 Topic Name: Cycling the TD solo?
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on: February 28, 2015, 02:25:47 PM
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flanagaj
Location: Dorset, England
Posts: 171
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« on: February 28, 2015, 02:25:47 PM » |
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Hi All,
Originally I thought that racing the TD in June along with everyone else was the way to go, but after deliberating it I have concluded that riding it at my own pace is how I want to go about it. Just waiting for a decision from my boss regarding my 8 weeks off work Aug/Sept 2015. Worst case scenario I am going for 40 days riding, but hope I can tackle it in a much shorter time frame ~ 30 days.
I appreciate that I am quite likely to bump into other people along the way, but just wanted to post whether it is totally crazy to attempt this on your own, or whether it is ok. Only reason I ask is that Adventure Cycling do not recommend doing this route alone.
Thanks
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Topic Name: Cycling the TD solo?
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Reply #1 on: February 28, 2015, 02:48:37 PM
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harryonaspot
Posts: 405
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« Reply #1 on: February 28, 2015, 02:48:37 PM » |
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I think k you would be fine. You will run into many other riders. I can't see any reason not to go for it. We saw several so!o riders 5 years ago. Adventure Cycling tends to err on the safe side of things. The book will make you a bit paranoid about the difficulty of things. I think it was written with their usual clientele in mind( road tourers wanting to go "off road".) Just go and enjoy!
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Topic Name: Cycling the TD solo?
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Reply #2 on: February 28, 2015, 11:56:16 PM
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flanagaj
Location: Dorset, England
Posts: 171
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« Reply #2 on: February 28, 2015, 11:56:16 PM » |
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I think k you would be fine. You will run into many other riders. I can't see any reason not to go for it. We saw several so!o riders 5 years ago. Adventure Cycling tends to err on the safe side of things. The book will make you a bit paranoid about the difficulty of things. I think it was written with their usual clientele in mind( road tourers wanting to go "off road".) Just go and enjoy!
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It was after reading the book that I started to think "err, is this a good idea?". Thanks for putting my mind at rest regarding meeting other riders along the way. That is the reason for riding solo. I really enjoy meeting and chatting to strangers along the way. That to me is part of the appeal of riding solo. Fingers crossed my boss does not refuse my extended leave request |
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Topic Name: Cycling the TD solo?
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Reply #3 on: March 01, 2015, 04:18:07 AM
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harryonaspot
Posts: 405
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« Reply #3 on: March 01, 2015, 04:18:07 AM » |
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I just reread your post. Most people ride July and August. That said, I read about more and more people going later. So you will see less people than I first thought. But if you plan on a 30+ day trip, you will catch up to people in Colorado. I still say go. There are lots of people using campgrounds etc besides TD riders
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Topic Name: Cycling the TD solo?
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Reply #4 on: March 01, 2015, 06:02:43 AM
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AZTtripper
Moderator
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 1732
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« Reply #4 on: March 01, 2015, 06:02:43 AM » |
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Does the ACA recommend any of their routes solo? I only did a quick scan of the Divide page and didn't see anything mentioned either way. If it weren't for riding solo I never could have done my AZT tours at the pace I did. I met an Englishman riding the Southern Tier just the other day. Total fluke that I would end up walking the dogs, and he would be my local bike path at the same time. We ended up bs'ing for almost an hour.
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Topic Name: Cycling the TD solo?
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Reply #5 on: March 01, 2015, 01:06:33 PM
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offroute
Posts: 326
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« Reply #5 on: March 01, 2015, 01:06:33 PM » |
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Hi flan,
Sounds like a reasonable plan with requisite preparation. A SPOT or personal locator beacon could serve to ease a rider's mind, if not save his life in an emergency. Carrying a PLB makes my solo outings more enjoyable.
Congrats on ditching the race and riding it yourself. That sounds like way more fun. Cheers...
PS: Don't swim/surf/kayak alone; don't climb alone; don't go into avy country alone; don't MTB alone... We've heard them all. I take it to mean be an expert with copious fortitude and be willing to assume some additional risk.
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« Last Edit: March 01, 2015, 01:13:31 PM by offroute »
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Topic Name: Cycling the TD solo?
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Reply #6 on: March 01, 2015, 01:15:15 PM
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offroute
Posts: 326
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« Reply #6 on: March 01, 2015, 01:15:15 PM » |
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+1 AZT...always faster, fewer mechanicals.
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Topic Name: Cycling the TD solo?
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Reply #7 on: March 01, 2015, 02:54:02 PM
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sfuller
Location: Central Iowa
Posts: 324
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« Reply #7 on: March 01, 2015, 02:54:02 PM » |
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When I did the north half of the Montana section last summer, I saw at least 3 solo riders, including one woman. It's possible to do solo.
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Topic Name: Cycling the TD solo?
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Reply #8 on: March 03, 2015, 01:00:51 PM
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SlowRide
Location: Clark, CO
Posts: 215
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« Reply #8 on: March 03, 2015, 01:00:51 PM » |
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Definitely doable solo, look at all the ITT's that have made it. Just gotta trust yourself and manage your risks, same as any backcountry adventure. Have fun!!
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Going that one more round, when you don't think you can. That's what makes all the difference in your life. --Rocky Balboa http://twelvemilesperhour.blogspot.comTDR 2014, AZTR750 2015, CTR 2015 |
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Topic Name: Cycling the TD solo?
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Reply #9 on: March 03, 2015, 08:19:56 PM
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bpeschka
Location: Chandler, AZ
Posts: 179
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« Reply #9 on: March 03, 2015, 08:19:56 PM » |
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flanagaj, If you're talking about racing TD, per your original posting, it has always looked to me as if the rules intended the race to be solo. Look at http://tourdivide.org/the_rules The descriptive header says "The Tour Divide challenge is based on one guiding principle: Cycle the GDMBR end-to-end, as fast as possible in a solo, self-supported fashion."This is what first drew me to TD. Solo and Self Supported. As pointed out in earlier posts, look at all the ITTs (and many of the GDs) who have ridden the course by themselves. See you out there ... |
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