Kerkove gets paid to promote Ergon products. There's a big difference between that and a fully sponsored athlete. Using this logic, I could argue that I'm a sponsored Rocky Mountain bicycle athlete, since my friend Keith is paid to promote Rocky Mountain, and through this procured bikes and entry fee for us to compete as a team in TransRockies 2010. The company didn't care that we were rambling mediocre athletes. They wanted Keith specifically in that race so he could work his bike promotion magic, which tends to yield more returns for companies than strong showings in obscure races. Kerkove is both a strong athlete and a talented promoter, which is why he's valuable to Ergon. On a side note, Rocky Mountain actually dropped its sponsorship of TransRockies for 2011, putting the future of this race in jeapordy. One example of big money stepping away from endurance racing, not toward it.

I don't know why you assume Matt Lee makes any sort of money from this endeavour. As I recall he has emphasized several times in the past that he does not. Free bike, maybe. Not exactly a huge incentive to take three to four weeks off from your real job to ramble down dirt roads for an event that is only tracked by a couple thousand people, at most. Incentives for everyone involved still have to come from within, and there's no real evidence that this is going to change any time soon.

Anyway, none of this was part of my original point, which was the predicition that permitting issues are likely bog down these events before for-profit racing promoters even realize they exist, let alone believe they have any potential to make money. But I'm like you, Toby, I like to argue for argument's sake. Which is why we're probably going to permanently derail this thread. :-)

Anyone can enter RAAM. You just need to raise enough money to pay the entry fee and support crews, and you need to be fast enough to make the time cutoffs, which of course few people can achieve without enormous amounts of training and/or talent. Same goes for all of the other sports you mentioned. None of them are exclusive, just a little more difficult and or expensive to break into. And with the exception of Ironman, they're all still fringe sports. But they are legitimate races, meaning they're legally recognized as races.

I only bring up ultra-running as an analogy because I still have connections to the top level of that sport, whearas I have no idea what's happening at the top level of endurance cycling. But I can tell you that none of those guys are making a living doing their sport, even at the top level, and I would argue that ultra-running is quite a few years further along on the commercial scale than ultra-cycling. So whatever happens, any concerns about "big money" (and I define "big money" as enough to actually live off of, through sponsorships and otherwise, basically enough to call oneself a "pro") are a long way off.

But, either way, money isn't the problem. The problem is the cloak-and-dagger format of "mass-start individual time trial" that allows self-supported racing to continue without permits, insurance, central organization, etc. Increasing interest will jump-start actions by bureaucracies that had been inclined to ignore these events in the past. Even ultraendurance cycling has seen it happen with the demise of an organized Kokopelli Trail Race. Expect similar actions to crop up in the future. Some events will continue to find ways to remain underground (the KTR has, to some degree.) But I wouldn't expect anyone to actually find a way to make a race like the Tour Divide legit. I think the organization, permits and insurance alone would necessitate an entry fee of several thousand dollars, at least. And of course, most elite and pro athletes are going to expect some level of support. Doubt many sponsors would see enough of a return to support an athlete using most of an entire season to train and participate in such an event.

On a different note, I also don't know that I believe participation of elite athletes would necessarily "crush" records in self-supported ultra-endurance events, even today's records. There are so many factors to deal with besides simply riding a bicycle, and over time these factors gain more and more influence in the overall result. There seems to be a diminishing rate of return as far as athleticism goes the longer an event takes. Think about it. If you take the best ultra-runners in the world and line them up for a 100-mile event, there is a good chance you can predict the result. Now have them run a 1,000-mile race. In a race like that, the athlete with the most perseverance, best plan, best attitude, and not a small amount of good luck will probably win. It's a completely different game. Which is why I think it has a tendency to draw the "non-athletic" among us.

First the sport has to grow enough for sponsors (and their money) to take notice--which is already starting to happen. The Divide movie has played a huge role in accelerating the transformation, as evident by the significant number of people who I've met who are thinking about racing. Once critical mass is achieved, the money will flow--and records will fall.

