Tour Divide 2018 Race Discussion Thread

[Jilleo]

I agree with most of what you're saying, Adam. Except for perhaps the part about "ultra-fit, ultra-competitive, and ultra hardasses." Endurance bikepackers have always been a sort of motley crew, which is what sucked me into the sport back in 2005. But I definitely agree that everyone has their own idea about what "Tour Divide" should be. Perhaps that's the beauty of it.

Still, when it comes to "racing," I am a supporter of parameters. The Fastest Known Time community is not centrally organized, but they have their guidelines and ethics. I will never set a FKT for a run across the Grand Canyon, but someday I may want to test the best I can be on a storied route, so I would follow all of the established guidelines. Others might not care, and that's their right.

Every ultra I've ever run has a firm course, a set of rules, and time limits. I'm pretty slow and I love just frittering around, taking photos, stopping to observe things whenever I go for a run ... but when I line up for a race, I live by the race parameters, and value them because they push me outside my comfort zone and ultimately lead to the experience I seek. I don't really understand lining up for a race with no intent of sticking to parameters. The GDMBR is an incredible experience in itself, and all of the information one needs to ride it is readily available from ACA. Why show up in Banff on the second Friday in June if your intent is to do your own thing? That's where a lot of confusion falls these days. People want to "ride the Tour Divide." Others among us, even though we can never be the fittest or the fastest, want to "race" the GDMBR to the best of our abilities with the camaraderie  and commiseration of like-minded folks.

The TD is ever-shifting, of course. There are a lot of practices that were seen as okay in 2009 that are disallowed now. In 2015 I rode with a woman who refused to take water from me, even though she was out of liquid and looked pretty bad. At the time I was quite irritated with Tour Divide rules, in this case, because I felt compelled to stick with her until we reached the next town. Sure, we're supposed to be independent out there, but the fact is we are out there riding nearby others, and in that way share some responsibility for each other. I didn't want to be a party to somebody else's heat stroke.

Anyway, I get that this is all just a bunch of blah-blah-blah on a forum. I just wanted to clarify my perplexed feelings about the route deviations and rules. And agree that my views don't really matter to anyone but me.

Also, Brad, I 100 percent agree about Deanna's ride. It was an incredible feat!

[Angler]

Apologies for the delay but the last two riders from Tuesday June 12; including the infectious, enthusiastic, first place at this moment female rider: Alexandera Houtchin.

[Angler]

Faces of the TDR from Ovando Montana for Wed. June 13 2018. Sorry no captions but as you can see there was just a few of you that came through PLEASE tag names to photos if you know them!

[Angler]

Faces of the TDR from Ovando Montana for Wed. June 13 2018. Sorry no captions but as you can see there was just a few of you that came through PLEASE tag names to photos if you know them!

[Angler]

Faces of the TDR from Ovando Montana for Wed. June 13 2018. Sorry no captions but as you can see there was just a few of you that came through PLEASE tag names to photos if you know them!

[Angler]

Faces of the TDR from Ovando Montana for Wed. June 13 2018. Sorry no captions but as you can see there was just a few of you that came through PLEASE tag names to photos if you know them!

[Angler]

Faces of the TDR from Ovando Montana for Wed. June 13 2018. Sorry no captions but as you can see there was just a few of you that came through PLEASE tag names to photos if you know them!

[Angler]

Faces of the TDR from Ovando Montana for Wed. June 13 2018. Sorry no captions but as you can see there was just a few of you that came through PLEASE tag names to photos if you know them!

[Angler]

Faces of the TDR from Ovando Montana for Wed. June 13 2018. Sorry no captions but as you can see there was just a few of you that came through PLEASE tag names to photos if you know them!

[Angler]

Faces of the TDR from Ovando Montana for Wed. June 13 2018. Sorry no captions but as you can see there was just a few of you that came through PLEASE tag names to photos if you know them!

