TOUR DIVIDE 2014

[SlowRide]

On another topic, anybody doing anything special "mentally" to prepare?

Not sure it's anything "special" but for this I rode all last summer in training without anyone on lonely, washboarded dirt roads in wilderness areas around Steamboat Springs, got used to laughing devilishly to myself, enjoying views on/near the divide with no one to share them with, rode a couple sections of the TDR alone to test my resolve, went through many struggles alone, wiped out on my bike and picked myself back up alone. I'm hoping(we'll see once I actually start on TDR) this should have helped me get used to the mental strain of being alone in unfamiliar territory and dealing with whatever may come... alone. This winter I've been doing a lot of backcountry skiing in unfamiliar areas to get used to route finding and being in situations that require keen alertness and good decision making in the face of gnarly terrain, avalanche danger, a nasty storm coming, etc. I think for me that all of this is geared towards making me trust myself implicitly to get through whatever may come.

Then you'll have amazingly fun days too... like Ovando, Mt (SP?).  I could live there.

Used to live just southwest of Ovando on the Blackfoot River... pretty amazing country there.

[fastmtnbiker33w]

Separ.  It was alive and kicking when I passed through this past weekend.  Will check again in April when I go through for AZT.  May be a good idea to call before leaving Silver City for south bounders and before starting for us nobos.

[Tigger]

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

Hello Chris, just purchased the Garmin 800 and working on how best to set up per your experience.  What do you recommend - Maps and TD 14 Downloads?  Thanks, Bill

[EndoAgain]

Been reading up on the Tour Divide for over a year and started training a year ago. Been a recreational Mt bike racer for years (ride with friends and occasionally find a race to do). Got it in my head to do a half marathon probably 5 years ago…failed…did a few more, succeeded. Moved to marathons…DNF'd a few…then success…did some more. Wanted to do a 100miler two years ago but didn't train well so did the 100K, single speed, instead. Last year I wanted again to done but did not want to DNF so started training with a Lynda Wallenfels training plan(s). Got a training plan together and did 3 NUE races last year among others. Thought why not use it as a stepping stone for the Tour Divide? With the generous blogs, forums, Cordillera, multiple viewings of "Ride the Divide", another Wallenfels training plan and lots of gear testing I am on track for 2014. Frozen here in the midwest so need this thread to rise from the bottom of the spam pile. Registered for the forum today and replied to do my small part to get this great thread some visibility. One other small part, I have reviewed much on dynamo hubs and noted that "The plug II" has now been updated to "the Plug III" which, according to the information, improves over the II by providing better low and high speed voltage control. Looks like there is now an expander plug with a channel it so the electronics can be routed through a carbon steerer tube as well. May make it more appealing to some. I plan on giving it a go. Look forward to seeming all of you in Banff.

[sthig]

EndoAgain,

awesome story!  Make sure you post here when you go to banff so I know which blue dot is you

I used to PlugII.  Actually in the middle of the race last year I emailed the makers of it and cussed them out because it fried one gadget and wouldn't charge another.  They said "we're sorry, known issue" then they sent me a part 2 days after I got done with Antelope Wells

[bpeschka]

SEPAR

I stopped at Separ over the New Years holidays.  It's still kicking.  They're part of the Bowlin's chain of curio, gift, craft shops you see across I-10, I-40 and elsewhere. Great place to pickup your made in China tomahawks and head-dresses.   They may not look as dynamic and modern as a truck stop but I've never seen on closed.  They have basic food and drink, and are bike friendly.

I asked about summer hours.  They didn't have a definite answer.  They're now at 7 am to 7 pm.  Closing could move to 8 pm.  They don't stay open very late, probably since they don't have gas pumps.

If you hit there when they are closed, remember there's a water spigot at the NW corner of the building.  I'd let it run a minute before drinking since it may not be used very often.

