Tour Divide 2015 - race discussion thread

[Mathewsen]

I just rec'd a text from Dylan Thomas that one of the front six escapees has fallen to a broken fork. Seb Dunne is likely out of the race, and apparently lucky to be in one piece after shearing his fork clean off while negotiating the Brazos. He will hike out tomorrow.

[Krampus Snail]

What kind of fork was Seb Dunne using? Steel or carbon?

[Krampus Snail]

Will the official ACA route include the singletrack section in the middle?

[cousinmosquito]

Possibly a Walty Titanium if he used the same rig he did earlier this year for the Kiwi Brevet.... CTRL F on Seb.
http://kiwibrevet.blogspot.co.nz/p/rider-profiles-2015_18.html

[cossrider]

Possibly a Walty Titanium if he used the same rig he did earlier this year for the Kiwi Brevet.... CTRL F on Seb.
http://kiwibrevet.blogspot.co.nz/p/rider-profiles-2015_18.html

I second what El jefe says.. he knows all...

[cousinmosquito]

Didn't your buddy have one Cossrider?

[cossrider]

Didn't your buddy have one Cossrider?

Yes his Walty frame failed badly through all tubes near the top tube but they were very quick to replace frame, he didn't use it in TD 2014.

His fork was very flexy, I would put my trust in Carbon...

[Mathewsen]

Will the official ACA route include the singletrack section in the middle?

You mean this rough stuff? My guess is ACA will stick with Rawlins for now.

[THE LONG RANGER]

Maybe your TD Dream Machine idea is way better, and they incorporate those design elements the next time around.

I def. wouldn't say, "better" but certainly "different". That's OK though: different bikes for different folks. But still, remember the OG Fargo? It had a funky geometry and no one understood why you wanted to bring a 29er w/disc brakes on an adventure out of civilization - where do you get spare parts? They revised the geo. (and the marketing...) and the bike is now, IMHO completely awesome, a very much copied and emulated design and always on my Xmas list. I went with the Surly Ogre, which is more of the blue collar equiv. I love that thing. (And under the same umbrella of companies, as everyone knows.) Anyways, enough blathering (from me):

HOLY SMOKES was it hot out there on the Front Range, even @ 10,000 feet. I was baking while riding home on my little leg stretching bike packing trip. I could only imagine what it's like NM right now. I would have had serious problems holding it together, if I was up front.

[MCR]

What kind of fork was Seb Dunne using? Steel or carbon?

Photo from Ovando (previously posted by Angler):

http://www.bikepacking.net/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=11521.0;attach=6212;image

[Timbike]

Wamsutter is the planned future route. One rider struck by a truck / nearly killed on MineralX Rd is enough. Wamsutter route (itself) is indeed -40mi, but tougher riding and all dirt (-75mi of Rawlins pavement). The approx riding time diffs Sobo (as measured by JayP) from where the two routes split / converge are as follows: Into Rawlins = 8hrs; into Wamsutter 5.5hrs. Out of Rawlins(to Slater)=8hrs; out of Wamsutter=6hrs. Wamsutter is also a faster / more centralized pit stop. Rawlins is a trap. Initial feedback from mid pack on Wamsutter route as reported by Kirsten at BML is, "tough, more exposed, slightly better wind cooperation, HOT" One plus is delicious solar-pumped fresh water occurring 40mi out from Wamsutter just as one begins to unravel.

presume the new route no longer includes Aspen Alley ? Was a very scenic spot and reward for escaping the construction road last year..

[THE LONG RANGER]

JayP and Neil are still riding close together, just outside of Abiquiu late in the night (10:30), certainly to try to beat the heat. Imagine the chatter they're sharing at this stage of the race! The next part of the route is tough when the sun gets high, and reflects down on all that sand!

I can't imagine having to go through Abiquiu without a stop at Bodes, but I bet they'll soldier on - it doesn't open for another 12 hours.

 Next resup. is Cuba, yeah? That's 54 miles away, with some tempting choices for food. Bet something opens early enough, and a "rest" on the paved road.

We are so close to Pie Town, I can almost taste it! Apple Piñon stole the show, for me!

JayP's ghost is still in Antonito. That is massive. If I remember, there were some days in NM that JayP had bad luck with the weather, turning the route unridable. That gap is surely only to open even more up!

I'm truly hoping they take this one in, to the end, together. Reminds me of Kurt and Jefe in 2011, except neither JayP or Neil have a SS disadvantage on that final paved portion. Go go go go!

[Krampus Snail]

It's easy enough, as far as I can tell, for wimpy tourists to take the Wamsutter route but skip the rough stuff. Better than hassling with the road construction south of Rawlins.

-- Signed, A Wimpy Tourist

Although on second thought, I'm looking at that rocky stuff, I'm looking at 3" tires, I'm thinking, what's the problem?

[SteveK]

Gutted about Seb's luck   But it sounds like it could certainly have been worse  
Now he'll just have to go full-time cheering for Bethany - woohoo!
p.s. The TdF is going to be such an anticlimax in a couple of weeks...

[Adam Alphabet]

Jay and Neil hotel'n it at the Abiquiu Inn? Getting in a good rest before the final few day siege? This is going to be an awesome finish...

[kiwidave]

What kind of fork was Seb Dunne using? Steel or carbon?

Seb's bike set up for the TD (Walty Ti 29er rigid):

https://bikingbethany.wordpress.com/2015/05/22/sebs-td-gear-list-and-bike-setup/

[Blackhound]

This is a pic I took of Glen Carter two years ago at Whiskey Grove campsite North of Pinedale.  I notice that he is spending the night there with Jeff Hopkins:

103_0261 by blackhound59, on Flickr

[cloudrider]

Tragic bad luck for Seb. He and Beth have put a major prep and training into doing this lifetime event and a gear failure is just gutting when you're riding at this level and 10,000 whatevers from home. Let's hope Beth can hang in there and come home strong.

[cloudrider]

On a slightly lighter note than Seb's likely race ending mechanical.

Saul Britton has posted on Facebook an encounter with a slightly 'off piste TD rider' ... as distinct from just being pissed?

 "I met an interesting Tour Divide character today.
This rider is running a superlight set up with no tent, no sleeping bag, no extra clothes and only 2 litre water capacity. He spends his nights sleeping on the ground. He told me that he was really enjoying the first week of the Tour Divide - but then he ran out of weed, and once straight he realized the Tour Divide wasn't very much fun for him at all. Without a GPS or printed maps he is also trying to retrace the route from memory of looking at online maps over two weeks ago ... stoned.

Best of luck mate!"

Slow Ride, is this within the rules?

Not quite as threatening as Jeff Kerby .... back in 2009

http://tourdivide.org/blog2009/jeff_calls_butte_more_tales_darkside

[superdavebruno]

Is that Josh Kato up and at'em at 3am and within touching distance of the leaders?  That's a long woodsy route to El Rito but then all pave to the sleepyheads...Three up and over the Polvadera before sunset for sure!! Go dude. Go.