 Topic Name: TD'12 Race Discussion
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Reply #1600 on: June 25, 2012, 08:42:25 AM
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Climb On
Escendo Ergo Existo
Location: Soddy Daisy, TN
Posts: 80
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« Reply #1600 on: June 25, 2012, 08:42:25 AM » |
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I've been following (and I am inspired by) the Tour Divide for many years.....this year has been very exciting....BUT... the access to information has been pretty BAD. The "Tour Divide" website is only good for the Trackerboard with its 'Spot'-ty info which is some time hours and/or days off of current time....ALL of the other Tour Divide website feature that were happening in previous years, were not happen this year. MTB Cast is great but the riders don't call-in for days....nothing can be done about that...It's great to have the 'human' side of the story with real voices and funny details. This site (Bikepacking Ultra Racing forum) has been a good source of info....BUT...it's a public forum with opinions & comments etc. etc...... Just getting the straight info can be challenging. LIKE..... what happend with 2nd...3rd...4th....place riders?  .....what time did they turn in? ?? Their Spot trackers are no longer on the leaderboard......Ollie got first place.... the rest got forgotten? Can someone please act as the "News Reporter" on one of the websites and come up with some posting of useful info (like finish times....or other facts & figures) Although I have felt some of your aforementioned frustrations, I've realized from following the race for my second year in a row that the TDR is made possible by a small group of volunteers who work their butts off to provide the levels of observation and data that we now receive. This perspective makes me grateful for the info we get and makes me hesitant to complain. The race has no entry fee and no one gets paid for putting it on, so I appreciate the volunteer efforts of MTBcast, Spot tracking, the TDR founders, and others. I hope that your post was somewhat hyperbolic due to your concern over racers' times not being posted. If that's not the case, I would recommend that you contact those that put the race on with your ideas and also your commitment to volunteer to help make those things happen. If not, then just be grateful for what others already do. |
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Topic Name: TD'12 Race Discussion
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Reply #1601 on: June 25, 2012, 08:43:10 AM
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JeffOYB
bikes, boats, skis... outdoor lore & more!
Location: Williamston, MI
Posts: 92
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« Reply #1601 on: June 25, 2012, 08:43:10 AM » |
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I'm on tenterhooks regarding Craig. ...
But maybe we have a bit of a lull here. So I have a couple questions... Someone recently mentioned SPOTS and security in a rather grave fashion. Have they ever really been an issue? Has a racer ever been harmed in some way due to SPOT info? My impression of bad people is that they are stupid ... opportunists, usually drunk, not web-savvy or educated as to what an event like this might actually in fact be. As if someone could be aware of the event (or any event) and then decide to harm a racer. That's not my imagination/experience as to how crime/harm works. Has it happened? I declare that I doubt it. But let's see...
I've had security concerns myself when traveling/biking solo. Do most folks in this event basically just carry bear-spray?
How are the locals? My impression is that cellphones and electric dog fences have greatly improved biking safety, but drunkenness and ragers still have to be out there. I mostly bike near habitation. Who knows, maybe Economic Hard Times increases stress... Are there areas that are worse for it, like does it get worse in more blighted areas? (I've heard that poor people are actually nicer to travelers but maybe that's more of a global thing and not referencing poor Americans who might be problematic. ?)
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Topic Name: TD'12 Race Discussion
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Reply #1602 on: June 25, 2012, 08:48:41 AM
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JeffOYB
bikes, boats, skis... outdoor lore & more!
Location: Williamston, MI
Posts: 92
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« Reply #1602 on: June 25, 2012, 08:48:41 AM » |
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I think he said his LIGHTS gave out on him so he had to camp the last night rather than break 16 days... |
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Topic Name: TD'12 Race Discussion
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Reply #1603 on: June 25, 2012, 08:56:38 AM
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bikingbakke
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Posts: 52
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« Reply #1603 on: June 25, 2012, 08:56:38 AM » |
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I've been following (and I am inspired by) the Tour Divide for many years.....this year has been very exciting....BUT... the access to information has been pretty BAD. The "Tour Divide" website is only good for the Trackerboard with its 'Spot'-ty info which is some time hours and/or days off of current time....ALL of the other Tour Divide website feature that were happening in previous years, were not happen this year. MTB Cast is great but the riders don't call-in for days....nothing can be done about that...It's great to have the 'human' side of the story with real voices and funny details. This site (Bikepacking Ultra Racing forum) has been a good source of info....BUT...it's a public forum with opinions & comments etc. etc...... Just getting the straight info can be challenging. LIKE..... what happend with 2nd...3rd...4th....place riders? .....what time did they turn in? ?? Their Spot trackers are no longer on the leaderboard......Ollie got first place.... the rest got forgotten? Can someone please act as the "News Reporter" on one of the websites and come up with some posting of useful info (like finish times....or other facts & figures) I don't meant to discredit your request, but part of the romance of the event I feel is trying to piece together the stories. And it takes a lot of people with friends, connections, to bring additional info to the table. It'd be tough for one person to news report it. We're talking remote areas without cells with people strewn all over the place. |
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Topic Name: TD'12 Race Discussion
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Reply #1604 on: June 25, 2012, 09:00:20 AM
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mgasman
Posts: 31
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« Reply #1604 on: June 25, 2012, 09:00:20 AM » |
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Just checking in this morning and seeing TT and NM recently made it to the ComoDepot from Breckenridge today. Riding since 5 am. I'm sure they will enjoy David's hospitality. Pictures please! And let them know the last MTBCast from Tom was from Seeley Lake.