[Angler]

There's been a surprising number of route deviations this year. Ben Weaver appears to have left Seeley Lake and wandered off into the Rattlesnake Wilderness. http://trackleaders.com/tourdivide18i.php?name=Ben_Weaver

Ben Weaver is deviating for concerts on the Music For Free circuit with Adventure Cycling.  In fact Ovando will be givted with his banjo and guitar which are strapped to his bike this Friday. 

https://www.adventurecycling.org/routes-and-maps/adventure-cycling-route-network/great-divide-mountain-bike-route/music-for-free-on-the-great-divide-mountain-bike-route/

[Angler]

Dots locations on that terrain is way too fast for hiking/bushwack pace with loaded bike to be legit.  It's either random pings, or it's 1 legit ping indicating wrong way (on Rice Ridge Rd) followed by a course-correct back to and then down the route but with no pings in between to truly know.  Either way, it's gotta be legit and she's on a decent pace through 4+ days.

Asked Alexandera about this and those are random cuz if she followed that route she'd be climbing up a mountain.  No she followed the route.  She swears there was no other option at that point when I showed her the tracker. 

[Adam Alphabet]

Single Speeders Bailey and Gareth are crushing it! within minutes of each other through Macks Inn. Gareth's Mack's Inn split is the first of his to put him ahead of his 2016 effort.

I blame my swimming background for the incessant clock/split watching!
Go! GO! gO! SS'ers!

[kiwidave]

 Why show up in Banff on the second Friday in June if your intent is to do your own thing? That's where a lot of confusion falls these days. People want to "ride the Tour Divide." Others among us, even though we can never be the fittest or the fastest, want to "race" the GDMBR to the best of our abilities with the camaraderie  and commiseration of like-minded folks.

Jill - there are a some who declared at the outset that they are NOT RACING to AW from the outset - Gary Braun, Bill Littmann, Chantal Hindrup, Mckayla Holloway, Chris Hubick, Sharan Gurkar, Grace Ragland and Shem Simmons.

All of those "Alternators" know 100% that they will be relegated. (Other than one odd Spot turned off/on). The TD these days ONLY relegates people for route violations and no-one seems to self relegate for other rules breaches - people even write themselves about rules violations ... but even pre-2010 that was happening (e.g. people drafting). [Toby Gadd was great at keeping this point alive.]. If this is a change then perhaps you can make the call to call people out - you've surely read the same blogs / books / articles and know exactly what I am talking about ... but we've both chosen to stay silent on it. However by staying silent perhaps we are not helping to maintain the "gentleman's agreement" ethos underlying the premise of self-supported ultra racing. Toby was stellar at keeping that alive but was basically driven out of writing here years ago by the tone of the discussion on bikepacking.net.

I personally know RS (who is biking with WS) and they absolutely trained to race - but as Mike Tyson said: "Everyone has a plan until you're punched in the face". In their case they adapted and decided not to turn off the Spot and go home, but to adapt and try to continue as best they can. I think we can all agree that that is the true TD and bikepacking ethos - have a plan, try to execute it, and if it goes to hell then come up with a new plan.

This discussion in various guises has been rumbling on for years on bikepacking.net, with past comments even on how anyone over XXX days should be removed (yes, removed!) from the Trackleaders page. But I don't recall when anyone here (including me) has been brave enough here to post when a front runner or friend breaks the rules.  

Dave

[flyboy]

Jill - there are a some who declared at the outset that they are NOT RACING to AW from the outset - Gary Braun, Bill Littmann, Chantal Hindrup, Mckayla Holloway, Chris Hubick, Sharan Gurkar, Grace Ragland and Shem Simmons.

