The upcoming finale is going to be better than the finale of '89 Tour de France. This year's TDR will be one to remember!

My ghost is giving me bad memories of that time...

This is the stretch of road that took far to long due to flat tires for me. Riding in the dark with cloud cover and a heavy dew mist that was almost rain. A slow leak that I was stopping to pump every so often turned into a repair I needed to make. I insert a tube, air up, roll away and discover another flat tire. The tube had a split seam, not easy to patch. I insert 2nd spare, roll away, it had a leak. I sit on this damp road, exhausted and frustrated. Time to start patching a tube. The pleasures of patching a tube in the rain, with sealant covering the tubes and the tire. IT was a mess, the patches were not sticking. I had at least 2 episodes of tubes that I thought were patched then failed while riding.
To say the least it was a long night trying to get to Pie Town. The only sleep I got that night was the sleep I was getting while passing out with the wheel, tubes and my kit spread out in my lap.
When I made it to Pie TOwn ealry morning I rolled into the Toaster House for a shower and peak in the cabinets. I was disappointed thinking I was going to be there many hours early with a good nights sleep to make the push to the finish. It didn't happen that way and the pie shops were closed. I had a shitty night, put it behind me and charged forward that day. If I remember correctly I was so trying to make up lost time I had a pretty good run till I hit the Gila Hills where I had another stop and go night of sleeping while riding, pushing and tripping over myself.

Epic times by myself on a mission to beat a time. These are the times I will never forget. For some reason I cant remember the perfect sunny days...

I would suspect you will see the JB dot close the gap here.

Either way you TDR guys are epic, true cycling heroes. Making professional cyclists like Hinault, Armstrong, Contador and Froome look like spoiled brats .

Jefe Branham is riding again, 100 miles behind JP's record while JP's ghost still has 6 hours of sleep to go.

Will JB ride all the way to Antelope Wells? (431miles in 42 hours??)

It appears like JB is taking a nap (not too far from the bend of Indian Service Rte 9 nearby Chaco Culture National Historical Park).
JP took about a 6hours sleep in the Gila forest, way past Pietown. Currently JP's ghost is about 90miles ahead of JB (near ventana arch)..... This means probably no new record with 440miles and 45,5 hours left (that is impossible right???). But what a ride of JB so far: hats off and a deep bow for him having to endure the bad wheather and getting so close.

it ain't the Tour du France

JB less than 90km (56 miles) behind JP's ghost.... (and JP's ghost is still sleeping so it seems). This will be a very close call for TDR standards

edit:
JP's ghost is awake again: 85km & 1554hm (53miles & 5100feet elevation) ahead of Jefe Branham....

The brutal climb of Polvadera Mesa awaits Jefe.

Jefe Branham just turned onto Brooks Lake Rd... will it be the last long walk through the snow and mud? If so, then it seems he has a very good chance to beat JP's record (which is imho quite amazing considering the brutal weather earlier this week).

Tried to make GPS-files for all the refuel points of the Tour Divide Race. If there is a more complete list of all the food/waterpoints of the GDMBR, please let me know, so I can add them to one of the following links. Also possible detours (in case of a forest fire) would be a nice addition.

TDR-stages between food/water points:
http://www.gpsies.com/mapFolder.do?id=27512

TDR possible detours:
http://www.gpsies.com/mapFolder.do?id=27950

That sounds great, but how does it work? Do you make a reservation in advance? What are the costs?

And what if you buy a Spot gen3 yourself? Do you need a tracking service ($150 a year) from Spot them selves, in order to make it work with trackleaders.com?

When participating the Tour Divide 2014. is there still the option to rent a Spot Device at the Grand Depart in Banff? Or is it wiser to buy a Spot (e.g.SPOT Gen3 Satellite GPS Messenger) together with $150 a year tracking service and to send some other additional kind of information to info@trackleaders.com.

What exactly is required to be followed on trackleaders.com for the TDR2014?

FYI, the two detours are a good bit easier than what they bypass, so not exactly beating the record. Close, though.

Why does the race take the alternate sections of the GDMBR? For example why not the "official" unpaved roads between Cuba and Grants through the Rio Puerco Valley and the flanks of MT. Taylor or the unpaved section of the El Malpais NM.

Deep respect for Mike Hall, doing 318kms a day average is almost impossible to comprehend. The Britts rule everywhere in cycling .

One question though:
Why does the TDR take the alternate sections of the official GDMBR, especially in New Mexico. From a touring point of view I found the section between Cuba and Grants through the Rio Puerco Valley very impressive. The racers always take the paved alternate section. Is that because of possible impassible sections when it might rain? To make sure that every rider has the best chance of equal circumstances?

This year due to wildfires a lot of miles through New Mexico were done on asphalt roads, more then JP did last year. For example missing the brutal climb over Polvadera Mesa also takes away some of the New Mexican hardship. Not that it makes a lot easier when it is almost 100F . But still a good reason for Mike to come back next year .