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« Last Edit: June 25, 2012, 09:04:29 AM by mgasman »
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Topic Name: TD'12 Race Discussion
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Reply #1605 on: June 25, 2012, 09:02:52 AM
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mtbcast
Location: Sugar Hill, GA
Posts: 2455
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« Reply #1605 on: June 25, 2012, 09:02:52 AM » |
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About racer calls: Some racers just don't call. This is their option and even those that do often forget. They have a lot on their mind so it's understandable. Next year I will send up cards, as I've done in the past. This year I did not. But even when I do some people just don't want to call. I think we get a good mix, though, and that's great. We get enough to know what's going on on the route. If it's snowing in Fernie for Eszter, it's snowing for Kurt and Caroline. The GDR instituted mandatory call-in locales once and this worked pretty good. I don't know if we will ever do that. I think we get good information, though, and that's what matters. We encourage them to call but it's really up to them.
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JP - MTBCast.com
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Topic Name: TD'12 Race Discussion
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Reply #1606 on: June 25, 2012, 09:04:14 AM
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ydk
Posts: 2
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« Reply #1606 on: June 25, 2012, 09:04:14 AM » |
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I think he said his LIGHTS gave out on him so he had to camp the last night rather than break 16 days...
ohh that makes much more sense, TNX! |
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Topic Name: TD'12 Race Discussion
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Reply #1607 on: June 25, 2012, 09:05:56 AM
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RootingforEveryone
Posts: 93
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« Reply #1607 on: June 25, 2012, 09:05:56 AM » |
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Cjell looks like he has less than 200 miles to go to finish. Anyone know what the mountains he's going through are like now? I know the Southbound riders said they had to carry bikes instead of ride... is it still like that or worse due to mud?
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Topic Name: TD'12 Race Discussion
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Reply #1608 on: June 25, 2012, 09:08:48 AM
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RootingforEveryone
Posts: 93
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« Reply #1608 on: June 25, 2012, 09:08:48 AM » |
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TB and Fixie Dave passed each other. Question to those who race... do you stop to chat with someone coming from the other way? Just wave? or just continue on?
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Topic Name: TD'12 Race Discussion
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Reply #1609 on: June 25, 2012, 09:11:18 AM
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DaveG
Location: NC
Posts: 19
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« Reply #1609 on: June 25, 2012, 09:11:18 AM » |
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I just want to add to the many comments about Ollie - wow what a class act and unbelievable gentleman and athlete. Many people in life and especially competition play "I've got a secret" to how they do things well, but here's a guy who actively seeks out sharing his valuable information (ie: packing list, bike setup, strategies, etc) and always seems to praise others instead of talk about himself. Amazing person, amazing finish - many congrats!
I'd also love to hear what the latest is with Craig - I hate to see his spot stationary for almost a day now. Can anyone enlighten us?
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Topic Name: TD'12 Race Discussion
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Reply #1610 on: June 25, 2012, 09:16:33 AM
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JeffOYB
bikes, boats, skis... outdoor lore & more!
Location: Williamston, MI
Posts: 92
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« Reply #1610 on: June 25, 2012, 09:16:33 AM » |
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Do some not wear/bring a helmet? I haven't noticed one on Cjell's rig...
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Topic Name: TD'12 Race Discussion
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Reply #1611 on: June 25, 2012, 09:22:57 AM
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RootingforEveryone
Posts: 93
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« Reply #1611 on: June 25, 2012, 09:22:57 AM » |
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If you listen to Ollie's call-in, he mentions that Craig was hoping to finish up today - he didn't think his spot tracker was working. Here's hoping that is correct and Craig is okay.
Thank you to all the racers for looking out for each other. You are very special and those of us "watching" the race (at the very least, me) appreciate you!!!
