I carry a small luggage lock. It doesn't offer much protection, but probably enough to deter someone from just casually riding away with my bike when I'm in a store.

Or, you'll ask a fellow racer to watch your bike, like I did for you last summer at the BV City Market or whatever grocery that is .

Before you showed up, I was done shopping, and I'd stuck my bike in the grocery cart foyer, wedged off to the side.  Other places, I leave it by the front window.  I did not bring a lock, neither TD nor CTR. It doesn't make the cut in my gear list.

Looks like both Forest and Eric spent the night at the Clint's Well oasis - they must've really needed a re-charge.

Wonder what's happening with Forest and Eric... they're both still off route by more than a little.

There's some kind of food joint where they are now.  I remember having the same question last year with a racer (Boatman?) and it was explained to me that there's a small cafe of sorts.  Not an ideal re-supply, so they must have needed it bad to justify it.

I concur.  Thanks Matt for posting the video info, or being determined and relentless in your pursuit of good info.  I'm flossing, too, and finding good results (except the plate spinning).  Maybe I'll start with paper plates first.

Eric F has met up with Forest, again, and they're both about the gain the rim.  I don't know, but looks like Max is going to take the 750.  Can the two guys behind make up the ground?  He's 30miles up on Blake right now, and looks to have left Flag already.  Well, I guess that's only about 3 to 4 hours time diff, so maybe not quite in the bag ... still 200 miles to go, plus a little bit of canyon hiking.

BUT---Go AZT full meal deal 750 Racers…….

Max is sure riding well!  Blake & Aaron D looking good also, both well within striking distance for mixing it up for 1st.
Did I miss a update on Cjell? 

Blake and Aaron D look to have really closed the gap.  Roughly 2 hours back?  Possible grouping up in Pine?
Hoping Cjell's batteries just went out on Spot.  He strikes me as a gamer.

What's going on with Aaron Boatman? He hasn't moved in forever and has been passed....

Maybe forgot to reset or push Spot buttons?  The most recent time recorded is 5-1/2hrs ago.  That says that the Spot is not tracking.  Either faulty or turned off.  He could be anywhere, really, until the thing registers another reading.  Max's, an the other had, is 6 mins old, so he's well up the Apache Trail for sure.

Yahooooo just woke up from sleep! I got in today at 2days 21 hours and change! Attempt to do the final push not knowing how hard it was! It. Was. Tough. I can't believe what this trail has to offer, I'm very humbled! My fork blew out in the first 30 miles. I was certain I would have to call it. After deciding to sleep on it at la silva picknic area I biked into Tucson and bought a new fork at Broadway Cycles!  Luckly they had a 100 mm laying around! This turned into the most expensive race ever!!!Oh we'll after my two hour detour in Tucson I was determined. Yahoooo time for some chips and guac!!!!!

Impressive!  Nicely done!

Sounds like the fork was rideable locked-out and rigid, which would have been fully rigid for you right?  Did you consider finishing the ride with no suspension?  Either way, good show for us watching from afar.

My heart's in the 750, so I'm watching those guys pretty intently.

Yeah, not to take away from the stellar and awesome display everyone is putting in for the 300, I checking 750 dots often.  Clearly a couple hours split at the front, although unless his Spot's not working, Aaron B looks like he's been eating/resting quite a bit at the Superstition Mtn Drive mecca.  Subway?  J-in-B? Or something better.  And now his and Max M's dots are together.  Should be interesting.  I'm guessing it's hot-hot and most are waiting for temps to cool down before moving on.  There's been a bunch of dots waiting out the heat of the day at the Gila River crossing today too.

It was a cold and windy start to the 750.

Yeah, would be nice to have images.  What's "cold" mean for down there?

Hall ass people!

Looks like a ton of people didn't want to wait for the mass start?

Yeah, it looks quite strung out for supposedly only 1hr 20mins into the ride.  It's a little confusing with the mix of 750 and 300 racers, but I'm guessing the 750 riders came through Parker Lake before the scheduled 300 mass start at 9.30a, and that got the 300 racers all antsy?  Or maybe, there are enough 300 riders this year that they agreed on the ground at the start to go in waves?

