2014 CTR Discussion

[JosiahM]

I like your coordinates better with what I am recalling in my mind for the guide book's notes.

I guess come July I might have to ride the Monarch Crest trail to sfigure it out once and for all, twist my arm, what a horrible thing to do!

share the wealth once you figure it out

[Yogi the Barry]

We will probably be up there on July 4-6 and ride the Crest on one of those days. I'll try to remember and hunt this sucker down!

I like your coordinates better with what I am recalling in my mind for the guide book's notes.

I guess come July I might have to ride the Monarch Crest trail to sfigure it out once and for all, twist my arm, what a horrible thing to do!

[joeydurango]

Seriously, the spring BEYOND the dirt road (NB) is the way to go.  It's piped and always running strong, and about four feet off the trail.  Sorry, no coordinates...

[Woodland]

Well good lord, isn't this the CTR Discussion thread?  You know, where people can discuss logistics?  Yes, I have the databook, have the mapbook, have the GPX File and have ridden it.  I was just trying to have some discussion.  This is a forum afterall.  

I'm not asking how much water I need.  I'm asking how much you carried.  I'm having flashbacks of ~6 or 7 years ago when people were holding their cards closely to their chests about gear and logistics.  That in my opinion is not the way to grow a sport.

YMMV

Ok look, sorry to sound like a stingy bastard. Sometimes I feel like people are asking for hard earned info that people have spent years researching, experiencing, and finding on their own - and that it shouldn't be so easy to get key beta like hard to find water sources. Maybe it was just the way you posed the question that rubbed me the wrong way - seemed more like a demand than a discussion point.

At the end of the day though, yes it's a forum for discussion and I'm just stirring the pot (maybe I should leave that to Toby though  ).

[sherpaxc]

No harm, no foul.  There are two different beliefs for sure.  Those who are an open book, and those who hold the cards tight.  I'm not really asking any of this for me specifically, I was just hoping to open up a dialogue.  It seems the TD get's all the forum love year round.  My heart is the CT.

[JosiahM]

Ok look, sorry to sound like a stingy bastard. Sometimes I feel like people are asking for hard earned info that people have spent years researching, experiencing, and finding on their own - and that it shouldn't be so easy to get key beta like hard to find water sources. Maybe it was just the way you posed the question that rubbed me the wrong way - seemed more like a demand than a discussion point.

At the end of the day though, yes it's a forum for discussion and I'm just stirring the pot (maybe I should leave that to Toby though  ).

woodland, I do appreciate your sentiment of wanting to make sure people do the due diligence of required research on their own.  however, for those of us who don't live in colorado and don't have access to go out and ride any of these sections of trail to explore, our only source of finding this kind of information out is sources such as this forum and sifting through various blogs (both of which require that someone give up that information for that sake of the community helping each other achieve their goals out there).  I would say I would have never been able to complete this trail if it wasn't for all the great information that others have posted in the past.
I think the most valuable assets a person can have out on a ride like the colorado trail is just personal experience and determination, which luckily neither of which is something anyone can steal from you

[Done]

At the end of the day though, yes it's a forum for discussion and I'm just stirring the pot (maybe I should leave that to Toby though  ).

Yeah, leave it to a professional!

In my opinion, the CTR doesn't hold any secrets--and it never really did. Even Stefan had the benefit of the official guidebook when he put together the first race.  I don't think that anyone has ever raced it "blind." There are now dozens of detailed blogs, GPX tracks, etc. Withholding information is pointless, especially in light of the fact that all of us have benefited from the knowledge of others.

[PhotoJB]

So, I sadly had to scratch from my TDR attempt due to some funky work circumstances. I'm now sussing out if I can make it the CTR instead. I have a few questions to get started.

1. It sounds like it's 60 miles from the airport to the trailhead. Is there any way to get a free ride out there? Tough when I am coming in from out of town and can only arrive the day before the departure. I doubt I can afford the riding time to get from Denver to the start. How are others getting this figured?

2. Aiming for a 6 (mandatory day finish. Will there be lots of people headed back to Denver? Yup, this is another "can I cross my fingers and find a drive" question.

3. What is the average rider riding? Am I gonna survive riding a fully rigid Surly Krampus or are most people favoring FS on this singletrack heavy route?

