Consider heading to El Paso. It's only 35 miles further than Silver City (171 miles to the airport according to Google Maps). There is a bike shop near the airport who will surely box it for and more flight options. That's my exit plan. Two years ago Paul Atalla and I got the bike shop to drop us off at AW so they may pick you up, or a shuttle, or just ride it!

Gila Hike&Bike in Silver City can provide you a (private) shuttle from somewhere (AW) to anywhere. A nice older couple picked me up in Lordsburg and shuttled to Tucson. It was a nice trip and they told me interesting stories about other guys they shuttled out of the desert the years before ... Stop by at Hike&Bike (maybe your bike will need some updates :-)) and talk to Jack ... or call him one or two days before.

[Gila Hike@Bike's vcard attached]

IMO--the most critical bike related choice for the TD is achieving a comfortable fit/position—this truly trumps all other ‘bike’ considerations.  Protect your hands, feet, knees, back, tendons etc from repetitive injury and life is good.  Neglect this and the light’est fast’est cush’est best’est bike in the world is just a two wheeled nightmare

Best of luck!!

Marshal

I agree, and it could be helpful if you have different hand positions you can choose. I used a tt bar, ergon grips and bar-ends. So it is possible to change between different positions very often ...

HUGE LOL!!!!
I wonder if Crazy Larry is really Matthew Lee in disguise?  Has anyone seen them together?

I really thought, Matt Lee were a phantom ... until I met him and was shaking hands at Brush Mountain during TD 2012 :-)

What on earth did you break that caused you to WALK back down Marshal?

I did not do anything but riding :-)
Fortunately, it did not happen downhill, but riding up Marshall pass (maybe material fatigue)...
Did not walk back to Salida, instead further to Sargents ...
Details and pictures (also the broken frame) see www.tourdivide.de

Just about to finalize an order for some wheel parts and (typically) I'm second guessing myself, particularly when it comes down to rims. I'm going to be running a Rohloff hub for the TD, which I have already, and am planning on lacing it to a Stans crest rim. A Rohloff tends to build a stronger wheel than a normal hub, so I think the crests should be fine, but what do you guys reckon? For reference I weigh ~165lbs.

I also used Stans Crest on Rohloff hub last year, and I would do it again. No probs with this combination (starting weight in Banff 81kg, 22 days later in A.W. 77kg, eating tons of food between), had to change the whole bike in salida, but for further races I will go on Rohloff/Crests again. Plan is GST (ITT) 2013, and AZT / CTR 2014.

Didn't use the lightest gear and I wouldn't have been faster with less weight. But changing the bike (and walking down Marshall Pass) did "cost me" at least one day. One adive: Use parts on the bike which can be changed / are available at the stores (e.g. Leipheimer's store in Butte and at Absolute Bikes in Salida).

Hi outthere,

I do have the ACA-Map-set from 2008 and planing to buy a current set just to make sure I am updated with all necessary info. But: Does somebody knows if there will be a new edition of ACA-Maps before this year TD? So ordering maps now or waiting? Till? Any suggestion from this audience here?

Cheers

M-M

Hi GuF, hi guys
before racing last year, I got in contact with someone from the ACA and they told me which maps will be reprinted soon. And it is important, they might sell the older versions until they are sold out. So you should always ask for availability, ...
On the other hand, the "older" issues work as well, if you know the difference using the updated cues from the website.

Here a tour from the mediterannean sea (Menton) to Bourg St. Maurice
http://www.kgdeck.de/alpenx/

French/Italian alps

I'll use Defeet Merino wool gloves with a Gore windstopper over glove for this ride. Hoping never to break them out and just ride with the long-fingered mountain gloves. I am sure it is just wishful thinking and will probably stop 500 yards from the Y in Banff and put them on.

I was using short-fingered mtb gloves all the route, and some glove-cover (gore-tex) for the northern part.

Hi all,
I just found some ressource, which might be interesting:

eatsleepridegreatdivide.com (map, profile, you can slide the distance etc.)

developed by dave gieger.

I agree, trying to guess daily mileage is a surefire way for disappointment. Just way too many variables in the mix. better to concentrate your time on route knowledge, knowing where resupply points are and how far in between.

