Topic Name: TD'11 Race Discussion
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Reply #1740 on: July 03, 2011, 02:09:38 PM
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BobM
Location: The Keweenaw Peninsula, Michigan
Posts: 936
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« Reply #1740 on: July 03, 2011, 02:09:38 PM » |
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On another note, are all those Spot Trackers really dying on course, from vibrations, or are the batteries just going dead and the riders aren't noticing that they need a new set of batteries, or are too cheap to buy a new set? Curious minds want to know, before I perhaps lay out the clams for something that might be potentially prone to fail? Is it a problem with riding with these things over really rough stuff with rigid forks or does front suspension help preserve the units from brutal vibration? Or do you wear it on your arm, or what is the best method of mounting?
The Spot 2s seem to eat up batteries faster than the original units. If you wear a backpack, an outside top pocket works well.
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Topic Name: TD'11 Race Discussion
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Reply #1741 on: July 03, 2011, 02:41:58 PM
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ScottM
bikepacking.net admin
Location: Wherever the GeoPro is parked.
Posts: 2863
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« Reply #1741 on: July 03, 2011, 02:41:58 PM » |
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Hey Scott, Lance called me when he got back to Silver city to say he had finished at Antelope Wells & got in about 5 minutes behind Dylan after an eventful last day Great, thanks -- I fabricated a finishing point for him.
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Topic Name: TD'11 Race Discussion
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Reply #1742 on: July 03, 2011, 02:45:56 PM
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Gard
Posts: 1
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« Reply #1742 on: July 03, 2011, 02:45:56 PM » |
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@txmtbchick. Thank you for asking if someone will pick up Kim at Antelope? There will be no one meeting Kim at the finish line. We're from Seattle and could not able to get a flight on time to meet Kim at Antelope. If anyone is available and around the area at least meet him at the finish line and if possible to give (help) him a ride to the nearest airport, we will greatly appreciated. Thank you Gard
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Topic Name: TD'11 Race Discussion
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Reply #1743 on: July 03, 2011, 02:46:59 PM
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ScottM
bikepacking.net admin
Location: Wherever the GeoPro is parked.
Posts: 2863
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« Reply #1743 on: July 03, 2011, 02:46:59 PM » |
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On another note, are all those Spot Trackers really dying on course, from vibrations, or are the batteries just going dead and the riders aren't noticing that they need a new set of batteries, or are too cheap to buy a new set? Curious minds want to know, before I perhaps lay out the clams for something that might be potentially prone to fail? Is it a problem with riding with these things over really rough stuff with rigid forks or does front suspension help preserve the units from brutal vibration? Or do you wear it on your arm, or what is the best method of mounting?
With this many people on course there's been a little bit of everything as far as people not tracking at times. We have had some unit failures -- some were our well traveled SPOT1's that have been through hell and highwater on multiple TD's, CTR's, AZT's, Yukon Quest, sailing around the world, etc. Others were not-so-well-traveled SPOT2's that operated on dead batteries for a while, or alkalines. We're definitely going to try to collect some more data on the failures, but by and large both SPOT1 and SPOT2 seem to be pretty bomber to me -- most everyone tracked well throughout. I don't think vibration or where you place it seem to be an issue.
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Topic Name: TD'11 Race Discussion
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Reply #1744 on: July 03, 2011, 03:56:00 PM
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AZtrailertrash
Posts: 82
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« Reply #1744 on: July 03, 2011, 03:56:00 PM » |
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I'll bet Stephen's post gets more listens than any of the others. "Hildabeast", good one. By the way, W is a mountain biker so we must be a big tent sport. I have always found cycling is the one place we can all get along, except for those blankedy blank roadies with the furrin writing on their jerseys. When someone says something that rubs you the wrong way it is best to remember that the rough and tumble in the market place of ideas is the price we pay for or tradition of free speech. There are plenty of things to make a big deal over so why waste energy on the little stuff. Not a chance... Dejay wins, hands down, for most interesting, entertaining, and irreverant.... "roadkill smell is your chamois, wash it ya damn hippy" then a few seconds later "pedal faster than the pack of wolves chasing you" duh! don't smell like roadkill and the wolves will leave you alone.
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Topic Name: TD'11 Race Discussion
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Reply #1745 on: July 03, 2011, 05:01:22 PM
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6thElement
Posts: 234
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« Reply #1745 on: July 03, 2011, 05:01:22 PM » |
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Talking of dead Spots, when are we going to get the details of where the Spots need posting back to?
