2011 Tour Divide

[trebor]

this personal comfort conversation carries a lot of wieght. on a quick over-nighter this weekend we saw night time/early morning temps in the 30's here in central florida. i've experienced cold while living in alaska for 3 years so, though i'm in florida now, i'm not unfamilier with cold weather suffering. however shivering at 4 AM and putting on every single layer of clothing i had, made me feel like getting on the bike again. including my rain pants.

i liked that i didn't have to shiver for 5 or 6 miles of riding to warm up and that i could take layers off as i got warmer.

it is not faster. no argument there. but it allowed me to move forward with much less hesitation. less regret even.

[Marshal]

Not that I'd know, we've been in drought for the last 10 years, I don't own anything that resembles rain pants and if there was any part of my "race" prep that'd let me down it would be here, but I would have thought if you had the conditions Jill described, you're going to get cold and wet no matter what you're wearing.  the Chaps style pants, even more so... ??

I'm a little paranoid about it though.  Being cold and wet is something that's not entirely within my comfort zone and hard for me to get "Experience" on.   It would first have to get cold, and more importantly, wet...  Then again, I've raced at Canmore in July with storms and sleet, maybe I don't need to?

Dealing with the Basin concerns me less.  It's two fixed end points within a days ride across reasonable terrain.  It would seem to me it's a straight out hydration rate vs temp & weather vs time problem (though the prevailing winds could be a problem if I end up heading north .  I'd be more worried about rocking into a small town hoping for a guaranteed source to find it shut up as Jefe pointed out

The GPS thing I'll have to think about.  I've only used my Garmin as a glorified bike computer in the past and there's some psychological comfort to having the maps anyway.  I don't know, but there's a hurdle I need to get over to start following just an arrow on a screen.   That and the thought of having to change/charge batteries every day as one more thing to worry about kind of bothers me...

But again, maybe I am just being silly

Cheers
Craig

Clothing:
You will get cold sometimes during the TDR, no way around it.  And you will most likely get wet, possibly even soaking wet.

But when the cold happens, to keep riding effectively, in descending order of importance you need to protect—
1 body core/chest area
2 hands (2 & 3 might flop for some)
3 feet
4 ears
5 legs. 

When riding hard legs are working the most and hence generating heat and are usually the last area that need ‘extra’ layers.  This is of course why you can get by with less layers on your legs.

No Rain pant will keep your legs very dry under typical TDR conditions but they do trap heat and make great wind screens on the down hills.  It is this wind protection that is of real benefit in keeping one legs warm.  This wind protection is why I think a pair of rain ‘chaps’ would be a good compromise for extra wind protection--they would be quicker on/off, light weight and good packability.

However if keeping your legs warm (independent of self generated heat) is a main concern then imo the absolute best solution for the TDR is a pair of water resistant tights with front facing wind blocking panels/materials.  They will truly add warmth (without all the trapped sweat) in the more common cold/dry conditions—ie almost every morning.  And they will add warmth and wind protection in cold wet conditions.  All in all this would be a much more useful piece of ‘multi-function-extra’ clothing for the TDR.  They would be more comfortable-rider friendly for hours in the saddle. Could be part of your sleep system and if padded could be worn as a washed pair of shorts are drying out.

Basin:
You have this one nailed imo—'if' the conditions are favorable it really is not a big deal, it’s actually one of the easier sections from a physical effort point of view.

GPS:
Replacing GPS batteries might seem a concern at 1st, but with a bit complementary gear selection for instant back up---In addition to the spare batteries in my spare GPS unit I also had a Steri UV pen that uses 4 AA lithium’s and a Dinotte 200W head lamp that uses 4 lithium batteries.  I also had a iGo phone recharger that uses 2 AA lithiums.  And Lithium batteries last 24+ hrs in my Garmin etrex Vista (or a Legend HCx unit).  Or 2 to 2.5 days between change outs.  And even lithium’s are now relatively easy to find along the route.  In the end I never came close to running short of GPS power.

At first you do seem to just 'follow an arrow', but after some use all that goes away and the GPS becomes a in-the-background unit that lets you enjoy the ride even more by eliminateing all the usual nav issues.

[Marshal]

it is not faster. no argument there. but it allowed me to move forward with much less hesitation. less regret even.

Ahh, you get to the real ‘heart of the matter’.  A strategy of bringing a bit more weight=comfort=less hesitation=more daily miles=better odds of reaching AW is very valid imo and not to be dismissed.  Pre-TDR I bounced back and forth between that and a ‘go-all-out-race-light’ strategy. ie a Matt Lee approach.  Like most racers I sort of split between the two.

