 Topic Name: 2011 Tour Divide
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Reply #760 on: April 04, 2011, 05:14:35 PM
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tlideen
Posts: 49
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« Reply #760 on: April 04, 2011, 05:14:35 PM » |
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do you think a 32 degree down bag will be good along the divide? if not i gotta purchase a new one. thanks!
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Topic Name: 2011 Tour Divide
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Reply #761 on: April 04, 2011, 06:53:12 PM
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THE LONG RANGER
Hi-Ho, Single-Speed, AWAY!
Location: Boulder, CO
Posts: 932
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« Reply #761 on: April 04, 2011, 06:53:12 PM » |
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do you think a 32 degree down bag will be good along the divide? if not i gotta purchase a new one. thanks!
I think around 25 is what's recommended - the 20 degrees bag I have is a good 3 season Colorado rating - but the rating system on bags is somewhat subjective. Is it a good, light bag that stuffs well? If so, think about augmenting the rating with a liner, they usually give you +8 - +10 degrees more and keep your bag a little cleaner. WAY easier to wash/dry the liner than the entire bag, which I'd doubt you'd want to do en route, anyways. Also, what's your comfort level when it comes to cold? |
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Topic Name: 2011 Tour Divide
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Reply #762 on: April 04, 2011, 08:03:56 PM
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krefs
Location: Prescott, AZ
Posts: 492
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« Reply #762 on: April 04, 2011, 08:03:56 PM » |
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do you think a 32 degree down bag will be good along the divide? if not i gotta purchase a new one. thanks!
If you're not a particularly 'cold' sleeper, a 40 degree bag is fine, especially if you use a bivy (which adds a handful of degrees to the rather arbitrary rating). You can put on all your clothes and rain gear if it gets down to sub-freezing, but I never woke up shivering, even using essentially no sleeping pad. The nights are short enough that I don't find it to be a major issue if the temperature outside approaches or drops below the rating of the bag. If you were touring and aiming for a solid 8+ hours of sleep every night, then I'd go with a slightly warmer bag or a liner. |
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Topic Name: 2011 Tour Divide
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Reply #763 on: April 04, 2011, 11:22:04 PM
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tlideen
Posts: 49
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« Reply #763 on: April 04, 2011, 11:22:04 PM » |
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you guys think riding an aluminum HT with a steel fork would be to rough of a ride?
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Topic Name: 2011 Tour Divide
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Reply #764 on: April 05, 2011, 02:20:35 PM
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Jeff Tomassetti
Location: Fernandina Beach, Florida
Posts: 143
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« Reply #764 on: April 05, 2011, 02:20:35 PM » |
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you guys think riding an aluminum HT with a steel fork would be to rough of a ride?
Not for a young back like yours! |
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Jeff Tomassetti
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Topic Name: 2011 Tour Divide
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Reply #765 on: April 05, 2011, 07:13:42 PM
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KootenayB
Posts: 53
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« Reply #765 on: April 05, 2011, 07:13:42 PM » |
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Yes, the snow is getting deeper in the Elkford and Flathead areas on the Canadian side. Check out recent snow pillow data at http://bcrfc.env.gov.bc.ca/data/asp/realtime/asp_pages/asp_2c09q.html It shows that snow depth at higher elevations is climbing to substantially above average, and keep in mind that snow depth in the last several years was either average or below average. Fernie ski hill snow depth is now up to 4.5 m, and forecast is for snow all week. |
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Topic Name: 2011 Tour Divide
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Reply #766 on: April 06, 2011, 08:29:22 AM
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6thElement
Posts: 234
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« Reply #766 on: April 06, 2011, 08:29:22 AM » |
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I wonder if you can get snow shoes which are spd cleat compatible.
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Topic Name: 2011 Tour Divide
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Reply #767 on: April 06, 2011, 08:34:04 AM
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BobM
Location: The Keweenaw Peninsula, Michigan
Posts: 936
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« Reply #767 on: April 06, 2011, 08:34:04 AM » |
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Anyone riding a Pugsley this year?
I think my "back of the pack" strategy may pay off - 90 people should pack down a pretty good path through the snow. Thanks!
Bob
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Topic Name: 2011 Tour Divide
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Reply #768 on: April 06, 2011, 08:50:23 AM
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bmike-vt
Location: Horgen, Switzerland
Posts: 1122
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« Reply #768 on: April 06, 2011, 08:50:23 AM » |
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Anyone riding a Pugsley this year?
