TOUR DIVIDE 2014

[Briansong]

Man, that's some tough weather. 55 today in Phoenix, coldest day of the year so far. Busy shoveling sunshine!! 

[bpeschka]

Man, that's some tough weather. 55 today in Phoenix, coldest day of the year so far. Busy shoveling sunshine!! 

I know ... I just came back from a ride in the Phx area.  Almost had to put sleeves and knee warmers on.

[JRA]

Just got back from a 2 hour road ride here in CA,
had to put on an extra layer……………..of sunscreen………..!

Just funnin' with you guys - I have the deepest respect for those of you who charge through the brutal winter conditions.

[Christopher R. Bennett]

Hi All,

I've managed to get the V4 manuscript and its available as a Kindle version on Amazon at:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H4LTUEA

Time to hang up my editor's hat for another year and get on my bike. Summer is here in N.Z. so fine weather for riding ...

Chris

[Enzo149]

This thread needs some action.

What tends to be the popular Spot Tracker used? 2, 3? Any reason to go with one over the other that you wouldn't pick up from their marketing material? Is there a compatibility issue with any of the generations and the tracking website? I know the majority rents/borrows them but I think it will be a useful device for me to have.

Also when will the proper maps/ques/tracks be published or confirmed for the 2014 route?

Thanks in advance 

[Couloirman]

the newest spot is lighter, and has custom modes that save a ton of battery by sending signal less often. Im upgrading for those reasons.

[GregMay]

Still have a Gen 1 here, it works, with good batteries you're having to swap them out less. Also, see no need to buy a new one

[BobM]

Still have a Gen 1 here, it works, with good batteries you're having to swap them out less. Also, see no need to buy a new one

My gen1 works like a charm.  I put it in the top AV pocket of my hydration pack and it connected fine for tracking.

[Marshal]

ok--some more winter time thread action coming up............

Intimidating Split Times?

What the most intimidating TDR split times for you?  Mike Hall’s or others top place finishers? 

Nah, not for me as  their times are so far out of my league I barely give them a glance.

I used Jill’s for my 2010 run as I was shooting for around 25days and she had blow by blow/day by day entertaining written descriptions to match up with her split times. Worked out very well in the end…….

But for me the most intimidating split times are my own.  I pulled out my old 2010 GPS tracks and took a glance, sure that I could see all sorts of huge chunks of time to be saved.  I am like most—I remember all the things I did wrong and think I could go back and do better the 2nd time around. 

But the more I look at my actual splits the more daunting it gets.  To pick up a day or so overall--can I pull off 20 perfect days where I gain an hour here and an hour there?  Humm nice challenge but pretty low probability………..

[wookieone]

Greetings TD fanatics,

Does anyone know what the status of the washed out sections in Canada were looking like before the snow started?

I hear you Marshall, after a near perfect run in 2011 I am curious if I can go as fast the second time. I really really think (and hope) that I can....time will tell as always...but there were lots of places I futzed around, made mistakes, rode a freaking SS, etc....

Jefe

[jnos]

2014 won't be my year.  My best friend and I have wanted to race the divide since 2004 or 2005 and the stars may finally align for 2015. 

Can one of the veterans give me some insight into navigation.  I can read a map (and have not seen the ACA map in person, just the cover of it), but wonder if one of you could give a general overview of how the cue sheets are written or how I actually ensure that I am still on the trail and haven't severely swerved off course.  I'm sure I'll be able to figure it out, but would love a bit of reassurance that it isn't too difficult.  Navigation is really my only concern since I just keep picturing myself helplessly lost.  Haven't fully planned my gear choices or food situation, but that worries me much less.

[james-o]

I'm sure I'll be able to figure it out, but would love a bit of reassurance that it isn't too difficult.  Navigation is really my only concern since I just keep picturing myself helplessly lost.  Haven't fully planned my gear choices or food situation, but that worries me much less.

Cues-only riders don't seem to make any more or less route-finding errors than GPS users, they just have different excuses. The ACA cues are good. Format for your own use and they're great. There's a few areas where you can make a wrong turn ime but you'll realise very soon when the next couple of cues aren't there on the trail.

