As most who have lived in NYC or many other big cities will tell you, no lock is impervious to determined thief.  But a light weight cable and small lock might deter the opportunist who just happens to wander by.  

A cheapo cable helps keep the honest people honest.  

I would like to buy the Woodchippers. Hdmsmz@gmail.com.   Thanks, Harry

Hi Harry,
Not quite sure I'm ready to sell them just yet, but I may in the future.  I'll keep you in mind.

Rick

I've been riding a Fargo for the last couple of months on terrain like you've described.  While not the best bike for the road or the trail, it's very versatile for the mixed terrain.  It's been a ton of fun to ride. 

I changed out the stock woodchipper bars for a pair of more traditional road bars.  Other than that, it's an all stock 2013 Fargo 3.

sorry, guess i should have been more specific...   any off-road overnight routes?

Yeah, I figured you were interested in an off-road option. 
I just remembered seeing this video recently and posted it anyway.

Bike Overnight: Portland to Ainsworth State Park, Oregon

I backpacked the West Coast Trail a few summers back.  I would love to bikepack on the island in the future.
Great photos.  Thanks for posting.

Cool adventure, close to home.
Thanks for posting.

Pretty country!

Love it, Chunt.
Looks like a scene from Wayne's World that ended up on the editors floor.

Gotta love the 80's!

Cool trip.  Very SoCal looking 

Thanks for taking the time to post it.

I'm disappointed to hear that is doesn't work well for you.  At 7.2 oz. it sure looks appealing.

I've always been a little particular about the taste of water.  I've tried several of the chemical solutions and didn't care for the taste it left in the water.  Some people say they can't taste it and others say the taste doesn't bother them.  The chem treatment is probably the lightest and simplest option so give a try at home and see what you think.

I've had good luck with the Sawyer filter.  I have the gravity drip style which works well, though the squeeze bottle style appears to be more compact and possibly lighter.  Either way, Sawyer is worth a look.

I still have my old standby - an MSR pump filter.  It works great but it's heavy, bulky and requires a lot of pumping.  The pumping doesn't sound like much effort, but when you're fried, it's actually kind of pain in the arse.  Now I just lay down and take a short break while my Sawyer filter is dripping clean water in to my containers.

I haven't.  But not because I wouldn't want to.
I just have lots of riding that's closer to where I live.

I've been to bpinglight, but the other is a new one for me.
Thanks back at ya.

With the price of good gear, it's nice to have info before purchasing.

I just came across this website and found it somewhat useful for gear reviews and comparisons.

http://www.outdoorgearlab.com

No bike stuff though, just camping gear.

I've got a 1985 Stumpjumper that has seen a bit of bikepacking.  It was my first mountain bike, I bought it brand new!
I still have it, but it's more of a commuter rig now. 

I guess it depends on the water source(s) you're using.

I have used pumps for years while backpacking in the Sierra Nevada.  I never worried too much about what you've described and I've never had any problems.  But the sources I typically use are pretty clean to begin with.  Though Giardia is always a possibility in the Sierra, the actual threat is way over-stated IMO.  I know of many who drink straight from the sources without problems.

Now if you're talking about water sources that have much more human/animal impacts, I would probably exercise greater caution.

Tour Divide Race ... part Tour, part Race?  No, TDR is a race.  Bike race, adventure race, Cannonball Run on mtn bikes, call it what you will.  The race aspect is getting more and more left out, especially in the title of this thread.  One can Tour under his/her own established rules and/or ideals.  One can enter the Race under the established guidelines.  Don't like it?  Don't race.  Go Tour instead, as fast as you can.

Entering the event means challenging the route in either direction in an attempt to qualify for general classification.  In the Spirit of the Event, it's now 23.5 days or less, gentlemen, to be considered competitive.  This is straight from the Race website.  Do not lose sight of this in your race prep, nor when commenting about the Race.

I would think 23.5 days is VERY liberal considering that the record is some 17 and change.  In any bike race there are only a very few who are truly "competitive".  Coming in nearly a week after the record time doesn't strike me as being "competitive".

So to me, that makes it essentially a "tour" for most who attempt it.  And there's nothing wrong with that.  I admire ANYONE who takes on and completes this challenge, competitive or not.    

The Platypus bags are a more rigid plastic than a Camelback reservoir.  I just blow in to the opening (like blowing up a balloon) and the bag will stay in that shape.  I leave the cap off and set it in the kitchen window to let the sun do the rest.  I haven't ever tried to actually scrub the inside, I think that would be rather difficult.  I just use them for water - not energy drinks.  The sugar from energy drinks would present more of a problem for cleaning.

Looks like a great time.
Thanks for posting.

Was water readily available?