2013's most impressive bikepacking performance?

[ScottM]

With CFITT wrapping up, that closes out the 2013 bikepacking season!  I've got the 2014 calendar just about ready to post, with most events returning for another year of big adventure.

Last year we had a thread about the best bikepacker of the year, this year I'm curious to hear everyone's thoughts on what the single most impressive performance of 2013 was.

A few to consider:

- Mike Hall's blazing Tour Divide, only thwarted from the record by forest closure.  He rode an entire level faster than anyone ever has on the route.

- Jefe Branham's continued dominance of CTR.  Taking down a very determined Jesse Jakomait in a neck and neck race, only to win in true Jefe style - by forgoing sleep.

- Eszter Horanyi's rookie Iditarod 350.  She destroyed the course record in a race that the organizer declared will 'never by won by a rookie.'  Going fast as a rookie on the Iditarod trail is a feat no one has really pulled off before.

- Kurt Refsnider lowering the AZT 300 record again, after it was set by Aaron Gulley just a week before.

- Jay Petervary took the Iditarod 350's record down by a huge margin, forgoing sleep to best his rivals at the last checkpoint.  Some call 2013 the 'best conditions ever', but this was an impressive ride nonetheless, as he pushed sleep deprivation further than most Iditarod racers are willing to go.

- Rebecca Rusch's Kokopelli record.  Unfortunately we only got the over-dramatized video version, instead of the real story of malfunctioning lights and broken fingers (?).  She may have had video crews chasing her and champagne waiting at the finish, but one thing is certain: she crushed the route.

- Kurt Refsnider finally nailing the Coconino Loop's thru-ride record, after three failed attempts.  He inspired both SS and women's records to be broken by Prescott College staff, both set impressively by rookies, as well.

- Eddie O'dea's trouncing of the Stagecoach route and new record, as a rookie on the route.


Thoughts?  Which was the most impressive, or what other rides have I left out?

[Nathan Jones]

All amazing rides, I would add Billy Rice's TD yoyo.  Hall's divide race probably kept me the most engaged.  My brain hurts thinking about it.

[ScottM]

Yes, thanks Nathan.  After thinking some more I wanted to add Billy Rice's TD yoyo -- a very long ride and he pulled it off quite quickly in both directions.

Another to consider:  Forest Baker completed and won the triple crown, adding on Stagecoach and a smokey attempt at the first CSTR, making it a triple crown+.

[Jilleo]

Great topic Scott. So many great achievements this year! This would be worth a blog post of some sort. Personally I'd also throw in another limit-pushing distance effort, by another Billy nonetheless — Billy Koitzsch's first west-east ride across Alaska on the 2,000-mile Irondog route. He did end up completing the final hundred miles on pavement after spring beat him to Fairbanks, but still an incredible ride nonetheless.

Of the fast riders, my vote for "Bikepacking Performance of the Year" would be with Mike Hall's Tour Divide. Eszter's Iditarod for women.

[sherpaxc]

Hey Jill, is there a write up of Billy's adventure?

[timroz]

Man, Jay held off some bad dudes in the ITI, regardless of records or conditions.  That would be my vote.

[Jilleo]

Hey Jill, is there a write up of Billy's adventure?

As far as I know, there was a Fairbanks Daily News Miner article published shortly after his trip, and not much else. I've been meaning to interview him about it for a while now.

[SlowRide]

Each of these amazing achievements are unique unto themselves, each race having their own unique set of variables and huge trials to overcome. I'm not sure I can say that any one is more of an achievement than the others, they are all amazing. If pressed I guess I'd have to say Michael Hall's TDR simply because it's the longest and because he truly brought it to a new level this year, but my opinion may be leaning this way only because I'm trying to get on the starting line for TDR this year and it's focal in my mind. The perseverance involved in any and all of these efforts is laudable, kudos to them all.

[ScottM]

I would love to read an interview with Billy and get some details on his trip.  We leap frogged with him for some of the McGrath leg.

@SlowRide - it is very hard to compare them.  Generally the one you find most impressive is the one you understand the best, or on the route you are most focused on.  It's hard to really know what people have achieved on routes you haven't been on. 

