Yep, looking right now like it's Josh - Neil - Jay

But as mentioned, lots of miles ahead!

I'm leaning towards camera tricks, as Seb D and Dylan T pics have sim 'phantom spoke' effect in their respective rear wheels.  Not quite as 'phantom' as in the Neil B pic, but there.  Fascinating.

I certainly hope that's the case.  As a wheel builder it's the first thing I noticed, and there's nothing I can really do to help him at this point.  He's got a few spare spokes, but I hope he only needs them for roasting marshmallows or something like that.  Dealing with those internal nipples would be a pain out on the side of the road somewhere.

The guy who built Neil's wheelset noticed that it looks like he's missing some spokes up front -- anybody have any intel on that?

Hey, Dustin from Southern Wheelworks here!  I just swapped messages with his girlfriend and she said they talked a good bit last night and he didn't mention it...so I'm hoping it's just a trick of the camera or something.  I PM'd the photographer to see if he knew anything about it or had a higher resolution version of the photo he could send me.

It's been fun watching the race this year, those guys are FLYING!

Looking at the TD leaderboard it says he's on a SS with a 32x19 gear....is that right!?!?!?!?!  26" or 29"?

Got em!     Thanks gentlemen.

Good luck to everyone making a go at the TD this year!!    

Hello bikepackers!  I'm one of the bloggers for Singletracks.com and I'm putting together a post about the Tour Divide, just telling people what it is and how they can follow it.  It will be posted sometime next week.  Would any of you be so kind to let me use some of your pictures in the article?  You'll get the photo credit, and I'll link to your site/blog if you have one.  I only need about four or five pics.  I'd appreciate it! 

Another spammer 

After threatening to go bikepacking for several months I finally did it this weekend.  Seenvic and I went out for a short overnighter as a shakedown of our equipment, in preparations for a longer trip eventually.  Here's how it went, what worked well, and what didn't work so well.

I've been slowly acquiring gear over the last year, a few things here and there, whenever I find good sales basically.   Temps were forecasted to drop down to around 43 degrees Saturday night, so we had to bring enough clothes to stay warm.

Please excuse the crappy iPhone pics.


This is my hammock broke down ready for packing.


The hammock went into this frame bag.  I decided to put the rain fly in the exterior pocket of the camelbak though.


Clothes to wear around camp and my sleeping bag all packed down into....


...this dry bag, which got strapped to my handlebars.


The Jabberwocky loaded up and ready to ride.  Weight came out just under 30lbs.


When I first put the bag onto the bars I had a problem - it was all up in my grips and brakes.  So, I took this bungee cord and used it to keep the bag bent back out of the way.  After taking the pic I re-routed the bungee below the down tube.  I wasn't sure how well this would work.


Everything else went into my Camelbak HAWG.  Here's the full list:
-70oz of water
-arm/leg warmers
-pot/pan/knife/fork/spoon (all titanium and crazy light)
-scotch pad
-stove and fuel can
-plastic bowl
-rain fly for hammock
-lighter
-first aid kit
-SAM splint
-pump
-saw
-small duct tape roll
-toilet paper
-ramen noodles
-beef jerky
-trail mix
-candy bar
-toothbrush and toothpaste
-contact solution and case
-prescription glasses and case
-light to use around camp
The jacket didn't fit, so I didn't take it.  Which was a mistake.


It was totally full.  It wasn't as heavy as I expected though.  Threw it on my scale and it came out to 13.25lbs


Seenvic took a different approach.  Bivy strapped to the seat post, food on the bars, everything else in his camelbak.  It was huge.  Apparently I didn't get any pics of it though.


An old school Camelbak Bandito strapped to the bars.

So all loaded up, we started our ride at the southern end of Turkey Creek, and headed north on the singletrack.  My bike set up worked perfectly.  The dry bag stayed right where I put it on the bars.  It stayed out of the way of my brake levers and grips, and it didn't hit my knees when I was out of the saddle climbing.  My bike felt heavier for sure, but it rode like normal.  The weight on the front end didn't effect the steering at all.  I rode just like normal.  Log hops were no problem.  My camelbak didn't feel that bad.  I tightened the lumbar straps pretty tight, and it put almost all the weight onto my hips, not my shoulders, and it was comfortable.

Seenvic's bike set up didn't work as well, we had to stop several times to adjust/move things around.  First, the bivy sac came loose, so we moved it to the bars, and seenvic said the weight on the front of his did change the steering feel, especially at low speed.  Then his sleeping pad fell out, so we had to put it back in again.

We rode all of Turkey, and a little over 3 miles of Wine, and found a nice camping spot.  A flat area just off the trail next to a creek bed.


The creek bed was mostly dry, just a few puddles here and there.  We used some rocks out of here to build a fire ring.


We set up camp and got a fire going just before we ran out of light.


My hammock.  I used the support line to hang up clothes to dry - I'd be wearing them again the next day to ride back.


Seenvic used a bivy sac to sleep in.

Once it got dark we ate, roasted some marshmallows on the camp fire and just hung out.  A little after 9pm we went to bed.  Temps were starting to drop and it was getting cool.  I initially got in my sleeping bag wearing just a pair of boxers, and I was comfy.  Went to sleep quickly.  But then a few hours later I woke up, and I was cold.  Put on some clothes and went back to sleep...for a little while.  But then I woke up cold again.  I had heard that hammocks sleep cold, since you aren't insulated on one side like you are when sleeping on the ground.  I had hoped my bag would be warm enough (it's rated to be comfortable at 36 degrees, temps were forecasted to get down to 43), but it wasn't.  So I tossed and turned the rest of the night, not sleeping for more than just a few minutes at a time.  I'm guessing I got about 3 or 4 hours of sleep total.

