The Curiak idea of stay above the rules is the meaning behind the "wait a year" deal IMO. Instead of thinking why  just stay above or at the very least just follow the rule or rules. If one doesnt like it by all means pull a Matt Lee and form your own race. I would be the first to sign up for the uCTR. Or uAZT750. But for CTR we need to stop the human urge to attempt to CHANGE things. Things are fine the way they are Stefan style. Every new racer is trying to reinvent the wheel. Well the wheel is not broke. This new internet world of constant demanding change needs a reality check.

Nice to meet you at the hometown hostel. After you went to bed that night I ate a whole Domino's pizza!! Soooooooo tasty.

Mark

Trying to find loopholes in the rules was one of the reasons Curiak stated in his GDR rules that people in that frame of mind should "wait a year" until they are ready to play by the rules and not find ways to work around them (Nobile's windshield comes to mind).

If Stefans 3 rules and 8-10 Q and A subset is not clear to you, wait a year until it is. Matt's set of questions in a previous post can be easily answered by reading the CTR rules. There are no grey areas IMO.

If the rules state you can use a cell phone for for anything under the sun BUT PREARRANGING SUPPORT, then live with it and ride the CTR following Stefan's rules. If you dont like it ITT the damn route or organize your own friggin race.

If the rules state that "Get in a car and your race is over" DON'T GET IN A CAR. Do not try to "interpret" what it means. If you are in the CTR wondering whether you can get in a car, if it is moving, what about motorhomes, etc. then you dont understand the rules and should wait a year.


Also,

If your racing teammate shows up to ride with you, tell them no.
If your friend wants to give you a soda at Hwy 9, decline.
If the nearest hotel only has one room left, pedal your ass off to get that room.
If you didnt bring a friggin shock pump, dont ask other racers for one. Get to a town and figure it out.
If you leave a cooler at Georgia Pass, you should expect me to eat ALL your candy bars.
Planning to ride as a team is a total dick move. Go home if you cant ride in the forest alone.

Count me in (says the slightly deranged man soaking his feet in Durango 5.5 hrs after finishing CTR death ride). I promised myself if I finished I get to go to the next singletrack race. A third time would be off the charts.

Sitting at mcdonalds in Durango having a milkshake- about to have another. I am soooo hurting right now but it was worth it. My foot is toast.

Azt 750/ ctr double again! That was the only reason I stayed out there from hwy 50 to the finish. I could barely walk but I think ankle should be okay after rest. Currently it sounds like captain crunch.

Hey everyone I am sitting in a bathroom on half moon creek near cg - it is just nasty out. Wanted to make beuna tonight or early am but this storm is hammering.
I am having a blast out here otherwise.

Mark c

Can somebody tell me the best water resupply points between hwy 50 and silverton? This is the only section of the CT I haven't ridden.

Erik

1-Fooses up the hill from 50
2-Down the hill from Greens Creek Cabin
3-Creek on descent to Marshall Pass
4-Tank Seven Creek
5-Apple's Trail Magic Spot ?
6-Lujan Creek (horrible)
7-Creek below Dome Lakes (average)
8-Cebolla Creek
9-Mill Creek
10-Last fork of Cebolla 1/4 mile before Spring Creek Pass on hwy
11-Creek before no name pass after Carson Saddle
12-Cataract Lake

in 2010 I used the #'s 1,3,4,5,7,10,11

Sounds like you're in this year, Mark? Cool, I'm looking forward to crossing tracks with you!

Yes I want a third official race finish. I have two, plus an '08 ITT finish and an annoying come up 65 miles short effort in the '07 race. From what I can tell, only Jefe, Ethan and Cat have three official race finishes. That is an impressive list but short list. Plus I want to complete a second AZT750/CTR double, which would be a first.

Well it is 18+ days until launch any word on a spot sign up link?

Thanks for that riverfever, that helps reassure the stove choice.

dream4est: If all else fails pop can stoves are easy to make and alcohol fuel is usually easy to find.

I hate the alcohol stoves and dealing with the alcohol. But I would do it if restrictions force me to. I am trying a beeswax candle stove- I have beeswax and just found out about Omega Life Lite- a candle stove. It is too big and heavy  for bikepacking, so I am going to try a smaller version since I have tins and beeswax and wicks already.

Edit- The only county on the CTR that currently has a fire ban is Jefferson, and the ban states any fires contained within liquid or gas fueled stoves, plus lanterns and heating devices are allowed. So it looks good for the whole race, as you leave Jeffco by 2-3pm the first day quicker for the leaders.

I am facing the same issue. Used esbits a bit in AZT and they work so well- hot and quick. I used the small 3oz steel folding esbit stove with a steel water bottle. Since Colorado may have fire bans in all counties the CTR crosses, we probably will not be able to use the campfire like I did 80% of the time in AZT.

I am trying to experiment with sterno 7oz cans (weigh about 8oz with alum can- $4 for 2 at walmart). Not sure what I am going to do yet with it. Maybe use the can as a stove with some wire on top to hold my bottle. I am leaning towards using a dollop of sterno on my esbit stove. Then I dont need to craft any pot holder/windscreen. I am hoping the nice design of the esbit stove will allow the  small portions of sterno to last longer than the can's claim of 2.25 hrs burn time. If so sterno would compare to esbit in weight vs. burn time.

If the sterno works like esbits I would guess one could get more at almost every stop/store along the way. Not sure if I could buy the small can vs the larger ones but I have not really researched resupplying with them yet.