[MDSeaburg]

jnos, I agree with james-o. Though I have not yet raced the Tour Divide, I have bikepacked along it. The ACA maps and cues are very good. You can purchase the cues in narrative form on-line for download from the ACA, then format them any way you like. Use a GPS for backup and you're good to go.

http://www.adventurecycling.org/cyclosource-store/route-maps/downloadable-route-maps/great-divide-narratives/

[spoke537]

Can one of the veterans give me some insight into navigation.

jnos - Navigation is the least of your worries.  With GPS these days, all you have to do is load the course and follow the purple line.  The Garmin eTrex series seems to be the most popluar.  I'd recommend getting one now to use and get familiar with it before your run in 2015.  I've taken cues sheets and never used them.  Packed the data book and only glanced at it at night to see what the next day had in store.  I'll take the maps for TD this year but they'll be for information purposes to plan water and food each day and not for navigation.   Best of luck on your journey.

-Les

[Christopher R. Bennett]

jnos - Navigation is the least of your worries.  With GPS these days, all you have to do is load the course and follow the purple line.  The Garmin eTrex series seems to be the most popluar.  I'd recommend getting one now to use and get familiar with it before your run in 2015.  I've taken cues sheets and never used them.  Packed the data book and only glanced at it at night to see what the next day had in store.  I'll take the maps for TD this year but they'll be for information purposes to plan water and food each day and not for navigation.   Best of luck on your journey.

-Les

I have to agree with Les. GPS takes a lot of the worries out of it. I didn't use the cue sheets once in 2013.

I did a posting on navigation to my blog: http://triduffer.wordpress.com/2012/12/28/navigating-for-the-tour-divide-race/

Were I to race again I would scan the maps into my cell phone (yes, copyright violation and all that ...) just in case. I think I only used them once or twice, and that was to see off route where the nearest hotel was.

[Rob Colliver]

This may be an opportune moment to ask a Q about powering the GPS.

Last time I rode with an Etrex HCX and a fist full of batteries. This time I have the SON dynamo laced to some plastic wheels. The question is; how good is the mini USB connector in this unit and is there an issue with the plug working loose/ damaging the socket in the unit?

The socket is on the underneath of the unit (so quite well protected from the weather) but my thoughts are that the wire will come out...


Regards

Rob

[Briansong]

I have a question about the GPX (TD) files to download, how many are there? I read Cjell's blog and he was all worked up about too many files and how complex it was?

Thanks!

Steve

[Mike McElveen]

I would agree with James-O about the reliability of the maps and cues, but be forewarned that until you learn to completely trust the cues you'll question yourself several times everyday.  The doubt arises because the visual cues are frequently not visible until the last second (as you're counting down the tenths of miles).  There will also be occasions when there are many side roads not mapped or described in the cues, but close to where there should be a turn.  You have to trust the map and accuracy of your odometer.  I would also suggest periodically jotting down your odometer reading next to the map's milage as a reference in case you do have to backtrack after a wrong turn.

Having said that, I did find it a little frustrating to watch other tourers blithely make turns in a plexus of side roads while I was doing addition and subtraction on my maps.  It's definitely faster to just follow a line, until the GPS fails, which I saw happen, too.  I haven't decided if I would use a GPS if I raced it.  It's like everything else about bike packing:  a compromise.  Maps are slower but never fail; GPS the opposite.

[Christopher R. Bennett]

I have a question about the GPX (TD) files to download, how many are there? I read Cjell's blog and he was all worked up about too many files and how complex it was?

Thanks!

Steve

It really depends on what GPS you use. My Garmin 800 lets me download the entire track as a single file.

[Marshal]

I politely disagree that navigation errors are equal when comparing cue sheets/cycle-computers vs GPS systems.  The record does not show they are equal.

All else being equal the probability of picking the correct direction at a junction is higher with GPS.  Also, on average the time spent going the wrong direction is lower with GPS

No navigation system is perfect, all have pluses and minus.  However GPS is the undisputed winner if ones goal is to stay on track and if one does get off track execute a fast recovery.  Said another way, GPS is clearly the superior navigation method if finish times are important.