Once critical mass is reached, records won't be the things that fall. It's all but impossible to go "legit" with races like the TD or CTR, which is what it would take to actually inject money into them. I discussed the issue recently with a friend who promotes trail run and mountain bike races in the Northwest. There are so many different agencies, states and private entities to deal with that acquiring all of the permits needed is unlikely, at best. Parks Canada is already breathing down the neck of the TD. There's a legitimate chance that a Banff start won't even be possible in the near future, at least not without someone getting a big ticket or even arrested. That's the reality. Dreaming about golden ages and all-inclusive participation is a nice fantasy, but the truth is the typical ultra-endurance race format isn't sustainable under the current rate of growth. Not that I can predict what it may become in the future, but I am right now a very interested observer. My guess: More fracturing of events, more races overall, no big money.

If Jill's prediction is right, then TD 2011 may get a new record for highest rate of DNF.

I think that distinction still goes to Trans Iowa.

For 2 hour-8 hour advenutres in temperatures ranging from -5 to 30 degrees, I've had a fair amount of success with a Camelbak bladder with absolutely no insulation (no hose, no bladder cover.) Even storing it outside my coat, I can curb freezing by blowing water back into the bladder, and when it eventually does freeze (which it will, no matter what you wrap around the damn thing or how many times you drink out of it and blow air back in), you can fairly easy thaw out the valve and other ice-buildup areas using your mouth. A bit tedious, but better in my opinion than using insuation, which prevents you from locating and re-warming the ice blockage.

Bottles with insulated covers and MSR bladders are still best, and still the only option for anything longer than a half day.

You did ask a good question and it's fun to offer individual opinions. I'm trying to work up some ACA blogs on winter camping so I might as well weigh in to jog my thoughts for a future post.

1. Love having a -40 bag for winter. The Marmot CWM is quite comfortable in temperatures ranging from 25 above to 35 below (the coldest temperature in which I've used it, but I was toasty.) It's nice to have that margin, too, although for weight and cost savings a -20 bag would probably suit you just fine. 0 is pushing it a bit for comfortably warm winter camping, in my opinion.

2. Wide cost range on the -20 bags. Synthetic bags tend to be cheaper but bulkier.

3. Hard to avoid huge with a winter system, although I roll everything (-40 degree bag and full-size Ridge Rest mat into my bivy) into a similar Epic front bar bag, although I need a front rack to keep the bundle from scraping my front tire.

4. Multinight condensation: Although I have yet to use one, based on research I think vapor barrier sleeping bag liners are the way to go. There's just no way to prevent condensation with a small bivy set-up, even with a breathable bivy bag (I use a Black Diamond Winter Bivy.) If you're only going for one night, a little condensation is OK, but over multiple nights it just continues to build and refreeze. Even synthetic bags are going to lose insulation value over time.

5. The pad: Inflatable pads are genearlly perceived as a bad idea for winter camping. The air inside the mat cools quickly and can work against the insulating properties of the mat. Also, if an inflatable pad pops, it becomes completely useless. Snow is already a soft sleeping surface. What you're looking for in mat is insulation. That's why close-cell foam mats such as Z-Rests and Ridge Rests are the way to go.

One race you forgot to mention: The Iditarod Invitational. The final results of the race are of course hugely dependent on trail conditions, but there's a super strong field for this year's ITI, so I'd expect to see the records seriously challenged and possibly fall. Janice Tower and Louise Kobin are strong contenders for Tracey's McGrath record, as is Tracey herself, although she has the southern route to Nome to focus on. Pete has several fast but less experienced riders to contend with for his record, but if decent conditions hold I think this might be the year Jeff Oatley finally snatches it from him.

As for Tour Divide, based on the number of inquries I've seen trickling by, this may be the year Divide racing experiences its awkward adolescent growing phase. I think the reason TD hasn't published its starting day on its Web site yet is to help curb the influx, although this is just speculation. It's going to be difficult to keep this event under the radar if 100-plus mostly inexperienced contenders show up at the race start, but this may be the case. That will be interesting to see. As for records, I think Matt Lee's record is safer than he thinks, unless some serious dark horse contenders show up at the start in 2011. No one can beat Matt on experience, and experience makes a huge difference in a race this long. Many of the other more experienced and fast Divide racers are not all that likely to try this year, just based on my limited knowledge of outside obligations and other factors. (i.e. families, jobs and inclinations. I think John Nobile has had enough for a while, and Pete B. may still think he's "Divide-cursed.")

