Tour Divide race cost

[robotfury]

It seems these days with so much information - kit, bike set up, maps, tarp or tent, bike, gears/one gear - from previous racers (and I am sure you will see me floating around this site with questions), one could 'study' the race and prepare as i am obsessed with doing. One question I haven't seen addressed and am really curious about is cost/day for the darn thing. Looking ahead at June 2011 I can train and prepare and have even managed to secure time off, but determining how much money I should put away for the event and expect to pay out is a bit of a mystery.  I am hardly loaded with cash, so this is a big deal as I am sure it is for most.  I am at that point where I am thinking what do I need to make this happen. And like I said, lots of info here on riding, preparing, gearing up for the haul.  Just wondering what kind of ballpark figure I should set aside for a day to day cost?  I read somewhere here that a TDer could spend up to 50 bucks a day on food. That is a good start.  I also read that one shouldn't do this on a shoestring... to have the means to at least take care of needs/contingencies.  Thoughts? 

Best,

M

[Singlespeedpunk]

I think that there was some discusion on the TD 2010 thread (the 26 page one!) and Matthew Lee got by on about $1 a day (it weighs less I guess!) but $40-50 a day seemed more likely. I hope the £GBP / $US exchange rate moves in my favor before next June

At the moment I am planning on $50 a day for 27days...its the flights and transport that are killing me!

SSP

[bruce.b]

    Didn't Matthew say he spent about 500 bucks during the race this year? Some people have mentioned 2000 as a rough number but I'm not sure exactly what that covered.
    I know some people wrote to not worry about what you spend and just put it on a CC, but I'm not wired that way. I know whenever I travel I try to do a bit of a dirtbag approach and do it on the cheap. I just find that more interesting and fun.
    bruce.b

[Slowerthensnot]

depends on if your moteling it much.... also if you prebuy parts (drivetrain, tires)and ship to halfway point bike shop you can save a few $$ however please support any shop you stop at...  most well take super care of divide riders

food i plan on 30-40 a day and thats a pretty good buffer.... I've a sleep system that works pretty well for me these days so next year planning on a 1k budget for the ride and 500 for travel

[sshep]

When people say don't try to ride on a budget, they mean there's enough to worry about without fretting about money.  You will be hungry and tired.  Eat what you want.  Sleep where you must to ensure you roll out the next morning in time to achieve your mileage goals.  If you're going to commit, commit.  You would have spent the money on a bike at some point anyway, and the memories of finishing will outlast the bike!

I spent around $40/day, before repairs.  If you rent a room alone, it will be more expensive-- around $60/night at very best, and twice as much in some resorts.  You should also conservatively assume you will replace your drive train somewhere along the way if you are geared.

Oh, and the food expenditures do not end in AW.  You will "eat like a cow," as Dave Preston put it, for weeks.

Shawn

[Marshal]

Cost/Day

Travel, Bike, Gear and more Gear, Training, lost work etc etc are the real monetary cost’s of the TDR.  The cost/day, while not trivial, is minor in comparison.

Use ATM’s or cash back to always keep 30-100 dollars cash in your pocket.

Have & use a credit card as needed.  (IMO, if you came to truly “race” use the card and take care of the damage after you get home)

Don’t lose time trying to save a few dollars/day searching or comparison shopping for food, grab what’s handy and looks good at the time and go.

But on the other hand, if you really feel the need to minimize your cost/day you could:

1: skip (or share) rooms--- but beware this might cost you with a bad bivy or much less sleep, resulting in a weaker recovery (vet’s have a huge advantage over rookies in this area as they know from experience good bivy spots)

2: skip some sit down meals ---but the more you eat the faster you go and by the time you hit Colorado most racers seem to crave/need the extra calories from some sit down food

3:skip the expensive energy drinks--- most racers really need some type of daily caffeine - No Doz is a light, fast, convenient, less expensive substitute that works well for some

4: Use the PO box---You can save money by pre-shipping bike parts, energy mix’s, dry food re-supply etc to PO Box’s.  However virtually anything you need can be purchased on route --- and using PO Box’s could actually cost you both time and money if you miss-time your arrival(s)

[afie]

I also read that one shouldn't do this on a shoestring... to have the means to at least take care of needs/contingencies.

You wont skimp on food - its a self preservation thing.

The easiest way to save is to stay out of motels, but several $5 showers are still required.

Its a really cheap race, even the travel costs are not that bad. A half day Ironman race is about $700 just to enter and road races that are on closed roads are expensive when you consider the length and what you are getting out of it.

I think I spent around $1500 including $4-500 worth of repairs. A credit card with 55 interest free days should cover you - you can always sell stuff when you get back home.

[elobeck]

Despite my limited success in two divide attempts, I can weigh in on the cost.

When allotting budget for race cost, consider the following:
Flight/car to Banff.
Bike transport to Banff.
Lodging in Banff.
Last minute essentials in Banff.
Budget for spare parts.
Flight/car from AW.
Bike transport from AW.
Lodging in Deming or Silver City.

These are the basics. Then,
It is likely you will start the race with two new tires, and need two new ones when you are done, as you will likely want to ride again at some point.
New drivetrain at start, and likely after race. Cog, chain, chainrings, maybe der.
As for energy drinks, IMHO one can go the white trash route (rockstar, no doz, 5 hr energy), or an "engineered" one, such as commonly available recovery drinks, etc. Either way it is a wash, both of these are expensive, especially when purchased at a convenience store.  Speaking of convenience stores, they are expensive, but that is what is on route.A conv store binge can easily suck 15-20USD,and at two to three a day... Skipping sit down meals might work for some, but a skinny dweeb like myself needs to keep shoveling mass quantities of food in, so consider metabolism? Also bang for the buck with sit down meals seems to be better.

Finally, chances are some of your clothing gear will wear out and you will wish to replace it. Motels can add up but that depends on your race strategy and if you are riding with a group or not. Even with only one hotel stay, and free flights, and given all of the above, I find Matt's 500 number highly suspect. Perhaps he considered his sponsorship from Cannondale in the sum total. For normal riders, given all of the above, the 1500.- figure seems far more accurate. If you budget this, anything at the end is gravy, no?

[robotfury]

Thanks everyone for your replies.  Doing my best to make this race, so you will likely see me asking questions around the site. Thanks.