Tour Divide 2010

[RikPerry]

As a follower of the race from this side of the Atlantic i would like to send congratulations to all the racers finishers or not.
As a Brit i have been rooting for Aidan and a 19 day finish on a SS for a first timer is brilliant. Well Done !

Clearly the race has been overshadowed by the loss of Dave, but as a guy who hopes to race in the future his blog and advice on this site are a tribute to a man who's can do spirit and clear love of this event will inspire people for a long time to come. Never met you but you can just tell when a guy is " Sound " as we say over here.

 

[JeffOYB]

I'm still wondering about the role played by the "keep it moving" aspect in contrast to the "ride fast" side of things.

Maybe one can sleep a touch less than usual -- if bivvying, that might not be too hard -- life'll wake you up. Then just make sure the off-bike activities are streamlined. And that the on-bike action is where you can be comfy and relax if need be. Quick meals, quick shopping, quick maintenance, have a repair-free set-up if possible, efficient rest/stretch breaks if need be...

Possibly it's a major difference between touring and racing this route?

It's the tortoise and the hare thing.

I wonder if that relates to why a SS can do so well. Ride well, sure -- then don't fool around much the rest of the time. ...It's reducing off-bike time rather than increasing on-bike speed. ...Just wondering if that might be so.

I've personally had the experience on long rides and paddles that when I stop for any reason, even briefly, that others who don't stop suddenly put huge time/gaps on me that take a lot of rolling-time to make up for.

I've asked a few times but don't recall anyone elaborating on it yet. Maybe it's a silly question. But, as I've also mentioned, one of my enduro heroes Verlen Kruger, paddler, said the main key to big miles is "don't stop" -- situate so you can do it all while moving, make sure your setup is comfy for the long hours.

To me, if that's the case then it would seem to open up such events to the skills-sector in contrast to the pure power/speed side.

Feedback? Thanks!

[mtbcast]

That dovetails into something Matthew Lee told me. He'd decided to forgo staying in hotels. He said if you do it's just too easy to take time.

[naked indian]

Will Marshall Bird Get  5th? That's whats on my mind!!

[bgiro]

Marshal certainly has had a great ride.

[vistaed]

FeffOYB, can't talk about riding anything as long as the divide but when doing any long Audax ride (300-1400km) I've found that spending as little time as possible faffing means you finish much quicker! You are right, as soon as you stop and someone passes you, the only way to catch them again to hope that they stop. On a 400km ride I try to stop for only a little over 30 mins in total, that makes a big difference on overall time. If your not moving, you're not getting any closer to the finish.

But taking that approach and keeping it going for 17+ days, well that's something else!

[brunch]

Hi All:

A few Divide Racing thoughts as the main TD pack guns it for the border:

1) Just an FYI, the Cordillera (Divide Racing Literary Review) has made it onto Amazon.com's site. You can pick up this fundraiser for the Adventure Cycling Assoc. there for $10.50. Here's the link:

http://www.amazon.com/Cordillera-1-Eric-Bruntjen/dp/0557488435/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1278082884&sr=8-3

People seem to really enjoy the book, if you are a fan of the TD or the GDR then you may want to check it out. All proceeds go to the ACA.

2) Is anyone interesting in doing something to benefit Dave B's daughter? I spent some time with Dave in Wise River during the TD and am just crushed (like everyone else) about his accident. I don't have anything specific in mind but maybe a college bond or at least a stuffed animal to hug on?? If you're game post here or send me an email at thecordillera(AT)gmail.com and we'll figure something out.

3) There will be a second edition of the Cordllera and we need your stories, articles, interview, artwork, poems, etc. about Divide Racing. Just visit www.thecordillera.org or shoot me an email at thecordillera(AT)gmail.com for more info.

Eric

[RikPerry]

It would be nice to think that we could do something as a community ( even if most of us have never met Dave or eachother for that matter )

Matt L always seems to put feelings into great words and i'm sure if he or Scott M started the ball rolling it would gather some speed...?

[JeffOYB]

Hi All:

A few Divide Racing thoughts as the main TD pack guns it for the border:

1) Just an FYI, the Cordillera (Divide Racing Literary Review) has made it onto Amazon.com's site. ...

Eric

I have a kinda informed guess that everyone on the biking side of things makes a much higher % of the proceeds if folks buy direct from lulu.com. My experience is that Amazon takes 55% off the top, but they might have options I'm not considering. In general, the closer to the source we shop the much-much better our producer does. So here's the most-direct shopping link I know about:

http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/the-cordillera-volume-1/11051486

Eric, am I close? I know that A.com is convenient, popular, etc. but does a Lulu buy do more good for the cause?

Thanks for making it happen! --JP

[bmike-vt]

2) Is anyone interesting in doing something to benefit Dave B's daughter? I spent some time with Dave in Wise River during the TD and am just crushed (like everyone else) about his accident. I don't have anything specific in mind but maybe a college bond or at least a stuffed animal to hug on?? If you're game post here or send me an email at thecordillera(AT)gmail.com and we'll figure something out.