For those of you who had to pull out due to various reasons, you are still above the norm, as many of us would not even attempt something like this! Get better so we can "watch" you next year!!
TB & EF - still think the two of you should get some sort of medical award!! :-)
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Topic Name: TD'12 Race Discussion
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Reply #1612 on: June 25, 2012, 09:24:07 AM
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mtbcast
Location: Sugar Hill, GA
Posts: 2455
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« Reply #1612 on: June 25, 2012, 09:24:07 AM » |
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I'd also love to hear what the latest is with Craig - I hate to see his spot stationary for almost a day now. Can anyone enlighten us?
Edit: Craig Stappler called in with his finish call! He recaps his final push. He finished at 11:45pm last night! |
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« Last Edit: June 25, 2012, 09:27:38 AM by mtbcast »
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JP - MTBCast.com
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Topic Name: TD'12 Race Discussion
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Reply #1613 on: June 25, 2012, 09:29:42 AM
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mgasman
Posts: 31
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« Reply #1613 on: June 25, 2012, 09:29:42 AM » |
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TB and Fixie Dave passed each other. Question to those who race... do you stop to chat with someone coming from the other way? Just wave? or just continue on?
When the fellow I'm following (TT) passed Cjell I noted a collection of coincidental spot updates for about ten minutes on both of their tracks. Perhaps that is what led to Cjell casting the rant that southbounders were clueless about northbounders. As for someone reporting on the race. It would be difficult to produce anything interesting to the whole audience. I am obnoxiously tracking TT and 'helping' his wife update his facebook Divide page. I glean information from the tracks, here and the casts and she gets phone calls. I called the ComoDepot and they had left 30 min before - then the spots updated.... Thanks to David and others for helping all the riders and passing on pictures and stories. The dedication of the hosts along the route helping to report has made a terrific difference. A few more like this at other must-stops like the Outdoorsman, PieTown etc and a cohesive pass through reporting system would be in place. Craig - where are you? |
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Topic Name: TD'12 Race Discussion
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Reply #1614 on: June 25, 2012, 09:35:22 AM
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RootingforEveryone
Posts: 93
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« Reply #1614 on: June 25, 2012, 09:35:22 AM » |
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Edit: Craig Stappler called in with his finish call! He recaps his final push. He finished at 11:45pm last night! Woo-hoo!!! Congratulations, Craig!!! :-) |
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Topic Name: TD'12 Race Discussion
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Reply #1615 on: June 25, 2012, 09:37:17 AM
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elitheknife
Posts: 60
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« Reply #1615 on: June 25, 2012, 09:37:17 AM » |
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So great to hear that Craig made his finish!
HUGE congrats, Craig!
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Topic Name: TD'12 Race Discussion
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Reply #1616 on: June 25, 2012, 09:39:37 AM
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RootingforEveryone
Posts: 93
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« Reply #1616 on: June 25, 2012, 09:39:37 AM » |
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So, according to the call-in, Ollie first, Craig second, Garrett third, Kurt fourth. Yes? How does that get verified if Craig's spot wasn't working?
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Topic Name: TD'12 Race Discussion
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Reply #1617 on: June 25, 2012, 09:45:00 AM
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RootingforEveryone
Posts: 93
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« Reply #1617 on: June 25, 2012, 09:45:00 AM » |
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Joe: Thank you for doing what you do!!! It is amazing to hear and see the different call-ins. As a newbie spot junkie, it has been extremely fun & a wonderful learning experience! You are greatly appreciated!! Thank you.
Matt: Thank you for putting it all together. I have learned much. While I will NEVER complete the ride, it is amazing to listen and spot stalk!!
All of the riders: You are amazing. Your perseverance, attitudes, and smiles are wonderful. You have created a new spot junkie for years to come! Thank you!!
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Topic Name: TD'12 Race Discussion
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Reply #1618 on: June 25, 2012, 09:47:06 AM
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mtbcast
Location: Sugar Hill, GA
Posts: 2455
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« Reply #1618 on: June 25, 2012, 09:47:06 AM » |
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So, according to the call-in, Ollie first, Craig second, Garrett third, Kurt fourth. Yes? How does that get verified if Craig's spot wasn't working?
He should have a ticket from the border crossing and likely called Matthew. |
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JP - MTBCast.com
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Topic Name: TD'12 Race Discussion
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Reply #1619 on: June 25, 2012, 09:48:07 AM
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RootingforEveryone
Posts: 93
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« Reply #1619 on: June 25, 2012, 09:48:07 AM » |
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Why in the scroll at the bottom of the map is it saying so many of the racers are tracking off-route? It is something I noticed started yesterday and is still happening today... when you pull up their histories, it shows them on route for the spot that is tracked as off route. Thanks!
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