TDR 2012

[Christopher R. Bennett]

Some incredible images from the 2011 race. The meeting of the north and south rider leaders over breakfast (#11) is priceless.

http://www.bicycling.com/mountainbikecom/featured-stories/photo-gallery-2011-tour-divide?cm_mmc=MountainBikeNL-_-648976-_-07272011-_-photo_gallery_the_2011_tour_divide

[jryter]

Nice thanks

[phil_rad]

Some incredible images from the 2011 race. The meeting of the north and south rider leaders over breakfast (#11) is priceless.

http://www.bicycling.com/mountainbikecom/featured-stories/photo-gallery-2011-tour-divide?cm_mmc=MountainBikeNL-_-648976-_-07272011-_-photo_gallery_the_2011_tour_divide

I like those pictures, looked at them a few times.

Thanks

[phil_rad]

Anybody riding a single speed this year?

[jryter]

OK so before I go bugging my friends in Gunnison that did the race last year, I thought I'd bug you. Does anyone have route cues etc or do they publish them somewhere. The route last year was so goofy. I guess we should see how this winter pans out. Could be some fire danger/reroutes later in the year if it doesn't start snowing more in Colorado.

[mikepro]

OK so before I go bugging my friends in Gunnison that did the race last year, I thought I'd bug you. Does anyone have route cues etc or do they publish them somewhere. The route last year was so goofy. I guess we should see how this winter pans out. Could be some fire danger/reroutes later in the year if it doesn't start snowing more in Colorado.

Not sure if you are asking for last year's cues, so you can get a jump on studying potential reroutes, or you are looking for the "standard" route cues.  If it's the latter, then the straight-up way to get the cues is to email the ACA and ask for them.  In 2010, ACA provided the cues (in .csv format if I remember correctly) for a suggested donation to the ACA.  So, I donated $20-ish.  This is pennies on the dollar for the value received.  Even, if they flat-out sold the cues nowadays, I'd buy 'em.  The ACA does so much for the route, and cycling in general, that it's a decent way to show your "props" for the organization and pay them their due (pun intended).

[THE LONG RANGER]

The Adventure Cycling Association does put out the cues - they call them, "narratives":

http://www.adventurecycling.org/store/index.cfm/product/566_11/great-divide-mountain-bike-route-narratives.cfm

It's kind of difficult to find the link. Please support them and purchase them Also double-check, but I think the only thing these narratives won't cover is the Gold Dust Trail. The "new" part N. of Silver City is covered as one of the alternative routes.

Last year, I made the mistake of formatting my cues at the last minute, thinking they'd be in some sort of normalized format my scripting skillz could make cake out of. Sadly, they aren't

[wunnspeed]

I just sent an email to the ACA in the last couple of weeks and the email I got back told me that they'd send it if I bought one of a selection of items that I either already had or didn't want/need. Therefore, I seem to be SOL. I wasn't given the option of a donation for same. You results may vary.

Interesting that I wasn't referred to that page (if I was I didn't understand the Narrative idea). Hmmmm, maybe now I'll buy it. Should we suggest a name change from Narrative (a small story) to Cue (something that prompts you to do something)?

[mikepro]

The Adventure Cycling Association does put out the cues - they call them, "narratives":

http://www.adventurecycling.org/store/index.cfm/product/566_11/great-divide-mountain-bike-route-narratives.cfm

It's kind of difficult to find the link.

The link is quite straightforward to navigate to on the net, and now it's even easier since you've provided it !  Sweet !  And only $6 or $9 (plus tax, shipping, etc.) ... what a bargain.

Should we suggest a name change from Narrative (a small story) to Cue (something that prompts you to do something)?

They're narratives because they're written from a touring perspective, and have a bunch of "extra" narration (from a racer's perspective).  Once you edit the narratives, then you've got your cues.  And, good point by Artist regarding the time it takes to edit them to one's individual taste.  I remember putting in 20 to 40 hrs to trim them down and edit, and still had a last minute late-night push to laminate them.

[jryter]

Thanks. I was thinking the standard route assuming there is a standard route. I saw the maps at ACA but didn't see the cues--narratives! I had saw people talk about them in the forum and thought one of you maniacs had made some..... It says they have text files.... I wonder how you get those? 

