Beyond just the riding and pushing yourself, getting to meet people like Angler in Ovando, Russ in Polaris (unfortunately I didn't stop there), Kirsten at Brush Mountain, and Nita in Pie Town are some of the best parts.

Wow, that's a lot of dots! 

Good point BeetRuth. And I understand how that would piss you off.

In 2014, Kirsten at Brush Mountain Lodge gave me the best advice - "ride your own race and don't worry about anyone else." If you finish the race, you're badass. And you'll know you did it self-supported.

Hope you get to race it next year. It's a ton of fun in between all of the pain and suffering.

That includes you Adventure Syndicate girls LC & RC! Being a "team" and all that looks to me like yous is keeping each other pretty good company!

And here we go with the definition of racing again. They are out there pedaling the route (over snow, hike a bike, through the rain) and we're here commenting on a forum. So I'm gonna give them the benefit of the doubt. They are still in Montana with over 2000 miles left to race. Who knows what will happen over the coming weeks.

I give kudos to all of the racers out there whether they are at the front or back, riding completely solo or alongside someone.

Let's not bash them, let's support and encourage them!

Mrs Flyboy here. Not sure if this is the right spot to ask this, but I have a question for the wives/partners of TD riders who have met, or have arranged to meet, their partners at the finish line in Antelope Wells. I'm heading over with our 2 children to meet Flyboy at the finish line. We'll be flying into LAX and will then fly to Phoenix or Tucson. More likely to be Tucson to shorten the drive to AW. Just looking for tips/advice on what to do, what not to do, where to stay, etc.

Mrs. Flyboy, not sure if you already got the info you needed. If you're coming from Tucson, Lordsburg is the closest town to AW. As far as what to do/not to do, here's my take:

Once he gets to Separ and I-10, take pictures, videos, and let him know you're there supporting him. At that point, he's going to finish so the fact that you happen to be there doesn't truly break any rules, in my opinion. You're travelling a very long way so don't wait until the finish to see him. As long as you don't give him food/water/drinks and he doesn't draft off of you, get some more pictures/videos of him on his way to AW.

Whatever you do, make sure you're at the finish in plenty of time to catch the actual finish and have your kids cheering on dad. It's a special moment that you'll all remember forever.

Amazing rides to the finish. Congrats to all three for a great race and keeping us at the edge of our virtual seats.

I think Neil and JayP are running out of time.

"I'm happy, I'm super happy! I'm having a lot of fun out here man, it's awesome!"

As he puts the hammer down. Super impressive!

Is the stretch from White Signal to Separ the last of the dirt? Pavement until White Signal & pavement after Separ all the way to the border?

Wayne

The frontage road after Separ is also dirt/broken pavement. So really, the right turn after the frontage road is where the final pavement stretch begins.

I tend to agree.  But these guys have been slugging it out for 2500+ miles.  Whatever they decide is ok by me.  They've earned the right to do it however they'd like.  

Well said JRA. These guys can finish the race however they see fit. Afterwards, I'm sure we'll hear more about the reasoning for whatever decision they make.

It's going to be a fantastic finish however it plays out.

And now for some washboard and sand!

Great, now I'm going to have more nightmares about the miles and miles of NM washboard that can suck the life right out of you.

Guess if you had 29+ tires, that's where they would shine. After 2000 miles of riding, you get to be a little more comfy than the rest of the pack.

Is the Union Pass reroute a permanent change or just something for this year due to construction, road conditions, etc?

Sorry to bring up what I didn't realize was the annual rules discussion here. Didn't mean to open a can of worms. But thanks for your replies.

No worries. The forum has a way of getting too deep into the "rules" talk. I think a separate thread for that type of discussion is perfectly reasonable. For this thread, let's keep it to topics about enjoying the race, following along, and being supportive of the journey each rider is making.

Yes, please, let's avoid the annual "rules discussion in the race thread!"  

Amen to that! The riders are out there pushing themselves to their limit and in many cases, past their limits. Kudos to them for getting out there to test themselves. It's great seeing all the smiling faces in Ovando and Polaris.

Hi everyone. I am absolutely loving this years TD. However...
I have a question that I'm sure many of you may have already considered.
What do you think about the use of drop bars and cyclocross bikes in what is considered a mountainbike race?

The road surfaces might be too much to tolerate on a cross bike, especially in NM with all of the washboard. I don't think people would have an issue with someone riding a cross bike. It's a bike race so any bike counts in my opinion.

Great to see all of the smiling faces in Ovando. Although, I think it's impossible not to be smiling after all of the hospitality everyone shows towards the riders in Ovando. Thanks Angler and everyone else in Ovando. 

The ride itself is amazing, but the towns like Ovando take the whole experience up to another level.

And how about the top 5 women all within 20 miles of each other as they head towards Richmond Peak.

Tell Connor to hang in there. Last year, Calvin Decker came through Ovando somewhere around 15th-20th place and then proceeded to pass everyone but Jefe. Granted, an injury makes it a little bit different, but a lot can change in the next 10-15 days of racing.

I'm looking at getting a Luxos U because of the USB charger that's built in.  Makes sense that it can't charge a GPS via USB and run the light at the same time. 

Are there any dynamo setups that can do that over multiple days of night riding?  Or is it just a limitation of the output from the dynamo and at night I would have to rely on GPS battery power?

For me, the full frame bag offers a lot more options for gear and water.  With the full bag, you can store a bladder with the hose running out of the bag, a bottle for mixes, and still have room for gear.  Having the ability to carry all of your hydration in the frame bag and get it off of your back is a big benefit.