But it's a fun question to consider, and it was an amazing year for bikepacking.

[spruceboy]

As far as I know, there was a Fairbanks Daily News Miner article published shortly after his trip, and not much else. I've been meaning to interview him about it for a while now.

The News Miner article:
http://www.newsminer.com/features/outdoors/koitzsch-becomes-first-person-to-bike-length-of-iditarod-iron/article_d112ca94-a7fe-11e2-a8aa-001a4bcf6878.html

[DaveH]

What an impossibly difficult question.

I find Kurt's rides particularly impressive as he has (sort of) a real job these days, and part of the time he spends long periods of time away from home base. One thing that really differentiates pros is the ability to excel while traveling, and along those lines he maintains/improves performances under similar circumstances. He has also managed to intertwine his bikepacking with his real job. Big ups!

Jefe's and JayP's rides were amazing! They prevailed over physically stronger & younger competitors through years of practice and willingness to dip deeeeep into the pain cave. A true display of mastery. Their tracks tell doosy of a tale.

Eddie - daaaamn.

Ezster - ITI backed up with an AZT 300 record, that was impressive. And, if anybody doubts the potential for havoc this sport can play on the body, read up on her blogs for 2013. It's a really big story (and personally relevant).

Reba's Koko ride, well it's not really bikepacking but it is long, and she utterly rocked it.

The real game-changer was Mike Hall though. Robbed by situations out of his control, I hope he comes back and conditions are doable.

In the end I can't pick one. Mad respect for all of them...

[wookieone]

Mike Hall and Billy Rice...amazing!!!!
Jefe

[Jeff Tomassetti]

Jefe's and JayP's rides were amazing! They prevailed over physically stronger & younger competitors through years of practice and willingness to dip deeeeep into the pain cave. A true display of mastery. Their tracks tell doosy of a tale.

I agree.

[Walkurtalk]

Jefe!! Hands down.

[Gimmearaise]

Eddie O and Kurt. Nuts every year the AZTR record is broken. Oh and that guy named JEFE, for completely defying sleep. Big shout out to Matt Schiff  and Jesse Jakomite for having huge seasons!

[cjdunn]

Jefe and Kurt.  Kurt also did a solo trans Utah ride.  I don't think you can call his Coco 250 bikepacking since he did it in 30 hours with no sleep.  Jefe just defies biology with his efforts.

[the tortoise]

I am going to go with Billy Rice, although there were many great performances by others this year.

I rode with Billy on the Tour Divide in 2012 and saw his ups and downs. At one point I thought he was going to quit, but then he turned it on towards the last half of the race and pulled away from theisold man and picked off several other riders in front of him.

When I heard about his yoyo TD attempt for 2013 I was skeptical. Of course I was glued to his blue dot for the entire journey. Doing two laps of the TD course is incredible and he was the only racer to do the whole course and he did the whole course in both directions, which essentially makes him the winner twice!

He made a great effort on the return trip to get forest service permission to go through the closed areas.

Although he is not the fastest racer out there he certainly is one of the toughest!

[krefs]

The most impressive performances this year in my humble opinion were Eszter's subarctic and desert rides, Jefe's pain train ride on the Colorado Trail, and Mike Hall's mind blowing TD ride. I had trouble imagining what any of them put themselves through, both physically and mentally, on those rides. Oof.

I'd also give an honorable mention for Bobby Treadwell for his singlespeed ride on the Coconino Loop. He nearly beat the old [geared] record on a ride that was 3x longer than anything he had done before on a bike. What an awesome rookie performance that was. And for the record, he and Kaitlyn Boyle were the ones who inspired me to ride that route again this fall, not the other way around as Scott wrote above

[caseygreene]

All those listed above are great personal accomplishments, but as the years go by, I find myself less-and-less inspired by racers riding the same established routes, and more-and-more inspired by creative performances of the unknown variety.

With that in mind, my vote would go to the team of Luc Mehl, Doom, Jim Harris and Todd Tumolo for their Orizaba Traverse.

[sherpaxc]

Where can I read that?  Peeps gotta post write ups to these amazing adventures!