[MidSouth]

When I bought my maps and the narratives they emailed me the narrative files along with the confirmation of the purchase.

[BobM]

This will give you an idea what the raw text files look like (at least from 2010):

   0.0(0km)   –   Roosville. At the U.S.-Canada border begin riding south on U.S. Hwy. 93.
★   0.3(0.48)   –   Turn right onto paved Airport Rd.
★   8.0(12.9)   –   At “T”, turn left onto State Hwy. 37.
★   9.0(14.5)   –   Turn right onto U.S. Hwy. 93.
   10.2(16.4)   –   Eureka.
★   10.9(17.5)   –   At Historical Village, turn right. In 0.2 mi., cross RR and river. Continue uphill on unsigned Old Highway/Tobacco Rd.
   11.5(18.5)   –   Follow “Old Highway.”
★   18.2(29.3)   –   At “T”, turn left onto Barnaby Lake Rd.
★   18.9(30.4)   –   Turn right onto U.S. Hwy. 93.
★   19.8(31.   –   Turn left onto Grave Creek Rd.
   22.8(36.7)   –   Turn off for Grave Creek Campground.
   24.0(38.6)   –   Continue straight on Grave Creek Rd./FR 114.
   30.0(48.3)   –   Curve right; pavement ends.
   33.1(53.3)   –   Sign for “Sons of Rest Slide”.
   33.9(54.6)   –   Turn right off main road to cross Grave Creek. Sign reads “N. Fk. Flathead 17 Miles/Forest Road 114.” Grade steepens.
   36.0(57.9)   –   Crest Whitefish Divide; glorious descent through wild country. Watch for grizzly bears!
   41.6(66.9) –   Tuchuck Campground.
★   50.7(81.6)   –   Turn right onto North Fork Rd.
   55.1(88.6)   –   Ford Work Center.
★   60.0(96.5)   –   Turn right onto Red Meadow Rd./FR 115. NOTE: For services, continue straight onto FR 486. Polebridge is 5.5 miles from this point.
   71.7(115.4)   –   Red Meadow Lake.
   73.8(118.7)   –   Leave Flathead National Forest and enter Stillwater State Forest.
   77.3(124.4)   –   Upper Whitefish Lake.
   77.7(125.0)   –   Continue straight; Stryker/Upper Whitefish Rd. goes right.
★   82.1(132.1)   –   Turn left toward Lower Whitefish Rd.
   84.3(135.6)   –   Continue straight rather than bearing left uphill.
   93.3(150.1)   –   Continue straight.
   93.8(150.9)   –   Ride straight onto pavement above Whitefish Lake.
★   101.4(163.1)   –   Whitefish. Turn left onto Edgewood Pl.
   104.1(167.5)   –   Road curves right.
★   106.9(172.0)   –   Just past right-hand curve, turn left onto Tamarack Ln.
★   107.9(173.6)   –   At “T”, turn right following Tamarack Ln.
   109.0(175.4)   –   Pass Meadow Lake Golf Course.
★   110.4(177.6)   –   At 4-way junction, turn right onto 4th Ave. NW.
★   111.2(178.9)   –   Cross five sets of RR tracks and turn right onto Railroad St.
★   111.5(179.4)   –   Columbia Falls. Turn left onto unsigned Nucleus Ave.
★   112.1(180.4)   –   At stoplight, turn left onto U.S. Hwy. 2.
★   112.8(181.5)   –   Cross Flathead River and immediately turn right at end of bridge onto River Rd.
★   113.6(182.   –   Turn left onto paved Columbia Falls Stage.
★   114.5(184.3)   –   Turn left onto paved Kelley Rd.
★   114.7(184.6)   –   Turn right onto paved Middle Rd.
★   117.7(189.4)   –   Turn left onto paved Elk Park Rd.
★   118.7(191.0)   –   0.25 mile after crossing paved road, turn right onto gravel Mooring Rd.
★   121.0(194.7)   –   Turn left onto paved Blackmer Lane.
★   121.5(195.5)   –   Turn right onto gravel Lauman Rd.
★   122.8(197.6)   –   At “T", turn left onto paved Yeoman Hall Rd.
★   123.0(197.9)   –   Turn right onto Van Sant Rd.
   123.6(198.9)   –   Van Sant Rd. curves left.
   123.8(199.2)   –   Van Sant Rd. curves right.
★   124.8(200.   –   Turn left onto paved Lake Blaine Rd.
★   125.6(202.1)   –   Turn right onto paved Creston Hatchery Rd.
★   126.6(203.7)   –   Turn left onto Bachelor Grade Rd.
★   128.9(207.4)   –   At “T”, turn right onto paved Foothill Rd. CAUTION: Potentially heavy traffic on this winding road over next 4 miles.
   132.9(213.   –   Road curves 45 degrees right.
   135.6(218.2)   –   Road curves right.
★   136.5(219.7)   –   At “T”, turn left onto Echo Lake Rd.
   138.7(223.2)   –   Swan River. Cross State Hwy. 83.
★   141.8(228.2)   –   Cross Swan River. Turn left onto State Hwy. 209. NOTE: for services, before bridge turn right onto gated trail/bike path. Bigfork is 2 miles from this point.
★   143.0(230.1)   –   Ferndale. At St. Patrick's Episcopal Church, turn right onto unsigned Crane Mountain Rd. toward Swan River Fishing Access and Crane Mountain.
★   145.0(233.3)   –   At "Y", turn left onto FR 129 toward Bug Creek.
   146.6(235.3)    –   Pavement ends.
★   147.4(237.2)   –   Bear right uphill away from West Swan Shore/dead end. Begin long climb.

