AND They are off!  Good luck to all you guys and gals doing one bad-a?* race.  Great group of riders at the start this morning. Time to sit back at the computer and spend time spot tracking this large group of kick butt mountain bikepacker racers.

Ride Hard Toby!  Best of luck to you and all the other riders.  Attached is a picture of Toby at the start this morning on an upgraded Full suspension CTR bike.

Since I very unfortunately  won't be able to do the CTR this year I am going to help a couple other guys out getting to the start and seeing all you bad A$# riders start.  If anyone needs to park a car in a safe neighborhood (I'm about 4 miles from Waterton Canyon) and catch a ride to the start I will have room for about 2 more riders to get them to the start.  Also plenty of room to crash on the couch or floor the night before if needed.  Just send me a personal message and we can coordinate.

anyone know where the water is in Slumgullion campground?
this site says there is some:
http://www.publiclands.org/explore/site.php?id=5296
but my 30 second look last year didnt find any...

I would call the Ranger District to see if the pump will be unlocked by August.  Last year there was a hand pump for potable water next to one of the campsites on the East side of the Forest Service road.  I used it as a good resupply.  I'm actually surprised it is currently showing no water.

WOW! Wow! wow! Just listened to Justin Simoni's call in and gotta say what an inspirational person he is. I saw him along the route and watched his bold attempt (via spot tracking) and was completely amazed at this individual.  Congratulations Justin for a great ride!  You might not have made it to AW but you did make it the greatest race I have seen yet. Wishing you a full recovery and a repaired bike for all your future endeavours.

After reading all the threads about stopping to cheer on the riders I was hesitant to say hi to Justin Simoni today when he was in Kremmling. Since I was working in the area today and don't know Justin (didn't want to jeopardize any rules on his behalf) I decided I would do a quick clap and cheer him on as he got to the highway just before Kremmling.  I was glad I did because he stopped as I cheered him on and he was happy to talk to me about the adventure. He was riding really strong and was in such a jubilant mood to be on his bike, enjoying the ride, and eager to keep the pedals moving after getting some food.  He said it was OK to take a picture and post to the bikepacking page so here it is.  What a great guy!  Good luck on the remainder of the trip Justin.

Hey Yall,
I'm arriving in Denver by plane and I am wondering about a few things
1. How far is it to the trailhead from Denver? and are there any easy ways to get there?
2. Does anybody want to ride-share? or have their gas $ paid for as compensation for a ride?
3. What bike-shop do you recommend, IF I need one?(geography is important here)
4. Is there camping at the trailhead? with water?
5. And...is there a problem flying with pressurized tires? I want my tubeless tires already set-up ready upon arrival and don't want to search for compressed air if my tires get tempermental.

In short I don't know Denver at all. I'm arriving on the 31st (am) and have less than 24 hrs to be ready and at the starting line. Since the race won't have started yet it won't be cheating (or unethical) to help each other out .

Also if anyone else is in the same boat we can pool our resources and figure something out.
and yes suggestions are welcome...

Send me a personnal message or email and I can probably help you out with some of the logistics on getting to the race start either Sunday night or race morning.  I will be giving 1 or 2 other guys a ride up to the trailhead from Littleton (near the old trailhead) on race morning.

Hey Lucas,
Feel free to set up the air pressure at my house the night before the race.  You can use my shock pump and any other tools you need to get ready.  I will have my garage/bike work area set up for whatever you and any other racer might need.

I rode my full suspension Niner (29) on the CTR last year and didn't really have any issues with the seat bag hitting the wheel even when fully compressed on the downhills.  I had a few issues with the handlebar bag hitting the front tire during my test rides but got it readjusted and haven't had any problems with either bags hitting the wheels.

Good idea with loading up the bike instead of the backpack.  My biggest mistake last year was loading up the backpack with too much weight.  When I would transfer the weight to the seat bags I felt so much better.
Andy

Few more questions oh knowledgeable ones:

1_What are the notorious hike a bike sections that destroy feet? How long are they? Do people carry a lightweight set of shoes or are they not long enough to warrant carrying the weight?
2_29er riders: Do you change gearing for the easier to allow more to be pedaled? i.e. small granny cog or the 29er "boat anchor" cassette or both.
3_Seems like a 29er offers not much advantage on the CTR, but it's what I have. i.e. not lots of "momentum maintaining". It seems like its either up or down with a few exceptions.
4_Route error potential. Where are the sections people tend to screw up by accident navigating?

Erik

Question 1 - I bought a pair of moutain bike shoes that are good for both riding and hiking (Pearl Izumi - sorry cant remember the model).  They worked well especially since I hiked approx 100 miles of the course). I would definately put in new cleats or take an extra pair. I wore mine down to nothing by the end of the race.
Question 2/3 - I rode a Niner Rip9 (full suspension 29 inch).  I loved having it for the downhill sections to go fast but was a little heavy for climbing (especially with full gear).  I didn't find it was a problem at all with cornering (just weight).
Question 4 - I lost my GPS near Frisco/Breckenridge and had to do the entire route with nothing but the CT pocket databook.  This trail is so well marked that even at night I only had two spots that I made a wrong turn but quickly realized the mistake.  1 is on Jirosa Mesa (same spot many riders tend to lose the trail).  Just remember to take the road less traveled and stay high (I accidently dropped down the jeep road and had to backtrack to get back on course.  The other spot easy to miss is about 10 miles from the Junction Creek Tralhead - several trail start to merge and signs have been nocked down - I just asked other day riders which trail was the CT. 