As for the female TD record, that is of course very likely to be taken down by many notches, but I think it will be by a woman with some experience in multi-day bikepacking, rather than a fast novice.

Also, does anyone know if there's been any formal chatter for Colorado Trail Race 2011 on this site or elsewhere? I'm interested in working up a  journalism piece on this year's event, and I'd love to chat with anyone planning to toe the line this summer ahead of time.

Fantastic tips, Marshall, thanks!

Thanks Travis! I'm looking for a few specific details, such as frame and fork model, etc. Example: I ride a Surly Karate Monkey, geared, with a Reba fork. I like this bike for overnight trips because it's comfortable and dependable, and built of steel (both literally, and in its seemingly unbreakable structure.)

I'm working on a series for the Adventure Cycling blog about off-road bicycle travel. As such, I was hoping to compile a list of ideal mountain bikes for bikepacking trips and was hoping to get some suggestions here.

So my questions is, what kind of mountain bike do you use on your overnight trips and why? Any response is appreciated! (If you can include your full name and hometown, that's also appreciated. Private messages are fine.)

Thanks,

Jill Homer
Adventure Cycling Association

I was curious so I checked out my posts from last year. John's only about a day ahead of the pace we were keeping in 2009 — we spent Friday night in Lima and Saturday in Island Park. The original goal for Saturday was to make it to Ashton, but I got stuck in thunderstorms and mud (he sprinted ahead of the storm and came into Island Park three hours before me.) Right now, he's working toward the equivalent of Friday night, so if he stops in Island Park, he'll only be 24 hours ahead of my 2009 pace. I hope he doesn't stop riding, but it was revealing to me how far he has to go. I spent the 2009 Tour Divide consistently on a ~24-day pace.

Hmmm ... didn't leave early, but is still riding the route. That's a good sign. I agree the Centennial Valley is one of the more stunning stretches on the GDMBR.

Island Park is a similar distance to Idaho Falls as Lima, about 80 or 90 miles, and the ride along Highway 20 is much nicer than the shoulder of I-15. Ashton's even closer than that, about 50 miles, and after that, he'd have to make it at least as far as Jackson.

John called me from Lima tonight. It was actually kind of funny timing because I was riding up a logging road toward a mountain called Point 6 at the time, and it was right at sunset, with beautiful red light cast across the mountain, and I immediately started raving about the setting, momentarily forgetting that he had been out there experiencing the same kind of thing.

Anyway, John's morale is pretty low right now. He's purposely taking short days to allow for knee recovery, but is still on the edge of pain management just the same. He knows he has to really ramp it up at this point to make the record, which is really his goal. I doubt he'll stick it out for a joy ride. I tried to encourage him to give it a few more days. I think his plan is to leave Lima early Wednesday morning, perhaps as early as 2 a.m., and ride to Island Park in Idaho. If things go well, he'll continue east, aiming for Togwotee or even Union Pass. But if you see his SPOT stop in Island Park, that's a bad sign. That pretty much means he's thrown in the towell, because John strategizes exit locations based on nearby airports, and Island Park is reasonably close to Idaho Falls.

Seems tomorrow is the crux day. Send out good vibes!

I received a phone message late last night from John in Helena. He's actually having knee issues. Weather has been pretty good. He's a fair distance behind his planned schedule, I think a full day already, but I believe he did give himself a little wiggle room. It's tough when knees act up, though. I'm not even sure how he can recover from that. Last year, he never did. But ... he's still going. So hopefully optimism will remain. 

Simon,

You're probably right. I just made that statement based on memory from blogging the '08 race. I thought there was a longer period of time they were ahead.

Looks like he stopped in Seeley Lake tonight. Not such a good sign. I'm guessing he was aiming to make it to Lincoln.