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Topic Name: TD'11 Race Discussion
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Reply #1746 on: July 03, 2011, 05:03:36 PM
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TXMTBCHICK
Posts: 12
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« Reply #1746 on: July 03, 2011, 05:03:36 PM » |
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We are going after Kim now, so please let me know if he has made other arrangements or anyone else has picked him up.
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Topic Name: TD'11 Race Discussion
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Reply #1747 on: July 03, 2011, 05:57:05 PM
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kucebags
Posts: 28
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« Reply #1747 on: July 03, 2011, 05:57:05 PM » |
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Denis arrived from his Northbound travels at 5:55pm here in Banff. He is in good spirits despite dealing with head winds, rain and cursing the rough and pot hole prone Spray valley section.
His long term goal was not be eaten by a Grizzly and after seeing 3 alone today he is happy to be done and no longer flirting with wildlife
Craig has been really struggling the last few days and Denis claims he has lost a lot of motivation. I will hopefully make it for his arrival later tonight in a few hours
Soul Ski and Bike Banff
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Topic Name: TD'11 Race Discussion
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Reply #1748 on: July 03, 2011, 06:22:17 PM
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CathyP
Posts: 35
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« Reply #1748 on: July 03, 2011, 06:22:17 PM » |
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Excited to return to the computer to see that Kim has finished, and that the Texas and Belgium trail angels (TXMTBCHICK, Thumby and GPE) are trying to meet him!
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Topic Name: TD'11 Race Discussion
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Reply #1749 on: July 03, 2011, 06:42:16 PM
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annoying crack
Location: brussels
Posts: 127
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« Reply #1749 on: July 03, 2011, 06:42:16 PM » |
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Tori seems to have slowed to walking pace. Hope she has enough food and water for a long walk.
I passed Tori yesterday and one of the reasons she is not moving fast is that her front mech is stuck in the little ring. she was going to try to fix it today. And ofcourse, we are all getting tired and the terrain in NM is pretty brutal, not to mention the super rough washboards that are not disliked by everyone. Off to AW in the morning... last day! Tom.
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Topic Name: TD'11 Race Discussion
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Reply #1750 on: July 03, 2011, 07:13:12 PM
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mtbcast
Location: Sugar Hill, GA
Posts: 2455
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« Reply #1750 on: July 03, 2011, 07:13:12 PM » |
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Sheila Torres-Blank and Sheila Reiter called in from Cuba. Justin Simoni called in from Del Norte. And JP Evans called in from Silver City with shades of a cheap Western novel. You can get the audio here, via RSS, or on iTunes!
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JP - MTBCast.com
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Topic Name: TD'11 Race Discussion
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Reply #1751 on: July 03, 2011, 07:19:03 PM
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Roland Sturm
Location: Santa Monica, CA
Posts: 201
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« Reply #1751 on: July 03, 2011, 07:19:03 PM » |
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Going up Galton pass Nobo. This thing is a brute,or am I just tired? Looks like the toughest climb yet. Has anybody else here tried it going north? Anyway, while I'm sweating now (and shivering later tonight), what are the stats on it and how does it differ by direction?
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Topic Name: TD'11 Race Discussion
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Reply #1752 on: July 03, 2011, 07:31:09 PM
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6thElement
Posts: 234
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« Reply #1752 on: July 03, 2011, 07:31:09 PM » |
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looks like a steeper, longer climb going Nobo, about a 1000ft more ascent on the immediate climb compared to Sobo where it's a more gradual and you're starting at the higher elevation. You're doing 1000ft in 3 miles, Sobo takes 15miles for the first 1000ft. It peaks at 6300ft.
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Topic Name: TD'11 Race Discussion
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Reply #1753 on: July 03, 2011, 07:42:26 PM
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CathyP
Posts: 35
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« Reply #1753 on: July 03, 2011, 07:42:26 PM » |
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I passed Tori yesterday and one of the reasons she is not moving fast is that her front mech is stuck in the little ring. she was going to try to fix it today. And ofcourse, we are all getting tired and the terrain in NM is pretty brutal, not to mention the super rough washboards that are not disliked by everyone. Off to AW in the morning... last day!
Tom.
I don't think I have heard this many words from Tom Sap, ever! The TD does affect riders in strange ways!
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Topic Name: TD'11 Race Discussion
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Reply #1754 on: July 03, 2011, 08:02:10 PM
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fredne
Posts: 5
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« Reply #1754 on: July 03, 2011, 08:02:10 PM » |
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Me neither, but then, I haven't seen Tom in a little more than seven years. I will tomorrow, though!
