2011 Tour Divide

[flatfishy]

Kev, Found my crossmarks to be good for rolling(and plenty of cornering grip) at last years WRT, I've had them on all year until the start of december, as the name of the company suggests my tyres arrived next day from gloucestershire http://www.nextdaytyres.com/Tyres/Maxxis/Crossmark-29.aspx

[Slowerthensnot]

I noticed that 4 people are lined up to start in AW, rather than the more traditional GD in Banff. Is AW also considered a GD? Is there any difference in terms of results, GC, etc?

Aside from the relative difficulty of having to read the maps backwards, any reason why it should be more (or less) challenging?

I'm going south to  north to maybe catch some cooler weather in NM and let the snow melt out a bit more in mt....

[Mathewsen]

Getting down to the real business TD rookies and even sophomores need to know: Where are the brew pubs on route? Search criteria are not ideal for vagabonding. One ought to be able to search by a KML file. Maybe Scott can whip up some TF code for them.

[BobM]

Getting down to the real business TD rookies and even sophomores need to know: Where are the brew pubs on route? Search criteria are not ideal for vagabonding. One ought to be able to search by a KML file. Maybe Scott can whip up some TF code for them.

Wow, Matthew is actually worried about the competition this year and is trying to entice them into taking long breaks.  Pretty transparent, Matthew.

[Markley]

I was wondering when that would come out about the 'palaces of brew'. I always enjoy a couple of those in the evenings after a long days ride. If anyone is alongside me in the evenings, I'm always up for that. In the Trans Alp last year, my racing buddy and I made that a tradition every night. Goes a long ways toward recovery. Matthew, any don't miss pubs along the route, please share.
Cheers

[Jeff Tomassetti]

Hmmm, A new symbol for my map, the beer mug.

[6thElement]

Talking of beer the random 6-pack I bought on Saturday was from the Great Divide Brewery, it seemed appropriate

[Slowerthensnot]

Getting down to the real business TD rookies and even sophomores need to know: Where are the brew pubs on route? Search criteria are not ideal for vagabonding. One ought to be able to search by a KML file. Maybe Scott can whip up some TF code for them.

Excellent!

[Blackhound]

Cheers Taylor.  Just spoke to Hotlines and they are hoping for an earlier delivery of Nano's. 

[Roland Sturm]

Getting down to the real business TD rookies and even sophomores need to know: Where are the brew pubs on route? Search criteria are not ideal for vagabonding. One ought to be able to search by a KML file. Maybe Scott can whip up some TF code for them.

That reveals the urgent need for some rerouting in New Mexico. The second longest state and nothing  remotely on the route. I've sampled the brews in Pinedale and some CO places in the past. But NM is going to be a dry spell (Deming is the closest to the route).

[Slowerthensnot]

That reveals the urgent need for some rerouting in New Mexico. The second longest state and nothing  remotely on the route. I've sampled the brews in Pinedale and some CO places in the past. But NM is going to be a dry spell (Deming is the closest to the route).

If i remembering correctly a few places to wet your whistle in sliver city =)

[Roland Sturm]

If i remembering correctly a few places to wet your whistle in sliver city =)

Silver City is nice, plenty of places, although maybe just not their own brews. Certainly there is a chance to get non-junk food, I don't want to miss out on that last chance.

I saw that you discussed a noon start in AW earlier in this thread, but I think 9 would make for a less miserable first day. I definitely want to be able to make dinner in SC. Starting at noon into 95 degrees and likely headwinds will make those 120 miles tough. June is the hottest month in Hachita (although July is almost identical).

 The disadvantage of starting in AW is that at least throughout NM, the odds for headwind are against us, prevailing winds are from the north or west this time of the year in Deming, Silver, Grants. So pavement or not, I don't count on getting to SC in less than 10 hours and likely more. Quite a bit more if it turns out to be a really hot day (not just 95 degrees, the average high) with wind. I haven't ridden that stretch, so you know better.

[Jeff Tomassetti]

as is the case with the people in canada, air canada are more friendly--and more posh--than us-based airlines. my flight from nc last year: $230, and bike tariff $50 http://www.aircanada.com/en/travelinfo/airport/baggage/sports_equip.html#-bike-arch

OK, That makes sense, but do you get a one way ticket and deal with the AW extraction separately?

[Slowerthensnot]

Silver City is nice, plenty of places, although maybe just not their own brews. Certainly there is a chance to get non-junk food, I don't want to miss out on that last chance.

I saw that you discussed a noon start in AW earlier in this thread, but I think 9 would make for a less miserable first day. I definitely want to be able to make dinner in SC. Starting at noon into 95 degrees and likely headwinds will make those 120 miles tough. June is the hottest month in Hachita (although July is almost identical).

