? 90% contained.? Started 6/13.? Human caused. Suppression strategy. [Note: Crystal located far NW corner of New Mexico, so no threat to TD route.]

Be safe out there.

And go Calvin!

[What would Matthew do?]

As a small fry lurker here, and having been fortunate enough to tour half the route with a Veteran last year, and speak with Matthew along the route (who impressed the heck out of me and family), I can only say that this discussion of rules/exceptions boils down to one guiding light.

When making decisions on the race, ask yourself:   What would Matthew do?

There, all settled.

Maybe I missed it...
How can we find the start date/time for the ITT riders. Seems that their time is reset to the Grand Depart (?). For example, am tracking Bill Peschka (my new hero - for all of us, ahem, more 'seasoned' riders). His spot tracks don't go back to Banff, thus can't tell start location/time.

Gracias!

Any word on Lorenzo - returned to Butte after a few miles and still there?

Hmmm...on the Race Flow, first place is Jefe, and second place is Lorenzo. Alex is not on the Flow list. Oversight, or someone know something we don't? Just sayin'

Alex looped back via highway to Butte - bike trouble, anyone know?

Odd...Marcus Meier made it to Lincoln and now on highway back to Ovando. Angler - any idea if he forgot something in Ovando?

From the SPOT progress looks like Jefe is walking Huckleberry pass - anyone know snow conditions there? Sure was easier last July !

Go for it el Jefe !

Dillon,

Re shuttle to Sparwood: Last year after the flooding (delayed TD start till July 15th, thus had to actually 'tour' part of the tour). I took a taxi from Calgary to Fernie along w 3 others. $735 !!! Not aware of any shuttles running after ski season, but best to have locals chime in here. The ride from Calgary to Sparwood is on a busy, some say nasty, highway w lots of wind thus dicey. Near 200 miles I think, if poor memory serves.

Best of luck on the trip

Glen

What he said....Spin 

Seriously, focus on the spin classes as they are a proxy for hill climbing and can get your legs used to spinning faster (not the roadie 90 rpm fast, but steady 60-80 rpm). No crap, spin. And spinning is not sissy-fairyworm stuff: I had my ass handed to me after my first spin class.

I trained both spin 2-3 times/week and outside rides when possible for the 2013 TD route in July (1250 miles: had to start ride in July, so got flushed out of Banff and decided to ride for fun/experience, and cut ride short for personal reasons and thus off route). I stopped spinning 6 weeks before my ride from Fernie BC to Pinedale, then Pinedale-Evanston WY this summer.   I quickly noticed a deterioration on the training hills, and got back into spinning in time enough to notice a positive difference before the ride.

I've never bikepacked before, and am not an endure athlete, but really value the conditioning that spinning gives me. Along the way I lost 50 pounds and was amazed that my recovery period was overnight along the ride (averaged 60+ miles/day, and did two century+ days).

Oh, and I'm not quite a spring chicken at a bit on the other side of 60. Or as my daughter says, "Dad, you're not old - you've just been 21 three times!".

Looking forward to more abuse, er, bikepacking,

Glen

"...Russ Kipp's garage at the Montana High Country lodge..." Harrrr!

Like Stappy I had a tubeless flat (mine = sidewall cut), but on the Red Lake-Whitefish descent. Tubed it until "Russ's Garage" - gotta love it! Also patched the inside, Karen picked up extra sealant for me in Helena (she was already shopping there), and I fixed it along with routine replacing a set of brake pads that I brought along. Tires were Conti Race Kings. Too many sidewall slit stories for next time, but they rolled great. Other than that no mechanicals. Geartrain SRAM X7 front/X9 rear. 10 speed, 12-36 cluster, 3 ring front, new chain before ride.

Russ/Karen run a nice place, doesn't get much better than there - stop by! 

Glen

PS Adventure Cycle has 'em several miles north of Polaris, They are one mile north. Montana High Country lodge  website: mhct dot com

Besides not being able to get a comfy saddle, hand numbness is my second plague - no matter if training or touring.

On a Fernie to Pinedale (TD route) to Evanston WY ride this summer, 100km/day pace, I ended up with long term (>month) numbness on pinky and fourth finger of one hand, arms would fall asleep at night (did so also during ride), and hands were sensitive to normal working around house, Ie: anything to do with gripping - They would fall asleep or tingle. Pinky, etc recovered, ditto tendency for arms to fall asleep.  Hate to say I reduced riding for a couple months - shame...

I had replaced my leather palmed gloves with gel gloves, and am convinced = bad move. Pressure pads ended up on nerves. Got some riding relief without gloves, and changing positions frequently. Am going to ditch the Egron pads. Looking at Jones style swept bars. Raising bars.

It's important to note the difference in hand nerves that can cause issues, that is, Ulnar versus Median nerves. Former causes outside two fingers numbness, other thumb and first through fourth fingers. That may help diagnose what pressure/position is causing problems.

See: http://www.innerbody.com/anatomy/nervous/arm-hand

Ya ain't alone, good luck!

Glen

On a tour of half the route this year, both bikes in the group of four with fork mount water bottles on front shock housings (sorry - don't know brands) suffered numerous (> 8 total) bottle ejections, mounts fell off, and in one case mount rotated, partly loose, and could easily have jammed in the spokes.

ANY front fork shock mount = BAD design

The gentle reader can do the engineering analysis of 750 grams H2O, being subjected to near instantaneous acceleration of up to several inches, upon wheel impact with rocks, ruts, etc..

Glen

...and I delayed my start until mid July 

Now am riding from Fernie BC starting next week - will get experience this year, and perhaps do the full route next (if the Canadian section is a go).

Age doesn't matter - but all those years do!

Glen, somewhat over 60

With regards to the old vs young vs racers vs elapsed time vs touring discussion, I add my 27 cents ($0.02 opinion + $.13 federal trail tax + $.12 route access fee).

The solution I propose will satisfy all: 

1. Age classification: Everyone as old or older than me is in the Senior Category. All others fend for themselves.
2. A staggered start: Defined as everyone stays at the bar until they stagger to their bikes.  Only the strong survive.
3. Route conditions: We enclose the route in the 'TD-Dome', an all weather, climate controlled building, with night lighting and concession stands.
4. Race times: A combination of a point system where elapsed time plus pounds of M&Ms consumed, divided by sleep hours, times riders age is calculated. Highest number doesn't mean squat, neither does lowest.

This post, in case you can't tell = 

Glen

PS My heroes this race: Mike, Craig, Larry Hipskind, and all other racer/riders.