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Topic Name: TD'11 Race Discussion
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Reply #1755 on: July 03, 2011, 10:16:03 PM
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CathyP
Posts: 35
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« Reply #1755 on: July 03, 2011, 10:16:03 PM » |
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Bob Anderson is closing in! Go Bob!
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Topic Name: TD'11 Race Discussion
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Reply #1756 on: July 03, 2011, 10:33:45 PM
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Pelican Peloton
Location: Amelia Island, Florida, USA
Posts: 45
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« Reply #1756 on: July 03, 2011, 10:33:45 PM » |
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Wake up spot followers and you shall take pride In the midnight ride of Tour Divide
Ride on Bob, Jeff, Norb, Dan , Luke and Rob!
and James H and Justin S are spending the night riding up mountains in order to stay out of the caboose
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« Last Edit: July 03, 2011, 11:25:16 PM by Pelican Peloton »
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Topic Name: TD'11 Race Discussion
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Reply #1757 on: July 04, 2011, 04:27:30 AM
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gpe
Location: Brussels
Posts: 19
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« Reply #1757 on: July 04, 2011, 04:27:30 AM » |
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Hi, everyone--just a quick update on Kim Reaymaekers. We ended up tag teaming with Daniel Bayley's parents last night to get him back to Deming. Daniel's parents got down there to wait for him, only to find poor Kim all alone and unfeted. They got some pix of him at the sign. We were a few minutes late--suspecting that the truck full of smiling faces heading northbound from the border crossing (just a mile before we got there) had picked him up. We confirmed that with the border control. We were able to make a handoff when we caught up with their truck just past Hachita, having a quick roadside chat with Bob Anderson at 9:30pm before he made his last push for AW. This meant Daniel's parents could stay close by the route, since they had no idea where their son was at that point (no cell reception below I-10). Kiim told us he would have rather died on the spot in AW than to have to get back on his bike and ride north, so good thing he had a ride (or two) waiting for him. He was in great spirits. Exhausted but very glad for the experience. Hopefully he'll call in and share more of his thougths with you. He got to speak with his wife and then crash at the hotel here.
We are off in a few hours to meet JPE, Tom, Ray and anyone else who is arriving this morning at the border. In the American way, all three of the girls have very big cars, so we have plenty of room extract anyone else who might need a ride around that time.
Thanks to Matthew, Scott, Joe and all of the other TD volunteers for such great organization! It's been fun following. We'll keep following and rooting for the others. TD Riders, you are all amazing!
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Topic Name: TD'11 Race Discussion
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Reply #1758 on: July 04, 2011, 04:36:05 AM
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olidaf
Posts: 1
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« Reply #1758 on: July 04, 2011, 04:36:05 AM » |
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Hi, everyone--just a quick update on Kim Reaymaekers. We ended up tag teaming with Daniel Bayley's parents last night to get him back to Deming. Daniel's parents got down there to wait for him, only to find poor Kim all alone and unfeted. They got some pix of him at the sign. We were a few minutes late--suspecting that the truck full of smiling faces heading northbound from the border crossing (just a mile before we got there) had picked him up. We confirmed that with the border control. We were able to make a handoff when we caught up with their truck just past Hachita, having a quick roadside chat with Bob Anderson at 9:30pm before he made his last push for AW. This meant Daniel's parents could stay close by the route, since they had no idea where their son was at that point (no cell reception below I-10). Kiim told us he would have rather died on the spot in AW than to have to get back on his bike and ride north, so good thing he had a ride (or two) waiting for him. He was in great spirits. Exhausted but very glad for the experience. Hopefully he'll call in and share more of his thougths with you. He got to speak with his wife and then crash at the hotel here.
Thanks to Matthew, Scott, Joe and all of the other TD volunteers for such great organization! It's been fun following. We'll keep following and rooting for the others. TD Riders, you are all amazing!
Great riding from the Belgians! As a belgian dreamer of doing the TD in 2013 for my 40th birthday, I am very proud of them! Now I can get some advice in Belgium to prepare myself! Dikke proficiat gasten, sterk gereden en ik hoop jullie ooit te mogen ontmoeten!
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Topic Name: TD'11 Race Discussion
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Reply #1759 on: July 04, 2011, 07:37:40 AM
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Climb On
Escendo Ergo Existo
Location: Soddy Daisy, TN
Posts: 80
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« Reply #1759 on: July 04, 2011, 07:37:40 AM » |
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Well the snow near Seeley slowed Cricket down and forced a night at Seeley Lake. That puts her about 100 miles short of the 140m/day pace that she needs to finish in 20 days. Hopefully, she'll crank out a 150-170 mile day and begin to get back on pace.
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