If the solution is not having to stop in Pinedale or Steamboat to replace a chain, in fact not having to stop at all to service the bike other than brake pads and possibly a flat, count me in. No lube/cleaning, maybe a dowse of water if it squeaks too much with dust.

The Gates lasts so much longer, you could easily do a yoyo before thinking about replacement. And if it fails- a spare is quite lightweight. The downside is that you have to carry the spare.

There are people that do the Divide on a single-speed, so what gears a person has seems a matter of what they want to claim. I've thought a lot about doing the Divide on a vintage bike right down to the 3-speed hub and waxed canvas bags, heck- its been done on a unicycle (yikes), but after a while I think about how hard enough it is to do with modern gear and so think about something else like dinner. So I'm not going to argue with anyone about what gears they do or do not want on the bike. But I can say this after riding Rohloff hubs for the last 15 years or so- being able to shift when you want to is really nice. As soon as the grade turns down- put it instantly in high gear and pedal lightly- the bike picks up speed sooner than you can do on a derailleur. The weight issue is gone if the belt is in play- so is the drag compared to modern 1:X drivetrains (so long as the Rohloff is broken in, which seems to take a good 1000 miles...), so it comes down to reliable shifting, not having to worry about rocks or mud snapping the derailleur mount or bending a cage... for me its peace of mind and the extra range of the gearing.

To each his own, I guess. I rode a Rohloff on a full suspension mtn tandem for a number of years, and the deal breaker was the grip shift. I really really hate them. Thumb shifters suit me much better. I'm gonna run a 1 x 12 Eagle. I used one on the the AZTR 750, and with once a day ceramic chain lube, the chain hardly even stretched during the race. Very dry I'll admit, but a chain switch should take less than 15 minutes, and I'd need a beer break by then anyway.🤣🤣

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Anyone know if the ranger is hassling riders on the road out from the North Rim?

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Nothing strange at all. The "track" schillingsworth was referring to was the actual gpx for people to grab for navigation - so that was good to go weekend of the 6th. Trackleaders itself sounds like it was not updated with the newest track in regards to the visual representation of the route for our stalking purposes.

Yeah, I see that now, and also saw John's comment that he was updating Trackleaders. He must have done that while I was viewing it online, hence it changed suddenly.

While all valid points, if the trail is signed CLOSED and possibly roped off with yellow police tape as it was by Schultz Pass Rd. it gets really hard to justify it. Everyone was reminded over and over again to read the rules:

'If you are directed off the AZT (by signs or personnel) for logging, fire, or other official reasons, by all means, leave the trail and return as directed or as soon as it makes sense to return. Obeying the law trumps following the route, every time.'

Does it suck? Yes. Is he having an amazing ride? Hell yeah.

If the signage was removed, then he's fine. Trying to get some confirmation on the ground. He's also not taking the snow detour, so there's that too. Kudos for that.

Yes, it definitely sucks for Hanoch. He is doing an amazing job, and even if he ends up with some sort of asterix by his result, he certainly has a moral victory.

Well shit, last minute changes out of country rider obviously doing his best to figure it out ahead of time. Looking like he's almost out of the closure area. Tough call, hopefully he can sneak thru without disrupting logging or getting in real trouble.

Yeah, it's definitely a sad situation. To preserve the integrity of the event, and others like it, I think a relegation would be appropriate. Such a pity, as he has totally crushed the course. 😥 He probably will not even realize his error, bit if he did and was able to get a new gpx file, he could retrace down the re-route and the ride it north again.

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Mike, that is exactly where he should've gone. The track was updated & uploaded the weekend of the 6th.

Something seems a little strange here. After I saw the comment about him going off route, I checked him on Trackleaders and the reroute did not show up. It looked like he was on the correct path. Then it changed as I refreshed.

FYI, Stage 3 fire restrictions expected to go into effect Tuesday. This means all of the San Juan National Forest will be closed to all entry. Any sections of the CT that traverse the closed area shall remain closed until sufficient moisture has lowered fire conditions.
Hate to say it, but let's hope for an early an vigorous monsoon season. Better a wet race than no race at all.

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https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1913357528684352&id=115337198486403

As of now, I’m planning on it! The lack of winter down here in Durango made staying in good shape an easy task. Right now, the Hermosa Creek zone is on fire. A real bummer. The CT section that skirts this area is to remain open for now. Just FYI. By the time the Race rolls around hopefully the monsoons will have done their best to help out. Could be a lonnngg month though. S

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Howdy all,
I finished yesterday along with Ken Waring from Toronto.
First thing Monday morning I'm off to the Doc for antibiotics to kill this bronchitis thing I nursed all the way from Mexico.
Many bad nights coughing and not being able to breathe.
Few things, a ranger at the north rim must have been following my track, cos he showed up as soon as I arrived. Told me not to ride the road, take the trail. I did for awhile, then rejoined the road where it crossed. Walked a lot just to show good faith, skated a little, and rode some downhills. When I saw the entrance kiosk, I was sure sure to walk the bike all the way there, and there was a ranger vehicle waiting. As soon as he saw I was walking, he took off without a wave.
Re the cougar encounter: I ran into the two youngish hikers in the middle of the night somewhere between Oracle and Kelvin. They had been stalked by a cat large enough to mad padding sounds as it walked. If their account is accurate, there's no way it was a bobcat. I think they spotted the cat with their headlamps but they were not sufficient lumens to scare it off.
Congrats to all finishers this year....super hot down south and brutally cold and windy up north. I finished with an inch or so of snow in the ground at Jacob's Lake.
Right now I'm sipping a G&T and trying to get the swelling out of my calves. 
Stephen Elder

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Hey all, after surviving the heat down south, now it's kinda cold and windy. Got to Pine today, That Brewery no longer rents the cabins so found an Airbnb. Need to restock in am and head up the rim. My lung infection continues and I shall cough and splutter my way north....wish I could get this plastic bag off my head so I could breathe. 
Team Pneumonia shall sally forth!!

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Oops, sorry all. When I updated the AZTR750 route to Trailforks this morning I had a cache issue with the file, the new addition over by the Superstitions didn't get added to that route!! Sorry.

Here's the updated current 750 route on Trailforks.

I deleted the other one, so if you clicked the 'save/wishlist' button, you'll need to do that again for this one.

When I try to open the 750 file in Trailforks, it sits there forever saying "loading ride" , but it never gets anywhere. Any bright ideas? 

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What are folks commonly using for lighting these days?
I'm torn between buying disposable batteries en route vs trying to find places to charge a battery pack.
Still need batteries for GPS, SPOT etc., so need to buy anyway.
Anyone know what availability is like for CR123 batteries?
Cheers,
Steve

Yeah, just show up. I'll send you my address. I've had quite a few AZT300 first timers show up for this ride and they thought it was a really good shakedown ride prior to the race. You're welcome to ride the route at any pace you like. Most times we tend to split into several groups during the day, meeting up at camp or a resupply point.

Hi John,

I might very well come down and do the Queen's Ransom ride.
Could you PM me with address or any other pertinent info?
My email is: treekiwi@msn.com

Cheers,
Steve

Hi all,
Seriously considering doing the 750 this year, but as I live in Durango, there's no biking to be had locally to train.
Any suggestions/recommendations for good training rides further south that shouldn't have snow or mud during Feb & March?
I have never ridden in southern AZ, so really don't have any benchmarks,
Cheers,
Steve