TD`13 Race Discussion

[DaNM]

Craig you got your ears on? If you need a ride to the airport I`m in Silverthorne and going to Denver Monday or Tuesday morning. Good luck and nice effort.

[bikingbakke]

Craig - you're awesome.  Eat a burrito and microbrew in Steamboat.  I'd feel awesome in life being half the rider you are!  And sadly, once your batteries are recharged, I don't think there's going to be any shortage of interior projects for you to take on if you choose.

Lastly on that technology thread.  Interesting discussion, each has their preferred way, and in reality most of them can co-exist.

Here's one borrowed from talking to a few guys about Le Mans future.  If bikes carried batteries, and charged of Schmidt or other dynamo systems, started empty, then had that power to deploy as the rider saw fit later... is that too much?  The energy wasn't there when the rider started, so it is rider created.  I suggest it may sound esoteric to debate, but I'm guessing that in our careers as sporting cyclists that debate will occur more fully over the next decades.

Or on the comedic side, maybe this is the fuel Mike is carrying in his "hollow bones" as a prior commentor suggested - impressive ride, he's flying!

So another fun debate question - what would one recommend next for Mike given his now more fully revealed endurance talents? (after of course a shower, sleep, and southwest sized burritos).

[mtbcast]

Mike Hall called in from Sargents. He’s starting to see smoke from the fires near Del Norte. Larry hipskind called in from Lincoln. And Chris Arndt called in from Boulder.
http://mtbcast.com/site2/category/td13/

[RandomLurker]

Hi all, I've been following Max of Tucson last year and this one here after getting into chats with him where he works here in Tucson. Bummer that he seems to be out. Haven't seen just what the problem is, but did notice somebody else had dropped due to a sudden violent flu-like illness. My wife was just now looking through several newspapers accumulated while she was out of town a few days and yelled in to me that one of them had a story that a *bunch* (over 100?) of employees of the park service in the Yellowstone and Tetons area were just now sick from norovirus infections= cruise boat plague, whatever. Racers might pick that up at eateries, bathrooms & outhouses, shaking hands etc while coming through that NW Wyoming area, I would think. It typically gives you bad diarrhea and vomiting and can lead to serious dehydration even if you're just working off the shakes in bed at home. Keep in mind you do sometimes need to have an MD run a liter or two of fluids into you IV if dehydration is bad enough. All you folks out there should maybe check in on anyone crashed out in a tent or room and be sure they don't have anything like this giving a kick in the gut far beyond your "normal" extreme exertion stresses.

[Briansong]

Brian Steele called in from The Montana High Country Lodge. The call breaks up some and cuts off but he said he has a fractured wrist but is continuing. Brian Jett called in from the Montana High Country Lodge. Chris Arndt called in from The Places. Eric Foster called in from the Togwatee Lodge. He’s stuck with a broken seat clamp. Forest Baker called in from Rawlins. Nick Legan called in from the Togwatee Lodge. And Tom Lane called in from Pinedale.
http://mtbcast.com/site2/category/td13/

I've been following Eric's triple crown progress. Dang the guy can't catch a break. A broken seat clamp!!!

[elobeck]

I've been following Eric's triple crown progress. Dang the guy can't catch a break. A broken seat clamp!!!

Buy a hose clamp somewhere? Maybe?

[goaussie]

A few riders just got into Atlantic City and nothing is open.(no more shops for 140 miles)

Anyone got any ideas of where to go?
Or anyone to call?

[BobM]

A few riders just got into Atlantic City and nothing is open.(no more shops for 140 miles)

Anyone got any ideas of where to go?
Or anyone to call?

Bed down for the night.  That's what planning is all about.

[BobM]

Well, I guess Brooks Lake Road is not muddy this year - Sara Dallman just knocked out that whole section in exactly 1 hour!

[PaulF]

What's happened to Craig Stappler have I missed something???

[mtbcast]

Episode 154 - Tour Divide 2013 Day 10! 3 nights in an outhouse, 2nd place racer Craig Stappler is out, more cows, and a true up of today’s calls!
http://mtbcast.com/site2/category/podcasts/

[PaulF]

Just heard the podcast...gutted for Craig......but boy did he do well as far as he got.....well done Craig!!!

[JF-mtnbiker]

Yep. Hate to see Craig out. He rode like a champ for sure. Would have loved to see the sprint to the finish through the whole state of NM. I think Mike is pretty self motivated and will continue to bust ass to the finish without a push.  I wouldn't be surprised to see him come in ahead of his current projected time. Just hope he gets through the fires for a clean run.

[RonDog]

Much agree with your point of view on this.  Although I will never be a competitor in an event like this... I would absolutely love to tour some of the finer sections of the Continental Divide.  As an established member of the Old and Slow  Mountain Bikers Club, 40 or 50 miles a day with a stop and smell the flowers pace would be my idea of Nirvana, supported, of course. For me, it's not the race, it's the ride... and living vicariously through others adventures, how ever they see fit to do it, makes this event all the better.  I have friends that race, believe I started following this in 2009 or 2010, the year before someone who befriended me of FB raced it...Dejay Birtch.  It's great to have friends that ride bikes, some of 'em are speed merchants.  I think God must love the common Mountain Biker, he made so many of us to ride dirt trail, dirt roads, and single track. The special ones he made very, very fast.

Couldn't have said it better being 65 and wishing I was 25 again. But even more wish Craig gets more days and races along the Path. He inspired me last year and this with his efforts.

[MCR]

From twitter:

NWS El Paso ‏@NWSElPaso
We will see critical fire weather conditions both Mon and Tues, both days conditions include the #SilverFire #nmfire http://pic.twitter.com/9KhPZQoDHd

[dp]

Or on the comedic side, maybe this is the fuel Mike is carrying in his "hollow bones" as a prior commentor suggested - impressive ride, he's flying!

So another fun debate question - what would one recommend next for Mike given his now more fully revealed endurance talents? (after of course a shower, sleep, and southwest sized burritos).

How about Inuvik to Ushuaia?  Fitting?

[ComoDepot]

Jesse and Kerrin are here. Kerrin arrived first, and I expected Jesse about 30 minutes later.

We had a major electrical storm, thunder, lightening, a little bit of moisture, Kerrin just missed it. What we think happened is that half way down Boreas Jesse had a flat, he was running tubeless and put a tube in. Coming into Como it is pretty open, he was found on the town limits dazed and confused cycling with a totally flat tire saying he was looking for a guy called Como. We sat him down, got some water and coke into him, we thought he had major concussion. He had obviously come down on his right side, knee and wrist hurt but no cuts or major abrasions.

Now he is now lucid, but it took him sometime to come around, he was insisting he was third in the race, all he rembers was the thunder and lightening.

We think he was near a lightening hit and was blown off his bike.

[bdstew]

Yep. Hate to see Craig out. He rode like a champ for sure. Would have loved to see the sprint to the finish through the whole state of NM. I think Mike is pretty self motivated and will continue to bust ass to the finish without a push.   I wouldn't be surprised to see him come in ahead of his current projected time. Just hope he gets through the fires for a clean run.

I reckon Mike has stopped for the night (10:36pm).
He only has 750 miles to go and therefore may only have 2 more nights left on the trail.

[Veetack]

Wow, that's scary. Here's to him being ok!

[Pollyhound]

I think Mike's next formal challenge is the Transcontinental London - Istanbul unsupported on 2 August http://www.transcontinentalrace.com/  more dot watching, I'll be exhausted!