However, all I can say now is that the length of the TDR changed my perspective quite a bit.  Over time the daily and unavoidable discomforts really do fade into the background.  You seem to become more indifferent to minor aches and pains, bad food, wind, rain, sun, lack of sleep and cold that would normally have you adding layers. 
The more time that goes by, the more I became immersed in the ‘experience’, the less I needed some of my well thought out ‘extra-just in case items’.
To me luxury became my headband on my ears, my toe covers on my feet and my e-vent mit shells over my gloves.  Every time I put them on I knew my ears, feet and hands would not hurt so much, ahh that’s true TDR bliss.  Anything else became just hated extra weight, weight that was holding me back.  Because only the finish or dnf brings a true return to normalcy and comfort.

This is part of why I say go as light as you can (with respect to reason and personal limits) to increase the odds of finishing.  I am sure it has or will happen—someone goes too light and dnfs, but I can not recall of anyone dropping because they started with to minimal of a kit.

[BobM]

... I can not recall of anyone dropping because they started with to minimal of a kit.

And LOTS of people who send home big packages of heavy gear from northern Montana.  I figure things like socks, long undies, fresh jersey, etc, are pretty easy to come by along the route so why carry them from Banff.

Bob

[Boney]

Speaking of shaving weight, I'm thinking I might ditch the passport and get one of these: http://travel.state.gov/passport/ppt_card/ppt_card_3926.html.

Actually, I'm just kind of attached to my visa pages and feel like it'd be worth $30 to not have to worry about losing them along the route.

[Nathan Jones]

Speaking of shaving weight, I'm thinking I might ditch the passport and get one of these: http://travel.state.gov/passport/ppt_card/ppt_card_3926.html.

Actually, I'm just kind of attached to my visa pages and feel like it'd be worth $30 to not have to worry about losing them along the route.

The card is the way to go, plus it's cheap!  I'm doing the same.

[BobM]

Speaking of shaving weight, I'm thinking I might ditch the passport and get one of these:
Actually, I'm just kind of attached to my visa pages and feel like it'd be worth $30 to not have to worry about losing them along the route.

I already have a passport, so the plan is just to mail it home from the first open post office over the border.

[wookieone]

More questions, any one have an idea what the greatest mechanical failure is out there in Divide racing land. Seems everyone breaks stuff, obviously drivetrains/derailers seem to get trashed via the mud, curious if many folks have had other issues? I am most concerned about my suspension fork, if I take it and hydro brakes, if I take those. I mean, I am paranoid so I worry about everything from stems, handlebars, frames, freehubs, etc etc I need to relax and just take it as it comes, but mitigation is key.....

[Slowerthensnot]

More questions, any one have an idea what the greatest mechanical failure is out there in Divide racing land. Seems everyone breaks stuff, obviously drivetrains/derailers seem to get trashed via the mud, curious if many folks have had other issues? I am most concerned about my suspension fork, if I take it and hydro brakes, if I take those. I mean, I am paranoid so I worry about everything from stems, handlebars, frames, freehubs, etc etc I need to relax and just take it as it comes, but mitigation is key.....

I know of forks crapping out and a few xt freehub's blowing.... Mcfee cracked a surly km, a few seats, a few seatposts (although i think that was more due to seatpost racks)  Joe tore off a hanger on his fargo.... Thats what i'm aware of

[novrmyhed]

How about those of you who wear contacts? Do y'all bring solution? Just wear prescription sunglasses? Dailies?

[Marshal]

I lost air in the top chamber of my RockShox fork  -had air added at the Outdoorsman in Butt-was good for rest of race.  I have since lost air one other time in this fork.  Had I had my ‘heavier’ multi shock/tire pump this one would have been a total non issue

I lost hydraulic pressure in my rear brake.  This forced me to walk down the snowy Fleecer Ridge, one of my more minor TDR disappointments.  But other than that and the ‘lost’ time getting it fixed in Pinedale WY it was no big deal.  Other than some extra caution on some faster downhills one brake is fine till you get the other fixed on down the route.

At Orange Peel Bikes in Steamboat I had the fork inspected, and ‘need it or not’ I got new-- BB30 bearings, rear tire, stans, chain, cassette and middle ring installed.

I think a rigid front fork is worth considering for the obvious weight and simplicity benefits.  But I would test to see if I personally could deal with the added body stress.

Mechanical Disk brakes would be fine for the TDR.  I would not go out of my way to buy a pair.  But if building up from scratch I would seriously consider them.

I took a spare hanger and considered bringing a cheap/simple SS jockey wheel for a ‘get-by’ derailleur spare

edit: oh I also broke a pedal retaining clip/spring --replaced them in Frisco CO

[Marshal]

How about those of you who wear contacts? Do y'all bring solution? Just wear prescription sunglasses? Dailies?

I need reading glasses to read my GPS etc --I used these (and had a set with the clear lens from which I took just the lens and swithced lens each morning/night)

http://www.cli-maxridinggear.com/servlet/the-16/Motorcycle-Bifocal-Sunglasses%2C-Fishing/Detail

[Mathewsen]

any idea what the greatest mechanical failure is out there in Divide racing land.

