Tour Divide 2016

[mountainbaker]

Trackleaders has Mike predicted at Antelope Wells in 13:12:58

* Go to leaderboard, then click 'projections'

[atk]

Anyone heard from Greg , He seems to be going consistantly that much is sure.

From what i read he hasn't got great expectations of placing , he just wants a solid finish and the journey :)

Haven't heard from him but he popped up on the other forum looking awake, clean and happy... guess that's the Salsa effect



He's umm'd and ahh'd a lot about going fast or going twice. Either way it looks like he's enjoying himself!

[whitestone]

Trackleaders has Mike predicted at Antelope Wells in 13:12:58

* Go to leaderboard, then click 'projections'

I wasn't that far out with 20 days then for Greg (I hadn't even noticed that part of the site)

[Ben98]

Trackleaders has Mike predicted at Antelope Wells in 13:12:58

* Go to leaderboard, then click 'projections'

Clearly my calculations were a bit crude, I wasn't far off though.

[mountainbaker]

Yeah, predictions weren't far off.

Of course, it can all go out the window. And also, they could do what I did and basically only sleep once in New Mexico for more than an hour, and did the whole state in 4 days ish. Made up a day or so there, knowing that it would soon be over.

Or, it could rain a lot in NM and they'll be slow as hell in the peanut butter.

[Scattamah]

Looking wet in the Grasshopper valley...Bannack/Medicine Lodge/Sheep Creek could get sticky. If any of those 3 roads get wet, we could see a few chewed up drive trains by Lima.

Greetz

S.

[Ian]

What's the course record? (I'm being lazy, but someone will surely know off the top of their head)

[mountainbaker]

Male: 14 days, 11 hours, 37 minutes by Josh Kato in June 2015 [2]
Female: 15 days, 10 hour, 59 minutes by Lael Wilcox in August 2015

[johnnystorm]

Lovely and dry bivi last night, straight to Helena for new wheel, fancying around doing laps of the town to make sure I rejoined the route where I left it and then off to Butte......

Except the weather is beyond sub standard so I'm holed up in a Potting Shed in Basin. The restaurant has sewerage problems and the pizza shop only opens between 3 and 8pm. My emergency rations just became tea and breakfast is a mystery for now....

I've whacked the heating up to 11 to try and dry off. Funny smell when running the water but here at The Earth Angel Health Mine they offer Radon baths to cure arthritis. Any port in a storm....

[jameso]

New wheel

Except the weather is beyond sub standard so I'm holed up in a Potting Shed in Basin. The restaurant has sewerage problems and the pizza shop only opens between 3 and 8pm. My emergency rations just became tea and breakfast is a mystery for now....

Sounds familar .. I got hosed down between Helena and Basin.. then Basin seemed like a real dump. Butte was worth carrying on to!

[ianfitz]

Greg tweeted about an hour ago to say he spotted he's in 18th. And wonders how that happened.

I'm pretty sure anyone how has seen him operate a bicycle will have an idea how and why that's happen!

[whitestone]

Greg tweeted about an hour ago to say he spotted he's in 18th. And wonders how that happened.

I'm pretty sure anyone how has seen him operate a bicycle will have an idea how and why that's happen!

Very similar to what I thought when I saw that tweet.

There's a review/update on bikepackers magazine - http://bikepackersmagazine.com/tour-divide-updates/

[jameso]

^ good update in that links, thanks. This is a call-in that helps understand what riders get into - http://mtbcast.com/site2/2016/06/15/mtb ... t=4:04.532

Keep on riding RN!

[Blackhound]

A couple of days ago in Lincoln I noticed Greg (and Tom) moved up the standings quite a bit. Greg covered 157 miles that day, and Mike Hall did 162 miles so he was going quickly. I appreciate they were on different parts of the course but still impressive from Greg.

Mike having a rest before the new big push up onto Union Pass. Not ridden this new section which is more off road and climbing (but a little shorter I think) than the old route.

[mountainbaker]

^ good update in that links, thanks. This is a call-in that helps understand what riders get into - http://mtbcast.com/site2/2016/06/15/mtb ... t=4:04.532

Keep on riding RN!

That was a good call in until he starting talking about his intimate experience with the lord his redeemer.

[mountainbaker]

...Not ridden this new section which is more off road and climbing (but a little shorter I think) than the old route.

It's hard going, ATV trails that are stupid steep near the top, and heavy mosquito clouds, very hungry ones too. Saw a large wolf up there stalking an antelope too.

Nice long (if a little tedious) descent into Pinedale.

[Blackhound]

I remember the ride from Union Pass to Pineal as a horrible washboard rough section most of the way to Cora.

Spent the night at Whiskey Grove cg when touring through in 2013.

[atk]

Greg still looks far too happy, if not a little chilly... this time in Butte, photo by Josh Kato

[benp1]

Wow, unbelievable mileage in a day, especially off road and loaded

That's like a 3 day trip for me!

[Scattamah]

Greg should have a massive grin on his face right about now...he's hitting one of the nicest downhill sections...smooth tarmac, downhill for miles...very quick all the way down past Polaris.

And yes...the washboard flat after Mosquito Lake coming into Cora was something I tried to forget. And was it me or does the tarmac between Cora and Pinedale seem to go on forever?

Greetz

S.

[mountainbaker]

Greg should have a massive grin on his face right about now...he's hitting one of the nicest downhill sections...smooth tarmac, downhill for miles...very quick all the way down past Polaris.

And yes...the washboard flat after Mosquito Lake coming into Cora was something I tried to forget. And was it me or does the tarmac between Cora and Pinedale seem to go on forever?

Greetz

S.

Man, that whole section, washboard, then that pavement. We did it in the dark, and we could see Pinedale, it looked so close, but it took HOURS to get there.

Then someone cloned my credit card in pinedale. F**K pinedale.

[Pat]

This thread, and the one on the other similar forum, gives me great hope!
Don't take this the wrong way, and it's obviously not aimed at 'our' svelte forumites taking part this year, but there are a decent amount of *ahem*, chubby oldsters taking part this year...and, as I myself am a bit of a chubby oldster, there may be hope for me yet!

I might just start saving some pennies :0)

[mountainbaker]

Do it Pat. you wont regret it. And you'll be a lot less chubby by the end of it.

[Pat]

It is on my bucket list for sure.....if my knee would just settle down, I might start to think seriously about it

They are all suffering, I'm sure, but they all look so damn happy about it!

[JohnClimber]

I'd love to do it, but doubt I could get a 5 week pass off work and most importantly ogg the wife. I think 100 miles a day would be my target to male the most of it and enjoy it.

Maybe I should try and do it next year just before I'm 50 as a treat to me.