Cute kid.

Thanks Tim.

I correct in assuming the wee man wants you to ride TD?

Yep on a tandem in 2016. 

Oh, and I tried to be abbreviating correctly.

Thanks.

I wasn't so much concerned about the drinking liquour, but about getting food and maybe shelter.

Rich

What are the rules in CA and the US on kids going into bars specifically in the states that the TD passes through?

I've polished out scratches on my Dakota's screen with toothpaste.

I watched it.

Only 400Km though.

"Active" means "still going."

That's what I thought. Must be cold out there now. 

What does active mean?

Interesting stuff. Seems most people who scratched, did so within the first week and with less than a 1/3rd of the distance covered.

I think you need to read Mike's own words again. To make it easier to understand, substitute the phrase "performance enhancing drug" where he writes "Loretadine". Again his words: "I was virtually reborn...the power I had on tap seemed limitless." That appears to be more than a mere breathing boost.

Have you seen the video he shot before he took his performance enhancing drug?

If you have, shame on you.

http://youtu.be/4X36Orf8cEs

 

[One giant thread isn't all that useful]

It's been suggested elsewhere that TD get its own forum here.  I think the idea is growing on me.  One giant thread isn't all that useful, and some stickies could be made for a few key topics, such as rules and "why does the TD site seem dead?"  Plus to some bikepackers TD is a great insult to their sensibilities, so they'd rather not even see mention of it.

Good idea.

Half way across the Abainn Strath na Sealga river crossing on the Highland Trail 550

P1000204 by RichSeipp, on Flickr

The cold looks tough. Good luck with the rest of your trip. Looking forward to the updates.

Both are good, also consider the Dakota 20.

I'm not "into the rules."

Many of your postings on here, and a post on your blog suggest otherwise.

It is true that external enforcement of the rules is problematic at best.

That's the truth. Hence my earlier saying that being concerned with what others may of may not do is ultimately futile.

Internal enforcement requires that people fully buy into the ethics that built this sport.

Peoples ethics vary. It's very easy to point the finger sat at a computer screen.

There's a guy who walked across Australia shunning roads, Jon Muir, he carried everything (including food for his dog) and killed/harvested the rest of his food on the way. Maybe we need to take it to that level? No more shops, staying in hotels etc. That's unsupported.

The sport has evolved, and will continue to do so.

I'll leave it there. I've a race in January to train for.

Maybe see you in Banff 2nd weekend in June 2016. We'll be on a tandem looking to break a record. I'll check back in on the rules. 

Toby, I understand you are into the rules.

Let's say we are going to have two seperate races.

I sign up for the competitive race. I give my word that I will follow the rules.

How does anyone know that I have?

I've not got a spot so you don't know if I've done the route. you don't now if I've stopped at my friends, met my wife, taken advatage of free hospitality, hitched a ride etc etc etc.

I'm fine with the rules. On a 2700 mile race you can't be sure anyone has followed them properly though if they intend to or not.

In other words, make a race without rules. Just a suggested route & start date, and a bunch of like-minded people out doing their own thing together.

Are you organizing it? 

Even better, perhaps providing a mechanism where someone can move from one format to the other would be cool, which would address the situation that you mention where someone might have a change of heart deep into the race.

While I understand the thinking behind this, I don't like it. I think that that self-selection is a better approach. Anyone who is committed enough to show up and abide by the ethics and rules that "those old bastards" established should be allowed to race. External exclusion isn't the solution to keeping "Tour Divided" folks from diluting the hardcore version of the race. Giving people more than one race, and then letting them choose the one that fits their style, is better.

So a race within a race as is the case at the moment.