I'd like to hear some opinions about shoes. I have had trouble with toe numbness, I think from a soft-ish sole that allowed the pedal to press up into my metatarsal area. So I was thinking that a more rigid shoe might be better, even though harder to walk in. My rigid carbon-soled MTB shoes are way lighter than the vibram tread ones, and 99.9% of the trip will be pedaling, not walking.

Hi,

I am agreeing with Marshal to use a shoe with a stiff sole instead of vibram. But if you think you're just walking at the "trickiest" parts of the Tour you’re probably wrong.
For the “average” TD-Racer the days with fatigue are also walking days.
That means even uphill’s with an easy grade feel like double the father you go south.  You’ll go off your bike likely more often than you have thought you would be. Keep it in mind when you choose a shoe. In my opinion racing shoes have no place in a race like the TD. I saw a lot of racers with racing shoes and they where struggling with it. And 2013 was a “warm” year with no snow!
An advice from my side: Have a look at the Mavic Scree, an excellent all-rounder.  Stiff sole with a very good walking performance. Warm enough for the cold north and not too warm for the hot south. Gore-Tex make it “waterproof” and breathable and the shoe has a mid ankle height.
I’ve tested a lot but finally found that gem. For me the perfect shoe for multi day trips.

Kind regards

Michael

Just wanted to say I'm really enjoying your blog about your ride last year. I'm only half way through, and looking forward to the rest. Well done! 

Thanks Dan! You'll see, I've saved the best for New Mexico!

Michael

Got another question for you guys. I would like to compare my gear list to as many others as possible. I have really liked combing through yours Chris. Does anyone have a link to TD specific gear lists of the past or even ones for this year? I've been reviewing all of last year's threads and haven't found too many yet.

-Tanner

http://mgtd2013.blogspot.de/2013_06_01_archive.html

Have fun!

Hi,

Any recommendation regarding a map for the GPS. I've found some OSM maps in the web, but the level of detail leaves a lot to be desired. Thanks!


           Michael 

I took the 3M paint protection film Scotchgard PU8591e (transparent) and cut it in pieces and size I needed.

I had heard somewhere that carrying bear spray across the US/Canada border was a problem.  Is that the case?  I will be northbound if that matters.

Was heading also south. I had it directly visible on the top tube. No issue at all! Maybe at 11:30pm the officer on duty was as sleepy as I was.

No issue this year. I was also in the middle of the pack as I reached Boulton Creek Trading Post. They had still enough for the next 70 racers behind me. The same in Elkford. The only issue could be if you realy need a Motel room to dry out or for whatever reason - this could be tricky, but latest after Sparewood the field is as streched as chewing gum and this problem is history.

          Michael

Getting familiar with the route and the location of resupply resources is one further key for crossing the finish line at the end. At the turn of the last year many issues of the Tour Divide project were just construction area. But my conception how a decent navigation has to look like was quite clear. Navigation just with the cue sheets, speedometer and the official ACA maps was not an option for me. One requirement was leaving the bulky maps at home and put all the cue sheets information on the GPS. I scanned all the maps and put it on a smart phone.

Getting all the text from the cue sheets into the GPS was a big achievement. It costs me more than hundred hours at the desk at least and produced a big Excel sheet with all the information I need. Elevation profiles, distances between different kinds of facilities like campgrounds, motels, grocery stores, restaurants, supermarkets, towns, bike shops, Starbucks :-), gas stations and a lot of more. The Excel sheet also moved on the smart phone. For every section in the cue sheets that is marked with the star symbol I created a POI (Point Of Interest). So it's possible to move the text of the section to the comment of the POI. I used the Excel sheet after some filter steps to create the corresponding gpi-files for the GPS. Getting the coordinates for the POI’s and the Excel sheet means scanning every inch of the route with Google Earth. The first time I got a very good impression of the whole route and a steady increasing respect with every further mile I virtually headed on southward. To add the POI’s for the towns I used Street View (if available) for the location of the different resources (just for double check). In bigger towns I didn't want stray through the streets on the search for a special facility as long as absolutely necessary. Arrival and relax was the slogan.

              Michael

Hi,

  That was my strategy as well. It worked perfect. Just 4 nights in a tent and all 4 days after on the bike were horrible. I am not a tent sleeper unfortunately. But if you want finish in a fixed time you must have a lot of discipline not to wait for the breakfast or the first cafè will open it doors!

     Kind regards from Germany

      Michael

I did find it a bit disconcerting to see that there have been dog maulings in New Mexico that ended in broken ribs, etc. In recent years has the dog situation changed at all?

