I was saddened to learn yesterday via DM that a very dear friend [John Edward O'Malley] had been involved in a hit and run incident whilst participating in the 2022 Tour Divide. JE was fast approaching the final leg and was eagerly looking forward to reaching Antelope Wells to close things out. Initially, I received word with only basic information such as what happened and where [he] was flown to post being located. There were several tense moments until a call was received from an immediate family member with all the details that were available at the time. Though the news has been encouraging regarding John Edward's condition medically, there is still much recovery that needs to take place.

I ask that you kindly keep John Edward in your thoughts.

Best,

Richard S. Costello [The Lorax]
Class of 2013 Tour Divide

The program consisted of an informative talk about the history of the TD - starting with its most earliest origins, development of the route by the ACA, and rise in popularity seen to the point that it is now. Additional discussion on the specific sections/provinces & states, was covered as well with the aid of photographs presented via projection screen and small personal experiences shared from the event. My own rig that was used in the 2013, along with all the race-kit essentials were on display for those wanting to get an up close look. The in-store appearance was not videotaped.

So, here we are. Another summer cycling season is slowly, but surely winding down. Most of the big events have long since already started, or, will do so momentarily. Congratulations are extended to all those riders, who have successfully succeeded in conquering whatever specific challenge that saw them take part in. Job well done on your most incredible accomplishment!

For those looking ahead to actual 2019 participation, or perhaps, teetering on the edge of future commitment, there is an awesome opportunity coming up if you find yourself living in the greater Philadelphia area, to learn firsthand specifically all about the Tour Divide race, bikepacking & touring in general.

On Sunday, August 26, 2018, from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m., I (Richard S. Costello) will be the guest speaker at a *FREE* event being held at the L.L.Bean Saucon Valley retail store in Center Valley, Pennsylvania. The program titled: Riding the Divide – The Legendary Tour Divide Mountain Bike Race, will be the main topic of discussion.

If you are interested in attending what promises to be an informative & captivating talk, kindly visit the link to L.L.Bean’s event page here at https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/1000001713, where you will find all pertinent event information as well as how to R.S.V.P. your spot.

I’m looking forward to seeing you there.

I am saddened to learn of Mike's passing early this morning. He was quite an amazing human being!

Though I have traveled the world in many locations to ride my bicycle and, completed many lengthy rides individually as well as taking part in national, world, and global championship racing, I have still found riding the old canalway systems found here in the United States to be just as worthy when it comes to overall bicycling riding experience, and including the collecting of favorable long lasting memories just as much. Bicycling The Erie Canal: Stories and Insight Leading Up to One Memorable Ride, is more than just a simple old plain story about the once prominent historic waterway system. But more so a story about the things that one individual seeks out when extracting all the possibilities there is to be found out there in life when upon two wheels.

To learn more, kindly click on the link for further information - https://longtrailahead.blogspot.com/2016/06/bicycling-erie-canal.html

"The TOUR DIVIDE, the race that keeps on giving and giving." I have to say checking in here on this forum and reading several of these written posts has been very rewarding to say the least. To this very day the dust still hasn't settled, and it most likely never will when it comes to fully digesting the incredible spectacle of which the TOUR DIVIDE is once successfully completed. Reading all the above posts, takes me back just one year ago when I was checking in here everyday to read others advice given, thoughts concerned, etc, etc. The excitement of all you perspective "class of 2014" getting ready is very exciting and energizing, which brings back more floods of memories from last year. All the best in your preparations, training, and race come the second week of June. Oh and by the way, make sure you don't forget to "Live it Up!" - 

http://youtu.be/VkZyXl4-6nI 

Just a short little vid for anyone that needs to up their Trans Am stoke a bit -


http://youtu.be/Yi_vpq12_j8

I encourage every, and any cyclist who lives near either of these two routes, to come on out and ride along with me as I cycle on through Washington DC, to Pittsburgh, starting this Wednesday morning(10/23). This is a historical effort taking place in that I will be carrying the official nomination ballot for the soon to be announced 2013 Mustached American of the Year Award winner, being crowned this coming Saturday up in the steel town. Whether you are a past/present/future TOUR DIVIDE rider, bikepacker, or just an all around cycling enthusiast, c'mon out and ride!