[aschuhmann]

Hey guys! I'm getting my rig ready for my Divide debutante, and I was looking at getting some Ergon grips, but was puzzled to see on their website that they're not compatible with Carbon bars. Now I'm freaked out by putting anything on the bars, specifically my aero bars. Should I not use a Carbon handlebar if I plan to mount all of this stuff on it? I know that Carbon doesn't like to be squeezed... does anyone have experience with this?

Looking forward to meeting you all in June! (I've joined the Strava training group, though with snow still accumulating here in CO haven't had much opportunity to contribute any miles!)   -Andrew

[PKraft_Sr.]

On another topic, anybody doing anything special "mentally" to prepare?  I'm enjoying riding by myself and pushing the miles but in Victoria we have a new "Sensory Deprivation Tank" lounge that just opened up.  I'm dying to take it for a test run and see what that's all about.  It's not 100% divide related but at the same time I think it will give me a good feeling about how comfortable I can be when left alone in my own attic.


As far as mentally preparing yourself. The best advice I got was to take advantage of those cold 30-40 degree days when it is raining and get outside and train in it - alot!!! You will see so much cold-rain-sleet on the TD. I actually slept in my backyard in sub 40 degree weather and set the lawn sprinklers to come on at 4am and made myself get up get wet and start training. You really want to prepare for the cold and wet. Also I would spend more hours worrying about long slow 3-4 hour climbs. grinding it out. IMO this is far more important than logging big miles. The rest is easy.... Just head South

[sthig]

go out on a weekend and do a 48 hour bike ride, try to make everything break. 

[Marshal]

Hey guys! I'm getting my rig ready for my Divide debutante, and I was looking at getting some Ergon grips, but was puzzled to see on their website that they're not compatible with Carbon bars. Now I'm freaked out by putting anything on the bars, specifically my aero bars. Should I not use a Carbon handlebar if I plan to mount all of this stuff on it? I know that Carbon doesn't like to be squeezed... does anyone have experience with this?

Looking forward to meeting you all in June! (I've joined the Strava training group, though with snow still accumulating here in CO haven't had much opportunity to contribute any miles!)   -Andrew

I used carbon in 2010--with Ergons and aero bars--but I was always a bit concerned, even though it all worked--for this yr I am using cheap ebay priced alum bars (see pic on the blog) and torqueing to my hearts content

[aschuhmann]

Thanks for the heads up Marshall. I was thinking of using aluminum bars as well just to have one less thing to worry about. Any else have any experience with Carbon bars on the TD? Awesome blog btw. Enjoying the commentary, as well as reading your initial concerns/questions in 2010 on the previous forum. Very helpful!

Just booked my room at the Y! I'll be seeing many of you in the dorm! FYI, everything was still wide open available.

[GregMay]

I rode with Ergons on carbon bars for 2 years.... I did not die. Test them, if they work. Awesome. If not, change your bars.

[Marshal]

This may  have been posted but if not--

Planning for a 2014 Tour Divide Ride
http://www.adventurecycling.org/resources/blog/planning-for-a-2014-tour-divide-ride/

In the next update, most of the changes to the maps will be service related. The one exception to this is a reroute developed north of Butte, Montana. It moves cyclists off the lone stretch of interstate highway previously on the GDMBR. This change is already documented in the latest revision of the Cycling the Great Divide book (2nd edition, published in 2013). We do not know if the 2014 Tour Divide will follow this reroute, check the rules page on their site.


Anyone know yet if the mentioned new for 2014 reroute N of Butte will be included in the TDR?

[BobM]

This may  have been posted but if not--

Planning for a 2014 Tour Divide Ride
http://www.adventurecycling.org/resources/blog/planning-for-a-2014-tour-divide-ride/

In the next update, most of the changes to the maps will be service related. The one exception to this is a reroute developed north of Butte, Montana. It moves cyclists off the lone stretch of interstate highway previously on the GDMBR. This change is already documented in the latest revision of the Cycling the Great Divide book (2nd edition, published in 2013). We do not know if the 2014 Tour Divide will follow this reroute, check the rules page on their site.