Crack the whip TG!  I voted Tarryall, for sure.  I came out/down from the state of WA last year under-trained and under-prepped and got my a$$ handed to me on the CTR (it was still worth it).  I plan to be give it another go in 2014, as an ITT or GD, either way.  I haven't looked at the gpx files that Stefan provided with the original post, but I'm guessing Tarryall is the CT guide book detour route, or close to it, where the detour goes South of the CT in this area and rejoins near Kenosha Pass (whereas Bailey/285 is predominantly North of the CT in this section/stretch). Regardless, more dirt + more remote + more challenging resupply + longer = MORE BETTER.  So much more in line with the kind of experience and adventure and challenge I'm looking for in these races.

My one experience on 285 was during last year's CTR ... I timed it to hit the narrowest shoulder section in the driving rain, and then when the shoulder widened on up the pass the sun came out for an hour or so.  I did not like the Russian Roulette feeling of the no-shoulder to narrow-shoulder while being passed by a semi-truck or RV in the driving rain (how much is the driver paying attention in that split second?), and would gladly "trade up" for long/hot/remote/sandy detour instead.  And the Bailey re-supply for me was just a stop at one of (or the only?) gas stations for a gatorade, some candy, and a muffin.  Basically, I don't have the impression that resupply in Bailey is critical and/or necessary.

I think this race is becoming the mtb equivalent of thru-hiking the appalachian trail. It's a challenge for everyone, but for most the challenge is doing it as fast as possible. Hell, I know a guy that toured the route on a Unicycle. I want to go fast. I think everyone else that lines up for the grand depart wants to go as fast as they can. Just because the race is becoming popular doesn't mean that these people are just there to tour.

Additionally, there's nothing more than pride at stake, what does it matter how fast your time is? It's a self fulfillment thing. I'm racing myself, first and foremost, there just happens to be other people around that I'd like to go faster than.

No, riding the Great Divide Mtn Bike Route is analogous to thru-hiking AT, PCT, CT, etc., etc..  Unicycles, recumbant, tandem, SS, FS, whatever the wheels.  The route is there.  Has been since the 90's.  Ride it.  Fast or slow.

But line up for the TDR means acknowledging that, in addition to riding route, a rider is committing to challenging for speed (and the additional personal challenges that come with it), and thereby making times matter.  There's the Route, and then there's the Race Event, and I just think that too many people are confusing the race event for "simply just" riding the route.  The race can be more popular than it is now, for all I care.  But, for me, there is a distinction between riding/touring and racing.

In my opinion, it matters to ME how fast my time is in a race, how it stacks up to that year's crop of racers, and how it stacks up to historical records (i.e. 'there are others I'd like to go faster than').  That's what makes it a race, to me.  If a rider enters a race at the BEGINNING with the mentality that times don't matter, then he/she is really not entering the race.  I totally get that in the END nothing matters (not even your pride, nor mine), but it's the intent, purpose, and commitment to race and compete, going IN to the race and during the race, that makes the race event matter.  That's the spirit.

Tour Divide Race ... part Tour, part Race?  No, TDR is a race.  Bike race, adventure race, Cannonball Run on mtn bikes, call it what you will.  The race aspect is getting more and more left out, especially in the title of this thread.  One can Tour under his/her own established rules and/or ideals.  One can enter the Race under the established guidelines.  Don't like it?  Don't race.  Go Tour instead, as fast as you can.

Entering the event means challenging the route in either direction in an attempt to qualify for general classification.  In the Spirit of the Event, it's now 23.5 days or less, gentlemen, to be considered competitive.  This is straight from the Race website.  Do not lose sight of this in your race prep, nor when commenting about the Race.

Things look good, snow-pack wise.  Guessing only the North Kaibab detour will be in play this year, and I'm keeping an outside hope that when I get there it'll look good enough to try it.
Scott

Ride/bike your new clown bike the whole way.  By the time you get to N. Rim ... what problem?

