IMHO, the assistance rule needs to be update to match the one we used last year, ie, go any direction for aid, restart where you started to receive assistance.

In the same way that if you were within say 20 miles of Silver City and had a mechanical issues requiring a bike shop for repair, the old rule would require you to back track to Grants or possibly to Truth or Consequences (much further away), but not forward to Silver City (closer) with a better shop.  Its much more likely a motorist will be going to Silver City because of its proximity, compared to Grants or TorC.

Any time spent with correcting a mechanical issue would delay your normal riding time and would be serve as a time penalty to the riders completion time.

As far as reconnoitering the route during an advance on the course, all of the veterans have seen it before.  Are the veterans penalized for a previous look at the course?

I humbly suggest that the rule is reverted to last years version to allow travel assistance in any direction.  Any other version is not practical when asking for assistance from the public.

The old rule was actually even dumber than that.  I had checked with Matthew and he said that you could go forward so long as you were not ON the route - you could even cross the route and end up at a town on the route - you just couldn't travel ON the route.

I agree that this route is SO well known - pictures, GPS tracks, etc, that recon is not a big concern.

Hello all, good forum thanks. A question re maps and cue sheets. Do the ACA map / cue sheets take into account Banff to the border .... (may seem like a late question but preparing for 14) Also does the route and therefore the maps and cues change following a td? thanks for your help simon

Hi Simon,

The ACA sells the Canadian map separately from the full GDMBR set (or used to).  The cue sheets also include Banff to border.  The maps and cues change whenever the ACA route team updates them.  You also need to check the ACA website for route addenda up to race date.  They can be found at http://www.adventurecycling.org/routes-and-maps/adventure-cycling-route-network/map-addenda/ and are keyed to the map edition that you have.

EDIT:  I just re-read and see that you are preparing for 2014.  I believe several of the sections are up for revision in the 2014 editions.  Check with ACA.  They typically get them updated in the Spring.

Very very large rabbits? There was a lot of scat! And large piles! But no bike shoes or Lycra in it.....

The trees were so close together up there the animals may have been very close and you just didn't see them also.

OOOH - tip for the leaders for this year:  take along a few extra bear bells and some old gloves and mix them in a scat pile in the center of the road - that should slow down the chase group!

One thing of note after having to cross the border an extra couple of times.... They were really picky about small cans of rape type sprays--you couldn't have them. The larger cans of bear spray they didn't care about as they were too hard to hide. I don't know if there is a size they care about. But really there aren't any bears in Canada. Just keep your head down and you'll never see them and therefore they aren't there. It's the moose that you have to watch out for!

Starting to wish I could give it a go again this year! Hope you all have a great time and the weather is great. Can't wait to watch some dots and read some stories! What a hoot!

You're right - there were no bears in Canada last year, but I still wonder who was spreading all the bear scat and tracks around.

I was looking around on the forum, trying to discern what size of bear spray to order, and came across various info here that might be of interest.

It looks like 12 oz is what I'll look for.

Here are a few links, within this forum, that may be interesting to read:

I'm not trying to start a massive discussion on the merits of bear spray vs no bear spray, whether I should be carrying a .40 cal Glock, etc.   Just attempting to convey a little info I've not seen before.

Matthew Lee's bear map:
https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&oe=UTF8&t=h&msa=0&msid=200334849650645495946.00047e45e4239031f00c3&start=0&num=200&sll=46.7248,-112.807617&sspn=1.269004,2.221985&z=7

http://fwp.mt.gov/recreation/safety/wildlife/bears/bearSpray.html

http://fwp.mt.gov/recreation/safety/wildlife/bears/bearEncounter.html

Enjoy

Bear spray is one of those things you probably will never need, but if you DO need it, you REALLY need it!

CR123 batteries are not too common at gas stations or supermarkets.  When I need CR123 batteries, I get them at a Radio Shack store.

Radio Shack stores might be located in the larger towns on the route.

WalMart (and other such big discount stores) would have them and if you're lucky some hardware stores carry them as well.  Considering how lightweight they are, I would say bring several.

