Just race with honor in these triple crown events or go friggin tour. Like really tour it up and post a blog with cartoon caricatures of yourselves and cool, edgy dialogue.

2 classes is not what this is about. I dont even want age groups and the pros concept either. I like to know how I stack up against the best. The best that show up that is. 

Bump. Willing to trade the wheelset. See above.

To me I think getting the bike as high as possible on the pack is key. Thats where I have failed over the years usually. Letting the setup ride low.

Padding is crucial. Low weight is crucial. I decided for this coming year to go really light bike and gear but one can send gear home at the south rim. Snickers bars and such can be bought at Phantom Ranch and water is important not to overcarry for weight reasons again.

I ran a purse/strap and a pack for wheel(s) setup 2x and just a pack setup 2x. This time I am going to do the purse/strap thing again but without a pack for the wheels I am just going to carry the front wheel in my hand and strap the rest more like a guitar on my back and less like a purse on my hip. Rear wheel up high hopefully.

The strap/purse is basically 2 lengths of webbing attached to fabric that can hold padding, like an envelope. I saw AZTtripper use it in the canyon in a pic once so I adopted it in 2012 when my pack failed rimming out. I havent perfected it yet- it rode my hip both tries badly 2013 and 14. Now I am going to change how the straps mount to the bike to get it on my back more and not my hip. To make it comfy I will use padding and cardboard from the general store in Tasayan.

Shoes- dont use clipless race shoes. anything else works- comfy clipless, sandals, runners, etc.

On the way down go easy on the steps. Saves the legs.

The fastest crossers (11-14hrs) have used poles, no poles, normal pack, shipped pack, etc. No one way was best. 21 hours is my best and hoping for 14ish next time.

Deal Sean. I think I even got a third already. Slowride.

That would even be easier than last year. Only 2 vehicles we meet in St George first then go to border.

Leaving my car at finish line on 4/1. Looking for 2 others who want to do the same and rent a minivan to get to Sierra Vista, etc.

ABfolder got me to re-thinking and refining my thoughts about bear spray, so naturally I bloged it up............

thanks ABfolder

Hi Marshal. I saw you got a Scale!! Nice. I just want to say one thing about the fork. I ran that fork on the Spark in TD and the bushings failed at 2000 miles. I run a Reba now. So remember that: Fox uses sloppy tolerances to achieve plush butteryness. IMO the Rock Shox forks (Sid and Reba) are tighter, but need more cleaning/lube attention at the wiper area. I run a lot of lockout- IMO that killed the fox fork but doesnt kill a reba. My 2010 Reba Dual Air had 8000 miles and still had usable bushing/stanchion action.

YMMV- but I would hesitate to run a Fox in the TD. Rigid or RS would be my call.

I agree with you on Scott Bikes and the GXP bb92. Mine still runs with a little bearing noise after td/ctr. My DT240 carbon wheelset had no bearing issues but I may replace the rear cassette ones and the DS endcap.
Edit- I should replace front bearings too- nasty rust water came out after TD. Wheel spins nice but who knows what those cartridges look like?

1x9 with a 10sp chain was money. I cant seem to dial in a 1x10 with 42t cog that works as well, so I may go 1x11 like you did.

Its going to be hard to stay anywhere near you with that lighter setup. Damn!

Bear spray. Bear bangers. Bells. Etc.
Costly, bulky and not necessary IMO. Just assume you wont be in first place. The others ahead will scare em off for you.

Well I got a brand new 30t and my drivetrain still rubs and catches a bit backpedaling in 11 and 13t. I spaced the old 30t cog over 2-3mm running it flipped (48mm chainline) and I tried a 3x9 middle chainring 32t (50-51mm chainline in theory should have stopped the catching) and they both did the same thing? They all shift perfectly and all backpedal fine in gears 1-8.

I tried another wheel. Redid hangar with park tool. Repressed bb. Whole drivetrain is new. I think its possibly my internally routed cable setup but shop does not. So I am gonna have them put on a full housing and run it externally and see if that does anything.

So it looks like the CTR only wore out my chain and e13 42t cog. But I still have the nagging backpedal issue. Its not like I actually backpedal all that much anyway and barely ever in 11 and 13 but I still would like to find out what is doing it.

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aaron and kurt did the ctr itt. i think mike prochaska did too. no record of mike on the ctr page, but I seem to remember he may have done it and I know he did azt/td.

If anyone else is thinking 2/3 events go for it it has rarely been done outside the triple crown challenge finishers.

Two efforts I can remember that are hard to pull off:
Matt Lee GDR/CTR 2007. The first to ride 2/3. Considering there was no 3 yet, damn!
Goldberg AZT/TD 2012. Why did he add a huge tour after that and miss CTR? This guy can ride a bike a long time.