[fotooutdoors]

@photo iirc, you can get a good portion of the distance from the airport to trailhead on public transit; I think there is a 12 mile stretch you would need to ride. Not fast or free, but it should be faster than biking the whole length (and save you're strength) and cheaper than a taxi

Sent from a one-finger keyboard...pardon my autocorrect

[joeydurango]

Sure, the Krampus will work - gonna be pushing it a lot anyway

But seriously, anything can work out there.  It's just what you prefer, not what everyone else is riding.  I've ridden it on a hardtail and on a full-sus, and I much prefer the hardtail.  But that's just me.

Six days might not seem that fast when you're looking at the Jefe/Jesse 4-day times.  But believe me, that's a tough pace, especially since we've all decided to keep the Tarryall detour (which added mileage and time).  You better be prepared to move 19+ hours a day.  Not saying it's impossible for you, just that most first-time CT riders greatly underestimate the difficulty given the mileage.

[nepbug]

Yep, I think on day 2 I only covered 50 miles, but had 11k in climbing.

I agree anything will work, but I'd steer clear of any drop bars and aero bars are not necessary.

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

[mikepro]

1. It sounds like it's 60 miles from the airport to the trailhead. Is there any way to get a free ride out there? Tough when I am coming in from out of town and can only arrive the day before the departure. I doubt I can afford the riding time to get from Denver to the start. How are others getting this figured?

One option is to do what I did in 2012: Flew into DIA, walked (with bike-in-box) to the 'RTD Island' (one level above baggage claim) to catch an RTD bus to the RTD light rail station at 35th/Downing in downtown Denver.  The RTD bus is/was a motor coach type bus, so the bike box went in the cargo hold underneath.  At 35th/Downing transit center, get on the lightrail route to Littleton.  The last light rail stop on this line is Mineral Station.  From Mineral Station it is approx. 9mile (over-estimate) ride through Chatfield State Park to Waterton Canyon TH (the CTR start).  I stayed the night at the Hampton Inn on W County Line Rd, which is 1mile from Mineral Station (towards the state park), so I had an approx. 8mile flat prologue to the start that year.  The hotel gave me a courtesy shuttle from the light rail station to the hotel.  Total cost of the RTD bus/rail trip: $11.  Total time: 2hrs.  Went the entire leg from DIA to the hotel with bike-in-box, then had the luxury of spreading out gear and assembling the bike in a hotel room. 

Also, a bike shop, Elevation Cycles, is 3miles uphill from this Hampton hotel, to the East.  It's in the Highlands Ranch shopping mall area, which has all the stores one needs for last-minute.

[J-wow]

Travelling from Denver International Airport to Waterton Canyon:

Take route AF (DIA west terminal level 5) to Union Station.

Take light rail C line from Union Station to Littleton/Mineral Station.

Ride roughly 10 miles from Littleton/Mineral Station to Waterton Canyon trail head.

Unsure of cost but can't be more that 20 bucks for a bus ride from DIA to Union Station and 5 bucks to ride the light rail.

Search RTD Colorado for all maps, route times, etc.

[PhotoJB]

One option is to do what I did in 2012: Flew into DIA, walked (with bike-in-box) to the 'RTD Island' (one level above baggage claim) to catch an RTD bus to the RTD light rail station at 35th/Downing in downtown Denver.  The RTD bus is/was a motor coach type bus, so the bike box went in the cargo hold underneath.  At 35th/Downing transit center, get on the lightrail route to Littleton.  The last light rail stop on this line is Mineral Station.  From Mineral Station it is approx. 9mile (over-estimate) ride through Chatfield State Park to Waterton Canyon TH (the CTR start).  I stayed the night at the Hampton Inn on W County Line Rd, which is 1mile from Mineral Station (towards the state park), so I had an approx. 8mile flat prologue to the start that year.  The hotel gave me a courtesy shuttle from the light rail station to the hotel.  Total cost of the RTD bus/rail trip: $11.  Total time: 2hrs.  Went the entire leg from DIA to the hotel with bike-in-box, then had the luxury of spreading out gear and assembling the bike in a hotel room. 

Also, a bike shop, Elevation Cycles, is 3miles uphill from this Hampton hotel, to the East.  It's in the Highlands Ranch shopping mall area, which has all the stores one needs for last-minute.

Freaking awesome man. Thanks for the details!

