2016 Tour Divide Preparation

[sfuller]

Laundromats: How do the laundromats work - are they coin fed or does some machine takes notes and convert them to tokens? And the powder is in some other coin operated machine?

I sink/shower washed my clothes in a hotel sink or trash can many times. I rolled them up in towels to get most of the water out and they were dry by morning.

[hrtpmpr]

Newbie here.  Just a question of hydration, in particular, where do you all carry your water.  I see lots of H2O bottles and then I also see lots of hydration backpacks.  Pros and cons of each?

[sfuller]

Newbie here.  Just a question of hydration, in particular, where do you all carry your water.  I see lots of H2O bottles and then I also see lots of hydration backpacks.  Pros and cons of each?

Last year, I used 3L bladder in my frame bag and two 1L bottles on my fork. I had another 3L bladder squirreled away in my seat bag in case I needed more water, but I never used it. Biggest thing for me was keeping weight off of my back (and thus putting more weight on MY seat).

[hrtpmpr]

Thanx Steve.  That is how I am leaning...keep the weight off my back.  All I know is all bad things start with dehydration!

[metalartgate]

Calgary to Banff via bike. Someone have a gpx track of the best route to ride from airport to Banff? Is there a bike path along the HWY?


Thanks

[tws21975]

Calgary to Banff via bike. Someone have a gpx track of the best route to ride from airport to Banff? Is there a bike path along the HWY?


Thanks

I am also curious about this. What route have others taken in the past?  Any way using most dirt than pavement?

[megand]

I am also curious about this. What route have others taken in the past?  Any way using most dirt than pavement?

The highway is shortest, and has a huge shoulder, but no bike path - although there is a bike path between Canmore and Banff you can jump onto.

You can take the 1A for a quieter version of the same trip - trade off is that it has a much smaller shoulder, and traffic going just as fast.

It would be possible to get to Banff with a lot more off-road/gravel if you're happy with taking a really indirect route.  You could either head south from Calgary then ride some of the TD route northbound/cut through Powderface Trail/West Bragg; or you could head north and come into Banff via the Ghost area and Lake Minnewanka.  Both of these routes will not necessarily be fast, and there's potential for deadfall/flood damage. Check out Strava Heatmaps for an idea of what could be rideable though: http://labs.strava.com/heatmap/#9/-115.40314/51.11214/blue/bike

[kiwidave]

Newbie here.  Just a question of hydration, in particular, where do you all carry your water.  I see lots of H2O bottles and then I also see lots of hydration backpacks.  Pros and cons of each?

This is worth a look: http://bikepackersmagazine.com/2015-faces-of-the-tour-divide/

A lot run bladders in their frame bags (that is what I am planning). A bottle under the down tube is also common as a backup. (It will get covered in muck of course - just pour into your clean drinking bottle).

I met up with a 20 day racer on the weekend who had only 3 litres capacity (hydration bladder in his handlebar bag) and found this OK. Some take a Sea to Summit silnylon backpack the size of a tennis ball for lugging extra water/food for those days where they are concerned. Guzzle down a lot of water at each town and make sure you know where the wells are in the Basin. Wamsutter to Savery seems to have been the toughest water section in 2015 before hitting NM.

King Cage make a bottle mount which goes on top of the stem which is cool if your cockpit has space. Some run bottles in their feedbags.

The clear consensus is that if you can ride without a backpack, do so. Weight off the back and also off your bottom. Even some with hydration bags were likely using them as secondary water storage (e.g. Josh Kato) with the primary storage on the bike somewhere. I'm 5'5" so I will likely need a backpack, however it won't have water in it except on maybe the first 3 hours in a 2 litre Platypus bottle out of town on a couple of dry days (Basin / NM). My fork does not have cage mounts on it, but some people clamp them on with hose clamps or get them bonded onto carbon forks. I'm aiming to have 5.5 litres capacity - 2.5 in the bladder and 3.0 in Platypus bottles in the feedbag and backpack on the dry sections.

