Tour Divide race discussion

[chainagent]

What are the two orange routes through New Mexico on Trackleaders? Just acceptable alternatives or what?

The orange routes are the fire reroutes from the last year TD. But just an alternative in case of a fire closure of the original route.

[Hadfield]

Matt will you do the divide again some day?

[Gimmearaise]

I hope he does, same with JP. I hope next year!!! Let's add Kurt into the mix too, and Jefe, and Mike and Ollie!

[dream4est]

At lava mtn lodge
Did 150 yesterday only 100 today but climbed everything no walkage
That's huge for me good days ahead I have legs and knees again just like Azt!
Triple crown is now a decent proposition
Earlier I was in big trouble

Pacing off the arndt brothers Matt and Sean
Good times out here

[Adam Alphabet]

...I especially love them Canadians...and their Kokanee.

Here Here! although we have waaay better beers than Kokanee!

[bpeschka]

The rider found injured on CR 23 outside of Rawlins is Andreas Fassbender, a NOBO touring from Germany.  He broke his right hip.  Andreas is in Wyoming Medical Cdenter, Casper, 307 577 7201, room 6 33
If anyone on this forum lives out that way it would be great to see if you can help him. He's alone in this country.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[Auke]

JB less than 90km (56 miles) behind JP's ghost.... (and JP's ghost is still sleeping so it seems). This will be a very close call for TDR standards

edit:
JP's ghost is awake again: 85km & 1554hm (53miles & 5100feet elevation) ahead of Jefe Branham....

The brutal climb of Polvadera Mesa awaits Jefe.

[jryter]

Here Here! although we have waaay better beers than Kokanee!

Found a Kokanee beer on the side of the road up there. That's trail magic!

So if you had kids and could take them on section of a few hundred miles what section would you take them? I really would love to go back to Canada. Maybe because I know the south or maybe I would like to see it without snow. Never met a Canadian that wasn't friendly either!

And GO Jefe!

[kiwidave]

It's great to see Jefe's amazing ride play out having been able to follow his blog at http://jwookieone.wordpress.com/ . The training, preparation and commitment that Jefe  put into racing the TD are clear to see.

Regardless of whether he beats JayP's "ITT record" of 15:16:14, he seems destined to be close to beating the "Grand Depart record" of 16:02:46 of Ollie Whalley. The current projection on Trackleaders is for 16:11:35, so it could be a tight finish there.

[samh]

Get 'er done, Sam and Katy!!!  And dig deep, Jefe!

[BobM]

Get 'er done, Sam and Katy!!!  And dig deep, Jefe!

I love Sam & Katy's call-ins.  They sound like a couple of happy elves and yet they are in overall second place and darn close to the tandem record.

Jefe is an amazing role model for this event.  Folks like him and JayP and Matthew, to name a few, are showing everyone how the race is INTENDED to be run and I don't mean just in terms of winning or breaking records.  Anyone can use them as a template for how to get your personal best while adhering to the spirit of the event.

[elobeck]

The rider found injured on CR 23 outside of Rawlins is Andreas Fassbender, a NOBO touring from Germany.  He broke his right hip.  Andreas is in Wyoming Medical Cdenter, Casper, 307 577 7201, room 6 33
If anyone on this forum lives out that way it would be great to see if you can help him. He's alone in this country.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

I am available to help if need be, I tried giving a call but no answer. Rawlins can be somewhat tough logistically. I'm in Steamboat Springs. He or friends/relatives can call me at 970.291.9546

Erik Lobeck

[mikepro]

Regardless of whether he beats JayP's "ITT record" of 15:16:14, he seems destined to be close to beating the "Grand Depart record" of 16:02:46 of Ollie Whalley. The current projection on Trackleaders is for 16:11:35, so it could be a tight finish there.

There's no distinction between an ITT vs Grand Depart, in my opinion (although when I mumble to myself, I convince myself that an ITT is harder).  Record time is record time.  Across +/- 16 days, the route and the challenge is hard.  I'm very glad that there is no fire closure across the Polvadera this year and hope it holds true for all riders, as all well clear sailing through the Gila for all as well.

[Mathewsen]

Regardless of whether he beats JayP's "ITT record" of 15:16:14, he seems destined to be close to beating the "Grand Depart record" of 16:02:46 of Ollie Whalley. The current projection on Trackleaders is for 16:11:35, so it could be a tight finish there.

Projections don't take into account the 15-18mph avg speed Jefe will keep between Cuba and Pie Town & Silver City to AW, so that # is skewed. It's hard to code (simply), for future speeds. Yes, it does look like Jefe will be very close to Ollie's time no matter. Ollie ran out of light in the Separ Desert in his final hours, forcing him to sleep for a while / pushing him over 16days. He should have been 15:23 or so. Ollie had very similar conditions to What JayP sees for his fall runs, except Ollie had an hour more light each day.