Yep, no rain overshoes. I've never used the Seal Skinz socks, but I've had good luck with Gore's waterproof socks. I've ridden in rain/sleet/snow with them and they've kept my feet reasonably dry and warm.

I did try overshoes years ago on a bike tour. Maybe they've improved a lot since then, but I tore and thrashed them up just walking with them. You will walk during the TD, especially if the rain has turned the trail into mud.

My Showers Pass overshoes were shredded by the time I hit the U.S. border.

This is Gary Blakley in Del Norte.  Patti and I are listed on ACA's map as a stop for bike repair and lodging (free).  We won't be be available for TD racers this year as we leave in June for a year long bikepacking and backpacking trip.  I want to let TD racers know ahead of time so you can make other arrangements.  Best of luck to all of you!!!

Hi Gary. Thanks for all your assistance to racers an tourers over the years!  I hope you have a truly incredible trip.

Good infos about fire alert! Thanx!
But: in case of closed roads or trails, we ride the "official" alternate route of the ACA maps, or others different roads?

If the firsts riders rides the official track and the track will be closed on the days after, all the others "racers" will be scratched if ride another way? (I think no but...) There are a method to comunicate at someone the road closure or the impossibility to ride the official route?

(it is correct and comprensible? i hope, but sorry in advance for my super BASIC english!)

Your English is very good!  The mtbcast.com toll-free telephone number usually has a message posted for riders when there is a known, official alternate in the case of fires or snow.  When the tourdivide.org website is back up you can read the official rules, but basically if you get to a place and it is blocked because of a fire closure, you should choose the shortest route around the closure.  In the case of closures no rider is scratched, but it will be impossible to compare times with other years and other riders who did not have to take the reroute.

The server suffered a bad crash and it's been slow to get everything back.  Please be patient.   It'll be back.

Was it freewheeling that descent off Galton Pass? 

Whoa!  Somebody get off on the wrong side of the bike?? Doc asked if there IS a coupon code, not that he expects one and he also said he renewed his ACA membership.  As to the cue download - up until last year that's the way ACA delivered them - through email for free (with a pitch for a donation).

I maybe considered as a guy that doesn't make any good points, or so I'm told by 1 regular here.


But continue reading please.

I think the website went down or the owner lost interest in maintaining it when that "fixy rider" woman complained about being regulated.  I think they threw the towel in.

IIRC, correct me if I'm wrong, she had the Director of Badwater 135 miler speaking poorly about TD.

I too would cancel a website.

I once had a race and a guy I didn't know walked up to me before the race and said "The map is wrong". I laughed in his face and said, "Of course it's wrong this is Adventure Racing, get over yourself." In fact the map was accurate; the racer wasn't even from the State.

Dealing with people can be difficult even as a paid Company owner. I think since after 2010 the TD results were not posted. Well those are my thoughts, at least - I'm sure I'll be attacked.

Hi TD,

No flames from me, but I believe you are off the mark. Matthew made the best decision he could in Deanna's case and he knows it.  As to the "inactive" website - if there is no apparent organizer and no (apparently) active website, then no one can be held responsible for bureaucratic nonsense.

Thanks Bob...  Does sound nicer and much more convenient.  Definitely want company, cameradie, etc. and will need to weigh that against cost and better sleep.  Just the way I've learned to travel - that keeping costs down is part of the game.  Doing the TD has already proven to be an expensive proposition and still a month away from the start!

Likely I'll be at the YWCA...

Well, there's no entry fee at the Y, so you can certainly camp and then come over to the Y and hang (and do some group recon rides, etc).

One month until the start - getting excited and need to get in some big training miles (I definitely won't be overtrained)!  Planning on a 3 day ride this weekend to help get the legs, butt, etc. ready for the long ride.  And make sure that my gear is ready. 

FYI that I booked a room at the YWCA last week.  So there were still rooms as of then.  I'm in a bunk room which is $30 when you mention that you're riding the TD.

