TDR 2012

[elobeck]

I'd be interested in how TD veterans have handled being caught in lightening storms. I was in one a few years ago on Brazos ridge in New Mexico and it was the most terrifying experience I've had. Do you shelter in place, ride, get on your knees and pray? All of the above???

Yes, lightning is terrifying and IMHO nothing wrong with having respect for it. In years past I have taken many an unplanned respite in a ditch. Generally it has involved a full rain gear suitup and hanging out lying down eating snacks waiting for it to pass. Most of the summertime storms in the rockies are strong but quite fast moving. I never had to "hang out" for more than 10-15 minutes for the worst of it to pass. However, they did have an uncanny ability to always occur when I was located near the top of an exposed mountain top. I know others have ridden straight through...

[Foster]

I have been caught on barren peaks above 16000 feet a couple of times in electrical storms and was nearly hit by lightning numerous times.  If you see it moving in and have time...get the fuck out of there to a more protected area.  If you are caught in it get off your bike, move away from your bike(30m) and crouch.  Avoid high elevation passes where vegetation is bare.  Getting to a small town to wait them out for a short period before/while these hit would be great but that I am sure is not always available.  I think eventually you will end up riding in the rain/electrical storm for at least some amount of time during the TD.

[Foster]

http://www.syntace.com/index.cfm?pid=3&pk=349

These things freaking rock. Light, comfy, and durable as hell. If they can carry my 230 rear end across the divide, they can carry you!

I cannot find any of these available online.  Anyone else have any luck?

[BigPoppa]

So Justin what kind of handlerbars do you have these mounted to?
I bought a pair of these and I have low-rise bars, but the 31.8mm area of the bar is on the low-rise part of the bar and it's too narrow. If I try and mount the TT bar on the upper portion the spaces are not big enough.

Big Poppa - what kind of handlebars are you running as well?

Woody

I used a pair of niner flat bars, of the aluminum variety. I had a really short headset to get the aerobars back and went with flat bars to keep the grips forward more.

I wouldn't dare ride with carbon bars and aero clip ons for fear of breakage on a huge descent. Although, some carbon bar cush would be nice with a rigid front fork!

[BigPoppa]

I'd be interested in how TD veterans have handled being caught in lightening storms. I was in one a few years ago on Brazos ridge in New Mexico and it was the most terrifying experience I've had. Do you shelter in place, ride, get on your knees and pray? All of the above???

I rode through three stroms last year where I saw lightning hit on both sides of the road. Worst was in the Gila, NM. It was just an electrical storm and it started a few smoldering fires. I was so worried that I'd either get hit by lightning, burn to death, or BOTH.

The next day the fire crews at the work center (Beaver Head?)were talking about all the fires they put out the night before!

[BigPoppa]

I cannot find any of these available online.  Anyone else have any luck?

These guys have a size small in stock.

http://www.gottaridebikes.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=SYA0025&Category_Code=SYA&Product_Count=1

[BigPoppa]

I cannot find any of these available online.  Anyone else have any luck?

These guys have all sizes in stock. Buy an adapter kit to fit mountain bars.

Booyah!

http://3-athlon.com/product.php?cat=82&page=1&productid=245

[krefs]

I'd be interested in how TD veterans have handled being caught in lightening storms. I was in one a few years ago on Brazos ridge in New Mexico and it was the most terrifying experience I've had. Do you shelter in place, ride, get on your knees and pray? All of the above???

Take these storms seriously. I know too many people who have been struck and the long term consequences are simply not something worth risking. Like Eric Lobeck said (and Mike Curiak demonstrated in years gone by), take shelter in a low spot or wait to climb that next pass and make use of the time for eating. With the exception of the big monsoonal thunderstorms that sometimes hit NM, storms in the Rockies do pass quite quickly.

[Foster]

These guys have a size small in stock.

http://www.gottaridebikes.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=SYA0025&Category_Code=SYA&Product_Count=1

You use the small size?  I was thinking medium...how do you go about sizing these?

[BigPoppa]

You use the small size?  I was thinking medium...how do you go about sizing these?

It's based on forearm length. Maybe they have a chart on their website?

And no, I don't use a small. At 6'04", 230 all of my gear comes only in the large variety.

[Foster]

Why is there this loop on the route shown in the tracker?  Is there really a circle that you have to ride in on the route here in Butte, Montana?

[Foster]

It even shows this on my TD .gpx file.  Anyone know why this is?

[BigPoppa]

Takes you right to the front door of one stellar bike store.....

[THE LONG RANGER]

Here's what I'm talking about with aerobar adjustments, for a XC mountain bike: the forearm pads for me personally are several *inches* back from where you attach the bars to your handlebars. I set the pads to be under the, "fattest" parts of my forearms. I'm ~6' and my wingspan is around an 1" longer than that.  This also illustrates how I switched the clamps, so they face inward and rest fairly close to the stem itself.