Here Mike's latest twitter pic, he still looks happy

What I missed last year while doing the Great Divide going South to North was the physical challenge (not that it didnt hurt physically, because at times it certainly did, but i didnt have the focus that I know a race can bring). My main objective last year was to experience the beauty of America and to photograph it, and boy, what an experience it was. There hasn’t been a day I don’t think back of cycling through the wide open spaces and the endless forests. Simply nothing compares here in Europe, and certainly not in the Netherlands, which simply is just one big city, compared to the Rockies. And to of the most impressive moments (which couldn’t be photographed) for me was the close (and scary) encounter of a Grizzly and two cubs and to meet the Racers in the Great Divide Basin…… I remember talking with Aidan, Forest and David….. and when I heard in Montana that David had died three days later, it didn’t leave my mind again. I just felt connected to the Race, while just being a tourist going the other way.

So traveling on a bike, doing cycling holidays, photographing, enjoying people and scenery, that is definitely my thing. But I also like doing time trials. I like to push myself physically and mentally, and nothing beats killing yourself in a time trial. It gives me some kind of an adrenaline rush I guess, and I always have in mind this virtual competitor which started one minute behind me. This virtual other is then some kind of a motivator, which I relate to ego and pride….. I bet the Buddha himself wouldn’t care less, if you know what I mean J. But I don’t mean it in a negative way. This ego and pride metaphor lies closely to the feeling of self accomplishment, which I think is a good thing.

So I can imagine that the TD is a mix of a time trial, a survival expedition and a solo cycling holiday. And I can imagine it is also even more fun to find amidst other crazy bikers with a same attitude and mindset. I certainly don’t meet them in my social surroundings J.

And in no way I mean that the element of camaraderie should require GPS control, a bit of a unhappy formulation I guess. I was just wondering how it works when a person is disqualified without having a way of control. I can imagine the SPOT would be a great technical solution and together with some kind of social control, and the honesty and openness of the individual racer than that is good enough. And true, you have to be some pathetic person to lie and cheat about some experience like the Great Divide is.

I wish I could be sure to “race” the Tour Divide this year, it certainly is on my bucket list, but a man has to make choices in life, and there is still lots of beauty to be seen in this world. From what I’ve seen of the Arizona Trail and the National Parks of Utah…., pff, what a hard choices to make J. But then for me it would be another photographical tour and not a race pushing the boundaries of yourself and I kind of missed that on last years gdmbr…. Haha, thinking about it, that camera of mine is also some kind of ego and pride thing, or is it my way of self-accomplishment and trying to capture beauty. I don’t know anymore  . Perhaps it is time to just buy a small pocket camera.

If a challenger chooses to use a SPOT and is tracked live on the TD tracker, the data can, and will be used to verify course compliance. Still, it is not required to carry a SPOT.I would disagree with this percentage, but one thing is for sure, if one can't go it alone, TD is not the challenge one is looking for.  can you expound on what you mean by 'make sense'? There are solo boundaries to push.This is how Time Trials generally work. You only have the benefit of past time splits, just as TD offers a wealth of past rider times to pit yourself against. That's why they call it the race of truth, and that's a very real point of TD. can you self-motivate? can you suffer alone? can you bivy alone, can you eat alone? Again, the race is not for everyone. Those who think camaraderie first, racing second are not doing it for the reasons the challenge was founded upon.
I'm not sure if those two statements are related or not. Are you suggesting the element of camaraderie should require GPS control?
We hope not for exposure's sake, but i'd certainly welcome him to accept the challenge if it's an experience he's looking for. I'm obviously a believer.

There is no mandatory gear list for TD b/c TD is not a proper race in that respect. Who would do the checking? There is no on-the-ground infrastructure or enforcement of any TD rules beyond peer-pressure, and SPOT-managed course compliance. The idea is that everyone accepting the challenge is a big kid on their own individual time trials out there. If unqualified, unfit, or unprepared people show up to attempt to ride the GDMBR on their own time/dime, it's their skin. No one else is responsible for their actions. The idea that a website or some silly movie made them do it is just plain 'horse-puckey'.

Okay I understand, but then again, there has been some disqualifications in the past. So I thought a SPOT-device would be required to check the actual time and distance. Or is there strong social control between the racers?

Doing a race is not only about the individual experience ofcourse, it is also about ego, pride and the physical/mental comparison in relation to the other participants. I bet 95% of the competitors will not ride the TD, like the Dalai Lama would do. For me personally to find and push my own physical and mental boundaries on a race like this would only make sense in direct comparison to the other riders..... Dont think I could do it on my own with no direct comparisons to make. Racing, pushing yourselves and building comradeship along the way will only add in a positive way to the experience I think. Therefore I can understand there would at least be some kind of control by using gps-technology.

but

what about Lance? Will he appear at the start now he is retired from professional cycling?