[Mike McElveen]

I couldn't agree more with Mathew's previous message about taking time to experience the locals.  What's left unsaid, however, is that it works both ways.  The locals need to meet the racers, too, and that experience needs to be good.  We are fascinated with them because of their rural virtues while they're intrigued by the racer's attributes - so nobly displayed in past years by Matthew Lee, and this year Sir Branham.  Imagine the loss of stature in their eyes if the race becomes a parade of water and food beggars, especially as the numbers grow.  Matthew has been an incredibly good ambassador for this sport.

In the same vein, and regarding the "softening" of the race with prescribed sleep, creative trail magic, rule leniency, etc., I think Toby has it right and Payton MacDonald said it best.  I toured the route last September thinking I was doing it to see the geography, only to realize after enduring the hardships that I was actually doing it for the  challenge.  Then I got to take my Extrawheel trailer off for the last 65 miles and my rig felt more like it does when I do cross country races, at which point I thought I might try racing it someday.  Suddenly the mind set changes.  Everything changes.  Touring and racing can have equal stature, equal cache, equal gains, but are very different entities and need to be kept apart.

If you're not sure whether you want to tour or race, tour first.  Have the courage and pride and ego strength to pick the one you'll get the most from.  If I do ever get to do this race (and I'd better hurry if I don't want to have to do it on something with two big back wheels and two small front ones) I'll set a time goal that will be a real challenge for me.  I'd race it fairly and in the spirit that the "Greats" have done it.  I would take great personal satisfaction in meeting a challenging time goal, but admit that the diluting of results by cheaters would still hurt.  

[Mathewsen]

So if you had kids and could take them on section of a few hundred miles what section would you take them?

Jarral, not sure how rugged your cubs can handle, but I might consider just running the Spray Lake / Smith-Dorrien road all the way to K-country with a minor detour to camp along the west side of Spray Lake (at the campground). Elk River Rd is also super nice / more remote, but Elk Pass connecting K-country and Elk R. Rd might be a debbie-downer. Lots of side trips along Smith-Dorrien...and I'd carry fly rods. Mid to late July b/f their monsoons would be good timing. The only downside to the Smith-Dorrien would be gapers in cars. They can get thick at times. Start your program on the eve of departure with high tea at the Banff hotel and a soak in the upper hotsprings.

[Flinch]

As a small fry lurker here, and having been fortunate enough to tour half the route with a Veteran last year, and speak with Matthew along the route (who impressed the heck out of me and family), I can only say that this discussion of rules/exceptions boils down to one guiding light.

When making decisions on the race, ask yourself:   What would Matthew do?

There, all settled.

[Mathewsen]

If you're not sure whether you want to tour or race, tour first.  Have the courage and pride and ego strength to pick the one you'll get the most from.

Hear, hear! Have the ego strength to admit you're not ready to race the GDR first, and that you might need at least one 3-day tour with your brand-spanking new kit before trying to race a 3week grand tour. I defaulted to tour mode the first time i 'raced' the route in 2004. A series of setbacks and way too much kit (tent, stove, wardrobe change) forced me to keep it slow. I am still friends with many of the saloon acquaintances i met that year. I also took the time to get lost along the way. It's through getting lost (looking at the intersections from upside down) that one gets to know a route through and through. By my third edition I rode the route free of any maps, cues or GPS. That was a scary but liberating experience. "Placement before power", isn't that the age-old coaching phrase regarding technique

[Mathewsen]

When making decisions on the race, ask yourself:   What would Matthew do?

There, all settled.

No, no, I don't want to be put on a pedestal, just put me on my pedals, that's all. Seriously, there are plenty of more worthy role models than myself. One need only look abroad into other verticals like climbing to find the kind of integrity we're talking about. A bike can be a funny thing. Just about anyone can learn to ride one, so it can be a conveyance of wisdom and rank negligence. I've learned a cyclist isn't to be trusted automatically just b/c they're on a bike. In regards to Divide racing, let's not forget about people like Mike Curiak who, prickly as he was towards lurkers of this thing we now call ultra bikepacking, did / does have his values in the right place. In his defense, he absolutely shuddered to think of the niche being dumbed downed / overtaken by, as McElveen phrased up-thread, "a parade of water and food beggars".

[ScotNicol]

Hello Everyone, great discussion here, learning about this event is an eye opener.
I'm the founder of Ibis Cycles, and Jefe is riding a new and so far unreleased bike of ours.
Jefe has been amazing to deal with and it's good to see him doing so well.
It's an understatement to say I've been obsessively checking the Tour Divide Race Tracker since June 13th.
Just wanted to say thanks for the discussion. I'm in awe of all of you who have done this or are doing it.
-Scot