If you go with bottles, check how tightly they stay in and perhaps sort out a strapping system so they don't get ejected on day one. No-one wants to be "that guy".

What sort of capacity have other people found to be appropriate? I've heard some at 7 litres, some at 3 litres - 4kg is a big weight difference.

[bakerjw]

Lol... I was "That guy" on my birthday ride last December. 52 miles with 5100 feet of climbing.

For my tour ride this year, my planned bike only had one bottle mount so I mounted a cateye water bottle on each fork. I looked down after the first downhill section which really isn't that bad and a bottle was missing. I made note to keep checking the other. Sure enough about 3 or 4 miles out, both were missing. I went and looked for the 2nd one but it was a no show so I finished the ride on one bottle. I did find the first one on the way back.

I used EPDM on a roof a few years back and had a lot left over. So I made some tongue shaped straps with 1/2" holes in them. They wrap into the bottle holders and then slip over the top of the bottles. Even with all of the rough downhills that I've done, no bottles have come out. I will post pics in the DIY section.

I plan on 2 bottle holders on each fork. I will also carry some platypus bags just in case. They provide very lightweight insurance.

[eec]

For those of you who have completed the divide, would you mind sharing what you spent while on route?

I'm just trying to get an idea on a budget, including daily food costs, camping costs, hotels, etc.  How many nights did you end up stealth camping, paying for camping, staying in a hotel?

I'm thinking $60/day for food is more than adequate, allowing for the occasional splurge meal in a town that allows for it. hehe

Any info would be greatly appreciated and I hope to see some of you out there on the trail this summer!

Also take a look at this site. They went much cheaper per day ($38/person/day)

http://gdradvice.blogspot.com/

[Flinch]

Also take a look at this site. They went much cheaper per day ($38/person/day)

http://gdradvice.blogspot.com/

$38 in 2007 is $44 in 2016. These two took 54 days to finish, and probably had the luxury to shop carefully at grocery stores on and off route. They mostly camped, which reduced motel bills. No mention of bike repair $$. Mine was > $600 this year, on the route. Yours will vary.

From my two attempts, just food alone was around $50/day. You will be fast shopping in expensive gas stations and small stores most of the time. My record was $48 of junk food at one gas station, and that was not the whole days feast. The biggest on-route cost variable is how often you motel up. From $50 in Lima to > $100 in Butte,and don't forget the $70 Lamplighter Motel in Helena!. Splitting a motel helps, but not if the guy snores all night (OK, I plead guilty!).

Most Federal campgrounds (BLM, USFS, Fish and Game, etc.) charge from $7.50 to $15. If you are 60 years old, you can get a half price 'Senior Access' card. Plenty of places to camp free tho.

Ride hard and wave that credit card like a sword!

Glen

[hrtpmpr]

This is worth a look: http://bikepackersmagazine.com/2015-faces-of-the-tour-divide/

A lot run bladders in their frame bags (that is what I am planning). A bottle under the down tube is also common as a backup. (It will get covered in muck of course - just pour into your clean drinking bottle).

I met up with a 20 day racer on the weekend who had only 3 litres capacity (hydration bladder in his handlebar bag) and found this OK. Some take a Sea to Summit silnylon backpack the size of a tennis ball for lugging extra water/food for those days where they are concerned. Guzzle down a lot of water at each town and make sure you know where the wells are in the Basin. Wamsutter to Savery seems to have been the toughest water section in 2015 before hitting NM.

King Cage make a bottle mount which goes on top of the stem which is cool if your cockpit has space. Some run bottles in their feedbags.