[PhotoJB]

Sure, the Krampus will work - gonna be pushing it a lot anyway

But seriously, anything can work out there.  It's just what you prefer, not what everyone else is riding.  I've ridden it on a hardtail and on a full-sus, and I much prefer the hardtail.  But that's just me.

Six days might not seem that fast when you're looking at the Jefe/Jesse 4-day times.  But believe me, that's a tough pace, especially since we've all decided to keep the Tarryall detour (which added mileage and time).  You better be prepared to move 19+ hours a day.  Not saying it's impossible for you, just that most first-time CT riders greatly underestimate the difficulty given the mileage.

Somehow I ended up with the word Cool instead of the number 8. I'll have 8.5 days as a maximum to get to the finish, so I think it is definitely doable in that time frame. I'm just gonna be a rag doll at work on the 19th!

[nepbug]

FYI, if anyone is looking for a Revelate Designs Sweetroll (Revelate is out of the mediums and larges with no guarantee on date of restock), Golden Bike Shop in Golden, CO (303-278-6545) has one in stock.

I rode over there today and they had 2, I bought one and so now they have one left.  $90 is what they have them marked for.  They also have Tangle Bags, Pockets, Mountain Feed Bags, Harnesses, etc.

They list the sweetrolls they have as Large, but Revelate told me they sent them some mediums back in April.  I stuffed it and measured it and sure enough it is the Medium (7" diameter) and not the Large (8" diameter); just what I wanted.

I don't know if they'll ship, but they are nice guys so there is a chance.  Or if you're local, go snatch it up if you want it.

They also had another bag similar to a sweetroll that I can't remember the details of, maybe it was a Jandd?

[Yogi the Barry]

Re: Trade Large Sweetroll for Medium
I have a large Sweetroll, which was just fine until I got a frame bag and now it is way too big. If anyone wants to trade my large for their medium, send me a PM. I don't even need a medium. 6" diameter by 12"-15" wide would be enough. I anybody knows of other options for a smaller [than Sweetroll] bag, also let me know...
-Barry

...snippage...
They list the sweetrolls they have as Large, but Revelate told me they sent them some mediums back in April.  I stuffed it and measured it and sure enough it is the Medium (7" diameter) and not the Large (8" diameter); just what I wanted...

[joeydurango]

Check out Bedrock's Entrada.  I think it's the best bar bag on the market.  Been using one for a couple years now and it's bomber.

[nepbug]

The small sweet roll is 5.75" diameter and Revelate has them in stock.

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[Matt Schiff]

A couple of days ago, June 6th to be exact, I experienced the first desire to once again compete on the CTR this year. To my dismay, that is not something I wanted to feel. I wanted to be okay with sitting this year out and maybe picking just a couple shorter races to satisfy my competitive need. The problem I have with racing the CTR is that I really don’t think I like doing it. I’ve tossed around the reasons why I lined up a second year, and am considering a third, when one year is enough for most. The simplified list is pretty short.

1.   I want to accomplish something (prove something, be the best, etc).
2.   I love every minute of it.
3.   The memories are priceless.
4.   All my friends are doing it and I don’t want to miss out.

The first year (2012) was certainly about tackling the challenge. I knew I could do it but expected to be pushed much further than I had before. I wanted to see what that felt like and I suffered more than I ever had. While walking through section 22/23 at night, I knew I wouldn’t do this race again; there was simply too much hiking and being so exhausted wasn’t fun. A day after I finished and caught wind that next year we’d race in reverse. I forgot all my pain and was committed to another year.

The second reason does not apply to me at all. I do not love being out there every minute. The first two days are tough but you still feel like a real person. After that it’s just brutal and there are only moments that I truly enjoy.

The memories ARE priceless. Pain and suffering is easily forgotten and within days or even hours I think only of the amazing times out on the trail. The question I ask myself is, do I ride for 4+ days so I can look back and fondly remember riding through the night when the truth is far different?

The last reason is sort of funny but with the Colorado endurance scene you run into the same characters at the hundred milers that are also tackling the CTR. With at least a few close competitors committed to coming back and more good people to meet out there, it’s more fun to be a participant than a bystander. I hate missing out.

Everyone has a reason why they toe the line the first time or the fifth, but if you are racing the CTR and pushing yourself to the limit, it had better be a good reason – one you believe in – or else by day 3 the fallacy you’ve been telling yourself is pretty well exposed.