2016 Tour Divide Preparation

[Dinodinodino]

I may be starting this a bit early, but I am excited about the TD in 2016!  I was wondering what everyone brought for a lock...if any.  I am paranoid about having my bike stolen.

[NewRetroTom]

Yes I'm getting excited too! Not sure when the sign-up spreadsheet will be put up?

Lock wise I think one of those pocket size retracting cable locks is the way to go. Won't stop a determined thief, but you definitely don't want to carry the weight of any lock that would. Maybe something like this at 110g is worth carrying?
http://euro.knog.com.au/milkman.html

[Dinodinodino]

I think something like that might be the way to go too.  So far on overnight rides I have brought 2-Bordo lite locks that link together at 650g each.  It seems like too much weight, but I feel uneasy about locking up with something that can be cut by a simple pair of wire cutters.  I guess the type of thief to stop would be the guy noticing your bike and walking away with it.  I might start shopping for a cable lock that is a bit thicker so you would need a heavier pair of cutters to get through.

[simon cross]

Hi all, Great to see the support for TD 16 has already commenced.

I took a lock this year - coming from Australia - my first trip to the states and not knowing what to expect! I did not get the lock out once. I was very careful with where the bike was positioned outside of resupply spots. At supermarkets I placed it inside the doors and politely asked a couple of staff if they could keep an eye on the bike. I only felt I needed to do this a couple of times at really busy places. Folks I met along the TD were so helpful and people understood my concern to keep an eye on the bike the couple of times I asked that i did not consider the lock necessary. That being said - I know it only takes one random person ! Though i would not take a lock the next time

On another note, anyone looking for a great Dyno Light Set up - I can recommend Kerry Staite at the following - www.klite.com.au He is a super helpful person and really understands what bikepackers need. He sells lights, builds up the wiring, switches. 

We also have a mob down under are making fantastic bikepacking gear - www.bikebagdude.com Kath and Kedan are making excellent gear for ultra racing and touring alike and this year on the TD and CTR and other races the BBD logo could be seen on quite a few bike..

Hope the TD training and prep goes well for everyone. If there are aussies out there who have specific questions. Dont hesitate to ask - There are now a bunch of Aussies who have had prior experience and happy to share info and ideas !

cheers
simon cross

[kiwidave]

I was wondering what everyone brought for a lock...if any. 

There's a whole thread on securing your bike here ....

http://www.bikepacking.net/forum/question-and-answer/securing-your-bike/

[SlowRide]

A cheap snowboard cable lock is all you need. It's light and keeps honest people honest.

[sfuller]

Likewise - Small retractable cable lock with a dial combo. I used it a handful of times, mainly where I couldn't see my bike.

[kato]

I also carried a lock.  Used it 3 times, in busier areas. Glad I had it with me, peace of mind.
Kabletek Flexweave Cable 3/16″x6 feet with small padlock.

Best of luck with your 2016 prep!

[Dinodinodino]

Thanks for the great insight on the lock issue!

How about dynamo vs. buying batteries on the way?  I like the idea of a dynamo, but the cost is quite large for something I may not use too much day to day.  If I get a handlebar light and helmet light of about 250 lumens each that run on AAs, I can use those for other things like commuting and camping.  Would that be enough light for the race? 

The only other item to charge would be a phone and I could probably get a solar charger with a battery pack for that.

[vikb]

If you are going to bother buying a dynohub, build up a wheel and pedal it I'd get a dynolight so you aren't messing with the hassle and weight of a light battery.

That also leaves the power output from the hub available in the day to charge your GPS and phone.

I don't think you need a dynohub, but once to go to the trouble of getting one you might as well take advantage of it as much as possible.

[vikb]

Assuming you've got a GPS with the official track loaded and paper maps in your pack for GPS failure is there any point having detailed cue sheets for the route?

[sfuller]

Assuming you've got a GPS with the official track loaded and paper maps in your pack for GPS failure is there any point having detailed cue sheets for the route?

