Tour Divide 2013

[wunnspeed]

Phil is great! He's a friend and a team mate and loves to do stuff like this.

FYI - stuff like this is great but always keep in mind that things randomly open & close and you can bet that the stop you count on most is either closed or it'll rain, etc. I'm just saying, keep a couple of bars or something in case of emergency. The section after Pie Town took me totally by surprise in that I had it in my head that it was 80 miles and in reality it was 180 and I spent two nights out, unplanned, with nowhere to resupply. Those bars tasted like steak and potatoes on the second morning. Also, at least on a singlespeed that section is brutal as it's up/down in equal parts with the potential for a lot of mud beforehand. Ugh! Anyway....just plan ahead. :-)

[chainagent]

M-M (in bed with a cold)

Dito! 

[Christopher R. Bennett]

Since the tourdivide.org site is still down, I've put the rules and FAQ's onto my web site at:

http://triduffer.wordpress.com/2013/05/10/rules-for-the-tour-divide-race/

It was a good refresher :-)

[DocTrike]

Thanks for reposting the rules and affiliated info I needed those. Anyone have any course or route changes not on current ACA maps that are required for TDR, AND NOT SHOWN ON ABOVE PUBLISHED RULES SECTION?

[ScottM]

Hey TDers,

I get this question a lot every year: "what basemaps should I load on my GPS for TD?"  But I've never had a really good answer... until now.

There are pay options (to big company Garmin -- the Topo USA DVD) and there are free ones.  As usual with free stuff, though, there's a bunch of leg work and learning needed to get a full and working TD basemap set.  (In this case, installing multiple states of data individually, then combining them into one map set).

I put one together for TDers (and GDMBR riders in general), it's available here:

http://topofusion.com/divide/gps.php

There are some directions on how to load the file as well.  Please drop me an email (smorris@topofusion.com) if you have any trouble with it.  I tested it on a couple GPS devices, but am not yet considering it well tested at this point.

To answer Doctrike's question, I am not aware of any changes to the route from 2012.  The GPX files available on my site are still the most current.

[ron]

Wow Scott, thank you!!

[ron]

Hey guys and gals with a dyno + light + Plug (etc): what are you using for a single pole double throw switch? I'm looking for something a little more elegant than just a plain toggle.

If you really wanna go the extra k, shoot specs 'n pics to rbabington@snl.com.

Thanks,
Ron

[Pizzaz]

Hey guys and gals with a dyno + light + Plug (etc): what are you using for a single pole double throw switch? I'm looking for something a little more elegant than just a plain toggle.

If you really wanna go the extra k, shoot specs 'n pics to rbabington@snl.com.

Thanks,
Ron

My Supernova setup just has a simple switch on the light to turn it on an off.  The Plug is wired in parallel to the light so when the light is off the plug gets power and charges your stuff.

It _will_ charge with the light on but you need to be up around the 30+km/hr mark and even then it is patchy as the supernova lights work of a capacitor so there is a constant on/off thing that happens... the plug and light are quite happy with this but the device you're charging may not be (fried my Edge 800 doing this... not happy Jan!)

[phil_rad]

That list with resupply towns was from last year, might not be 100% up to date, so don't trust it blindly ;-) Do your own research.

I've been testing the Plug from Supernova this year with mixed results. The first one I fried on a long downhill, it didn't effect my light (E-3Triple) or Garmin etrex. Georg at Supernova sent me a new cable and so far so good! It runs my gps device, charges my phone and I can run my light too. Like Christopher said a very tidy set up. I would still take a back up set of batteries for the gps, you never know...

I like being independant with the dyno hub; having the candle power to ride in the dark if need be. The Fenix lights put out an amazing amount of light for a little flashlight, I used one last year. Definitely cheaper and lighter than the dyno set up.

[Mauro_N]

Since the tourdivide.org site is still down, I've put the rules and FAQ's onto my web site at:

http://triduffer.wordpress.com/2013/05/10/rules-for-the-tour-divide-race/

It was a good refresher :-)

Thanks for posting the rules! It was a good refresher.

Does anyone know what the availability of CR123 batteries is like in the gas stations and supermarkets. I will carry what i think Ill need on the bike and have some shipped to a post office half way but I don't want to run out and not be able to ride at knight. 

Thanks

Mauro 

[bgiro]

CR123 batteries are not too common at gas stations or supermarkets.  When I need CR123 batteries, I get them at a Radio Shack store.