[An Important Announcement]

An Important Announcement

Yesterday I was contacted by a fan of the Tour Divide Race who has offered up a Cordillera sales matching challenge to the entire Bikepacking community!

For every Cordillera Volume 2 sold from now until the day that Justin Simoni reaches Antelope Wells (or quits) the donor will make an equal donation to Linnaea Blumenthal's college fund. He's matching the full $15 purchase price for each book sold!

This is incredible! Now, thanks to this generous match over $21 from each and every Cordillera Volume 2 sold will go directly into Linnaea Blumenthal's college 529 savings plan.

There is no maximum donation. The donor is prepared to lay out some serious cash to help Linnaea but he's challenging all of us pull a little harder too. So please everyone, even if you have purchased a copy of the Cordillera please buy another copy or two. They make great gifts and have been getting terrific reviews so I know your friends and family will want their own copy.

If you don't know about the Cordillera Volume 2 check out this thread: http://www.bikepacking.net/forum/index.php/topic,2096.0.html

Purchase your copy here: https://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/the-cordillera/15659154

Thanks everyone and please help spread the word via Facebook, blogs, club emails, etc. 

Go Kurt, JB, Caroline, Norb, JP, and everyone else. I'll not be getting any yard work done today.

Eric -editor

I just purchased mine thanks to this link and information.  What a great cause for Linnaea Blumenthal and also for feat that Justin Simoni is undertaking.  Thanks for posting this Eric.  Keep Rolling Justin - we are  all pulling for you!

I've been putting mine face up inside the Revelant gas tank pouch - this works great unless you have a wreck and can't move to your bike to hit an emergency help button. In that case it is much better to keep it like Toby mentioned on top of your backpack/hydration bag.
On the other hand if your bike gets stolen "as in the case with Mathew Lee on the Tour Divide last year" then you can track the thief to recover your bike 

All these blue dots are quite amazing to follow BUT

Just a quick shout out to all the “guests’ following this thread, all the friends and family members of all these many TDR racers. 

So far lots of time/comments spent here on the leaders, naturally, and also about racers some of us already know from this forum or other races

But why not please sign on and chime in with info about your racer! Photos, links, race or route comments made by your racer during their calls to you , etc etc

I for one would like to know more about all the ‘other’ racers, not just the leaders.  imo many times the most interesting adventures are happening further back in the pack and part of the spectator fun is to hear about them.

I'm personally watching Dylan Taylor.  Last year on the CTR he decided to kick it up a notch when he was half way through the ride.  He followed up with kicking it up about 10 notches and riding the second half harder and faster.  He might just do the same on the Tour Divide - Go Dylan Go!

Russ McBride returned to the course at the same point he left it, but in order to have gotten from that point to Santa Fe, he would have had to make forward progress on course by vehicle.  Am I seeing this correctly?  Please tell me it's not so.

It looks to me like his Spot shows he goes South to Sante Fe then returns to the same spot he left.  Since he is a NOBO it appears he hasn't violated any rules since he didn't do forward progress.

I know, he's moving so slowly, but there was a reason they did the reroute.  I image the conditions and snow are horrible through there.  Hope he pushes through, I would love to see him finish.

It is pretty cool to look at the snow layer option on the trackleader board to see his progress.  Based on the color of the snow layer at his current location and the time of day he his probably post holing every step.  It will be interesting to see if he decides to take the reroute detours after this push the the snow.  Conditions going over the Tetons could be interesting if he decides to stick to the original route.

Try MTB Cast http://mtbcast.com/site2/ I think this is what you are asking about.

I like using a down bag due to the weight it saves over synthetic.  I find that a 20+ down bag will dry quickly if you have about 45 minutes of sunlight and can drap it over a tree to vent it.  During the CTR last year my bag got wet on the outside every night but around mid morning I would stop riding and let it dry during my water refills/eating periods.  It kept me warm and dry every night by doing it in that manner.

Congratulations on a new record Jesse!  That is some amazing riding.  I think I was just crawling out of my sleeping bag in Dewey when you passed by on Sunday morning. I thought I saw a bolt of lightning but no clouds were in the sky - must have been you. Wish I could have seen you pass by me to witness your great achievement but just glad to say I was on the Kokopelli Trail the same day a record was broken!

I ran tubless on the CTR last year and was pleased with them.  I had 2 flats during the entire trip but I carried an extra tube for that situation then pulled the tube out in towns that I could find a compressor at (Bailey and Silverton).  I've run tubes in the past and will stick with tubeless (especially for the Colorado Trail) from now on.

Ahh! So you did find one in the city.  Let us all know how well it works when you start testing it.   I believe you are possibly one of the first people to get a hold of one of these connect systems.

Section 22 is a great section but also one of the easiest spots to miss the route on.  I lost my GPS and had to ride most of the CTR without any navigation (CT signs only).  This section causes a lot of people to miss the route at mile 7.9 (of this section).  Most of it is rideable untill you get on the ridge past Ruby Creek then it is hard to ride the rocky ridge line.  Also very exposed to weather.  No doubt about it  - one of the toughest sections  but also one of the most enjoyable.