I've been thinking hard on bikes for a 013 run at the TD and actually have looked at building up a Fatback (Ti is out of the budget!) as an adventure bike. I'd have 2 sets of wheels - fat and 29r. Unlikely that this is the direction I'll take - but those big tires make for some built in suspension on a rigid... |
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Topic Name: 2011 Tour Divide
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Reply #769 on: April 06, 2011, 08:54:13 AM
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6thElement
Posts: 234
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« Reply #769 on: April 06, 2011, 08:54:13 AM » |
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My comment a couple of pages back about a Pug or Mukluk and changing out the wheels in CO isn't looking too stupid now  I wonder if the floatation works on the mud too... |
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Topic Name: 2011 Tour Divide
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Reply #770 on: April 06, 2011, 09:09:48 AM
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DenisVTT
Location: Beautiful downtown Darnestown, MD
Posts: 278
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« Reply #770 on: April 06, 2011, 09:09:48 AM » |
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Yes, the snow is getting deeper in the Elkford and Flathead areas on the Canadian side.
Starting from the South sounds more and more like a very good option. The snow will have 2-3 additional weeks (or more...) to melt. |
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- Denis aka Ze Diesel
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Topic Name: 2011 Tour Divide
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Reply #771 on: April 06, 2011, 09:17:33 AM
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Topic Name: 2011 Tour Divide
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Reply #772 on: April 06, 2011, 11:35:05 AM
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BigPoppa
Posts: 211
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« Reply #772 on: April 06, 2011, 11:35:05 AM » |
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My comment a couple of pages back about a Pug or Mukluk and changing out the wheels in CO isn't looking too stupid now I wonder if the floatation works on the mud too... Those tires SUCK in mud. To be honest though, I am starting to seriously consider bringing my fatback. |
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Topic Name: 2011 Tour Divide
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Reply #773 on: April 06, 2011, 11:48:06 AM
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Jilleo
Location: Los Altos, California
Posts: 292
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« Reply #773 on: April 06, 2011, 11:48:06 AM » |
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Personally, I think a Fatback fitted with 29" wheels and a carbon fork would make a great bike for the Tour Divide. One of the most frustrating issues I ran into with my Surly Karate Monkey was clearance. Mud and clay would build up on the wheels and jam the tires against the frame after just a few rotations. The Fatback's wide clearance in both the back and on the fork would alleviate this issue. In the worst peanut butter mud, you'd at least be able to push your bike rather than being reduced to carrying it. Plus, because the front and rear wheels are interchangeable, you could put a singlespeed hub and cog on the front wheel, which you could switch out easily if your freehub or rear derailleur failed (both of these things have happened in the TD.)
Fat bikes with the really big wheels would also help float some other mud conditions, but don't count on them helping in summer snowpack. It's just too soft and rotten to establish any kind of viable trail. Especially on warm days, the sun will melt the tracks of previous people within a couple of hours. You may be able to float on top of some crust, but more likely you're going to break through at inopportune times (planting the front wheel and endoing over the handlebars, clearing the stem only if you're lucky.)
Pugsleys and Fatbacks with wide rims are super-comfortable, though. Heavy, yes. But it's a great way to get some of the benefits of "full" suspension without shocks.
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Topic Name: 2011 Tour Divide
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Reply #774 on: April 08, 2011, 10:17:24 AM
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6thElement
Posts: 234
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« Reply #774 on: April 08, 2011, 10:17:24 AM » |
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A very nice looking set of bags arrived from Anchorage yesterday, got a nice full day ride planned for tomorrow semi-loaded up |
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Topic Name: 2011 Tour Divide
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Reply #775 on: April 08, 2011, 05:05:14 PM
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krefs
Location: Prescott, AZ
Posts: 492
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« Reply #775 on: April 08, 2011, 05:05:14 PM » |
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The Fatback's wide clearance in both the back and on the fork would alleviate this issue. In the worst peanut butter mud, you'd at least be able to push your bike rather than being reduced to carrying it.
Haven't you ever seen a jacked-up SUV stuck in clay mud with the wheel wells ENTIRELY filled with muck somewhere in Utah? It doesn't matter how much mud clearance you have. The mud just sticks to itself as you continue rolling through it, and eventually, it'll clog everything up unless you have enough speed that centripetal force flings it off! It's about the worst possible stuff imaginable (ignoring all those strange winter travel hazards...). |
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Topic Name: 2011 Tour Divide
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Reply #776 on: April 11, 2011, 06:46:54 AM
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Topic Name: 2011 Tour Divide
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Reply #777 on: April 11, 2011, 07:02:10 AM
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mcmurv
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 85
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« Reply #777 on: April 11, 2011, 07:02:10 AM » |
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Topic Name: 2011 Tour Divide
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Reply #778 on: April 13, 2011, 06:07:53 PM
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Nathan Jones
Posts: 129
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« Reply #778 on: April 13, 2011, 06:07:53 PM » |
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Anyword if Joe Polk is considering coming out of mtb cast retirement to do some shows due large showing of divide racers this year?
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Topic Name: 2011 Tour Divide
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Reply #779 on: April 14, 2011, 08:55:07 AM
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Jeff Tomassetti
Location: Fernandina Beach, Florida
Posts: 143
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« Reply #779 on: April 14, 2011, 08:55:07 AM » |
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Nice looking set of lights, what are they? |
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Jeff Tomassetti
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