[mikepro]

Thanks. .... It says they have text files.... I wonder how you get those? 

I did a double-take when I read that as well.  It seemed odd that once I clicked the link on the ACA website to the narratives, the description says something like "also available in text files".  It's just written in an odd way.  There is no "other text file" option.  It's just the one option to purchase the narratives, in a text format as opposed to (or in addition to) purchasing the route maps, and that's it.

In other words, buying the narratives-only means you are buying the text files.

[Pablo]

What are your thoughts on racing the TDR on a full suspension rig like a Lenz Leviathan?  (I know all of the benefits of riding a hard tail- I own a Mooto-X and am 80% sure that it is the ride of choice for the TDR) Just would like some ideas from outside the fishbowl...

[elobeck]

What are your thoughts on racing the TDR on a full suspension rig like a Lenz Leviathan?  (I know all of the benefits of riding a hard tail- I own a Mooto-X and am 80% sure that it is the ride of choice for the TDR) Just would like some ideas from outside the fishbowl...

Overkill fon the leviathan. I raced a Mooto X in TDR 2010. Great Bike to take out the stutter. HOWEVER-verify your mud clearance at the rear tire. Over the years some models have had more while others (like the one I had in 2010) had barely any. Lack of clearance for sticky montana and new mexico mud can quickly turn into a deal breaker-I know this firsthand.

Erik

[phil_rad]

I typed my cues from the ACA maps in 2010; so for this year I ordered the new "narratives" from ACA and updated mine. I put it an Excel file, easier for me to read. It's time consumming but it's worth it.

FS for divide; like Erik said "overkill". But ride what you're used too; just make sure you can ride it for 12 - 16 hrs a day. And that it is dependable. 

[BobM]

...... But ride what you're used too; just make sure you can ride it for 12 - 16 hrs a day. And that it is dependable. 

Absolutely.  My bike is fully rigid, but I'm used to flexing my legs and arms.  If you're used to riding full sus and want to change to hardtail you better do it now so you can get plenty of riding time in.

[mcmurv]

My plan is to watch the weather through the winter.  I am currently considering an early, 28 May, NOBO ride or a late, end / mid August, SOBO ride.

I am also riding NOBO this year.  I will most likely start around 20 May, because we have a baby due around 10 June.




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[Pablo]

Thanks for the feedback... At this point, I don't intend on switching to full suspension. My Mooto-X is comfy and super efficient. Was hoping somebody who has raced the TD on a full suspension rig would jump in and give me their perspective.

[aaron w]

I'm contemplating racing south to north.  Anyone else?

Was there a northbound grand depart last year?  If so did that start at the exact same time as the southbound grand depart?  I followed the race fairly closely last year but I can't remember how things worked.  I'm just wondering as I think it would be cool to start out with other racers as opposed to a pure ITT. 

Fun stuff to think about!