Edit- I tried the sterno can. I would have to say that my test was a failure- I could not get the water to boil. It got hot enough to make coffee and freeze dried meals, but barely and it took too long. I did not have a windscreen or optimal setup with air flow to the flame. I made holes on the top and upper sides of can and got the water pretty hot but no boiling. I will try again with a better setup and windscreen. I know based on today I could use sterno if that was all that I could find. It just seems to not burn hot enough or needs a proper setup to burn hotter.

Thanks Scott. I want redemption and to get my name on the very short list of unsupported finishers for this route. I may be in for an attempt. Will your File include the new Nucla style way or it is your route from 2009?


Edit- I see you posted the Bedrock route.

JimL how about sharing your GPX of last years ride? I want to compare yours and the Bedrock route.

Arno is the first SS and that is pretty pimp IMO. He was riding strong as he passed me at the end of Babbit Ranch on the sandy ST. A nice guy he even tried to hold up a little to ride with me but I was having flat issues and pumping a tire every 10 min. and really couldnt hang with him even without the flat situation.

To add to what Marshal says above I used Pearl Izumi X-Alps Seek shoes. Very nice feel, no hot spots. But for me here is the deal. Wide Feet. Frodo feet. The widest feet like ever. When they get even a little swollen I have no room in the shoe. I even wore size 11 in Pearl Izumi and that did not hold my fat feet (usually size 10). I am paying right now for all the extra walking/pushing I did from Mogollon to Flag. I may even have some arch issues.

Cycling shoes are just too narrow for me in these events I guess. I have to run EE wide in trail runners or they feel narrow. My feet are even swollen long ways- so I cant even fit into a size 10 running shoe at the moment. The ends of my toes are loonnnggg right now. The Edema is almost gone but the numbness is from my calf all the way down the leg.

This is the first time I have had such issues after an event. Trying to speed walk 4+ miles an hour on flat roads killed my heel at the time but I never thought it could damage my feet this way.

Edit- Today I am trying on Leila's advice some Birch, Marjoram and Cypress Essential Oils on my feet. In addition to what I am already doing. It is feeling a bit better. Yeah!

!!!

You are a true hard man.  Not that there is any doubt after 2 of these, but to even think of a 3rd while your feet must remain elevated and bathed in Epsom salt...

To me, the average mountain biker, the AZT 750 and CTR are like the Olympics of our sport. I am going to return in 2013, mainly because I  just am addicted to AZT. I guess if I had a real endurance racing background I might feel some other way about it, but from my perspective and ability level these races rule. Total test of limits, physical and mental and spiritual and whatever.

Update on the "King Of Pain". The 750 worked my feet over something fierce. I destroyed them on the Highline Trail as I pushed so hard to catch Marshal and Jill I rode with only 3 hours sleep after hard push to finish 300 and got lost at Pine Spring in the dark and got my feet covered in mud after the first 3 miles of Highline trashed them. Super stupid. Then beat on them even more to Flagstaff riding/walking in 20/34 gear after derailleur failure on mile 14 or on Highline. It is 77 hours after my finish and both feet are numb and the Edema returns unless I use ample amounts of Geronimo! Pain Cream and essential oils and epsom salt soak them and keep them raised. I hope trying to just finish did no permanent damage. When Arno passed me I knew this was probably going to be the result based on my condition at the time but I guess I just thought I would recover no matter what I did to my feet. They even seemed to be healed yesterday morning but now are all jacked up and back to how bad they were 12 hours after race.

To answer Pi11 Wizard the canyon in sandals was not bad at all. My turf toe and foot pain from Highline disaster was not really an issue. I would say trail running shoes would be the best choice. My plan for next year is flat pedals and Nike trail runners the whole way (as for 2012 CTR- I did that in 2010 and the feet loved it on HAB sections). I dont think my feet will ever wear bike shoes again.

To AZTTripper thanks for Molino water hole, sandal idea and that pic of your portage setup from back in the day. I still remember every tip u had to share in 2010. Saved my ass three times. I was out of water and Molino was easy to find in the dark. The Teva's helped my turf toe out and no blisters in the ditch. And that pic of you from years ago was what brought me out of near disaster on the North Kaibab. It came to me after a passerby told me to try a different way to carry my bike other than my broken pack/strap assembly. My bike shoulder portage/tire carry was not efficient but it got the job done. 

I will make 8 and 16oz sizes for anyone who wants it but they come in plastic jars not squeeze tubes so they are not as bikepack friendly but you can just transfer the cream into other containers. $28.95 for 8 oz and $48.95 for 16oz. I dont have these sizes on the shopping cart so call if you want them. If anyone cant get me at the shop call or text me on my cell (Seven-Two-Zero-635-7429).

Glad you liked the product Matt.

Mark

Hey everyone I am just back from AZT 750 and would like to report that I have zero saddles sores and took zero painkillers in the race. Geronimo worked so well it even reduced the swelling 80% my foot edema post-race in about 5 hours.

I also will ship Geronimo internationally to bikepack racers. Just PM or call me instead of using the website.

Thanks,

Mark C.

Update- 5/2/11- My Edema has returned 77 hours post race. I dont think this takes anything away from Geronimo! reducing the initial swelling- it just is what it is. The results of pushing too hard to finish a route.

I am so stoked to finish. Riding home on i70 with marshal. Gonna post more later but I want everyone to know that I am so happy right now. 2 azt 750 finishes!!!! I cannot believe how good it feels. I am truly blessed. Thanks to Leila for everything. This finish is for you- I wanted it so bad just to come home to you and share the moment.
I wanted to thank Goldberg for everything - your note at pumphouse and at the finish were awesome.

Marshal is a great guy and deserves mad props- waited for 2 days to give me a ride home after killing the 750. Thanks for everything.

Thanks to Scott morris- this race has changedy Life yet again. Thanks to tanner- enjoyed your company.

About to head into canyon- I am so stoked to be here!