[DenisVTT]

Why is there this loop on the route shown in the tracker?  Is there really a circle that you have to ride in on the route here in Butte, Montana?

The loop allows you to go under the Interstate, after you got off it. (Yeah, you have to ride right on I-15 for about 10 miles). Kinda like taking an exit ramp and then  going under the interstate to go on.

As Big Poppa said, it also takes you right at the door of the Outdoorsman, Butte's best bike shop, owned and operated by Rob Leipheimer's (Levi's brother.) 

[febikes]

It even shows this on my TD .gpx file.  Anyone know why this is?

What gpx file are you using? 

I have the TourDivide2011_v2.gpx file from Scott's topo fusion site.
http://topofusion.com/divide/gps.php

Is there a better gpx file for the standard route?

Also, do you have waypoints with lat/lon for critical sections?

[Cosmo K]

Ok, so I have an admission to make.  I plan on racing come June but...I don't have a mountain bike and have zero equipment that I will need.  Not ideal, but…

Things going for me:
-   16 straight months of TD specific training.  I feel stronger than I have in 30+ years of riding.
-   Solid backpacking experience and mtn bike exp.
-   Tough mentally
-   Selected every piece of equipment I will be purchasing.
-   Time off for the race

Things not going for me:
-   No mtn bike, no bike bags, no equipment = limited shakedown time…maybe 2 weeks.
-   Training only on road bike
-   Maybe one shakedown weekend on the mtn bike fully loaded in the mtns.  If not, I will have to ride loaded on the roads for a couple of weeks. (to prep tendons for added weight I’ve been riding only in my big ring for the past 3 weeks, once again, not ideal, but there you have it…)
-   Lead time for custom bike bags…this is actually stressin’ me more than almost anything else.
-   Financially, won’t be able to start purchasing items until the end of this week…at the earliest.

So there it is…my dirty little secret.  I’ve come clean.  Five and a half weeks to go.  I’m confident physically and mentally but equipment wise, not so much.  Well, I am confident in the actual equipment selected since I’ve obsessed over it for over a year but, well, I don’t have it so…

The bike I’ll have within 2 weeks, and I’ll have a bike fit and then ride it exclusively for 3 weeks.  I figure if I order all of the equipment by the end of this week, I’ll get it still with 4 weeks to go.  So, yea, I’m cutting it close.

It will be interesting to see whether my training on the road (using a RAAM training program I scaled down) carries over to this race.  I think it will but who knows.  Tendon stress is my biggest concern physically.  Mentally…looking at the calendar and then looking at the space where my mtn bike should be…ha!  This is going to be epic!

- Mark

[BobM]

Ok, so I have an admission to make.  I plan on racing come June but...I don't have a mountain bike and have zero equipment that I will need.  Not ideal, but…

Things going for me:
-   16 straight months of TD specific training.  I feel stronger than I have in 30+ years of riding.
-   Solid backpacking experience and mtn bike exp.
-   Tough mentally
-   Selected every piece of equipment I will be purchasing.
-   Time off for the race

Things not going for me:
-   No mtn bike, no bike bags, no equipment = limited shakedown time…maybe 2 weeks.
-   Training only on road bike
-   Maybe one shakedown weekend on the mtn bike fully loaded in the mtns.  If not, I will have to ride loaded on the roads for a couple of weeks. (to prep tendons for added weight I’ve been riding only in my big ring for the past 3 weeks, once again, not ideal, but there you have it…)
-   Lead time for custom bike bags…this is actually stressin’ me more than almost anything else.
-   Financially, won’t be able to start purchasing items until the end of this week…at the earliest.

So there it is…my dirty little secret.  I’ve come clean.  Five and a half weeks to go.  I’m confident physically and mentally but equipment wise, not so much.  Well, I am confident in the actual equipment selected since I’ve obsessed over it for over a year but, well, I don’t have it so…

The bike I’ll have within 2 weeks, and I’ll have a bike fit and then ride it exclusively for 3 weeks.  I figure if I order all of the equipment by the end of this week, I’ll get it still with 4 weeks to go.  So, yea, I’m cutting it close.

It will be interesting to see whether my training on the road (using a RAAM training program I scaled down) carries over to this race.  I think it will but who knows.  Tendon stress is my biggest concern physically.  Mentally…looking at the calendar and then looking at the space where my mtn bike should be…ha!  This is going to be epic!

- Mark

Best of luck, Mark.  I would not count on custom bags being ready in 4 weeks even if the builder says yes.

Other thing you have going for you: As soon as you hit the trail most of the worries become pointless - you just ride and make the best of what you have.

[mcmurv]

Where is the google doc that someone started for the LOI's for 2012? 

[woody]

Where is the google doc that someone started for the LOI's for 2012? 

Here it is thanks to DenisVTT

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ami9kLAhoE7GdHNKN2xQSTA4T0JiRmMxaUJlc01UbEE#gid=0

Woody