Why did Dana and Max just backtrack like 2 miles? And uphill no less? Must be some weird weather out there...that section has quite a few trees for shelter if I remember correctly, so not sure why they'd want to head back.

GPS shows 5 days, 5 hours, 50 minutes. Someone pointed out I should have waited another 5 minutes 55 seconds to finish, but I didn't oblige.

As with the first time, an incredible experience. It wasn't any easier, that's for sure. Great back and forth racing with the two Aarons.

Full race writeup:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/13xoivOhwV8yQnd35sK5S5bi10NRI5ZeLdRZ0J6Qt9iI/edit?usp=sharing

Great job out there everyone, and a huge thanks to Stefan, Scott Morris, and CTF!

Ryan Franz

I ran a dynohub last year to power my light and GPS--the hub was solid but the wiring broke from flexing with the suspension at the end of the first day! I managed to fix it several times but finally gave up around day 3. Had to get by with my backup headlamp and batteries for the GPS.

I still think it's a great way to go--I've ridden thousands of miles with a dynohub and rigid fork--but really watch the wiring setup as it bridges your suspension fork. Also, carry some extra wire in your repair kit!

Ryan

By my calcs, Jefe should get to Rawlins a couple hours before road 71 opens at 5pm. Pretty good timing! Getting to Rawlins in the morning could cost several hours (I'm assuming you can't make it through in the hour it's open 12-1, though who knows).

I finally finished my race writeup. It ended up pretty long, but hopefully at least some of it is entertaining:)

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pjIoXk9XLLRxPoH3G5Jr9LS-gzbAo7kqYbJQJp2Bl_U/pub

Very important topics--and I think everyone has a different method that works. Here's mine, FWIW.

I learned during the Durango Dirty Century that I'm not good at fueling while riding--I come from a road cycling background where my motto is basically to never stop the wheels turning, but mountain biking technical terrain is just a different beast. And CTR was even worse because I took the spreadsheet approach to minimizing weight for 16000 calories from Durango--7.2 pounds but that was slow burn (lots of fat). So I HAD to stop and grab a boatload of calories before I started to run low, then they'd take effect while I continued to ride at a decent pace. I'm talking chocolate bar with a couple tablespoons of almond butter, or a honey stinger waffle with a bunch of almond butter. Upwards of 400-800 calories at once--but since they were slow burn it seemed doable. Great, concentrated foods, but for me impossible to choke down while riding. Silly thing is I made Silverton at 7:30pm, so I carried all that crap for no reason (well, I saved time in Silverton). Sillier thing, I finished with a pound of almond butter!

I ALWAYS feel better starting early than riding late. I guess I'm a morning person. Getting up was brutal but then I loved the early morning riding and seeing the sunrise. Also seemed safer for afternoon storms (although depends where you start). For me, metabolic rate is on the upswing in the morning, instead of on a downward trend after 10pm.

Aaron, you are responsible for me being late to work this morning. And for keeping my mind out on the trail, where it's been for the last two weeks--to the detriment of my normal responsibilities.

Great riding with you out there and thanks for capturing what it was all about. I will say, though, it makes the trail seem more smooth and effortless than I remember it:)

I've actually had good experiences with it in the past, as long as I never let the charge get too low (takes forever to revive it seems, in the meantime your USB device dies). Shortly before Silverton, though, my wiring broke where it flexes from fork compression. I fixed it with bailing wire and electrical tape, but it kept breaking again on long descents, so finally on the third day I gave up--too much time wasted stopping and repairing. Had to finish the ride with my tiny headlamp and running my phone/GPS off of AAs.

So still like the Reecharge, but need a more durable fork flexure for my wiring!

Finally got my pictures up. Hope to get my writeup done soon! Not a lot of other riders in these, but have at least one each of Dan Hickstein, Aaron Johnson, and Pete Basinger. Great riding with all of you!

https://plus.google.com/photos/102061043430286305022/albums/5907743940103323153?authkey=CIqtkcfXqeWo9QE

I finished at 2:34 am according to my watch. My SPOT was apparently lagging behind, arriving 5 mins later.

Funny, mine was too--perhaps we were dragging them on a leash:) Boy do we need the new 2.5min updates (and then we'll need 1 min, and then real time...)!

My data shows true arrival at 6:22pm, for total time of 5:14:22.

I second all kudos to Stefan--the whole time I was riding, I kept thinking how visionary it was to create such an event. It would be a very different feeling to attempt, and then publicize, such a race without knowing that dozens had already done it!

I have to add my favorite comment too.  On one of the most rocky parts leading to Sargents Mesa, I was riding with Ryan Franz and he says, "This part doesn't flow very well."  LOL, understatement of the year...

--Stefan

My memory, in which your reply was equally amusing:

Me: This part isn't very flowy.
You: It's the "antiflow."

My rookie experience was incredible--soul-crushing at times but overall I'd say I "enjoyed" the hell out of it. Can't imagine a better way to see the highlights of Colorado! Though not planned ahead of time, my strategy organically became quite regimented: ride 90mi, sleep 5 hours, repeat. Worked well, and was enough sleep that I never struggled with staying awake. I often saw tire tracks in front of me veering off the trail--made me feel for those pushing through the witching hour ahead of me.

Unfortunately, currently my race memories are obsessed with the Tarryall construction experience I shared with Pete Basinger. We got to the flagperson at 7:30am, then were allowed to follow the pace vehicle starting at 8am. A couple miles in, a worker with a pickup made us put our bikes in the pickup for the next 6.6mi. We voiced our desire to ride but not too adamantly so as not to be a PITA to people trying to do their job correctly. There was a lot of active large machinery--we had to wait for over 10 minutes in the pickup at one point--but man I wish we could have ridden. I know that we didn't have a choice and if anything it cost us time, but it feels like an asterisk to me, didn't truly ride the entire way! Oh well. Maybe an incentive to repeat CTR?? Wouldn't be the only incentive I suppose!

After that actually I enjoyed the Tarryall detour. I have great memories of rock climbing in the South Platte area and I loved seeing Big Rock Candy Mtn, The Castle, and other scenes of previous adventures.

I'll try and post a real writeup soon, spending time with my wife and little one right now!

Ryan Franz

I donated $100 to CTF last week, getting psyched for a week (or so) in the mountains.
Ryan Franz

When do the stores open in Silverton? If arriving too late Sunday, that dictates how early of a start one can get up Stoney Pass...

I'll be running a dynohub (have used in the past and love it) and here's my take: I'll have a tiny headlamp to help on HAB and small uphills where the hub-powered light is just too dim. I'd carry this anyway for setting up camp/etc. For downhills the hub-powered light is plenty bright for me. Charging a second light during the day seems unnecessary--additional weight, and makes it hard to charge your GPS during the day (in my experience charging two battery powered items concurrently is dodgy at mtn bike speeds).

Getting psyched!!!

Ryan Franz