 http://www.americanmustacheinstitute.org/blog/2013/10/costello-to-cycle-from-nations-capitol-to-pittsburgh-with-goulet-winners-name-in-hand/

wookieone, I ran the exact same stock set-up on my bike that it originally came with from the factory - that primarily being Shimano Deore, with the rear cassette and derailleurs being XT. Pretty much low-end I would say but with some quality. I did swap out my Hayes hydraulic disc brakes in lue of Avid BB7's for the TOUR. I replaced each item and did a complete overall the week before the race. I personally didn't suffer any drivetrain mechanicals during the entire race - largely in part to proper shifting throughout I believe. I ran the same chain for the entire race, just kept on top of it with cleaning & lube. Paying attention to ones bike, and general TLC provided onto it each day goes pretty far. I think that was pretty damn good for having a total package weight [bike & rider] of somewhere around 260 lbs. I ran tubeless the entire time, and did not flat even once. I did though, blow a seal on my front fork the day before I finished - clearly resulting from that thick GILA NATIONAL FOREST FUDGE! I did see many riders who suffered from those mounted front fork water bottle holders. Saw a few of them left broken off on some rocky downhill's.  

I believe that this thread will pick up steam here very shortly, so no worries on that. I think that as the event draws even closer, that you will see much more talk taking place, surrounding this event. Regardless of pavement or not, 4,233+ miles of self supported racing is just that, and most certainly deserves a discussion here in this forum. I as well, are most excitingly looking forward to taking part in this inaugural event, since I believe it will turn out to be one super amazing experience to be part of.

The entire time I cycled along CDT, I thought endlessly of all those who traveled through the same sections a long time past. Lot's of history for sure!

Just a quick FYI for those ITT riders, as well as any other riders just touring the southwest Montana section of the Great Divide Trail.  On Wednesday afternoon Bannack was severally damaged by a flash flood.  In a 45 minute period 3 to 4 inches of rain fell north and east of the town of Bannack.  This sent a wall of water down "Hangman's Gulch" and through Bannack - Montana State Park damaging 80 percent of the buildings.  It's estimated that Bannack will be closed for at least a month so any riders planning to camp a Bannack be advised it is closed.  The Bannack bench road received about a quarter of an inch of rain and sustained no damage.  We got about a half inch at our lodge, so no flooding here either.  We are open for riders.

Russ, just a quick note to say thanks for everything you and Karen did for the 2013 TD riders. Staying at your lodge most certainly made undertaking the incredible Tour Divide route, even more amazing!

With my husband now done with this ordeal, safe in a motel in El Paso, with no more miles to ride (well, for a while, at least) but just to fly (back home to Pittsburgh) - I can finally breathe. Michael, after briefly talking to him yesterday, here is what I wrote to a friend of mine: "I talked with him a couple of hours ago and he told me he had another day from hell: in the middle of a desert, in the middle of a thunderstorm, surrounded by lightning, carrying his bike through above knees muddy waters of torrential streams ...... Whenever we talk in the evening - he talks about pure agony, pain and misery, but then he also talks about great people he meets along the trail and of breathtaking scenery. Once he comes home and digests all of this - I'm somehow sure the "people-scenery" part will prevail." Michael, and all of you riders who are now back home and all of you still out there riding - I so hope that the "people-scenery" part will be the one that stays with you forever. J.D.Pauls said every day consisted of "12 miserable hours out of 13", and Greg called the Race "brutal but beautiful". I hope all of you can find and remember your "13th beautiful hour". The beauty, kindness, help, camaraderie, support, encouragement and so much more my husband found in the scenery; in his fellow riders (Rick A., Richard C., Greg, Mike Hall, Stappy,  and some more whom I cannot remember now); in "trail angels" that showed up when he didn't even realize he desperately needed them (Keer and his wife with his mother Corina - taking him into their home from the sleet and lightening to give him hot tea and dry his frozen gloves, a lady and a guy stopping by him and Rick after a brutal dehydration of the Basin and giving them drinks, a guy giving him sodas, food and sausages when he just asked for the direction to the water fountain, and many more I haven't yet heard of); in Kirsten and Sylvia and other dedicated TDR followers and helpers; Lloyd and Roger; in his "generalshtab" friends back home in Pittsburgh (Bob, Jack, Dave) and all of our co-workers, neighbors, friends, Thick Bikes shop experts (especially Larry); Gina; family back home in Croatia and Slovenia; business partners in Miami and even Haiti (yes, you guys out there - you have been watched and followed and cheered on all over the world!), and many, many more = that is what will stay with him forever. Wow! And I just know that your story Michael (and everybody else's out there) is as rich and as beautiful and as deep and as life-confirming/enriching/changing as my husband's is. You did it, you survived it - now celebrate it! Congratulations to all that finished it, to all still grueling it, and even to you who gave up this time for the reasons you only know but you showed up and gave it your best! The champagne I will be drinking with my husband and our daughter (who cheered and supported him and me throughout this event) when he returns home is for him and also for all of you who became a part of his important life-event. Thank you all!