Radio Shack stores might be located in the larger towns on the route.

[BobM]

CR123 batteries are not too common at gas stations or supermarkets.  When I need CR123 batteries, I get them at a Radio Shack store.

Radio Shack stores might be located in the larger towns on the route.

WalMart (and other such big discount stores) would have them and if you're lucky some hardware stores carry them as well.  Considering how lightweight they are, I would say bring several.

[bpeschka]

I was looking around on the forum, trying to discern what size of bear spray to order, and came across various info here that might be of interest.

It looks like 12 oz is what I'll look for.

Here are a few links, within this forum, that may be interesting to read:

I'm not trying to start a massive discussion on the merits of bear spray vs no bear spray, whether I should be carrying a .40 cal Glock, etc.   Just attempting to convey a little info I've not seen before.

Matthew Lee's bear map:
https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&oe=UTF8&t=h&msa=0&msid=200334849650645495946.00047e45e4239031f00c3&start=0&num=200&sll=46.7248,-112.807617&sspn=1.269004,2.221985&z=7

http://fwp.mt.gov/recreation/safety/wildlife/bears/bearSpray.html

http://fwp.mt.gov/recreation/safety/wildlife/bears/bearEncounter.html

Enjoy

[BobM]

I was looking around on the forum, trying to discern what size of bear spray to order, and came across various info here that might be of interest.

It looks like 12 oz is what I'll look for.

Here are a few links, within this forum, that may be interesting to read:

I'm not trying to start a massive discussion on the merits of bear spray vs no bear spray, whether I should be carrying a .40 cal Glock, etc.   Just attempting to convey a little info I've not seen before.

Matthew Lee's bear map:
https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&oe=UTF8&t=h&msa=0&msid=200334849650645495946.00047e45e4239031f00c3&start=0&num=200&sll=46.7248,-112.807617&sspn=1.269004,2.221985&z=7

http://fwp.mt.gov/recreation/safety/wildlife/bears/bearSpray.html

http://fwp.mt.gov/recreation/safety/wildlife/bears/bearEncounter.html

Enjoy

Bear spray is one of those things you probably will never need, but if you DO need it, you REALLY need it!

[jryter]

Bear spray is one of those things you probably will never need, but if you DO need it, you REALLY need it!

One thing of note after having to cross the border an extra couple of times.... They were really picky about small cans of rape type sprays--you couldn't have them. The larger cans of bear spray they didn't care about as they were too hard to hide. I don't know if there is a size they care about. But really there aren't any bears in Canada. Just keep your head down and you'll never see them and therefore they aren't there. It's the moose that you have to watch out for!

Starting to wish I could give it a go again this year! Hope you all have a great time and the weather is great. Can't wait to watch some dots and read some stories! What a hoot!

[BobM]

One thing of note after having to cross the border an extra couple of times.... They were really picky about small cans of rape type sprays--you couldn't have them. The larger cans of bear spray they didn't care about as they were too hard to hide. I don't know if there is a size they care about. But really there aren't any bears in Canada. Just keep your head down and you'll never see them and therefore they aren't there. It's the moose that you have to watch out for!

Starting to wish I could give it a go again this year! Hope you all have a great time and the weather is great. Can't wait to watch some dots and read some stories! What a hoot!

You're right - there were no bears in Canada last year, but I still wonder who was spreading all the bear scat and tracks around.

[jryter]

You're right - there were no bears in Canada last year, but I still wonder who was spreading all the bear scat and tracks around.

Very very large rabbits? There was a lot of scat! And large piles! But no bike shoes or Lycra in it.....

The trees were so close together up there the animals may have been very close and you just didn't see them also.

[Notsofastfreddy]

Scott -

THANKS!!!!! 

I know last year when I was struggling with my GPS you were a great help and adding the basemap this year is another great tool you've made easy for all of us to use!!

Fred Arden

[BobM]

Very very large rabbits? There was a lot of scat! And large piles! But no bike shoes or Lycra in it.....

The trees were so close together up there the animals may have been very close and you just didn't see them also.

OOOH - tip for the leaders for this year:  take along a few extra bear bells and some old gloves and mix them in a scat pile in the center of the road - that should slow down the chase group!

[simon cross]

Hello all, good forum thanks. A question re maps and cue sheets. Do the ACA map / cue sheets take into account Banff to the border .... (may seem like a late question but preparing for 14) Also does the route and therefore the maps and cues change following a td? thanks for your help simon