Ron Thomson is leading a party on the Highline!!

Ron Thompson is officially my hero!
He may not be the fastest but he is the toughest.

No snow at Jacob's lake yesterday. Would the snowcat be grounds for disqualification???

I would bet he wouldn't have wanted the race cancelled. Sad news.
That is what he lived and died for.

My money is on Ron Thompson to figure a way through!

I would think snowshoes and a lightweight plastic sled to put your bike and gear on would be the way to go.
It seems like our nanny state is sucking the adventure and joy out of everything!

One more note -- deadline for SPOT Gen3 rentals is coming up in a few days (March 31).  Please get signed up if you need one.  I'm having the units shipped early to me, in Patagonia, since I'm on the move these days.

Running from the law again??!!

Hey I decided to keep it. Bought a 2 person tent but for solo stuff it is nice to have a smaller tent. Also have a bivy.
I like the tent but it slopes down on both ends and sometimes it feels a little tight for my head even though I am small.
It is light and affordable and it gets good reviews.
Tarptent makes some good stuff. They make them in the US which is nice and sell direct so you get quite a bit for your money.

See it on trackleaders: http://trackleaders.com/bajadivide17

Oh man, don't go starting silly rumors!! I said 71*!!

You might want to bring an extra trash bag to sleep in up north...

I would bring at least a 20 degree trash bag!

oooops I see it has already been done!

I do a lot with ridewithgps so if you have a gpx file to send me I can give it a go.
my email is julianactive@sbcglobal.net

How about this? http://www.ebay.com/itm/MTB-Tools-Adapter-Set-15mm-x-100mm-Front-Hub-15mm-x-110mm-Boost-Fork-/252191498198?hash=item3ab7c8dfd6

I don't see why you would have to redish the wheel?

AZT, go with flats and a good hiking shoe that interfaces to the pedal well.

This one is the bomb! http://www.pinkbike.com/news/domahidy-designs-titanium-hardtail-plus-wheels-pinion-12-speed-gearbox-and-gates-belt-drive.html

http://viral.bike/bikes/skeptic/

This will give you bike lust for sure! http://www.cyclingabout.com/nicest-touring-bikes-in-the-world/

Here is cool bike with the pinion setup: http://www.cyclingabout.com/page-street-cycles-pinion-touring-bike/

 I have used trailers in the past from two wheeled ones to one wheeled ones.
Bottom line is that you sure can carry a lot with them but I don't think they are ideal for off road ventures. Great for shopping and minimizing car trips or perhaps a leisurely cross country trip on the roads. 

 I think this group prefers rackless luggage and there are good reasons for it but there are some downsides to it as well. Seatbags and front rolls sit up high and the seatbag often rubs rear tires, interferes with mounting and dismounting and does wag. The front roll can interfere with your cables. I find seatbags a PITA to load and unload. Also you are limited on what you can pack since you have limited capacity. Like one guy said, many lightweight bikepackers look and smell like the Donner party when the weather turns to shit! To gain capacity a lot of rackless people use backpacks which I hate and puts the weight up even further.
 
 Frame bags are real cool since they allow you to put the weight low and centered and you can carry a 100 ounce bladder in even small frame bags.

 I have finally settled on a frame bag, front roll, tapeat bags and a rear rack. A rear rack is not that heavy and if you are doing minimalist packing then you can just strap a dry bag on top of it, which rides lower than a seat bag, is more stable and if I need more capacity I can hook on one or two panniers. This setup allows me to ride without a backpack. I also can run a dropper post with my setup or a thudbuster.

 There is no one right answer but you have to find out what works for you. Some people can sleep in a trashbag, don't care about changing clothes or cooking and really want to haul nothing but ass! Others want more gear and clothing, want to cook out, sleep in comfort and smell the flowers.

Hello - I am Steven Olsen the designer and owner of Olsen Bicycles.  I have spent a lot of time designing this in the UK to get a low-maintenance MTB.  Just a correction to Tortoise.  My frames are NOT specified from China - they are hand build in Sussex in the UK.  I have a block tool for this frame and am Kickstarting the idea to give the first customers a deal and also to get a minimum run so that I can order all of the stainless fixing points.

I am a small business not a multi national and want to manufacture in the UK where I can control the quality of every frame.  I have been in the bike business for over 5 years, working for others to transfer production to Asia.  If you are interested you can look at my development on my website www.olsenbicycles.com

I am have been aware of Pinion for sometime, so developed a 27.5+/29" frame around the gearbox for #greatbritishweather trail conditions :-)
I have had Rohloff Speedhub as well, but for this frame the Pinion gearbox has the most advantages.

Sorry! Glad you are doing local production. More of that needs to happen.

I can see with a front tranny that rear wheel changes due to flats might be easier.

or this?? http://www.cyclingabout.com/kindernay-xiv-hub-14-speed-internally-geared-hub/

I wonder what do you think about the Olsen bicycle with Pinion gearbox:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1221142773/pinion-gearbox-belt-drive-29er-and-275-mtb-all-wea?ref=hero_thanks

It looks very interesting as a low maintanance bikepacking rig. The frame triangle seems to be small. Apart from that it looks awesome.

They aren't making the gearbox, just speccing a frame from China.
Here is a look at the gearbox. http://www.cyclingabout.com/pinion-18s-gearbox-the-future-for-bike-touring/

Adds over 3 pounds vs. a standard drivetrain and over a pound vs. a rohloff hub and the bike has to be designed around the front pinion, plus it has a wider q factor. For an internal gearbox I would go with a Rohloff and find the perfect frame to fit it to for your use.