Though may still cancel if the weather sounds good.  Camping at one of the Tunnel Mountain campgrounds is $27 something (plus tax) but is per site.  So would offer some savings if 3-4 people were to share a site.  Is anyone interested? 

Or is there good reason to definitely stay at the YWCA?  My goal is to keep expenses down (as few hotels as possible) and I sleep better in my tent anyway.

Yes - I'm going with a tent (around 3 lbs.) but for my first TD I really want the peace of mind that having a tent along will give me.  On the last night of the AML 400 last October I had about the best night of sleep I ever had (was just incredibly comfortable in the tent).  Helped me feel super strong and competitive on the tough last day.  So am hoping that an extra pound or 2 won't matter much.

Good luck to everyone with final prep!

The Y provides a big meeting room for TD use in assembling bikes, chatting, whatever.  If you camp you will probably want to spend time at the Y anyway to meet and share ideas unless you are a complete loner.

www.tourdivide.org is now password protected "by invitation only" (as of a couple minutes ago).  Anyone know what's up?

The rules state:

There is no finish time cut-off, however, current convention considers a competitive Divide Route finish time as approximately 155% of course record times. Currently this = 25days (~110 mi/day) for men, and 29.5 days (93 mi/day) for women.

Jay's record setting ride in 2012 was 15 days, 16 hours and 24 minutes. If we apply the 155% 'rule' to this, I calculate the new finish time cut off for men to be 24 days, 7 h and 25 min. So not to be too much of pedant, say 24 days, 8 h.

Ezster did it in 19 days, 3 h and 35 min. Which comes out at 29 days, 16 h and 21 minutes, so the 29.5 days seems to still apply.

Thoughts?

Hi Chris,

Well, the first sentence in the rule answers the question in your subject line - "There is no finish time cutoff."  As to the benchmark number, yes it looks like it may have changed (although the text says "approximately").

As to why the Tour Divide site is silent - only Matthew can answer for certain, but it seems that Parks Canada was beginning to wonder what this race was that ran on their trails without paying the $1,500 fee for an Environmental Assessment (which wouldn't even guarantee a permit being issued), and it also sounds like some National Forest Supervisors were "interested" since any organized event of more than 75 people also needs a permit to run on National Forest land.

Sort of. Matthew Lee actually took a then-current race, the GDMBR, and expanded it to include the Canadian. The route was actually established by the Adventure Cycling Association, not by Mike or Matthew. Further, the first racer was actually Stamstad. In short, Matthew Lee is just the latest "owner" of a tradition--and probably not the last.

But I'm not saying that anyone should take anything away from Matthew Lee without his blessing. Rather, if he's done with the website and the like, there is a precedent (which Matthew reinforced himself) for someone to take to the next level.

The GDMBR is the route, not a race.  The Great Divide Race is the GDR, which technically still exists and is/was run by Mike Curiak and Pete Basinger.  When Matthew campaigned (rather persistently) for inclusion of the Canadian section of the GDMBR, Mike pretty much told him if he didn't like it to go start his own race, which he did - the Tour Divide.

The first person to do a time trial of the ACA route was indeed Stamstad, but not as a race.  Mike Curiak also attempted a time trial before launching the GDR.

As far as I know, there has never been a public response to this question. Seems like the site went mostly silent around the last time that Matthew Lee raced the Tour Divide. He was the guy behind the race and the site, so the easy guess is that he just doesn't have time for it anymore. Understandable considering how much work it must have taken--and he's got kids, work, etc.

Maybe it's time for someone from the "next generation" to get something going. Qualifications would seem to include an intimate knowledge of the route, abundant time and energy, reasonable web skills, eagerness to work for free, a level head, and a thick skin. Lots of people probably have two or three of these these characteristics, but few have them all!

The Tour Divide is still Mathew Lee's race, although anyone is welcome to start a new tour or race if they like.

Hi Ed,

Well, that sucks!  Hopefully an extra year of training and practice rides will reap benefits in 2014. Take care and get healed.