I'd plug the Wildcat Tiger as a brilliant seat bag.

I confirm! 

This doesn't really surprise me. Most of my training I had to struggle with unusual cold and lots of snow in Germany and it is still freezing cold. So I wouldn't be surprised if we all had to struggle with temperatures above 100 F all the way from Banff to AW in this year's race :-)

I confirm, too!  Go on the bike isn't really fun this year.

M-M (in bed with a cold)

Dito! 

I think someone once called this the most expensive free event in the world.

I am fully agree!!

Michael

If you pre book with the Banff Airporter (1 888 449-2901) give them the "Tour Divide" discount code to save some money (thanks Matt!). The cost is about $50 with the discount. 

Damn, I've booked my transfer yesterday. Of course without the discount code. 

Hi guys!

I'm thinking about shipping some stuff from Germany to Rawlins. But I'd like getting sure how it works exactly. What I've figured out so far is that I've got to declare the parcel as "General Delivery". The address in my case would be:

Michael Gruenert
General Delivery
Rawlins WY, 82301-9999

The 4 digit zip-code extention indicates general delivery.

Is this correct? 

Unfortunately there a two post offices. One in town and the other at the airport. Hopefully the office in town is holding the parcel!

      Best regards

         Michael

Hello guys!

In the meantime I've compared every inch of the gps track with the available mapsets and Google Earth. As I stated in another post before the accuracy for some states leaves something to be desired.

Here my list of the best available free maps that I've found so far in the www:

Canada (AB & BC): Ibycus Topo 40 - Source: via torrent download - Accuracy: poor
Montana: Montana Topo & Public Land 2012.2 Yogamaps - Source: www.gpsfiledepot.com - Accuracy: fair
Idaho: Idaho Topo Map (2008) - Source: www.gpsfiledepot.com - Accuracy: poor up to fair
Wyoming: Wyoming Topo 2011 Map - Source: www.gpsfiledepot.com - Accuracy: fair
Colorado: Colorado Topo 2011 - Source: www.gpsfiledepot.com - Accuracy: good
New Mexico: New Mexico Topo (2011) - Source: www.gpsfiledepot.com - Accuracy: fair up to good

If anybody found a better selection, please let me know.

@Mirko: To split the Ibycus Map use the MapInstall that comes along with Basecamp. Here you can choose just that tiles you really need.


          Michael




 

 

Just in time for my vacation over easter! Just ordered! Thanks!

        Michael

I'm sure this has been asked - but when you make it to Mexico...who/what/any-ideas of what to do for transporation?

This is my main issue without having a suitable clue at the moment. My flight back to Germany is leaving from Vegas. A rough idea is to hire a shuttle from AW back to Silver City. No internet address or phone number of someone who is running a shuttle up to now. Worst case scenario is to ride the whole way back to Silver City. Great Lakes Aviation Airline is flighing out to Phoenix for fairly small money (bike transportation $50). In Phoenix I am going to rent a car for the last few days. I hope to ride the Rainbow Rim Trail before heading on to Vegas, because I missed them during my 2010 USA Bike trip due to very snowy conditions. Catching the train from Lordsburg or Deming is not an option for me, because you need a bike box and the train is not running every day.

                      Michael

Thanks Christopher for your feedback. Indeed an incredible blow up in price. Nobody would buy an "undercover" book for $50.

    Michael

Yes, the track is pretty good. But not the maps. I've got all the maps from GPSfiledepot.com, already and replaced the Montana and the Colorado map. The other states are identical with the maps at http://miscjunk.org/mj/mp_uttopo.html. There was no update necessary. But the newer Montana and Colorado versions are a real improvement. Far more accuracy like the older one. I guess I can live with the situation now. But I simply hope don't looking for a trail in a river due to a wrong map!

                Michael

Regarding photos - What I don't understand, but I thing I know the answer, is the fact why so many books in the US and Canada are decoreted inside just with black and white photos? I've held countless books like hiking guides, trip reports and so on in my hands. The cover - always in color, but inside only black and white photos. I was very astonished the first time I saw that. Here in Germany it's hard to sell these special kinds of books just with black and white photos inside, even if the edition is running in low quantities. Color photos are a sales argument!
Of course, books with more color photos are increasing the price and mimimize the profit at the end. But maybe it is worth to think about including some more color photos for the fore coming 2013 edition?? Even if the price of the book is a little bit higher. But the most important thing is that in the end it shouldn't reduce the donation for the college fund!