Anyone know yet if the mentioned new for 2014 reroute N of Butte will be included in the TDR?

Nothing yet in the Rules.  Anyone know if Matthew (or anyone else) is actively administering this "event"?

[hikernks]

This may  have been posted but if not--

Planning for a 2014 Tour Divide Ride
http://www.adventurecycling.org/resources/blog/planning-for-a-2014-tour-divide-ride/

In the next update, most of the changes to the maps will be service related. The one exception to this is a reroute developed north of Butte, Montana. It moves cyclists off the lone stretch of interstate highway previously on the GDMBR. This change is already documented in the latest revision of the Cycling the Great Divide book (2nd edition, published in 2013). We do not know if the 2014 Tour Divide will follow this reroute, check the rules page on their site.


Anyone know yet if the mentioned new for 2014 reroute N of Butte will be included in the TDR?

If it's the change I mentioned to them, you guys will love me for it, haha.  Basically instead of turning off the (never-ending) frontage road onto I-15, you continue on the frontage road until it ends.  There's a single-track trail that will take you right into Butte's single track bike park, which dumps you onto the paved bike path right at the end of the exit from I-15 by the baseball fields and a block from The Outdoorsman and accompanying hotel.  Just because you can ride a bike on the interstate in Montana, doesn't mean it's a good idea by any means. 

[sthig]

Right? I hated the ride into Butte as 18 wheelers zipped by me. I'd take singletrack anyday

[Enzo149]

Hey guys! I'm getting my rig ready for my Divide debutante, and I was looking at getting some Ergon grips, but was puzzled to see on their website that they're not compatible with Carbon bars. Now I'm freaked out by putting anything on the bars, specifically my aero bars. Should I not use a Carbon handlebar if I plan to mount all of this stuff on it? I know that Carbon doesn't like to be squeezed... does anyone have experience with this?

I went through this when building my bike for the TDR and ended up going with Ti bars. Carbon being much lighter was very tempting. But lay the bike down the right way and catch the areo bars or bar ends and break the bars could make for a rough race. Unlikely but the juice just wasn't worth the squeeze. As disclaimer I do run carbon bars on my xc race bike with ergon grip/bars and crashed/clipped trees plenty with no issues. But with the riding that bike sees the farthest I am away from a aid station or bail out is 20 miles.

[sthig]

--Hey guys! I'm getting my rig ready for my Divide debutante, and I was looking at getting some Ergon grips, but was puzzled to see on their website that they're not compatible with Carbon bars. Now I'm freaked out by putting anything on the bars, specifically my aero bars. Should I not use a Carbon handlebar if I plan to mount all of this stuff on it? I know that Carbon doesn't like to be squeezed... does anyone have experience with this?--

GS2's are magical.  I would not use a Carbon handlebar.  I used a Niner widebar (it looked like a set of wings, honestly) with GS2 grips and it was great however I did suffer some nerve damage in both my pinkies.  I would not do Carbon... too risky on the divide.  I rode with Joseph and he used Woodchippers... I was infinitely jealous of him and wanted them (I run them now on my bike but don't do any long 3,000 mile rides anymore - ha).

[pablito]

I too rode ergons. But on a niner rdo bar. No issues. Even put some syntace aero bars on it. Niner said that their bars were built to allow for bar ends. I too had nerve damage for several months using a flat bar set up. Would seriously consider riding a drop bar like Josh or JayP. Way more comfy. Double wrap with gel padding underneath.

[Enzo149]

My bar set up. Really like the inner bar ends. The outer ones are to wide at times and the inner ones are around the width of my road bars and give a feel as if you are on the tops of your road bars. Great for false flats or sections that you cant commit to the areo bars. I used the fizik bar gel under the wrap. Sella Italia has a wrap that doesn't over lap that I am thinking of trying when this needs to be replaced.