Johnny the AZT/CTR deal is tough as well. I think I am the only one to do it outside of a triple like Kurt, Eric and Forest did. Its a noble effort I call the "singletrack double". Before Goldberg added the TD it was my concept of a series or crown. It still is just an exclusive a club as the triple crown challenge so good luck and I hope to see you pull it off.

[It Was A Good Day]

Tanner I am thinking of the triple again so we can duel it out like 2 gunfighters in Old West times!!  But unfortunately the real world has thrown Leila and I a curve ball. The main bridge is out in my town, effectively killing my business until it is replaced. Originally it was planned for 4-6 weeks but EPA found contaminated groundwater near the creek, making the project at least 3 months (started Oct 19th). This is the main bridge over I-70, fueling restaurants that serve 1 million meals a year in a historic downtown district. Our sales are down almost half so far.

In 2014 I spent too much on the triple. I may have to Cjell Mone it this time all broke-guy style!

If I go for it I am calling it Triple-Double 2015 !!

Ice Cubes It Was A Good Day- "Get me on the court and I'm trouble. Last week fu**ed around and got a triple double"

Oh and Steamboat I see you found some Rocky quotes I must have got in your head

Nice idea Scott. It should promote more attempts at both categories. My time was like 47 days and change for the challenge. I will get you the numbers. I have a lot of work to do to catch Kurt!

The more I look at this or the CDT the more this looks like my near future. The CDT cannot be done in under 60 days IMO. I think you and Eszter basically proved that. Unless a rider my speed hit it 21 hrs a day and even then? So with diminished returns and such, one really ends up touring the route by physical necessity. My guess is now 70 days for me, too slow IMO I cant take that much time off straight with business in flux. I am going to wait until I get faster at moving average speed and my business moves into the next phase.

I was kind of just playing on the yo-yo talk. That would be nutty in AZT. Even CTR would be mad tough. I think one would have to be really fast and lay off the gas a bit. I dont think a plodder like me could stay healthy for 20-22 days at least going long hours on the chunk. The bike would need love too on the return.

It looks like the 750 is going to be happening this year. Maybe some serious players show up? Aarons vid is quite impressive I am shocked its like being there.

I am in too. 750. The dreamer in me also has some bizarre notion of a  outnback. ??
That guy needs his meds!

 

No you can take myers homestead to some more pave - one move gets you lost in gated community on Flagstaff rd.- the other Magnolia Road. I tried all that years ago Kevin. Same frustration as you. Boulder!! Long canyon is the same- Boulder Open Space no bikes.

In other news I found moto trails and other trails on Rampart Range Road and in the area. I think it would be an awesome route for winter. And one could return via actual front range trails if the foothills route is too cold/snowy- pikes peak greenway- sante fe trail- parry park road. Or one could just ride to Woodland Park and back too. That seems like a good distance but hotels are way cheaper in the Springs are I bet.

Kevin bicycles are not allowed on your route for the crucial connector you speak of finding, the Eldorado Canyon Trail. It has been that way for forever. Walker Ranch has always been the end of your Ned ride. Pave to Boulder is the only way from there legally. Believe me I have done your route about 15 times.

edit- I looked at all the resources. it is the Eldorado Canyon Trail in your gpx, and it is still no bicycles as far as I can tell. I thought you found the holy grail. Darn.

http://cpw.state.co.us/placestogo/parks/EldoradoCanyon/Documents/EldoradoAreaBrochure.pdf

This is not about me or you or triple crowns Toby. Its about the racer thinking of lining up for TD 15 or 16. They deserve better.

This is making the sport look bad. And it so much more than 1.5x and cheating and spreadsheets.

If you or Jeff or I or others never say anything nothing would ever change.

I don't think that ANY serious effort to finish "sucks." But my relatively slow CTR finishes aren't objectively as impressive as those of the much faster winners. I'm OK with that reality.

Really Toby I have to disagree. I think that your last finish was impressive. 2012 CTR beat me easily right? Yes if you compare yourself to the 3 pros on the podium maybe you are right. But in any other MTB racing format you would have killed the "sport" guys and maybe done well in "expert" or whatever. I have never been close to the pros in regular racing. I am a lot closer in this one class style. No sandbaggers. I like it this way.

I like the way Matt is running the race. I dont like the way that others have attempted to latch on to it. We dont need spreadsheets and non-official race results published. Really we dont. It just leads to this type of bizarre micro-management and improper interpretations of rules. Why are we even talking about 1.5x the record when 20% of starters cant even come close to following the basic premise of the rules?

Scott and Stefan run the other 2 big races just fine. No need for spreadsheets and non-official results there. Why here? The results show on trackleaders that is not enough? Too many hands in the cookie jar.