Here a newbie-question from the Netherlands...., still considering competing TD 2011 or doing the Arizona Trail.

* Just read the regulations-sections on the Tour Divide website and its says "SPOT GPS Trackers are strongly recommended but not required".
So is it all a matter of trust when doing the Tour Divide if one doesnt carry a SPOT-device? It means you can check the route of people carrying a SPOT, but you have to believe someones blue eyes not to have taken a short cut when not carrying a SPOT. Is that true?

* Furthermore I couldnt see it is obligated to wear a helmet. Shouldnt that at least be mentioned in the Rules? Personally I always (when cycling alone that is) cycle without helmet and I know it is not wise and sensible, but when organizing a underground race like the TD, shouldnt you at least require it? Especially with the fatal incident in mind of last years race.

* Will there be a start-limit for the TD? Looking at the startlist for this year there will be a big group of racers (probably the DVD Ride the Divide effect J). And there could turn up even more people who not sign in at the website, but just show up at the start. It will be good to suppress feelings of bearanoia when traveling in such huge groups through the forests, but it will also feel like a big peloton in the beginning (and no drafting allowed). And sure about 50% will not make it through the first week, but at what point will this event be too popular?

* This year I see also people starting South at Antelope Wells. A start from the South has some advantages: more tailwinds, better temperatures and water resources in NM and less snow in Canada and Montana. Cant really think of any disadvantages when thinking back of last year going south to north….

* What is your experience sleeping in a bivi at the TD. Does it in anyway effect your physical need of a good rest compared to slkeeoing in a tent? For example when sleeping in the rain or frreezing temperatures? As you can see I never bivied (is that a verb?) before .

Anyways, haha, reading back my remarks I might just take the TD a bit too seriously. Above all riding the Divide is about having a great experience. Meeting lots of friendly people, seeing the most amazing scenery and totally feeling one with nature and the landscape. On top of that it will be a mental and physical challenge that will stick to you the rest of your life and will alter your mindset if you have never done a thing like this before….. Happily these aspects can not be regulated  .

Grtz
Auke

Hi Patrick, yes I remember you, you were the last racer I met if I remember correctly, just before grizzlybearcountry.
Looking at the results you've made it, which is quit a challenge on its own, respect for that.

grtz
Auke

amazing pictures. i think we ran into each other just outside of pinedale, wyoming. we stopped and chatted for a moment. you mentioned seeing another rider just outside of boulder that morning (i think it was kent), and that you hoped to finish your trip in canada. you also spoke of the beautiful landscapes you had seen, now i see why. thanks for sharing them.

Hi Harry, Susan

Did you make it all the way to Mexico. Cant find your e-mail adresse anymore, but I am glad you've found me this way.
Well, the bearanoia got the better of me, so after the Richmond Peak Trail I decided to continue mostly over paved roads to feel a little saver from the bears. I did see a black bear near Lake Louise, but it was harmless....... by the way just like the grizzly with the cubs.... I guess the bear was as scared of me as I was of her and her cubs ....

Nice to have met you, keep cycling!
Auke

the picture are excellent!!  we met  in Seely Lake...  we expected a 'bear' photo???

harry and susan

No more money to buy another bike, so I will probably stick to my ultimate 26" travelbike, the Idworx Off Rohler. I really enjoyed the fenders, lights, kickstand, SON-dynamo hub, Rohloff hub and the magura brakes...... everything kept working in the mud, well, except this time at the Togwatee Pass without fenders would be better, but the brakes, gear and lights kept doing their job.



But normally I traveled like this, which will be the basis to strip it down further....



If I ever do decide to compete in the Tour Divide Race then I strip the fenders, lights, front-carriers, together with handlebarbag, and the frontbags and the topbag at the rear. I think a framebag together with two Ortlieb rearbags can do the job..... together with my Syntace C2 ofcourse and a new backpack.

Though I must say in Europe it is quit unusual to cycle with a backpack, to sweaty I suppose.

But the whole gear-dillema is a study on its own, so I'll take my time .

nice pictures, sent you a email

good luck if you race next yr, if you do what type bike/gear are you thinking of using?

nice pictures, sent you a email

good luck if you race next yr, if you do what type bike/gear are you thinking of using?

John, an e-mail is on your way.
grtz
Auke

Beautiful photos!!! I watched them a couple times. We met in the Great Bivide Basin of Wyoming. There is a pic in your collection. I'll send you a photo that I took of you too.

I know what you mean, I dont like it myself either, but for now it is a conscious decision to leave the watermark way tooo big. Sorry about that.

Hope you can enjoy the pictures anyway.

It is a great set of pictures, the best I've seen. A good link to send to somebody who can't even relate to the bike touring aspect.

One suggestion, assuming you want people to watch your slides: If you can dial back the watermarks a bit, it'll make an outstanding slide show. I understand why you want the watermarks, but they become too intrusive in about 1/3 of the pics.