Tour Divide 2013

[BobM]

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

Hi Simon,

The ACA sells the Canadian map separately from the full GDMBR set (or used to).  The cue sheets also include Banff to border.  The maps and cues change whenever the ACA route team updates them.  You also need to check the ACA website for route addenda up to race date.  They can be found at http://www.adventurecycling.org/routes-and-maps/adventure-cycling-route-network/map-addenda/ and are keyed to the map edition that you have.

EDIT:  I just re-read and see that you are preparing for 2014.  I believe several of the sections are up for revision in the 2014 editions.  Check with ACA.  They typically get them updated in the Spring.

[simon cross]

Thanks a lot Bob ., cheers simon
Ps If there are any Australian riders out there looking at the TD 2014 feel free to get in contact - via post or personal email. simon

[jaybo]

Thanks for all of the useful info that has been posted everyone!  I'm on the list for doing an ITT starting on June 7. Plans have changed a little......I'm staring on June 1st now (I know super early) and I'll just be out there riding the GDMBR and not doing an ITT in the tour divide. However,  I still have a goal of around 27 days. Anyway just wanted to say thanks for the info it really helps lurkers like me. I'm arriving in Banff on May 29th. Maybe see some of you out there.

[Endurance Junkie]

So who are the big guns this yr?
No jefe
No JP
No kurt
No ollie
So who's it gonna be?
YOU

[Briansong]

Thanks a lot Bob ., cheers simon
Ps If there are any Australian riders out there looking at the TD 2014 feel free to get in contact - via post or personal email. simon

Hi Simon,
Not an Aussie but I've been to the N.T. I will be a rookie in 2014 as well. Looking forward to meeting you in Banff.

Steve

[Bigcottonwoodkid]

FYI: Looks like tourdivide.org is back up and running.

[Bigcottonwoodkid]

Christopher- thanks for the reading suggestions, I just finished The Cordillera vol 1-4, as well as the other suggested titles on your site.  Your guys are a wealth of knowledge. 

[marco_n]

Thanks for all of the useful info that has been posted everyone!  I'm on the list for doing an ITT starting on June 7. Plans have changed a little......I'm staring on June 1st now (I know super early) and I'll just be out there riding the GDMBR and not doing an ITT in the tour divide. However,  I still have a goal of around 27 days. Anyway just wanted to say thanks for the info it really helps lurkers like me. I'm arriving in Banff on May 29th. Maybe see some of you out there.

Good luck! Enjoy the ride!

[phil_rad]

So who are the big guns this yr?
No jefe
No JP
No kurt
No ollie
So who's it gonna be?
YOU

Craig S. and Mike Hall would be candidates for the win, if not a record. Probably a couple other too. It's going to be a good race.

[WatermelonSugar]

Thanks for all of the useful info that has been posted everyone!  I'm on the list for doing an ITT starting on June 7. Plans have changed a little......I'm staring on June 1st now (I know super early) and I'll just be out there riding the GDMBR and not doing an ITT in the tour divide. However,  I still have a goal of around 27 days. Anyway just wanted to say thanks for the info it really helps lurkers like me. I'm arriving in Banff on May 29th. Maybe see some of you out there.

Hey! Good to know that there's another early starter out there! I'm off on the 2nd, probably see you around 

[hikernks]

Looks like the assistance rule has reverted back again:

In the event of a serious mechanical that renders one's bike unrideable, a rider may be assisted[3] by motor vehicle in moving backwards or directly off the route, but never forward on route. A rider may also receive assistance returning back to the location they left the GDMBR, however, the moment they rejoin the route, any forward assistance is prohibited, even if a rider has already ridden that stretch prior to leaving the route. The intent of this rule is to encourage riders to exhaust self-rescue options first, and ensure any rider who must hitchhike will still always ride the entire TD course (+ a few penalty miles). Again, any assistance moving forward on the route, in any circumstance, is forbidden.

http://tourdivide.org/the_rules

[Christopher R. Bennett]

I asked Paul Attalla (who lives in Ferney) what the weather is like. Here is his (optimistic) response:

"The passes have low snow amounts for this time of year relative to the past 4 years.  Galton and cabin should be min walking if any at all.  That being said it snow 5 cm last night."

[falkenjaeger]

I asked Paul Attalla (who lives in Ferney) what the weather is like. Here is his (optimistic) response:

"The passes have low snow amounts for this time of year relative to the past 4 years.  Galton and cabin should be min walking if any at all.  That being said it snow 5 cm last night."

This doesn't really surprise me. Most of my training I had to struggle with unusual cold and lots of snow in Germany and it is still freezing cold. So I wouldn't be surprised if we all had to struggle with temperatures above 100 F all the way from Banff to AW in this year's race :-)

[marco_n]

This doesn't really surprise me. Most of my training I had to struggle with unusual cold and lots of snow in Germany and it is still freezing cold. So I wouldn't be surprised if we all had to struggle with temperatures above 100 F all the way from Banff to AW in this year's race :-)

Same crazy situation in Italy... Lot of snow and low temperatures...

[phil_rad]

This doesn't really surprise me. Most of my training I had to struggle with unusual cold and lots of snow in Germany and it is still freezing cold. So I wouldn't be surprised if we all had to struggle with temperatures above 100 F all the way from Banff to AW in this year's race :-)

Don't count on hot temps in Canada and Northern Montana, if it happens be happy but be prepared for cold temps and rain/snow. Kind of like our lovely weather in Germany right now. :-)

[james-o]

Hey everyone .. long-time lurker here on this thread. Getting close to the day and thought it was well past time I said Hello. Really appreciate the pointers that have helped my research. I wasn't sure if I'd feel ready to race until earlier this spring and as a newb to both the route, this kind of distance and riding in the US I have little to contribute here. I've not posted questions so far as I've either found what I was looking for via this thread or other links, otherwise I've made decisions based on my own experience or gone out and tested my kit and found my own answers - at least an answer that can be tried+tested on the route!

Many thanks to all that have been generous with information here. If there is anything I can offer in return it's bringing kit over from the UK if anyone needs anything - can't think of what we have that you don't, but I'd plug the Wildcat Tiger as a brilliant seat bag.

Look forward to riding out with you all from Banff.

James

[chainagent]

I'd plug the Wildcat Tiger as a brilliant seat bag.

I confirm! 

This doesn't really surprise me. Most of my training I had to struggle with unusual cold and lots of snow in Germany and it is still freezing cold. So I wouldn't be surprised if we all had to struggle with temperatures above 100 F all the way from Banff to AW in this year's race :-)

I confirm, too!  Go on the bike isn't really fun this year.

[Cosmo K]

I wonder if the assistance rule reverting back to the old version is due to the site having to be restored from an old back-up after the crash/downtime??

Seems odd to have it for a year and then revert back.

[Christopher R. Bennett]

I wonder if the assistance rule reverting back to the old version is due to the site having to be restored from an old back-up after the crash/downtime??

Seems odd to have it for a year and then revert back.

Last year - the first one that introduced the rule allowing forward motion for mechanicals - there was some questionable behaviour with regard to using/abusing the rule. So I think it's good that they've reverted. They have left in the option to go ahead for medical reasons which is sensible. Often the only hospital (e.g. Gila which Justin and I visited in 2011) is ahead on the route.

[ron]

Where is the medical exception (for forward on-route travel) specified?