I second the choice for the Cleaveland Mountaineering bags. I emailed back and forth with Jeremy, (the guy who sews the bags) dialed in what I wanted and they were at my door in a few weeks. I have used them on a dew short trips...they look good and perform super. Highly satisfied. I ordered the seat bag and bar thingy.

Bar-ends rule!!

Tried the Ergon thing and there wasn't enough bar end to be useful and too little so they got in the way. I run a wide-ish bar and love all the hand locations and riding positions i can milk out of such a simple item. However if your going to put them on the ends of some carbon bars be sure not to over-tighten them as it will crack the carbon. I carve a little plug out of some 1/2 dowell and stuff it in the tube where the clamping force of the bar-end will be. Works like a charm.

I also like the bar-ends for those obnoxious high-speed rattle-your-teeth-loose descents so i don't have to grip the bars too hard. Just hold softly on the bars...and the bar-ends help keep your hands on.

Just got an email from the ATA  announcing the guidebook. It has all the sections in PDF format and has good trail, water, etc info.
Sure glad I became an ATA member for many reasons...but this guidebook sure made it worth the 30 bucks.

Also...anybody have any experience with the Panaracer Smoke/Dart combo in the Arzona terrain?

Ive got he full AZT750 track with a bunch of waypoints loaded on mine. I think the number of tracks and points is only limited by the size of your sd card. The app used to have mytopo access until it was overtaken by trimble. The dev of bc was super responsive and got the usgs topos online very fast. It is a great product that i use quite a bit on bike adventures and other stuff. The ability to use maps offline is key.  I'll be using it this spring as a backup on the AZT.

What features are you looking for?

For general mapping, both aerial imagery and maps, I like the Backcountry Navigator app. You can import GPX files into it. It also works while off-line and does not consume too much battery. You can also record tracks and, I believe, export them for analysis into something like TopoFusion. I use it primarily for the topos and it works great. I use it on a DroidX and have the Pro version. Would recommend it.

For other cycling specific functions like cadance, power,etc. I'm not sure whats out there.

Those are some mouthwatering photos (in the link) of the killer single track you've got there in Az. It's cool to think of 40-50 mile sections of ST...we max out in the low teens in my neck of the woods. Cant wait for the spring!!

So will this new section begin after the road climb past Sonora and continue all the way to 60?

Thanks Tripper. I'll put the start details on the backburner until closer to the depart. I sure am thankful for your, and others, hardwork put into all aspectsthe of the AZTR, it sure makes the planning easier.
Time to sleep...for i ride tomorrow...

Yeehaa! Got the green light for the ride. Looking to get on the 750 full deal. Couple of questions come to mind....what are the logistics for the start at the border? Is the 2012 start at the border the same as what is on the 2011 rev4 gpx? How much ot the 2011 gpx will likely be good for this year.
Thanks...and looking to seeing those of you riding in Az. this spring. Now it is time to get into the details....the fun before the fun.

Death Valley is a great spot in the winter and hold lots of good cycling. The snow level is around 6-7k and the nights get cold (30's overnight) a bit warmed in the valley. Plan on traveling on both dirt and paved. All the dirt roads are just that, roads. Don't plan on any singletrack. Any passes over 6k will have snow but everything below will be in excellent riding condition. The best place for info is google earth and the death valley park website. There are some other sites out there...i think deathvalley.com is one. Google earth is the best...the use Topofusion to fine tune. Like you mentioned...water is the major issue. The only reliable water is at established facilities, springs and creeks are almost non existent

Another spot in Cali. for super winter riding is the Mojave nation Preserve. This guy does a lot of riding there and it might be worth while checking out (http://mojave2011.drycyclist.com/main.php). The Mojave will have much more options for sustained dirt adventures with water resupplies within a reasonable time. And the scenery is bitchen because it is the contact zone of three great deserts...the Sonoran, the Colorado, and the Mojave. Its an amazing unknown place.

Where will you be traveling from and when will you be riding? I play in DV every winter so will be glad to help if needed. Either place DV or Mojave will surely be an excellent adventure. Enjoy.

Thanks for the input. Still hammering out details. I'd hate to let a winter road trip go to waste without a quality ride in new terrain.

Will be on a trip heading east this December and wondering if the Kokopelli is doable. Would either do it in early Dec. or around New Years. I know it depends on the amount of precipitation and how big the winter is...just trying to squeeze in an adventure. Are there any sections that would fill in and be impassable even in a moderate winter? What are the rumors for winter snow in these parts...La Nina, El Nino, or other...Thanks.