but how do people with jobs do this. Does no one else have jobs either? I quit my bike mechanic job in late May in California to take two months to play and transition back to CO but after the CTR it has been serious look for work time. Who gets to take June off except for academics?

Try throwing a couple little kids in the mix 

The Contrail may be my solution. As you said, lighter than most bivy/tarp combos. Does it set up pretty easy?

Kurt is crossing Searle and Kokomo at roughly the same time I did...minus a day 

Yeah, I didn't want the extra weight of a tarp either or the hassle of stringing it up in the dark exhausted. Nothing easier or faster than a bivy.

However after those storms that week I was wishing I had reconsidered!

During my attempt at this years CTR I carried an MSR AC bivy, a Klymit 6oz pad and a 1lb sleeping bag and on clear nights it was an awesome setup. Super lightweight and compressed down to a small size under the handlebars.

Here was my problem though and where I am wondering what others do. I couldn't imagine how I would get into the bivy while it was raining or if I was soaking wet - I kept wishing I had some kind of shelter to get under to change before getting into the bivy, but that is more gear and more setup time. So most nights I bedded down at dusk before the next storm rolled in, or I kept going waiting for the rain to stop so I could dry off a bit before setting up camp.

So how does anyone who uses a bivy successfully in the rain deal with getting into a bivy while it's raining, or when they are soaking wet without getting dry stuff wet?

Thanks for any tips for this bivy sack rookie

On the Appalachian Trail, the maxim is "Hike your own hike"

I guess it's simply the addition of "race" to the Colorado Trail that engenders this kind of intense discussion.  IMO, the rules, as stated on CTR website, are pretty simple.  My personal feeling is that if I wondered if what I was intending could result in a DQ, then I probably shouldn't do it.

Ultimately, everyone will make their own decisions out there based on a variety of inputs.  No one can be there to police or monitor those decisions and, frankly, given the exact same circumstances, we might all come up with a different answer.

Keeping the rules simple and straightforward seems like the best plan.  To modify the maxim above, "Ride your own ride".  At the end of the trail, only you will know or frankly care if you lived up to the standard.

Personally, I feel that the more I think about this stuff, the more I realize I should be riding more instead! 

Touche

My one embarrasing story is during one portion, I was cussing pretty loud

Not alone there my friend! I was worried hikers might hear me too - or families out for nice walks :-)

That climb up ten mile with a bike just plain sucks! I noticed that Ethan pounded it out in 3 hrs from gold hill to the crest...took me 5. I was about to start hurling gear off the crest to lighten the load...ok, not really. Thankfully Sully - the runner - passed me when I was plopped down in the middle of the trail somewhere near the high point and gave me enough inspiration to keep plugging along. If he hadn't come by I might still be sitting there!!

I was about to post my post-race report when I saw Chris N.'s experience. First of all, glad he made it out safely, sounds pretty scary. And glad to hear a fellow racer helped him out - self-supported should really only go so far in some cases.

Anyway, his experience makes mine - which I thought was tough - seem a lot less so. 

For those interested (I bailed in Salida unfortunately) here they are, just scroll down to Day 1 and start from there.
http://nickwoodland.blogspot.com/

It was a great experience, and after so much planning and prep to have had to bail was disappointing but I feel really privileged to have spent those days out there.

-Nick

Haha, despite the pic, she loved it!

Sure she did, just keep telling yourself that 

I have to get one now - had looked at the weeride a while back.

Very cool! Where did you get the seat? Looks like it's not available online...

Glad I'm not competing against you  Good luck on the record attempt.

Two yellow dots are taking the CTF recommended Tarryall Detour. Wonder if they know that is not the race route?

I assume they must, but if they know that then why are they on the race tracker as ITT'rs?

Maxxis Ignitors baby - 2.35. Just put on a fresh pair...

Reminds me of the old days having stuff sent to me at 'General Delivery' - when I lived in my truck in Jackson Hole  Ah the glory days...

Yes, the hammock definitely made for colder nights...all that open air below you.
It was also late Aug/early Sept though

Anyone doing the CTR, or an ITT of the CT using a hammock for sleeping or are there some really long stretches where I won't have trees to hang on? Im debating on what sleeping system to use and I am not a good sleeper so need to be comfortable to make my ride a success. Anyone heard of somebody using a hammock to bike the whole thing?

Also, Ill be starting my ride a few days after the official race starts. Anyone else planning on a late start? Im getting a one way car rental from Durango to get back. If anyone else finishes at the same time I do I am happy to take someone else along with me back to the Boulder/Denver area.

I did part of the route (Kenosha to Mt Princeton) with a Hennesey Hammock and was cold every night, even with all my clothes on and rain gear wrapped around me inside my sleeping bag! At least it made me want to get up in the morning and get moving!

What are some good weather forecasting sites people use for the CT corridor?

snowforecast.com - i like their long range forecasts/discussions (looks like they are calling for more monsoon flow after the 20th or so)
weather.gov - their summer forecast for colorado anywhere anyday is 'chance of thunderstorms 20%'  

What else?

Anyone know how they are getting from the Denver Airport to the start?  I was thinking about riding my bike from the airport, not sure of the distance or a good route thru the city though.  Anyone done this before?

Pena Blvd to Tower Road to Colfax and then the High Line Canal trail almost the whole way. Probably close to 70-80 miles, 60 of it on High Line canal (goes right to waterton canyon)

I've never ridden any of that though :-)

The truth is that you may not need very bright lights on the CTR. For me, it's often too technical to go fast at night, and I'm often too tired to ride really aggressively anyway (especially at night). Although I love brights lights, I was surprised how quickly I adapted to dimmer ones on the CTR.

My over-nighter the other day had me on the Nate Stultz trail at night (anyone ever had the pleasure of riding that one!!) which is so overgrown and rough and full of dead-fall that I needed some strong lights. My light on the low setting lasts for like 40 hours...so maybe it is just about managing the settings.

The fires are simply unreal this year. My wife and I were evacuated yesterday from Woodland Park. I don't think I have lost my home but having a helluva time finding out information.

Hope you can return soon Riverfever. It's tense in the foothills. I feel for all the folks losing homes. Unbelievable images coming out of CO springs this morning...

Hey maybe all this smoke will make for some good sunsets on the trail! Just trying to find a few positives...

Here's a gear question: I bought a new Fenix light and did an overnight ride on Mon/Tues and found out somewhat surprisingly that the light on high power only last 1.5 hrs. It's a great little light, but man that is a lot of batteries if I'm going to be riding some at night and early morning. I have a Princeton Tec EOS as well, which is a great little headlamp/bar light, but only 70 lumens.

Any other strong lights (150 or more lumens) that have longer battery life out there and don't cost a fortune?