I rented a spot II from Scott M (aka, the man behind the leaderboard) last year for the TDR and was really happy about it. I changed the batteries every week or so and it never really gave me any problems. Very easy to operate. Just make sure it's attached securely because some people lost theirs along the way. Also, the Spot II is smaller in size then the I, probably lighter too. Both need to be placed strategically to catch a signal, somewhere in the bottom of you backpack will not do!
One caution though: apparently, spot tracking is very addictive! My girlfriend was very happy when I reached AW, not only because I had made it but because she then could finally get some sleep. Being in Europe means that the dots would move when it's night there, so she would be watching the leaderboard all night until she had to go to work in the morning. Once I reached AW she could finally get some sleep (and piece of mind I guess). A friend had also asked her if she would like to ask me to ride at night more so that they would be able to follow me during the day at work. 

NO, DO NOT BUY!

You can find any number of good maps here (this is just what pooped up, there are other menus on the site to get whole "regions" etc):  http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/maps/state/all

I put the southeast region topo maps on my eTrex 30 and really like them.  They seem to be quite accurate and detailed enough for my uses.

That's where I got my free maps last year for the TDR. They were good enough for what was needed! The layout of the maps may change a bit state by state but that's ok. I used a vista hcx, had no previous GPS experience and managed fine. I had to cut the GPS file in 20 tracks of 500 points but did not have a problem there. Have fun!

I know that Ray was running a lefty on this years TDR and had the 'migration' problem pretty much after the first week. He had to fix it 2 or three times over the course of the race because his forks would become totally non functional after the bearings 'migrated'. Not my idea of a 'good' fork especially since it needed more then a common multi-tool to fix it. Maybe he had back luck, I don't know.
They look awesome though.

Looks nice. 

Now, tell us more about it!

It's not a must have, there is no extreme mountainbiking on the route so some V-brakes should be more then sufficient. Make sure your rims are still in good condition when you leave and take some spare sets of brake-pads. Clean your rims/pads at the end of the day if there was a lot of mud and you should be fine.
There are some pretty long downhills but usually they are not all that steep, just don't drag the brakes all the way down!

Have fun, it's a great adventure!

I live on the east coast, flat as a pancake. Any ideas on how to train for altitude and climbing? It is almost 6 hours to the nearest mountians.

headwinds, my friend, strong headwinds!

no joke!

Caroline and Jefe, while phenomenal in their performance this year, will not have recorded times under the all time GC classification. The old ss and female records still stand. Times are only counted for the GC if the route is completed in it's entirety.

But why does the tourdivide.org site not mention any times/rankings for 2011. Just pretend 2011 never happened?

Just wondering... is there an official result for this years race? The Tourdivide.org website does not seem to list one.

awesome... as usual! 

[seatbag]

Well, I just came home from an overnighter and my bike is still packed. I'll document what's where as I unpack...

seatbag : spare clothes, rainjacket and personal hygiene stuff (lenses, toothpaste/brush,...)
gastank : snicker bars and camera
harness drybag : bivy bag, sleeping bag, down jacket and fleece hat.
harness pocket : legwarmers (oh, that's where they were), half litre bottle of water, battery light, headlamp, knife, piece of string, red blinky.
17 litre backpack : small thermarest mattress, cooking pot,nesbit stove, lighter, noodle soup, mp3-player, phone, money, more energy bars, half litre bottle of water, tools, pump, 1 spare tire (I usually take two but took only one this time as I was not going very far)
on bike : 2 x 75cl bottle of water.