 The disadvantage of starting in AW is that at least throughout NM, the odds for headwind are against us, prevailing winds are from the north or west this time of the year in Deming, Silver, Grants. So pavement or not, I don't count on getting to SC in less than 10 hours and likely more. Quite a bit more if it turns out to be a really hot day (not just 95 degrees, the average high) with wind. I haven't ridden that stretch, so you know better.

I'm open to a 9am start... just that AW is kinna way away from everything ect...  trying to not have those starting out from tucson at 3am    namely myself

[firetwofire]

I'm open to a 9am start... just that AW is kinna way away from everything ect...  trying to not have those starting out from tucson at 3am    namely myself

I have not put in my letter yet but I am an AW starter and I would be open for a 9am start. Heck let’s make it earlier.

[Roland Sturm]

Staging is awkward for sure. The Texas Eagle delivers you to Deming at 6am (leaving Tucson at 1am) and that would be Thursday (because it doesn't run Fridays). I plan to be on that train.

So I expect to arrive at Deming or Lordsburg on Thursday early morning and either stay there or make my way to Hachita, depending on what I eventually find for a shuttle for the last stretch. Deming or Lordsburg is about as far away as seems reasonable to get to AW that morning, Hachita would be better, maybe camp at Sam Hughes who hopefully still does AW runs. Didn't you start in AW before? How did you do it then?  

I have not put in my letter yet but I am an AW starter and I would be open for a 9am start. Heck let’s make it earlier.

Well, yeah, starting really early would be best to avoid heat on the pavement, it is probably the worst stretch in that respect. And if there is a wind, it'll be coming from the north or northwest and can be brutal, so it'll be a long day. The N-S riders are always flying on that stretch, so if they do 20+ mph, we'll be doing 10. June 10, 2010 in Silver City was max wind speed of 22 mph with gusts up to 40, from NWN, got similar numbers for other years. The sooner we start the better because wind picks up by 11. But AW isn't a campground and I wouldn't know what the border patrol thinks about having some campers out there. Maybe one of the veterans knows Tim and could check with him? Otherwise, hotel in Deming or Lordsburg or camping in Hachita seems to be the best choice and that makes 9 am about the earliest manageable time if we want to treat it like a Grand Depart.

[Slowerthensnot]

Staging is awkward for sure. The Texas Eagle delivers you to Deming at 6am (leaving Tucson at 1am) and that would be Thursday (because it doesn't run Fridays). I plan to be on that train.

So I expect to arrive at Deming or Lordsburg on Thursday early morning and either stay there or make my way to Hachita, depending on what I eventually find for a shuttle for the last stretch. Deming or Lordsburg is about as far away as seems reasonable to get to AW that morning, Hachita would be better, maybe camp at Sam Hughes who hopefully still does AW runs. Didn't you start in AW before? How did you do it then?   

I did a noon start and had a friend drive me in from tucson....

[trebor]

Anyone taken the train from Deming to El Paso before? How was it?

[DenisVTT]

So to try summing up the pros and cons of starting in AW:

Pros:

- A little less hot in the South around Jun 10 than around Jun 30 (but not much)
- Less muddy and less snow in the North around Jun 30 than around Jun 10
- Fewer risks of having full motels in the first couple of days
- Easier terrain at the beginning, so better way to ease into the race (personal preference)
- Easier to get out of Banff at the end than to get out of AW

Cons:

- Head wind from AW to Silver City (how about the rest of the route, aren't the winds mostly north-south all along?)
- Difficulty to get to AW, especially for a 9am GD
- Maps are written for a north-south ride. That also includes mileage, which would have to be recalculated backwards. Might be confusing enough to occasionally make a route mistake*.
- Harder finish, with plenty of climbing towards the end
- Might be a little less fun to start with just 4 guys, as opposed to a 50+ group. Also, fewer chances to make friends with fellow GD racers along the way

Anything to add? How about the GC, are the AW starters tracked and ranked the same way as the Banff starters?

* How about the GPS tracks, can they easily be followed backwards?

PS: in 2006, I rode non competitively the New Mexico portion of the route from AW to Cuba, NM in late May with 2 friends. Temps were OK, I do not recall head winds (memory may have faded,) but I do recall making a couple of mistakes trying to follow the map backwards. If it says turn right at the FR142 sign, you have to not only turn left (OK, you get used to that,) but you also have to see the sign, which might only be visible from the other side. Anybody with similar (or different) experience?

[MrWaves]

But AW isn't a campground and I wouldn't know what the border patrol thinks about having some campers out there. Maybe one of the veterans knows Tim and could check with him? Otherwise, hotel in Deming or Lordsburg or camping in Hachita seems to be the best choice and that makes 9 am about the earliest manageable time if we want to treat it like a Grand Depart.

They are probably still building the new border post, so the car park will be a mud bath at best. I camped there in the rain last Summer. The problem will be that the border patrol will stop you if you are in a car driving towards the border after it shuts. Also the best way from El Paso is probably the greyhound, it goes more often than the train, but you will need to have your bike boxed for transit - not sure if that is true of the train.