Hi,

Read this: http://mgtd2013.blogspot.de/2013_07_01_archive.html (Day 23 to Grants) ... and no the dog problem didn't change at all. I had the same concerns before the race like you and on this day it became true.

  Kind regards

   Michael

Hi,

I am highly interested in how the single speed riders escaped the fu..... dogs in NM with that ratio? I was very happy about my 44/11.

          Michael

Hi,

the movie  tries to emphasize every aspect of the race but in the end only scratches the surface.
I never understood why people are screaming because they are in a bike race. Now I do!
"Suffering through challenges" I learned it the hard way.
"Difficult going back to the normal life" No, I was never be so happy getting back to my normal life after the race ! But - 10 weeks later I catch myself how I wish being back on the trail again! And this is the first time I understand why people doing the race a second or a third time.
It is exactly like James said: "The after-effects can be as mountainous as the route". There is no day where I am not thinking back. Because of the sleep deprivation and the sensory overload I forgot a lot of things. Spots where I've been, people I've met, how the landscape looked like in a special section. After the race I was very sad about it. Now all this lost memories I dig out of the corner of my mind. This is a reward that nothing can compensate.   

                  Michael

Hi,

very interesting event and a lot of great pics! Nothing for 2014 for me but maybe one year later. My wife will get a heart attack, because she is seriously concerned about the safety in this area. And I am honest - me too.

What is the best choice for the route - Hardtail or Fully?

       Kind regards from Germany

       Michael
   

Russ, just a quick note to say thanks for everything you and Karen did for the 2013 TD riders. Staying at your lodge most certainly made undertaking the incredible Tour Divide route, even more amazing!

I agree!! 

Michael

It was an honor to ride with you Michael. I knew you were down but I saw through your stoic demeanor and enjoyed your presence, particularly through the Great Divide Basin (ALL night). I know you were down when you lost the go pro -and when we started rolling together I had no idea I was about to pull 237 miles that day (Pinedale to Rawlins). Thanks for being part of the most physically hardest and miserable thing I have ever done in my life. While I am amazed, I promise myself to never do that again I look forward to reading your post to the cordillera. Turk

It was a honor for me also. The loss of my camera was one of my darkest days on the Divide. If you ever plan to come over to Europe or Germany we will spent some time together in the Alps with some more relaxing day trips without any rush! I'll be your guide!

Kind regards

Michael

Hi everybody!

I am sitting at the airport and waiting for my flight back to Germany. Unfortunately I was not able to make any Call In. I don't know why. Just a view words from my side about the race.
I haven't won the race, but I guess I get the crown for the most missing turns and the most additional miles. Overall 95 miles and about 7500 feet of climbing.
The second crown I get for all the lost or demaged items with an overall value of $1300.
Two sunglasses, my GoPro Hero 3 camera and 500 feet before I hit the pavement in Pie Town I rolled over my smartphone.
For me the race was the mental overkill. There was nearly no day I not thought about to quit. Every day was a fight and filled with so much suffering. New Mexico turned into a disaster for me. A lot of stuff went wrong. I have a lot of to tell. I am gonna write something for the cordillera. I promise. But one thing is for sure: I'll never never come back!!

Hi,

Urgent recall! I am not able to make a call in. No service. Thanks at&t. Yesterday I lost my GoPro Hero3 in the Basin anywhere between mile 30 and 60. The real loss is not the camera, but the SD-card Inside. I am feeling totally blue about the loss. Maybe if someone from MTB-cast is reading this post he can put this post into a call in.
Thanks!!

Michael Gruenert

My understanding is 8.00 am, but if I am looking at the live ticker board at trackleaders.com I see: "Tour Divide 2013 starts in xx days, x hours, xx minutes -- at 05:00:00 AM (MDT) 06/14/13"
Does it mean tracking will start at 5:00 am or the race itself?? 

I'm planning on sending some stickers up to the start. Unfortunately, I won't be going up this year after all. The stickers have the number on it but it is on the website Home page as well. 888-866-4491.

May I ask a stupid question? If the guys from abroad calling a toll free number with a mobile phone within the USA do we need to dail the country code (001) a) in the case of having a non US contract and b) in the case of having a prepaid at&t US sim card? The same question if we want make a call from Canada?
Thanks!

4) That said, what is the snow level through Canada and into Montana like now? Anyone have a good link for weather tracking on the divide? If I do ride the trike pushing a trike in deep snow sucks BIGTIME!!

Go to http://tourdivide.org/leaderboard and select Map layers. Check the option "Snow Depth"