I notice that that change appeared a few months ago.  Since Rules changes are not highlighted in any way it pays to re-read them.  The "times to be considered competitive" have been updated as well.

It's the "times to be considered competitive" part that caught my eye, more than any other update.  In my opinion, this benchmark is taken too lightly.  So, I'm gonna bang that gong, ring that bell, offer up my not-so-subtle-with-sly-grin reminder .... It's currently stated as 25 days for men and 29 days for women.  Riders taking longer have completed a fast tour, not a race.  As under-ground and loosely-defined and fascinating and "entirely up to you" of a race as it is.

What's even more fun, is that one of these "time frames" (not limits, mind you) is based on an old course record!  Boys .... time to man up 'cuz Jay P was inspired (perhaps by Ollie W and Stappy) to lay down the course record of 15 days 16 hours late last summer (as indicated by the records page on this website).  Which means, by way of math, 15.67 days x 1.5 = 23.5 days !!
Um, that sets the bar even lower, should you inspire to shimmy under it.

Ladies, Eszter H set the record last year at 19 days 3 hours and change.  So, here we have 19.13 x 1.5 = 28.7 days.  Okay, 29 days it is.  Do it!

This discussion, although topic is about GPS, is one that remember where last year's top TDR winners chime in about their different lighting setups.  I'm trending towards getting dialed with a rechargeable brick battery and 900 lumens rather than "s#!t scary" feeble AA lights.  Took me awhile to search it, but here's the link:
http://www.bikepacking.net/forum/index.php/topic,4917.msg41023.html#msg41023

So, on one hand, there's Ollie, with the rechargeable set-up loses time on recharges, and loses time resting and waiting for daylight on the final push 'cuz his battery is dead, but makes good time in the dark with super bright lights (when they are working); versus Craig with his dual Fenix flashlights hanging from aero bars, that are dim, but always has some AA to keep 'em shining.  Presumably Craig had a headlamp, too. Craig's dual Fenix set-up is visible here http://thelazyrando.wordpress.com/2012/06/21/craig-stappler-tour-divide-2012/ and what I tried to emulate on CTR with limited success.

does the storm have regulated output or does it dim throughout the life of the batteries. that's the problem I have with my ikon

Second that.  The BD Storm model I have had dimmed throughout the life of batts.  3 years old and just went in the garbage a month ago - none other than reached it's point of life expectancy. It served me well.  In the market for something better.

I've been trying out the LD-22R5's for the past 8 months (bought them for last summer's CTR), and based no my experience with them, I'm not going to use them for bikepacking/racing.  They (I bought 2 of them) are now just a handy shop light or flashlight for traveling by car.  I bought two of them 'cuz I wasn't convinced one would do it.  I didn't have any luck with Lithiums working in them, just regular AA would work.  I wanted the brightest light of the high setting during riding, not the low, but as mentioned above the duration of batts at this setting is 1 hr or less.  The low setting will go for awhile (+4hrs), but is too weak for me.  Yes, even with 2 of them.   The way I mounted them on my helmet, I had a lack of adjustability with the angle, so I ended up using BD Storm headlamp for the CTR and took 1 LD22 along for the ride as a back-up but never used it.  I'm sure the LD22's are workable as several other riders have used them with what they claim is good success, and maybe I could've gotten there with a better mounting system, but ... With the advances in LED technology with other types of bike lights (rechargeable batter pack type lights - getting brighter and smaller and lasting longer between charges), I'm thinking that's the way to go for me.  I'd much rather have 400 to 900 lumen super bright lights and deal with recharging every few days (or once somewhere in the middle of a CTR attempt), or take 2nd batter brick along for the ride?, instead of trying to navigate darkness with 100 to 200 lumens while super tired.  This being said, I'm still very much in the evaluation phase of comparing lighting systems.  Ultimately, what I'm saying is, with my experience, there's too much involved with figuring out to mount Fenix LD22s and not enough advantages over a BD Storm type of headlamp to justify the Fenix lights (Fenix flashlights not that much brighter, or lighter, nor last that much longer).