I always seem to have some more weight in the front. That's not noticeable when biking, only when lifting the bike up over obstacles.
Remember that you will never be able to take as much as you would on a road tour with panniers. But less is better as it keeps the weight down which is always a good thing for mtbing.
If you use a framebag, keep the heavy items (tools,...) in there and as low as possible. It's also a good place to store water as it's heavy and centered over the bike when put in the framebag. Framebag might also be a good place to put the tentpoles, might or might not work depending on lenght of the poles and size of the frame.
Also, some people do not like to bike with a backpack but it does not bother me at all. Get one that's a good fit for mountainbiking, it should not hit you in the back of the head when getting behind the saddle on steep downhills. try to keep it as light as possible.
Get out and try some different setups. Go to the ardennes for an overnighter and see how the bike behaves on longer/steeper climbs and downhills. Alter your setup to get a better fit.
Also framebags/harness will rub the paint of your frame, protect it BEFORE your first ride with the bags on the bike. I use an old innertube to protect the toptube and a piece of rubber with lots of tape to protect the headtube.

When are you planning on going to Spain? Not during the hot season I hope.

Good luck with your trip.

The other question is how well marked is the great divide mbike route?  

It's not marked at all. There are NO signs along the way at all.
The cues on the ACA maps are pretty easy to follow with a good working odometer but a GPS with the correct track loaded on it can be handy when in doubt.

Free maps for GPS can be found here: http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/

He wasn't a fan of the Gold Dust trail with a rigid fork and slippery rocks, though.

Do I read that right, he took Gold Dust down? As far as I know, that's not part of the official 2011 route. It's not mentioned on the official maps and is not mentioned on the tourdivide.org website (anymore?).

How do you access the web site?

It is asking me for a password....

try this one : www.sites.google.com/a/greyrock.org/new-mexico-s-continental-divide
worked for me. Awesome trip!!!

We should have the details on SPOTs and tracking posted soon.

One option to pick up SPOTs will be to pick them up in Salida (where I am this summer) on the way to/from Durango.  I'll be mailing some to Stefan for the traditional start in Denver, but maybe Salida will work for reverse riders.

Hi Scott,

This is Tom Sap, I just finished the tour divide race and I wonder where I need to send the rented spot back to? I might actually drive through Salida on the way to Denver so dropping it off might be an option too. But as others are/were wondering too, where do we send them back too?

Btw, thank you for the rental, I had zero problems with the unit and it was money well spend. Good service! 

Tori seems to have slowed to walking pace. Hope she has enough food and water for a long walk.

I passed Tori yesterday and one of the reasons she is not moving fast is that her front mech is stuck in the little ring. she was going to try to fix it today. And ofcourse, we are all getting tired and the terrain in NM is pretty brutal, not to mention the super rough washboards that are not disliked by everyone. Off to AW in the morning... last day!

Tom.

For all those interested in trail conditions, I did a little stroll along the first 25 miles and can testify that the trail is free of snow and dangerous river crossings.  After that... we'll have to deal with whatever is there. A big thank you for Matt Lee to find us alternatives to keep it a bike ride.
Coming back from my ride, the biggest worry on my mind is where I'm going to find another memory card for my camera here in Banff. it's pretty out there! 

Hi, I'm already in Banff and am not in the possibility to change my GPS tracks. Just read here about the new one. Can anybody please explain in detail what all the snow detours are for this year. I hope they are all alternatives from on the official maps otherwise i'll be forced to follow the 'what was the official route until a day ago'. And this version is final?

If someone can point me to the picture posting instructions I will post some.

Read this : http://www.bikepacking.net/forum/index.php/topic,668.0.html

I'd love to see some pictures of that bike!

Gold Dust to the West, ACA route to the East.

Awesome! I can't thank everybody here enough.

Correct, correct, and correct. The Gold Dust trail is a non-GDMBR section TD is adding this year on the descent from Boreas Pass (above Breckenridge, CO) into South Park. It's on the GPX track, and from what's been mentioned here previously, there will be some approximate cues for this trail. It's only a few miles long, but it's steep enough that NoBo riders will be allowed to follow the dirt road climb, and only SoBo riders will be required to ride the Gold Dust Trail down...that is unless it's still covered by deep snow?

Thanks Kurt!
So, Gold dust trail is between Boreas pass and Como then? East or west of the ACA-trail? I'll draw it up on my map so I have some sort of memory when I look on the maps later. Excuse my ignorance but I live half a planet away... and google is not always my friend.