Do you have any specific dates or a direction for your trip, yet?  I have a buddy getting married in Crested Butte July 22nd.  Figured I'd just ride there and I might be interested in tagging along if things mesh.

Steve

I made one of the Fancy Feast stoves a while back.  I love it.  Also, because of the wicking action the felt provides, it's much easier to light in the colder temps.  I have a bunch of the other pop can stoves, too, but the FF stove is the one I carry now.

The same pedals I use for day to day mountain biking... XT trail pedals from 2012. 1000's of miles not a single issue.

Must've been a good batch of pedals - I'm using the exact same thing.  Shimano XT - not a single problem under many miles.

Thanks for the specs.  I wasn't sure if the bike was the red one I'd seen in photos past. 

I don't know how you guys do it.  I toured the route back in 2012 on my Mooto-X YBB.  Rugged for sure.  The YBB is good for taking the edge off, but it sure ain't no super-plush FS ride. 

Kudos on a great ride out there!

Details on the bike, Addy?

I don't race, but I love my Brooks Cambium.  Took a gamble buying it - nobody I knew had one when I bought mine.  It turned out to be a great investment for the Coconino, Kokopelli, and other bigger trips.  Otherwise, I use some good old B17s for touring.

You're right, though - it's a very personal item.

I absolutely appreciate you, kiwidave, and I wasn't trying to say you're a coward.  I'd like to think that I'd call people out, too, but without actually racing, I don't feel like it's my place to do so. Your typings sounded like a direct call-out to me, so I wasn't trying to call you out for not calling the other out.

I also think it's strange that Matt and Scott don't go further, despite having established the ethics for the race. Maybe they relied heavily on Toby's "passion," too?

Take it light. 

Steve

Toby isn't coming back.  We just need less pussies on here to begin with.  If you're going to call somebody out, just call them out.  Toby's a good friend of mine, and it'd make him proud if you just spoke up for yourselves.  Do you really need a dedicated forum protagonist/antagonist?

Sorry to hear the contacts were such a factor.  I was wondering how you'd fare, and it's a bummer you had to drop out.  I've been wearing my sclerals for about 20 days now, and despite the unbelievable comfort, I can totally understand what you mean in your description above.  Just this last weekend, we camped near Blue Mesa Reservoir/Gunnison, Colorado, and it was a total PIA to attend to my contacts without a bathroom.  I mean, it was really tough compared to my old RGPs.  I've had a few instances where it seemed like the contact(s) never wanted to settle down on my eye(s).  Never any pain, but it's sure frustrating.  I plan on bikepacking in the near future, and I'll try and report back here, too.

I'm glad you reported back, but I'm sorry about the race. 

Steve

Not to detract from this one, but here's another thread started for the same topic.

http://www.bikepacking.net/forum/question-and-answer/how-many-of-you-go-solo/

I, for one, do go solo.  I feel like it keeps me from doing things that I normally wouldn't.  I seem to summon some kind of hyper-awareness.  Riding a dirt road is easy.  Should I ride that super gnarly downhill and risk breaking my wrist like I did with my buddy on the CT?  Hmmm... maybe not. 

I do like the alone-ness, though.  Not having to rely on anybody, or anybody relying/waiting on me is exactly how I like it.  Self-supported.

Thanks, Wayne.  I appreciate the links.  Got fitted yesterday - comfort was pretty much amazing, even for trial lenses.  The added complexity of the new lenses will be worth it, I'm confident.

Steve

Thanks, guys!  Your support definitely helps.

I also appreciate the insight from everyone.  I go in tomorrow to begin fitment for scleral lenses for KC, and I'm a bit apprehensive.  Anything I should know, or questions I should be asking the specialist tomorrow?

I'm hoping it'll be much welcome relief after the crippling storm of pine tree pollen I rode through yesterday with my RGPs.  It's inexplicable if you haven't experienced it before, especially being allergic to the damn pollen. 

Thanks guys,

Steve

That's a great area - I've ridden it a couple times.  Buckhorn Canyon is a long, grinder of a climb.  It probably seems longer to me than it is, since I always ride Rist Canyon on the way out to it.

Enjoy!

http://trackleaders.com/tourdivide16

Good luck to all!

I will give a very hearty +1,000,000 for the Avid BB7 setup. For long out of the way cross country rides, cable brakes are the best IMHO. If you have brake problems, restringing a cable as compared to having to bleed out a brake line is much easier.

Definitely not going to argue this point - there's a lot to say about a purely mechanical system in the middle of nowhere - but, in thousands of miles bikepacking, I've never had a problem with my Shimano XT hydraulics.  Love them.

What do people think of the moots motox ybb on the AZT. Is that enough travel in the rear suspension?

That depends on what your definition of "enough" is.  I ride an older Mooto-X YBB (2011), and personally, I love it.  I don't need much suspension, and the YBB is just perfect for taking the edge off of a long ride, but it's by no means a big-hit bike, either.  YMMV, but I feel like it's a great compromise of hardtail and squish.  The only way to know is to go and ride one.

Um, huge? 

There's nearly unlimited possibilities in that part of the state depending on what you're up for.

Seriously.  Get a Latitude 40 map and you can go a lot of places.  CB to Aspen and back via Pearl Pass and Taylor Pass is great for a 2-day trip.  Not sure what your Lady is up for, though.  That one could be kinda tough, depending on fitness and patience levels, not to mention how much snow could still be up there in June.  We did it in June 4 years ago, and only had one small snowfield.

That being said, there's tons of great camping all around CB.  Ride up to Irwin and spend some time near the lake.  Taylor Canyon has numerous options.  So many trails - it's a blessing and a curse!

Good luck.

+1 on the leash.  I also prefer the stem for mounting, but my stem is too short.  I bought one of these:

https://paulcomp.com/shop/components/stem-cap-light-mount/

Works great, and puts the GPS a little closer to me.  It's held up wonderfully on the last 3 tours.