All of those "Alternators" know 100% that they will be relegated. (Other than one odd Spot turned off/on). The TD these days ONLY relegates people for route violations and no-one seems to self relegate for other rules breaches - people even write themselves about rules violations ... but even pre-2010 that was happening (e.g. people drafting). [Toby Gadd was great at keeping this point alive.]. If this is a change then perhaps you can make the call to call people out - you've surely read the same blogs / books / articles and know exactly what I am talking about ... but we've both chosen to stay silent on it. However by staying silent perhaps we are not helping to maintain the "gentleman's agreement" ethos underlying the premise of self-supported ultra racing. Toby was stellar at keeping that alive but was basically driven out of writing here years ago by the tone of the discussion on bikepacking.net.

I personally know RS (who is biking with WS) and they absolutely trained to race - but as Mike Tyson said: "Everyone has a plan until you're punched in the face". In their case they adapted and decided not to turn off the Spot and go home, but to adapt and try to continue as best they can. I think we can all agree that that is the true TD and bikepacking ethos - have a plan, try to execute it, and if it goes to hell then come up with a new plan.

This discussion in various guises has been rumbling on for years on bikepacking.net, with past comments even on how anyone over XXX days should be removed (yes, removed!) from the Trackleaders page. But I don't recall when anyone here (including me) has been brave enough here to post when a front runner or friend breaks the rules. 

Dave

Jill/Iowagrjz I agree with you guys completely.

Dave

If you aren't racing, don't get a Spot tracked on the race page. Or nominate so Scott can make your dot white from the start.  If you intend following the rules and going as hard as YOU can, great, you ARE racing.  Racing yourself and the route.   That's what the TDR is about, otherwise you are just touring.
As for calling out rule violations? Do it! This is a race, not a popularity contest. You can try being popular if you are touring.
Rant over, as you were. ....

[Iowagriz]

I've jokingly wondered to myself that, in order to be on the race tracker, you need to write an essay on "Who was Toby Gadd? Describe his importance to the history of the race."

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

[schillingsworth]

Reply #144, Orange Aspire shirt = Riley Barclay, Reply #149, USA shirt = Tanner Morgan. Both from AZ!! Keep it going fellas!!

[mikepro]

Reply #146, red shirt, gray helmet, pic correctly labeled as Meyer, as in Gary Meyer, Bend, OR.  Get it!

[the tortoise]

I think that a lot of people line up at the start line for a number of different reasons other than to race. The days leading up to and the start itself is an electric atmosphere that people want to be a part of. Usually 30 percent or more never get to the finish line but even if they don't it can be a life changing experience. I also think many people are a lot more comfortable with a group rather than going solo.

As far as signing up for a tracker people want the folks back home to be able to watch their progress and it is the easiest way to do it. In fact signing up for a tracker puts you under the microscope and allows others to see your deviations and even lack of progress.

People have been bitching about the purity of the sport from the beginning and wanting to police it. I don't think people are any better or worse than they were a decade ago there are just more of them doing it. I found it funny that one of the people who suggested a time cutoff just happened to be one day under his proposed time cutoff!
You can only control your own actions and be true to yourself. If others aren't so pure so be it. I suggest anyone eating at restaurants and staying in hotels be disqualified (wink!)

[Jilleo]

Jill - there are a some who declared at the outset that they are NOT RACING to AW from the outset - Gary Braun, Bill Littmann, Chantal Hindrup, Mckayla Holloway, Chris Hubick, Sharan Gurkar, Grace Ragland and Shem Simmons.

This is what I don't understand. Why are they starting the Tour Divide? Trackleaders even offers a GDMBR touring page for folks who want tracking for friends and family. Anyway, maybe I have been immersed in the ultrarunning community for too long. These attitudes would not fly at the Hardrock 100. In that race, lots of ordinary folks accept a seemingly impossible challenge. They follow the rules, they follow the course, they do everything they can to battle to the finish in 48 hours. Many of them fail, and that in itself is a worthy experience. I'm certainly not a purist and not about to tell anyone what their experience should be, but I feel sad for those who miss out on the intensity of such experiences by selling themselves short from the get-go.

But I have hijacked this thread long enough. Go everyone out there who is actually riding! ;-)