Looks like Katherine is on the move south of Rawlins!

Sounds like Max Morris is a little upset at two guys drafting.

http://mtbcast.com/podcasts/2012/TD12/MTBCast_TD12_20120618_1340038806_28.mp3

Woody

Good to see racers willing to call out this bad behavior in public. There was a very similar situation last year, but I'm not sure if it ever became 'public knowledge' to spectators on this forum. Maybe its time for some bilingual volunteers to start working on translations of the TD rule page.

Is posting the above pedantic and not worthy of posting?  I find routing 'variations' interesting but I won't post them if it is immaterial.

Please keep posting them! Definitely some of the more enjoyable observations to read, especially the ones where I can actually recall the turn.

Hey Boney, do those Mountain Laurel Rain Mitts stand up to much time on the handlebars? They look awesome, but looking at the weight, I'd assume that they would wear through pretty quickly.

So far so good! I've only had them for about a year, but I used them fairly frequently on the TD last year and they still look basically new.

http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=37&products_id=51

These have worked well for me and I'd recommend them to anyone who can stomach the price tag. Otherwise I think there are some less expensive options on sites that sell motorcycle gear, but I can't remember where I've seen them.

Well said. Perhaps hold off on the  "Occupy Divide Racing" movement until after the event and you are still not happy?

Man, I hope Simoni is still following this thread! I'd buy an #OccupyTD shirt and it'd be a great way for him to support his bikepacking habit.

Sanjuanrider, I just sent you a PM.

Thanks for the info bartspedden and Toby!

My vacation request was approved yesterday and I bought my ticket to Denver, so I guess I'm doing this! I'm unfamiliar with the city and am on my own for lodging/transportation prior to the race, so what do people suggest? I assume that people stay in Littleton, but anywhere in particular? Also, if any racers in the same boat are interested in splitting a hotel room or something, hit me up.

I didn't see any bears last year, but I did quickly learn that my Montbell bivy was susceptible to mouse attacks. I woke up with the little bastards inside the bivy on two separate nights; after I started hanging my food away from me it ceased to be an issue. Other than that the bivy worked great and I'll be using it for races in the future. 

I'm getting pretty tempted to drop my name in the hat for this year....

Drop it!

If there is anything better than the Lakes, I'm unaware of it. I love mine and have been comfortable down to about -15F wearing just a liner sock, heavy wool sock, and the boots. I'd suggest trying them on in person before buying, as it seems like they run small (I went up three sizes).

I haven't tried them yet, but I plan on getting some of these once it gets colder: http://www.polarwrap.com/productinfo.aspx?pid=1&product=25

Anyone else used them? I've heard a couple recommendations but am a little skeptical as to how much difference they could make.

3. Even if your race strategy/pace calls for a full night of sleep, you will inevitably end up riding in the dark at some point in order to reach lodging or a decent bivy spot.  I skimped on lights and regretted it starting on day 2.

In my opinion, the cost of bike, gear, and travel to and from the course are so variable that you can't really say that there is an average 'all-inclusive' TDR cost. As far as expenses during the race itself, I planned on an average of $100/day plus the cost of any repairs and components. I suspect I probably ended up pretty close to that $100/day mark, but I don't know for sure and it's something I tried not to think about. There's a lot of time to think and fret during the race, and I would have driven my unemployed ass crazy if I had been keeping track of my expenses or trying to adhere to a budget.

I need to mail some duckets to Kristen at the Brush Mountain Lodge and I lost the card that she gave me. I'm not sure if she posts on here or not, so is there anyone who can provide me with her address?

Justin's driver pulled over as they passed me on the highway and I spoke with him briefly; it was awesome to finally see him in person again after having something like two dozen waitresses and convenience store clerks tell me that he had stopped in before me.  He told me that there were a few folks waiting up for Dejay at Antelope Wells and that I might get some of their beer if I hurried. That pretty much kept me going all the way to the end, and I was rewarded with the best tasting lukewarm Tecate I've ever had. Thanks Dejay!

The past three weeks have been absolutely amazing and I can't express how lucky I feel to have been able to take part in the race. I'm looking forward to spending my recovery time watching the remaining blue dots make their way down (or up) the course.

Ben Oney

Can anyone suggest a source for topo maps for the Canadian sections? I've gotten my maps for all the U.S. sections from gpsfiledepot.com, but they don't appear to have any applicable Canadian maps.

Apologies if this has already been addressed somewhere else on these forums.

Here's mine! Weight is 38 lbs, 11 oz. There are a few things I left out (ACA maps, extra batteries, some first aid stuff). The weight of these added items should be more than offset by a lighter, tubeless wheelset that I'll begin using within the next week or so.

So far I'm loving the setup. My only regret is that I must have miscommunicated one key feature I wanted my Revelate bags to include. The seatbag doesn't have a keg pocket, which I was really looking forward to utilizing while partying along the route with my buddies. I'm still going to try and figure out a way to make it work, but I may have to leave the quarter barrel at home and actually race. I was really looking forward to showing up ill prepared, disrespecting the route, and generally ruining the race for everybody else. Oh well, there's always 2012...  

Thanks a ton David!

Any chance that this will be updated once the 'Official 2011 TD' track is available on the Topofusion site?

Speaking of shaving weight, I'm thinking I might ditch the passport and get one of these: http://travel.state.gov/passport/ppt_card/ppt_card_3926.html.

Actually, I'm just kind of attached to my visa pages and feel like it'd be worth $30 to not have to worry about losing them along the route.

Thanks 12wheels, that picture is immensely helpful.