           Michael

Ok, thank you! I officially declare my contribution for Volume 5 after the race. But before I'll write any sentence I've got to improve my lousy English.

         Michael

Does anybody know, maybe Christopher, what's about Volume 4 of the Cordillera? Will it be released in near future or is the project burried already?

             Michael

Thank you Chistopher for sharing your experience! 
It's not so easy to handle all the cell phone stuff for those who come from abroad.


        Michael

Hey guys, sorry if this question has already been dealt with on the thread, but how / when do we submitt our letters of intent?

Letters of Intent are accepted from the 21.December (see http://tourdivide.org/contact). I've sent my LOI in November, but never got an answer. A few weeks ago I sent it again via the contact form at the TD website and got an answer within one day!

          Michael

Hi guys,

that was just a matter of time that a transcontinental race across Europe become reality. The route London-Istanbul would not be my first choice. Starting anyway in Sweden or Norway with skirting Denmark, Germany and a long horizontal stretch through the Alps with ending up in Spain or Italy would be my first choice. But it's just a matter of taste. I'll keep watching the event and maybe we gonna meet 2015 in London.

               Michael
       

Hello everybody,

since christmas I am very busy with route planning and putting as much as possible information, also the entire cue sheets, onto my GPS. A lot of work! I am using the maps from http://miscjunk.org/mj/mp_uttopo.html for the US part of the route and the Ibycus Topo 40 for the Canada section. If I compare the track in GoogleEarth with the the Maps in Basecamp there are many deviations on all the maps. In GoogleEarth the whole track looks very fine with only a few deviations. But this is the result of too less trackpoints in some areas. Overall you can say the track corresponse with what you see and stays on route. The route in Basecamp is another topic. At least 50% of the track is routed near the roads (deviation up to 300 ft.). And - there are a lot of roads that are definitely not there where they should be or wrong. The best map is the one from New Mexico. The deviation here is about 10 up to 20%.
I am following the TD thread over 4 years, but I can't remember that someone was complaining about this fact. Or, maybe I am using the wrong maps?
My question - What kind of maps are used for GPS-Navigation during the TD?
Thanks!

                    Michael

Hi Michael,

How is it obviously not correct?  The ascent figure will include every little bump and hill in the total.

Bob

Hi Bob,

of course, you're right. But that is not the real elevation gain you're feeling in your legs at the end of the day, if you know what I mean. In my experience little bumps (just a few feets) have no part on your daily fatigue, because often you are rolling up without pedaling and roll down again. You need not more or less power for it like riding on flat terrain. But, just stated, it's my personal experience. And if I wanna know how much gain is it from A to B and you have got to decide to make it in one day or not there is a big difference of climbing 10.000 feet or 20.000. In this point you can't trust the tool.

          Michael

Hi all,
I just found some ressource, which might be interesting:

eatsleepridegreatdivide.com (map, profile, you can slide the distance etc.)

developed by dave gieger.

...Yes, but the vertical culmination of the climbs is not correct, unfortunately. For example: Banff to Sparwood ==> ascent of 20.600 feet??? That's not correct obviously. From that point of view totally useless.
I guess he used not the real tracked data but some srtm data that are not always as accurate as expected.

The best way would be to feed the tool with the original tracked data from a GPS device. With this change that tool is the first choice for planning the trip. If Dave is reading this post perhaps he can tell us what's wrong with the tool?

     Michael

Just a tip from my side. Wait for the official 2013 track that will be issued a few weeks prior the event next year!! The route changes from 2011 to 2012 were significant. Less tank plates and more ridable sections. For 2013 further adaption to the route is planned. So my advice: Send an email to info@grenzsteintrophy.de and tell them that you are in and planning an ITT for 2013. They pick you up in the email distribution list and you'll get the new track as soon as it's available.  

                Michael