Yeah, this is not an event that you just jump in too without lots of prep and research. The trail is rugged and the weather can be very unforgiving.
Looking forward to the opposite direction, hope I can spend enough time on my CTR bike before the event so I won't have fit issues like last year.

Yo Jesse. Did you end up hitting up the White Rim? Have some beta for you if you are still planning on it. Although your post said you would do it on Thanksgiving. Let me know!

Read Jefes experience here: http://www.mountainflyermagazine.com/view.php/jefe-branham-blog-sleepless-nights-on-the-ctr.html

Can anyone give information on the bikes the top 3 finishers had?  I want to buy a full suspension in the next year and I'm curious about how good of bikes you Colorado racers have.  I enjoyed watching the race and am very impressed with all of you that finished.  Super job, well done.  Would like to ride the entire CT but am afraid of the lightning stoms in July/Aug.  Beautiful country.  You folks from Colorado are seriously good!

Brad M

2 of the 3 top racers were on 29er Hardtails. Jesse was on a Cannondale RZ120 I think...

Setup posted up here... Too much? Probably.

http://www.mountainflyermagazine.com/view.php/video-colorado-trail-race-setup.html

Yeah Aaron! Just cant get enough huh? Hope we get to ride together for a bit again this year!

I have a spot connect for sale or rent. Not activated at the moment

Anyone need a spot connect? Pairs with smartphones to send texts

Bummed Scott doesn't have a Mac version though. Anyone have any suggestions for getting the most from my Etrex 30 while using a Mac?

Ah ok. Sounds sweet. So does sleeping in the back of your truck count when there is snow on the ground or does it need to be tent camping?

i guess im sort of confused. what is this for?

Wow. CTR Planning already? Im excited to ride again next year!! Such a great trail.
Gotta make it through the winter first though.

I went back and forth on the belt drive for the CTR. But was a little worried what I would do if it happened to break...

here is what im thinking:


Goals:
When putting together your first bikepacking trip, a specific goal should be established before planning and preparation begin. Is this a trip where the goal is to make it from point A to point B? Are you planning to cover a certain number of miles per day or is it more about enjoying the ride and the scenery? These are all important questions to answer before packing and planning even can begin.

These goals give a guideline for the trip, making packing and preparation much less stressful.  For most it seems like a good balance of enjoyment and challenge is the main goal, but some choose to push to either extreme. Once goals are established gear selection and preparation can begin.

Route:
Choosing a route or a destination is the next piece of the puzzle. This intricate piece may be the most difficult depending on ones timeframe and general geographic location. There always seems to be so many cool places to go it is often difficult to narrow down a feasible route. One recommendation when planning your route is to focus on an allotted time for riding each day. Remember that this will vary greatly depending on terrain, some routes allow for between 60-80 miles of riding over the course of an 8-hour day while others are much less.

It is important to take in to consideration altitude and weather when putting a route together. If your route includes sections of high elevation riding, it is key to plan camping spots accordingly. Weather above 10k feet is likely to be much colder through the night and exposure is much greater. If any of your planned camping stops are above 10k feet, more cold weather gear will need to be considered in the gear selection.
Considering reliable water sources is also a vital step, more of a concern in desert climates, but can also be an issue if precipitation has been low. Ample water will make for an enjoyable trip.

Gear:
Now that you have your goals and a route planned for the trip, it’s time for the gear selection process. If you have clearly defined the goals of trip, this process should be fairly simple. Choosing what gear to bring is often a tedious task when you are forced to pack things in to a very small area. If you have ever backpacked, a selection of gear should already be present, if this is a new concept plan to spend some time researching gear online. Help forums like bikepacking.net and backpackinglight.com are great resources with gear reviews.

Carrying gear can be as simple as stuffing it in to an expedition size backpack, which may be fine if your route features only fireroads and doubletrack. But if singletrack is a goal, one must consider bikepacking style bags or rack systems. This is where the obsessing really begins. With a wide range of bag and rack styles on the market, carrying everything you need is fairly easy, but deciding what is really a necessity can be a struggle.  

Any ideas???

Just saw this post. I have been using the BA Fly creek. Used it for 3 singletrack trips and the CTR. Great tent and offers a lot of flexibility. Worth the extra space over a tarp tent imho.

 I am writing an article on bikepacking and was hoping for a little input.
What are some important things that help explain bikepacking to beginners?
Gear choices? trip options? mental preparation? What does everyone think?

To be honest, I would agree with Sherpa. Having a bike that will involve minimal thought out on the trail is key. This past year I tried a few different options before I did the CTR. I did a quick little jaunt on a full packed S-Works Epic 29er and a short trip on a steel Spot SS. Once the S-works started creaking and making odd noises at the end of the trip my mind was made up. True, most of the CT is gnarly, bumpy, technical trail, but if a bolt breaks or comes loose and falls out on a full suspension, you could be stuck. There are some backcountry spots where you could be walking for a while. I would recommend sticking with a hardtail for the CT, mainly from a maintenance standpoint. If you are running the CT with some support and want to have fun riding each day and can have access to a bag of extra linkage bolts and grease. Do it. If your looking to go out, enjoy the CT for its beauty and vast expanse, and want to finish it self supported, ride the Marin. There are so many variables, so it really comes down to how comfortable you are with knowing there is a lot more to go wrong with a full suspension. Either way, you will have blast. It is a great adventure.

Hey Bart.
 No such thing as a 170mm rotor. I used 185mm front and rear for the CTR. They worked well and dissipated the heat well on most descents. Stony Pass down to Silverton was the worst of it though.

Yeah, I agree with Joey. I stressed and stressed about what to carry and how I could make it lighter. In the end, I carried a small, lightweight tent and pretty light yet warm and dry sleeping gear. It worked well and made my ride more flexible. Grams didn't matter too much when out on the trail IMHO. But maybe I would have gone faster if I had a lighter setup or maybe I would have DNF'd because I was uncomfortable every night...
Being prepared mentally and physically is way more important that spending time shaving grams.

yeah Jesse. I have one. email me if you want me to send it to you.
carr@mountainflyer.com