TD`13 Race Discussion

[Done]

Tell Toby Gadd to hold hid breath. There are other people on that route who might appreciate the gesture.  Don't go and try to minimize those gestures to suit what you see as tempting the participants in your little game.

You can't tell me yourself?

Do a little research into events like the TD, CTR, AZT, etc. and you'll find that people enjoy the challenges of supporting themselves. Yes, I take this more literally than some because I think that it's good for the development of the sport. But aid stations on the TD? Come on! That would change the very nature of the event. When I eventually line up for TD, I'd like to race in the tradition of Stamstad--which means no cupcakes handed out by bystanders.

As for the "little game" comment: I've competed in the CTR three times (two finishes), and I've found ultra-racing to be a life-altering experience. I've also done Koko's twice. Yes, racing a bike through the wilds could be defined as a game in many respects--but there's not much "little" about it. Have you raced in one? Was it "little" for you?

[PerryD]

Just chatted with C$ here in Helena. He was having a good ride. The Knard's and his bike are holding up real well and he is pretty pleased with both.

Ok, back to work. You too Mark.

[mathieu]

Of course, the race is its own little esoteric world...

I don't think it is 'little' or 'esoteric', but perhaps 'little esoteric'. I have done the GDMB Route in a touring mode in both ways in different seasons and tried to estimate the numbers. When you are about 50 days on the trail and count the riders coming the opposite way, I guess you capture about one-third of the yearly total.
Clearly the number of southbounders is much larger than northbounders. My guess is that the total is between 300 and 500. So the TD race field could well be one-third of the total 'herd'.

Probably Adventure Cycling can make a better estimate from the number of map sets sold each year, or Rob Leipheimer from riders coming to his bike shop in Butte.

[cc4005]

Looks like Mike H is well on his way to pedaling through the Gila on-route, even though earlier posted info here and on Gila NF website is that road is closed S of Beaverhead WC.  I see one detour available in a few miles.

Looks like he's just taken 159/Bursum Rd turn-off.

Edit: To clarify, looks like he's turned west on 159/Bursum Rd, which may be the Gila re-route.

[kato]

Great ride to everyone out there!  Looks like Mike has less than a couple hundred miles to go.  Wonder how fast he'll smoke out the rest of the course.  C$ is rocking through Montana too.  Too bad for the closures/reroutes but what a tremendous effort from everyone out there.

As an aside, my wife and I just returned from spending about a week out on various parts of the course from Elkford to Butte.  Just out there touring, scoping out some of the route for a race effort next year and getting washed out of Canada.  We ran into a few of the lantern rouge competitors and spoke with a few ITT riders.  Basically we were behind the back of the group by a few days.  I must say, that with over 120 riders having made their way through the places we were at there was little to no visible impact out there.  The only trash we saw were empty beer cans/bottles, a sofa and two candy wrappers.  Now, if you TD riders are discarding Schmidt cans along the route then shame on you but somehow I think Divide riders are more courteous than that and also have better taste in beer.  Mostly the only evidence we saw of other riders was the myriad of Small Block 8 and Nano Raptor tracks in the less driven sections of the course.  Those tracks made navigation quite easy and gave a fun sense of what had come before us.  The most profound evidence of the TD effort was the conversation with locals along the route.  People seem to love this event.  They love the riders.  They love the business.  It was really cool to see this first hand.  I had a general feeling that the Tour Divide raises awareness of cyclists and even motivates some to get out and ride.  Very cool to see the welcome that the small communities and locals give to cyclists.  I'd like to think this reflects the kindness and courtesy that cyclists show others.  This all made me even more excited to take part next year.

Go Divide riders!

[ScottM]

Looks like he's just taken 159/Bursum Rd turn-off.

Edit: To clarify, looks like he's turned west on 159/Bursum Rd, which may be the Gila re-route.

Yep.  If you hard refresh your tracker page, you should get orange lines for both reroutes on the tracker, now.

[caseygreene]

I see one detour available in a few miles.  Wonder if he got some updated info on the road/route closure today while eating pie?

He did. TD is using a different reroute then ACA. Goes to the same place. TD's is nicer, but we've already got our suggested detour out there, and don't want to confuse tourists when the route will be back open in 10 days, or less.

As Mike said, the TD detour is the Bursum Rd to US 180.

