Tour Divide 2017 Race Preparation

[bakerjw]

Has anybody ever done a list of POIs, a table of lat/long  --- for all the water locations, eating locations, stores, sleeping, etc?
A list that can be imported into a GPS would be very helpful

I've been working up something like you mention. It is a WIP but I expect to roll it out with a page to allow people to select the POI that meets their criteria and then export it as a csv or gpx file. One of our local breweries was very supportive of my ride last June, so I stopped in breweries where I could to get them stickers.

It can be seen here.

http://www.appalachianbiketrails.org/openlayers_Bing_TD2016.php

On that note, if anyone has GPS waypoints or wants to help add to the growing database, please let me know via a PM or through my website. For the record, everything on my website is funded by me. I don't make a cent on it, I just want people to benefit from any information that I provide.


What dskunk says is important too. Doing things yourself helps a lot and is a necessity. With my map, you can see the route and where services are in relation to them. My hope was to merge the route, POIs and accurate maps into one spot.

[ChrisE]

Hi BakerJW

I can't seem to make any sense of your map.  There only seems to be a small number of points on the Montana part of the route.  Ideally I was looking for a comprehensive list, maybe 1000+ points of water, food, stores, etc

C

[bakerjw]

It is a work in progress at the moment. What is on there is what I was able to compile and get into my GPS prior to heading up last June.
I threw together this map page one morning and haven't had much free time to do much in the way of categorizing or of adding additional data.

I do have some waypoint data coming from another source or 2 and will integrate those waypoints into my database which will cover more of the route to the south. As soon as I get the ok from the person who has them, they'll get entered.

[kiwidave]

Ideally I was looking for a comprehensive list, maybe 1000+ points of water, food, stores, etc

Chris, I PM'ed you a link where my POI's are. However, there are not 1,000 points of resupply/camping/water on the TD. My list was 85 +/-, so averaging 3-4 per day which is about right.

[bakerjw]

Just a quick update. A couple of folks were kind enough to get me POI waypoint lists and I added them overnight. I'll be adding more detail to the waypoints as time permits. Things that help are the places just off of the route.
If it helps anyone plan, Great! If not, then the price is right.

[robotfury]

This map is great. I think every one who races should take the time to map out their own route, but this is great. The one thing I would like to get a hold of are POIs for campsites with bathrooms. Otherwise know as luxury sleeping facilities. This information is taking me some time to gather.

[Flinch]

Having taken advantage of the 'frequent sleeping awards' program offered by many campsites, I offer up the following for the fellow economizing racer:

Montana Hilton Etiquette

[/b]

Bedding down in campsite bathrooms is a way to escape the wind, rain, and cold, and to hide from growly critters. As with any luxury hotel, there are Miss Manner Rules of Etiquette for the courteous yet sleepy racer:

1. If there are other campers at the site, they have priority in 'using' the facility. Remember why the room is there.
2. If other campers are present, leave at least one 'room' open: sleep in the Men's room? Leave the ladies room empty.
3. Share with other racers.
4. Ignore the gurgling down below, for it is the biomass compositing heat system working.
5. Tip the maid. 


Just sayin'

[kiwidave]

Also for Montana Hiltons ... if the internal ceiling is flat, leave the door ajar otherwise the condensation will rain on you whilst you sleep.

[durangotodd]

I'm in. Just have concerns about the navigation. Got any tips !

[Ferg]

I purchased the cues text from ACA and formatted them myself, including miles to next resupply/water/shelter.  It's also best to call some of the ones in small towns in the weeks before the race to make sure they still exist and what their hours are.  Some have strange hours like "closed Monday" etc. 

Head over to CrazyGuyOnABike and search for Timothy Tower.  He toured the route last year and, being a retired engineer, took detailed notes on the location of water sources including how difficult they were to reach.  He also logged the location and days/hours of operation of  stores, supermarkets, restaurants, laundromats, etc.  Note that he followed ACA maps which do not align exactly with the TD route.   
 

[durangotodd]

Hey Ferg, thanks for the response. I am wondering more specifically about navigating and how often racers make a wrong turn, that sort of thing. Thanks again, Todd

[Flinch]

Hey Ferg, thanks for the response. I am wondering more specifically about navigating and how often racers make a wrong turn, that sort of thing. Thanks again, Todd

True Racers never make wrong turns! There is only 'Riding with a sense of Adventure'. Also known as...er...wrong turns. 