Seenvic stayed warm and cozy all night in his bivy sac. 

Once daylight finally started creeping into the sky I got up to pee, after putting on my arm and leg warmers and jersey beneath my pants and long sleeve shirt.  Seenvic got up as well, and we got another fire going.


The fire worked really well for warming up our clothes before putting them on - just like pulling something straight out of the dryer.

Ate some oatmeal, tore down camp, put out the fire, and rode the 10.7 miles back to the car.


Seenvic tried putting his sleeping pad on the seat post.  It made to the Big Dip before it fell out.  Back onto the Camelbak it went. 

The trip was a success.  What we had worked (mostly), but we both learned a lot for next time.  I need to find a way to stay warmer, and Seenvic needs a better way to put stuff on the bike.

I'm going to find something to put beneath my sleeping bag inside the hammock that should insulate me better and let me stay warm...like a fleece blanket or something.  I'm also going to simplify my glasses/contacts.  I'm just going to wear my prescription glasses next time, then I wont need to carry the contact solution and case, or the case for the prescription glasses.  I'm also going to think long and hard about the stove/fuel/pot/pan/etc.  While it was nice having warm food, I'm not sure if it was worth the bulk of all that stuff.  I may also look at a way to put either a rear rack or large seat bag on the back of the bike to carry clothes and other light weight stuff, to get some weight/bulk off my back.

All in all it was a really fun trip.  And the many possibilities longer, multiday rides are fun to think about...I just need to find a way to get away from all my responsibilites for 3 or 4 days.

Nice job, Cricket!

I think Karlos deserves a special medal when he finishes for keeping his chin up!

+1

It was damn near heart breaking hearing his call in saying he was pulling out of the race because of flats, you could hear the dissapointment in his voice.  Then he came back on and said he got some tubes and was continuing on!  I was stoked to hear that lol.

Anyone know if Eddie O. is moving?  His SPOT hasn't updated in a while.

If he is, looks like him, Matt Lee, and Brad Kee are all VERY close.  Should be an exciting finish!

Looks like matt lee is way ahead now.

I bought a jannd bag, but it was too small for my needs, and didn't fit my jabberwocky well at all.

I recently had a Specialized BG FIT done, and I've been very happy with the results.  I bought a new pair of shoes (Specialized BG Comp) at the same time.

We moved my cleats back, moved the saddle up about 1cm and back a lot, I actually had to get a setback post because the straight post wouldn't allow the seat to go back far enough.  We left my bars alone.

Before the fit, my knees would pivot in on the downstroke.  It never hurt or bothered me though, but I had noticed it.  Now, my knees track straight up and down, with no side to side movement.  I'd attribute that fix mostly to the shoes, and the 'varus' (or whatever it's called) they have built in.  Also, since my cleat is further back on the shoe, I rely less on my calf for power/ankle support.

The result of all this is WAY more power, and I feel much more solid and stable on the bike.  I find myself getting up hills with less effort than before, and out of the saddle hammering I can really feel the extra power (I can feel some frame flex I never noticed before).

I'm in very much a head down a$$ up position, but it's comfy.  My fitter told me my bars were about as low as my flexibility would allow, and I may end up wanting to move them up a touch.  I did feel a little too stretched out at first, but after a few rides I got use to it.  Now, if I was going on a multiday ride...I might move them up a little.

Looking to do a 5ish hour ride tomorrow, which will be my first ride over 3hrs since getting the fitting.

Anyone have one of these yet?

http://www.revelatedesigns.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=store.catalog&CategoryID=1&ProductID=5

How do you like it?  What frame have you used it on, and how did it fit?  What all do you use it for?

I ordered one yesterday, and it's on its way to me.  Will post pics whenever I get it.

Hello everyone.  Just introducing myself.  Been lurking around here for a while, read many of the ride reports.  All good stuff!

I live in the southeast - Augusta, GA actually.  We don't have mtns here, but we do have trails.  Lots of them, over 160 miles of singletrack, most of it can be connected easily via paved and gravel roads.  We will soon have two different metric century routes, one of which has 55 miles of singletrack, plus we have the 37 miles of singletrack at FATS (the only IMBA Epic in South Carolina).  We're hosting the 2010 IMBA World Summit - so if you come, you'll probably see me around.

I've been wanting to try some bikepacking for a while, but haven't wanted to spend the money on some light weight gear.  A few months ago my cousin invited me to go with him on a week long AT hike this summer, so I figured this was a good excuse to start piecing together some gear.

Going for my first bikepacking "trip" this weekend.  Due to scheduling conflicts (lots of work, buying a house, and parents coming to visit) it's going to be a quick short ride, only 10 miles total.  A few miles Sat. night, camp, and a few miles back to the car Sun. morning.

I'm using this mostly as a way to test my gear...and a quick vacation for some quiet time after a stressful week.

I'm riding a rigid Jabberwocky, strapping the sleeping bag to the bars, using a Jandd frame bag, and a HAWG camelbak.  Sleeping in a Hennessey Hammock - first time trying this thing out.  I'm looking forward to it!