John's strategy is pretty simple. He has a plan for where he will stay every single night of the race, and doesn't carry any kind of bivy gear except for an emergency bivy, so he doesn't have any options but to make it to the town he planned to stop at, or at least to the next town over. But if he manages to make all of his goals, he already knows pretty close to exactly what his finishing time will be. I think many would argue that not camping at all isn't the fastest strategy for a GDMBR record (because there's no margin for error, and it would be hard not to lose an entire day if everything doesn't go according to plan.) But John doesn't like to camp, so doesn't feel the need to do so on his bike-cations. Credit-card touring on the Divide.

His strategy is also to start out slow and ramp up the mileage near the end, so he doesn't blow his knee out early. Matt Lee always goes out hard at the beginning to get in front of the pack, and then usually levels out mid-race, so John's probably going to be well behind the record times of the first few checkpoints. If you look at John's 2008 GDR record, you'll see he had a similar start. He actually spent some of the first half of the race almost a day behind David Blaine and Geoff Roes. No one speculated that it would be a record year, but then John increased his daily mileage significantly later in the race.

He probably did return to the border from Eureka in the morning. He still views the border-to-border record as its own effort, so he'd probably want a fresh start, rather than to "start" will eight hours on the clock after sleeping a full night across the border.

Glad to see he made it to Big Fork. He likely had some tough weather in the Flathead Valley. Snowline was down to 6,000 feet again this morning, and the snow was really thick up high. Seems early in the year, but perhaps this is normal for September.

I don't think John made any plans to call into MTBcast, Joe. He's not carrying a phone as per Great Divide Race rules, and I doubt he's inclined to make too many pay-phone stops (since the majority of pay phones out there don't work anyway.) But he said be might check his e-mail once or twice, so I can relay the number to him if you want me to.

Looks like his first SPOT signal sent from Spray River at 9:25 a.m. He must be on his way. As far as public tracking, I think his SPOT will show up on the Topofusion Trackleaders site at http://trackleaders.com/tditti.php?name=John_Nobile. Not seeing any points yet, but I assume they will sync soon enough.

I'm envious. Seems like an excellent time of year to Tour Divide to me. Crisp fall weather, drier air, and hopefully drier roads. That last one is what matters most if you're aiming for a fast time. Daylight is overrated. :-)

John's planning to start at 9 a.m tomorrow morning (Wednesday, Sept. . I just talked to him tonight. He's feeling a bit under the weather and is worried he might be coming down with a cold, but otherwise excited to get started. He's using a similar setup to previous years (faring and rear trunk), with a few tweaks to his kit, and from what I understand it's even lighter. He's also using a more tricked-out lighting system, although I didn't think to ask the specifics of it (a gear-minded person I am not.)

He seems a little nervous about the cold (snow in northern Montana above 6,000 feet this past weekend), but says he's prepared for night riding. Still intimidating.

He's going to swing by the post office at 8:30 and ride straight up to the Spray River trailhead. If you wanted to say hello, it might be good to drop by 15 or so minutes early, because he'll probably just start his tracker and go.

Some of the people on this forum are already members of Adventure Cycling, but I wanted to share the cover of the August issue of Adventure Cyclist magazine for those who aren't.

The cover decision was an interesting process. I wasn't involved at all in the early stages, but thought we were going with a shot from Mexico to go with a story by Cass Gilbert. Then the editor decided he wanted to go with one of Aaron Teasdale's Tour Divide shots, and the art director picked out this close-up of Dave Blumenthal before he knew who it was in the photo. He showed it to me, and I said, "Well, here is the situation ... " Then followed the painstaking process of deciding whether to use it, including gathering the input of everyone in the office and members of Dave's family. In the end, we decided that this image conveyed all the passion and enthusiasm that Dave embodied, and putting him on the cover of the magazine would be a fitting tribute to his life.

The last page includes a short piece on Dave, to further explain the cover. There isn't a full article about the Tour Divide, as the race itself is something AC doesn't cover (since it's a magazine geared toward recreational bicycle travel, not racing.) But I did manage to get in this short bio about Dave. I really wish I had more time and space to spend on a full profile. Dave led a fascinating life, and seemed to touch a lot of people.

Anyway, if you are not an ACA member, but are interested in a copy of the magazine, e-mail me at jhomer@adventurecycling.org and I'll see what I can do about sending you one. We are printing a bunch extra to take with us to Interbike, so you can also pick up a copy if you are going to be there.

- Jill Homer



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