Tip-O-Day: 1. Use GPS. 2. Set background blank, no map. 3. Follow arrow on red line. You will have no problems (unless you miss that dang turn going up Stemple Pass because you're daydreaming! Drat!  )

never-done-that...twice

[bikelite]

Of course the racers take wrong turns. I have read multiple accounts.

[kato]

Wrong turns?  My problem was making the proper turn and then thinking i was going the wrong way.  I backtracked a fair amount down South only to determine I had been going the right direction.  Easy to second guess a good decision when tired and hungry.  Use your GPS and zoom it in and be very comfortable using it.

[MikeI]

Hey Ferg, thanks for the response. I am wondering more specifically about navigating and how often racers make a wrong turn, that sort of thing. Thanks again, Todd

The wrong turns happen when your GPS is off ( you "think" you know everything ahead and wanted to save battery ), or you had zoomed out to get an idea of "where the hell am I in relation the the rest of the world" and then you forgot to zoom back in .. so, you follow a track that looks like the obvious main road and end up in some rancher's front yard.  And here's a rule for you .... if the paved road goes downhill and you are zooming along and you see a dirt road on the left or right ... that sucker is your course.

The other thing is Track Up and North Up ... ( selectable under Setup -> Map -> Orientation )  makes a difference ... play with it and understand the difference.

[dskunk]

True Racers never make wrong turns! There is only 'Riding with a sense of Adventure'. Also known as...er...wrong turns. 

Tip-O-Day: 1. Use GPS. 2. Set background blank, no map. 3. Follow arrow on red line. You will have no problems (unless you miss that dang turn going up Stemple Pass because you're daydreaming! Drat!  )

never-done-that...twice

Well. If we’re talking about wrong turns, I’ve done four of those on the same day. The first occurred because my head was down and I was walking up a steep pitch, the gps was swinging wildly and I didn’t realize that the track turned off to the left before the top of the climb. Ooops. The second occurred when I got back down to the turn and followed the track the wrong way. The realization that I was at the bottom of the climb that I’d just spent the morning walking was a bit painful. My third wrong turn occurred because I had the wrong track loaded. I had an older track in the GPS and was following that instead of the current race track. It took a while to figure out that I wasn’t on the course even though the line was there on the GPS. Fortunately I did have the correct track in the GPS and I knew just enough to switch back to it. And once I got back to where I’d left the correct track … yeah I turned and went backwards.
Incidentally, I was watching the track of a friend of a friend on an ITT two years ago. He had a long slow slog into Lima, checked into a motel, got up in the morning and rode back out to Bannock Rd. Actually he rode backwards for eight hours before realizing that he’d messed up. That was painful to watch. At least he got to sleep in a motel two nights running.

[cossrider]

Best use cues along with a GPS track. Cues can actually make the trip more enjoyable too and help show when you might expect to find food etc as well..

[bakerjw]

Best advice EVER?
Always double check the GPS before beginning a LOOONNNG descent.

That's odd... I did not put the word Huh? in there

[bon]

I'm in. Just have concerns about the navigation. Got any tips !

The GPX file you can upload to a Garmin 30 etc is fantastic. I get lost very easily but found my way to Antelope Wells without any course deviations.

[bon]

Well. If we’re talking about wrong turns, I’ve done four of those on the same day. The first occurred because my head was down and I was walking up a steep pitch, the gps was swinging wildly and I didn’t realize that the track turned off to the left before the top of the climb. Ooops. The second occurred when I got back down to the turn and followed the track the wrong way. The realization that I was at the bottom of the climb that I’d just spent the morning walking was a bit painful. My third wrong turn occurred because I had the wrong track loaded. I had an older track in the GPS and was following that instead of the current race track. It took a while to figure out that I wasn’t on the course even though the line was there on the GPS. Fortunately I did have the correct track in the GPS and I knew just enough to switch back to it. And once I got back to where I’d left the correct track … yeah I turned and went backwards.
Incidentally, I was watching the track of a friend of a friend on an ITT two years ago. He had a long slow slog into Lima, checked into a motel, got up in the morning and rode back out to Bannock Rd. Actually he rode backwards for eight hours before realizing that he’d messed up. That was painful to watch. At least he got to sleep in a motel two nights running.

I had two wrong turns. One was due to being distracted by an attacking rattlesnake. The other was because I was enjoying a descent too much. Luckily I realized within a quarter of a mile that since I wasn't climbing, something was wrong.