[caseygreene]

Yep.  If you hard refresh your tracker page, you should get orange lines for both reroutes on the tracker, now.

Nice, Scott.

[lonefrontranger]

Yep.  If you hard refresh your tracker page, you should get orange lines for both reroutes on the tracker, now.

this is incredibly awesome, you are fantastic!

I want to spare a thought for Jesse Carlson out there in the wilderness of northern NM.  Specifically my husband is from Grants, NM and I have ridden several of those stretches of road / jeep road / dirt and my butt is sore just thinking about them; nevermind having been on a bike 16-18 hours a day for 13 days straight already.  I have never met a more godforsaken chipsealed endless bumpy exercise in suffering than the Grants - Pie Town ride on a road bike on a 100 degree day a couple of summers ago.

[mikepro]

Wonder how fast he'll smoke out the rest of the course. 

Go Divide riders!

Pun intended?

[mikepro]

  The only trash we saw were empty beer cans/bottles, a sofa and two candy wrappers. 

America's Continental Divide: Beer Cans, Shot Gun Shells, and Cows.

[Newfydog]

You can't tell me yourself?

Do a little research into events like the TD, CTR, AZT, etc. and you'll find that people enjoy the challenges of supporting themselves. Yes, I take this more literally than some because I think that it's good for the development of the sport. But aid stations on the TD?

Yep, I've been on all of those, and the Kokopelli, and the TCT, and 5000 km of pilgrimage trails in Europe.  If you want to race them, fine, I understand, I was a bike racer in my younger years.

I am not advocating aid stations for the TD.  I am encouraging people to aid riders on the GDMTB route, a route upon which you are sharing with others while playing out your, excuse me, great big life altering game.

I was on the GDMBR long before this race existed....I gave money to map it, and still belong to and contribute to the ACA.  I like seeing the trail We all helped create become more connected to the local people.  When you discourage people from offering aid to people on the trail because your race is sooo important you have been blinded by your own self aggrandizement.   If you want to ride it in a certain style, it is 100% your responsibility. Don't whine about trail angels, they are just doing what good people do.

[richNYC]

America's Continental Divide: Beer Cans, Shot Gun Shells, and Cows.

Hahaha, that's more like it

And this:

[tonydc]

I am new to posting but not new to lurking and reading/following everything TD....I had to comment to express my OH MY GOD regarding how fast and for how long MH has been moving....probably break 200 miles a day average....this is super human....Would have been interesting to see what CS wold have done to push that pace had he stayed....and the singlespeeders OMG and props to all who do this. I am obsessed and have much respect.

[Majcolo]

If Mike makes it so that the 1.5 times rule means in future years racers must do <20hours, that will beast most people!

C

~140 miles per day minimum to be "competitive" now, regardless of conditions. Possibly 150 if Stappler had stayed in to push things along. Interesting.

[SlowDave]

Hahaha, that's more like it

And this:

I would expect something like that near Hatchita.

[mtnbound]

The only trash we saw were empty beer cans/bottles, a sofa and two candy wrappers.  Now, if you TD riders are discarding Schmidt cans along the route then shame on you

My bad - I guess I forgot to pick up my sofa, empty (cheap swill) beer cans, and shotgun shells after the big night of partying on the trail.  A sofa, on the trail? Really? Well, I guess a trail angel (or red neck) left that for the TD riders!  Enjoy!

[mikepro]

Yeezus, Toby G and Newfy D, enough already.  Maybe take your discussion to another thread or PM each other to sort it out.  Savvy?

~140 miles per day minimum to be "competitive" now, regardless of conditions. Possibly 150 if Stappler had stayed in to push things along. Interesting.

 The Brit has definitely done well to show what's possible.  A big "re-set" for expectations moving forward.  

[SlowDave]

It looks like a little confusion with the reroute up front.

[tonydc]

Also I wanted to say I am from Calgary and we have much devastation up here from recent flooding...Calgary and area including Banff and Canmore are an absolute mess and everything I hear is so are all the trails.....definitely in my opinion there will be no riding in these mtns anytime soon on the singletrack and mtn roads as we have known them.I don't know CS but he is from here and he did say his head wasn't in it, I hope his family and friends are all well.

Finally wouldn't it be cool to see all these super human types pushing each other on the spind to Mexico togeather....an endurance fantasy