Not only watching Velimir continue on, but finish as well the entire route, turned out to be incredibly inspirational to many of those whom cycled alongside him throughout. What an awesome job you did Vel. As I said to you up in Del Norte....your one tough man! Kick back and savor your accomplishment fella. Grab yourself an extra cola, you've earned it! 

I have always used slime in my tubeless set up since 2006, never without any incident. Once I was given some Stan's for free a few years back and decided to try it out. It dried up quickly and I did not like the consistency of it.

Legal issues, who said anything about a race, official or not? We're just a bunch of mountain bikers agreeing on getting together for a long ride through the countryside right? Yeaaaa that's the ticket 

rhino,

just bought an eTrex 20 myself recently, and have picked up on it rather quickly. neat little navigational tool for sure.

I think common sense dictates that when someone is seeking, and or choosing to undertake anything out of the ordinary, that said individual would be expected to educate thyself into just exactly what they are getting involved in. Especially when it is so far removed from what your accustomed in daily normal life. Yes, the Tour Divide ride is not something that should be taken lightly. Being responsible to survive, navigate, and look after yourself really takes on an entirely new meaning during an event such as.

I am sure that many of those who are taking part in this years event, have approached differently in their own preparation IE,. training, gear selection, navigation, and so on. Many different individuals, with many different backgrounds for sure. In reading some of the above previous post made in proceeding days, I am constantly reminded of several other well documented, and personal stories known surrounding ultra-long distance cycling trips already having been made.

Story after story can be found online by individuals whom have cycled across the entire United States. Several of those successful stories, were completed by persons that really didn't have extensive cycling backgrounds behind them. Many others did! I myself have some friends from Europe, that had absolutely NO cycling experience, or backgrounds found between them. Somehow though, they came up with the bright idea to cycle across the U.S. a few summers back. Some simple planning between them, and some basic research on gear, and they were off out of Boston. A few months later, they cycled into San Francisco having successfully biked across the entire United States. They survived throughout all the difficulty's faced. The specific distance they rode is/was much more longer than the listed 2745 miles of the grand divide.

Overall I guess what I am trying to add to the conversation is, never ever under estimate the will, determination, and perseverance of a human being. Despite adversity, humans can over come just about anything if they really want too! Perfect example of that, is Jay Petervary himself. Just look at the attached video of Jay P., shot shortly last year right after kiwi Ollie Whalley pulled into Antelope Wells in first place with a course record time of 16 days, 2 hours, 46 minutes. Anything is possible!

Jay Petervary Tour Divide Record Ride on Vimeo

For all you folks obsessing over your gear and bike setup, I thought I'd add to your fever and post a video review of the bikes of the TDR 2012 taken just before the start.  Enjoy!
http://youtu.be/RzM4Iwy4Iak
Jim

Nice!

Oh it's a race alright. Cept we ain't drivin fancy sports cars, and we sure as hell ain't leavin NYC - http://youtu.be/XTT1_JZp2Sg

Ha ha, that's an awesome video!!!