If the family is up for it, I'd be open to helping set up a viewing of Ride the Divide in his home town as a benefit... we'd need the movie folks on board, as I'm not sure how it all works. We could also do one here in Burlington, just an hour away from Montpeculiar - as I'm sure it would get the views...

[brunch]

Hi Jeff.

Yup, absolutely. The ACA gets double the donation (over $3 per copy) if it is bought from Lulu rather than Amazon. I posted the Amazon link in case some people don't want to sign up for another account but if possible please do purchase direct from Lulu:

http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/the-cordillera-volume-1/11051486

Also, at the Lulu link there is an electronic download option which provides the ACA $4 per copy and saves paper but I must admit the physical book is a lot more fun to leave on the coffee table. It is an excellent conversation starter.

I also agree that Matthew Lee or Scott would make better spokesmen for a Dave B gift or memorial. I just can't speak for them and wanted to get the ball rolling before the race tapers off and potential contributors drift away.

If someone shoots me an email of interest and ML does pick up the torch then I'll of course pass that info to Matt. This is important but probably won't happen quickly so there's no rush.

Best

Eric

[Chauncey Matthews]

Email sent.

If someone shoots me an email of interest and ML does pick up the torch then I'll of course pass that info to Matt. This is important but probably won't happen quickly so there's no rush.

Best

Eric

[Pivvay]

For those who are wondering... SSers are not slow out there. They suffer a bit on the long gradual downhills and flats like the road detours but they probably climb faster than most/all the gear riders and headwinds level the playing field quite a lot as well. At least I was and Aidan likely was at his pace too. Plus when you're spun out on the downhills you can take that time to eat and drink anyway and it works out pretty well You can even pee off the bike with some practice and favorable roads, haha.

EDIT: New Mexico is really hard and really really awesome. I had a mix of experiences...some mud, quite a few storms (though no epic ones), lots of dogs, really nice people and not too many bad drivers. Of course I had company through the rainbow gathering with JP&t-race and busted out a ~200 mile day over Polvadero all the way to Grants and did much of the detour on lonely evening roads. Sunset was gorgeous and I got to say good bye to JP&t-race one last time before the loooong gradual downhill into Grants left me trailing their taillights. Plus I got PIE which was a highlight for me!

[Aidan]

Hello,

I just wanted to say a few things about the TD 2010...

Thanks for all the interest and support for the race. As a rider, it's a strange and fun experience to have people watching and cheering us along.

Apologies for not making many call-ins. I had trouble finding payphones that worked and it was always a lower priority than food + sleep. I know they help people to understand what's going on, but as other racers will no doubt agree, you can spend all day thinking about what to say, only to draw blank when you finally do get a working phone!

Dave Blumenthal's family have my greatest sympathies. I rode with him for a few days and the loss of any life is a tragedy. To lose someone so vital and committed to seeking adventure, someone with a young family, and someone who was such a pleasure to be with, tears a hole in the world. I can not imagine how hard it is for his family right now, but if they read this and there is anything I can do for them, I will do it. I deliberately didn't mention this on call-ins - the subject didn't deserve my addled thoughts, hopefully my writing comes a bit closer to what I wanted to say.

Chris is right about SS (and has my great respect for setting a heck of a time). I was pretty much always the faster climber around (although I didn't ride with Matthew or Eric L) during the race. My "tactic" was to ride fast and get lots of rest so that I could still turn the pedals the next day. The danger of SS is (as I found one day in NM) that if you get to tired, you can't spin an easy gear so you go to some dark place to keep riding or you push. That, and the road sections suck.

Which kind of goes to another point. Slow and steady isn't the only way to finish. Riding fast and staying in motels will work. It probably won't win because you won't be able to ride fast enough to make up for someone like Matthew who is fast and puts in the hours, but it'll get you there.

Aidan

[jimfab]

Aidan

Way to go man! Bummer about your tire on the second day. It was great to hang out before the start.

Cheers- Jim

[Aidan]

Hey Jim, thanks. Likewise, it was great to meet you. Let's hope we cross paths again some day!

[JeffOYB]

Congrats on making it from the top to the bottom, Aidan!

...And it such good time!

It's nice to see the typing of a racer back in the "real world."  : )

[JeffOYB]

Speaking of congratulations -- the race isn't over yet -- but how about the reporting of Paul Howard in this year's TD?

I think it's some of the best event writing I've ever seen!

I'm astonished. It's as good as Sam Abt's ever was!

We're lucky, sez me!

The Net is a good home, with lots of good views on things, and insights, but Paul helped lift it up even more.

Too bad that rascally cyclingnews.com never picked up on it. Good fun bike writing, it's been.

And it's not over!

[mtbcast]

Just posted calls from Stephen, Marshal, John, and Nathan (GDR). Sorry they're late. They all called while I was out.

EDIT: And Nicolas. :p

[AmyL]

Question about SPOT info...  I have noticed a few times spot dots that were clearly off target - 1/4 mile off route in a place that's not reasonable, like up the side of a mountain with no road, with appropriate dots 10 minutes on either side of it.  I have a theory (not well grounded) that the dots have only been off when the weather is cloudy/stormy.  Take a look at Dave Goldberg's track.  I've not see the spot dots be that misplaced.  Does anybody know spot technology well enough to know if it might be weather related?