The clear consensus is that if you can ride without a backpack, do so. Weight off the back and also off your bottom. Even some with hydration bags were likely using them as secondary water storage (e.g. Josh Kato) with the primary storage on the bike somewhere. I'm 5'5" so I will likely need a backpack, however it won't have water in it except on maybe the first 3 hours in a 2 litre Platypus bottle out of town on a couple of dry days (Basin / NM). My fork does not have cage mounts on it, but some people clamp them on with hose clamps or get them bonded onto carbon forks. I'm aiming to have 5.5 litres capacity - 2.5 in the bladder and 3.0 in Platypus bottles in the feedbag and backpack on the dry sections.

If you go with bottles, check how tightly they stay in and perhaps sort out a strapping system so they don't get ejected on day one. No-one wants to be "that guy".

What sort of capacity have other people found to be appropriate? I've heard some at 7 litres, some at 3 litres - 4kg is a big weight difference.

Thanx KiwiDave!  I checked out that like and it looks like most are keeping the H2O on the bike somewhere and not on their backs.  Are you saying that you will average 5.5L a day?

[kiwidave]

  Are you saying that you will average 5.5L a day?

No - 5.5 litres is my max carrying capacity. There is usually plenty of surface water (other than the Basin) or resupply points until Southern Colorado, so I'll top up on the go. I'm carrying a Sawyer Mini water filter. Depending on weather, I'll only carry 5.5 litres leaving Atlantic City / Diagnus Well, Wamsutter, and some days in S. Colorado and NM. I'm 62 kg and don't sweat a lot. From past years reports some racers carry 7 litres on those sections, or even 7 litres plus some drinks.

If it is hotter or drier than expected, I can throw some drinks in my jersey rear pocket if I need.

What did you Vets find to be the longest section in hours without any on-route access to water?

[JohnP]

Sooooo I've read a ton of equipment lists from divide racers and they all seem to missing one thing.

What are people doing for TP? Do you somehow time it to be near civilization conveniently or is it more like a 1 sock run?!

TP = Toilet Paper.

I have to ask..... 

[Flinch]

TP Strategy:

OK, first a confession...I took and entire ROLL of TP with me for the first few days a few years ago. Donated it to the Condon Market toilet. Dumb.

Trust me - plenty of napkins, TP at gas stations, windshield cleaner towels, etc. so you don't need to take more than a couple days worth. Wet wipes come in handy too. Besides, most of the poo times happen at rest stops, cafes, gas stations, etc.

Does a TD racer poo in the woods? Not often.

[kiwidave]

TP: Most are also carrying baby wipes to keep everything clean and for a pre sleep wipe down. I'm planning on a small zip lock of baby wipes and another of TP/napkins. As Flinch said, no more than two days worth and top up as I go.

[hrtpmpr]

Thanx KiwiDave!  I checked out that like and it looks like most are keeping the H2O on the bike somewhere and not on their backs.  Are you saying that you will average 5.5L a day?

What type of hydration bladder are you using.  I took the bladder out of my Osprey pack and tried to put it in my Revelate frame pack and it doesn't fit very well.....any ideas?

[gotchile]

I used the MSR Dromlite bags, 2 L.  Durable, fits in frame bag or an anything bag. http://www.cascadedesigns.com/msr/water/storage/dromlite-bags/product

[mikepro]

TP: Most are also carrying baby wipes to keep everything clean and for a pre sleep wipe down. I'm planning on a small zip lock of baby wipes and another of TP/napkins. As Flinch said, no more than two days worth and top up as I go.

And a 3rd ziplock to pack-it-out.  And don't you dare just "put the TP under a rock" - that's so 1970's.  And especially not baby wipes or wet wipes, that gets packed out along with your TP, wrappers, threads, spent tape, spent bandages, and all your other waste.  And I carry a small bottle of hand-cleansing-gel, as well.

[sfuller]

TP: Most are also carrying baby wipes to keep everything clean and for a pre sleep wipe down. I'm planning on a small zip lock of baby wipes and another of TP/napkins. As Flinch said, no more than two days worth and top up as I go.

I took wet wipes and some TP. Dug catholes, covered, and then put the wipes/TP in a thick freezer bag until the next town where I could toss them.