PM'd you some questions.

It would certainly appear that FB is going to be the best source of info. I'd prefer if it was this site.
I am showing up for next year's TD (2019). I feel overwhelmed and under prepared, and I've been down the route twice before.
The start of cold weather here in Ontario always reminds me of what TD can throw at you.

Thanks Dave. The BP forums are good, but just having the current basics with links on the web site to this board and FB would make it more seamless. Am also considering 2019...but first bikepacking in NZ for a little more warmth!

Curious. Is the FB group & bikepacking.net/forum the only sources for current TD info now? The old TD site is out of date and no longer maintained, but people keep referencing it: https://www.tourdivide.org

26" wheel 1990 Novara Ponderosa I bought for about $180 and had Corey Thompson add S&S couplers, change to 1-1/8" stem and a few other additions. Ran a packless system (Cleaveland frame bag, front roll & pocket, everything cages. Carousel Design seat pack & top tube pack,  Jannd handlebar pouch) with a Nitto R12 rear rack to strap street shoes and dirty clothes on. Schwalbe Mondial marathon tires and Jones 710mm H-bars. Original 1990-era 3x7 Shimano Deore drivetrain, hubs and canti brakes, Suntour brake levers and thumb shifters. Gearing was 46-34-24 and 13-15-17-20-23-26-32 hyperglide. Rebuilt wheels with new spokes, same era rims. Homemade coroplast fenders zip-tied on (fenders highly recommended - mud, human and other feces, dead animals and anything imaginable). No computer/GPS.

Just completed a 1200+km tour in the Northern India Himalayas with no mechanicals or flats. About 75% off-pavement. Not bad for a 25 year old mountainbike.

Brilliant ride by Josh, JP and N doing a fast push but wow, really impressive all around.

Also know there's a lot more folks on route who we need to keep cheering for - winners are cool, but events like this have so many stories!

S24HO and such are wonderful. While I toy with the idea of doing TD and longer trips someday, currently time warrants shorter gigs. My background is in road touring, MTB and randonneuring, so I enjoy long endurance rides, but just being out one or two nights is fun too. Recently enjoyed a nice mixed gravel/pavement/trail ride in the Olympic Mountains to a solstice party where I camped with friends. Was the perfect weekend, very relaxed. Nearly all routes are mixed surface as I like to ride from home & it's a good 25 miles to the Olympics, but it's always a nicer start to the trip. Plan on doing another very soon.

So what's the oldest mountainbike to complete the TD?

I ordered bags from Jeff late summer of 2010 and he was great to work with and I got everything on schedule. Hoping he can get back on track because his equipment is really stellar in both design and quality and seems to be a really good guy too...

Thanks for the update Eric - sad to hear your Dad is heading home after all the work, but looking forward to riding with him here. It was a valiant effort for a tough event. Bravo!

Jon

So sad to hear about Dave B. Another moment that makes me appreciate what I have and what I can accomplish. We can never stop doing what we need to do.

I noticed Kent was off course on the tracker and thought he had gotten back on, but the tracker still shows him off. Maybe he's just sight-seeing....I've ridden some good miles with him, so I'm not worried he'll sort it out soon.

Jon