Probably Seratonin synthesis...but beyond that, anything on your bike with bearings, pivots, seals, rubber, bolts are vulnerable. It's a good idea to start a Divide attempt on lightly used (ie. tested sufficiently for lemon-factor) but relatively new parts.

Losing bolts unknowingly can cause other failures (ie. fold a chain ring b/c your chain ring bolts back out), destroy a crank arm b/c a pedal backs out and you strip the threads, or you lose a crank bolt. Others: destroying a tire can be a buzz-kill. Be prepared to sew/tape/super glue one up. A freewheel might fail if you train on it all spring and forget to overhaul it b/f racing; breaking spokes is a possibility, BBs can fail (but usually not catastrophically), pedals can fail at several points. Less and less you see people using racks, but they too can break. in `06 in NM I broke the anchor-head (name?) off my rear shifter cable. I would have been hosed without a replacement shifter cable. Extra brake pads are good to carry, but i've never had XTR hydraulics fail me (i only run dual-control, though)--certainly give `em a bleed and check/recheck hoses/connections. Replace your chain half-way through the route if you want to get any post-Divide miles out of your drivetrain. What else? Oh, you could melt a rotor if you were really stupid about it (like on fleecer), but generally the Divide only requires 6" rotor-stopping power.

Fancy, untested stuff i am blanking on could be an unknown weakness, too. Belt drive? internally geared hubs? generator hubs? Whatever the mechanical, trail-side fixes are key. Also, why anyone would race non-tubeless at this point in the tubeless evolution is beyond me. I would recommend having mike curiak build your superlight wheels (cuz it don't take burly rims to ride fireroads) and do your OWN bike build. twice, for good measure. It's a need-to-know skill out there. Tip: DT-Swiss hubs do not require a tool to remove the freewheel if you find yourself needing to replace a rear driveside spoke on the trail.

[wookieone]

Good advice y'all, I am a bike mechanic by trade, atleast half the week anyways. Thus I am versed in what works, what is able to be fixed trailside, but I also see all kinds of weird things break. Just getting ideas, ya know. I will be on the heavy side of things as far as wheels, tires, etc, cause I hate working on bikes, especially when racing. So far I have great luck doing mulit days, but the whole blown fork thing is hard to avoid. Jefe

[JML]

Broken parts? I can attest to that. In 09 I sliced the tread surface on my rear tire in the middle of the basin (Atlantic City) (!). I spent two hours with patches and dental floss stitching it together. I wrapped duct tape that I had rolled up around my down tubeand wrapped it around the rim and tire- and reapplied every 10 miles all the way to rawlins, where I had to wait 6 hours for a bike shop to open. I carried a thimble and dental floss -good stuff.

In 10 I carried a spare tire which I didn't need, but instead suked my derailleur apart and wore twisted a chain beyond repair. Then I rode from Ashton Flagg Ranch to Steamboat with front brake only, hydraulic failure. My front derailleur broke-aluminum casting cracked. JB weld in there.

Crazy thing is I ride with newish stuff (within a month of race).

Yup in '11 I will carry a spare der ,chain and tire.  I already had hose clamps as an emergency lockout for the fork. Surprised I haven't needed that yet. All years I carried a fiberfix spoke (for drive sde) as well as regular spokes, replacement bolts for everything (don't forget seatpost binder bolt) and spare chain links, tire boots,velcro strap for bags. I also carry monster zip ties so I can tie cogset to spokes in case of ratchet failure.In my case all of this will never be enough- my rim or something will probably break. For everyone else they should be just fine.

Maybe My strategy should be to ship a complete spare bike to every PO BOX on route. Just kidding.

[JML]

oh yes, I also carried spare pump internals and nozzle fitting. I have had pump failure before but not in TD

[wookieone]

Damn, that just feeds my paranoia!

[Thumby]

I'm curious with tubeless if folks would still carry two tubes for a bad case scenario.  One tube?  None at all and plan to hoof if necc? 

[Spoonie]

I'm curious with tubeless if folks would still carry two tubes for a bad case scenario.  One tube?  None at all and plan to hoof if necc? 

Back country I still take two tubes and some patches.   I take one proper 29er tube, and a stupid light one though.  I'm not sure about the sanity of the stupidly light one but It seems reasonable to me; It's the "ok I'll carry this one but I'm not expecting to use it" tube.  I've only had to reach for it once and In the 4 or 5 years I've been tubeless, I rarely have had to put a tube in at all. 

Do whatever you feel comfortable with though understanding it may be some time before someone, or somewhere you can get more tubes & air.  On a side note, it's a bit fiddly, but you can fit a 26" tube in a 29er wheel.  Try it though before you have to do it in anger...

Cheers
Craig

[THE LONG RANGER]

Damn, that just feeds my paranoia!

Well, it's an Adventure Race, just go out and have an Adventure. If nothing goes wrong, well, that certainly a boring 2700+ miles, no in'it?