Indeed, since mileage differs due to different conditions that might be very disappointing. For me it was a good experience to look back and compare the mileage already done to that which has to be done  (even on the first and second day).
I only made  a fix plan for the first 2 days reaching Sparwood and Rooseville/Eureka, and it worked fine (but was hard). Without that plan, I would have called it a day in Elkford and I am not sure if I had reached the US/Can border the next evening.
But as  Dave Goldberg pointed out, even if I will finish in 2013 in 22 days, I might spend the nights at almost different places ...

Hello,

a question from my side. What does the term "informal camping" mean? I saw the symbols on the maps that the TD-Route is peppered with informal campsites. I guess this isn't an official camping site, but more or less a forest glade, meadow or something else with no service? Or the other way round - is it someting like an official "wild camping" site?

              Michael

From my this year's experience, the informal camp sites were not official ones. In most cases it was a suitable "spot" to camp. You will find quite a lot of good places which are not mentioned as informal camp grounds, on the other hand, some of the informal grounds were not good ones (e.g. mosquitos at a lake near beaverhead in NM)

Jay Petervary called in from Silver City! He’s heading out for the final push!

"... 100% solo ... 0% Hotels ..." and probably the record. Great!

As for the Rohloff option, Ollie's seemed to work well for him this year, and we loved ours on the tandem. And if something survives 2700 miles of abuse on a tandem, it'll probably survive whatever you could dish out.

I also used a Rohloff (a special honor for me as a German) and the only disadvantage - if at all - might be the weight and the fact that the hub is not compatible to every frame (if you do not have the suitable axle plate).

The latter caused me to switch to an almost new bike in Salida after my frame was broken :-( ... and to send the Rohloff back to my home.

During the next day I had to learn changing gears, since I was used to Rohloff, where you can change from gear 1 to 14 while the bike is standing.

Michael Cleveland is finished! Woohoo!! You rock Mike! 

Phil

Congrats!!!

Michael Cleveland called in from Silver City. He’s heading out to the border!

Go Michael!!! It's hard, but feels like a home-run at the very end ...

To Thine Own Self be True
(William S.)

Hey I've had a conversation with someone who says it's paramount I make it out to Salida and ride that section of the TDR to get used to the altitude.  Is this absolutely necessary?  I'm in the southeast...we've got the Apps where I train on climbs and endurance and getting out to Col would be rather costly.

Thoughts?

One of my typical preparation rides for TD 2012 was the following:

In Heidelberg, Germany, the biggest climbs are 500m (1550 feet). I have an ideal practice loop, 22 miles, 1000m elevation (2 hills), which I was riding up to 4 times a day, taking some food and drinks between them.
Friends of mine participated for 1 or 2 loops, so I was only riding alone for the last loop.
I started with one loop, 50% of TD baggage, and increased every two weeks. At the end, I could ride 4 times with 75% of baggage.

It was very important for me, to figure out, how I felt after (!) such a day, and often I did some similar riding the next day, also the third day (but not so much elevation).

However, you can not really practice for TD, but you can (and should) go there really prepared.

It was also very good to know, that the elevation distance during TD is not that high compared to my practice loops, and indeed, during the TD race I only went once for more then 4000m elevation (Breckenridge to Sargents).

One issue, that I was not practicing (but which I knew from my mountaineering experience), was the altitude. But I never got problems with that, since I started in Banff and got to there 4 days before the start

http://kgdeck.blogspot.de/2012/07/tour-divide-2012-bericht-teil-1.html

in German with some pics, unfortunately not yet in English (maybe someone can help me with a translation :-)

ZK and JP are closed to the finish line

They ride for more than 24 hours without any proper rest
Braves guys
ZK is the first Israeli to finish the TD ever. He made TD familiar for us Israeli MTBs.
Expect the Israeli invasion in the coming years.

A lot of respect to all those rider that start and try this huge challenge. 
 

Great, Zohar and John, watching you finishing. Both are very nice guys, I spent some time in Banff with them before the race and we had a lot of fun.
Now you are both "well done". Congratulations!!
Georg

I went with the following gear
http://kgdeck.blogspot.com/2012/04/favorite-sleeping-system-39-days-till.html
But added a very lite silk tarp, wich I put some inches over my face and body, using very thin rope.
Was comfortable even in elevation above 10000 ft. Once I was too lazy using the tarp (Lakeview Campgrd, WY), I felt cold. Temps were frisky, had hoarfrost 3 times.

However, I did not using it in pooring rain ...