IMO, not really, unless you want something to keep your mind active. I built some pseudo-cues for this year's race, but they only contained resupply points, what kind of supplies were available (C-Store, Grocery, Bar, Bike Shop, All, etc) , and the distance between those points. It allowed me to quickly decide if I was going to skip a town or not, as well as figure out how much food and water to pack.

[vikb]

It allowed me to quickly decide if I was going to skip a town or not, as well as figure out how much food and water to pack.

How much food and water did you carry for the longer stretches?

[swighton]

I carried reference sheets that showed where towns were and the topography printed on rite in the rain paper. They are colored by grade and are annotated with distance to the town after next (the number after the POI name). I always brought enough food to reach the next town which saved my butt a couple of times when I got in late or stores didn't exist and I had to press on.

The rule of thumb that I used was that I would travel about 9.5mph overall average and I need 325 calories per hour to not bonk. Divide the distance to the town after by 9.5 and multiply by 325 and you have estimated calories needed during riding. I would throw in 750 calories for night time recovery if I would be sleeping before the next pit stop and 600 calories for breakfast.

I used this in conjunction with a spreadsheet of town details to make adjustments on how much food to bring. For example I would bring less if there was guaranteed to be 24 hour grocery or restaurants.

I really liked having the grade and climb information since it allowed me to reasonably estimate if I would reach a town before nightfall. Do note that having that information can be maddening.

Gallery with full size reference images laid out to print on letter size paper at the following link:
http://imgur.com/a/FI1bj



NOTE: There are a few places I missed on these reference images Most notably the brush mountain lodge and the Montana High Country Lodge. Those were nice surprises. Also some of the places are off route such as Big Fork and Seeley Lake.

Oh one other NOTE: The red, orange, yellow line below the elevation profiles is the grizzly density from the grizzly maps posted on these forums some time ago. I used this when making camping decisions.

[sfuller]

How much food and water did you carry for the longer stretches?

I carried a maximum of 5L of water at any one time, even crossing the Gila. I had the ability to carry up to 8L, but never needed it. I am a bit of a camel, and the weather was not all that hot in that section. Even crossing the Gila, I found places to get water (livestock storage tanks that were not marked with no trespassing signs, Beaverhead Work Station, etc)

The most food I had was leaving Grants for the push through to Silver City. Everything I had was at https://www.flickr.com/photos/zenbiking/19984344166/in/album-72157655933791860/

I also stopped at Pie Town for an extended period, and ate two entrees and 4 slices of Pie. Whether that's available depends on the time you arrive in Pie Town.

[Get Mounted]

Thanks Swighton, those spreadsheets are interesting. Did you just generate these in Excel or did you use a specialist app?

[pyerger]

 Glad to see every one getting exited about next years TD!! Just my two cents worth. I made my own cable lock, bought 6' by 1/6 cable at the hardware store, and two steel crimps. also I used a very small suitcase lock.(Small,light,and,packable. I used it at every stop, but probably didn't need too. As someone else posted, it is to keep honest people honest.

 As far as food goes, I didn't micro manage calories burned, and resupply points, I just ATE all the time! The blessing, and the curse, is I burn a LOT of calories. Therefore I always would pack every opening on the bike with food, at every stop. With a fifty pound bike, an extra pound or two of food, was worth it.  I still managed to run out food, especially in New Mexico. ( I must have eaten 5 or 6 boxes of pop-tarts on the trip. The poor- mans powerbar!!)

 I brought A full set of edited cues, but ended up, using GPS and maps only. I think next time I would leave cues behind, and just have a sheet with resupply points.

 I have to give kudos to My Salsa Fargo, and Continnental Race-King(protection) tires. They made it the whole way, with no flats,and no mechanicals Still riding on it today!!! 

[swighton]

Thanks Swighton, those spreadsheets are interesting. Did you just generate these in Excel or did you use a specialist app?

I wrote a program to generate them for me.

[sfuller]

I wrote a program to generate them for me.

Those are extremely sweet Swighton. A great route summary that will help me remember events for write ups and a presentation or two. I had forgotten about some of those steep climbs (after a while, they just start blurring together).

[dp]

Wow, thanks for those profiles swighton.  A TON of info there.