Tour Divide 2019

[redefined_cycles]

I've 39/20 on my winter hack bike so she's riding a gear not that much easier than that! Apparently has a 17 day target.

Sofiane and Lael are currently pretty close to their respective record dots. Most of the leaders' trackers haven't pinged for a while but it is 2:30am at the moment so not much update. Sofiane's last update looked like it was near Polaris at about 10:30 last night

Seems like the 3 in the lead (JK Lael and SS) have/are finally managed/managing to get an extra bout of decent sleep

[Bearbonesnorm]

Alexandera Houchin

I like her attitude. She appears to convey the message that 'it's just riding a bike'. Good on ya girl

[BobCatMax]

Josh is on the move again!

I think I read he bedded down early to avoid a storm. it makes sense that he's up in the middle of the night.

Alexandera Houchin

I like her attitude. She appears to convey the message that 'it's just riding a bike'. Good on ya girl

I've pretty much devoured most of her blog this morning in one sitting. Damn, she's just plain amazing

Dave is doing brilliantly...i reckon still in the top 25%? (and found himself a lovely spot to stop by the looks of things too)

[Borderer]

Our Dave on 504 miles good going that within 4 days (is it not)...

Yeah Dave is doing great. He is really racking up the miles

[Borderer]

Say what you want about support, etc. but it does provide us folks on the sofa some cracking images to live vicariously through!

Which can inspire more people to want to get out there. I am all in favour of it. I loved The Adventure Syndicate's Tour Divide movie from a couple of years ago. I can't see how the film crew will be providing an unfair advantage any more than riding the race with a friend would.

[sean_iow]

I can't see how the film crew will be providing an unfair advantage any more than riding the race with a friend would.

Riding with a friend is against the rules, at least in spirit if not explicitly written down. It's self supported, so solo effort. Although on events you end up riding with other riders of the same pace you're not riding together. If one of you pulls ahead you don't even look back and wave goodby. you just ride your own race at your own pace. If you're riding with a friend and you've agreed that you'll ride together you have the emotional support of knowing they'll wait for you and that they'll be there if you push yourself too hard and can no longer look after yourself.

As for the film crew, lets not forget that one of them is Lael's partner? If I'd seen Jane on the HT550, even just from a distance, I wouldn't have scratched. Perhaps my circumstances were particular to the events leading up to my race, but seeing your partner gives a real mental boost, hence the "no visitation" rule for the TD. Matt's approved the film so he's ok with it but I fear that it is the beginning of the end for the ethos of the event. Next year there could well be loads of films being made and they'll all say "Lael was allowed to make a film" and it will become a commercial event for companies to use as an advertising campaign.

[wriggles]

Looks like Sofiane and Josh Kato went over Fleecer and down the ridiculously steep descent in the dark. Sofiane looks to have made it Montana High Country Lodge so will get good food and a proper bed. Lael and Steve Halligan opted to sleep before going over fleecer.

[sean_iow]

I see that hovering over Mike's dot it says "5 hours 19 minutes ago" so from that I think it is his actual ride and not just an average speed. Sofiane's dot says "5 hours 18 minutes ago" so he's got to the same point just 1 minute behind record pace.

[wriggles]

Mike stopped at the same lodge which would have been part of his strategy? Good thinking by Sofiane if thats the case.


Dave Barter is setting a really good pace and staying at Big Nelson campsite. Stunningly pretty at the end of a lake. I looked to stop there on my brewery bimble down the route, during the only storm I experienced in Montana, which was a monster, but it was being battered by the Northerly wind with trees coming down everywhere. I came back and camped before the pass. In the carnage of camping in the storm I managed to poor most of a bottle of Huckleberry wine over me, tent, bike bags. Not the wisest move in bear country, but better than coating myself with honey I guess!

[wriggles]

I see Josh Kato has opted to sleep next to a well named hill. I look forward to Daves observations as he passes

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[Borderer]

That's hilarious!

[Bearbonesnorm]

and it will become a commercial event for companies to use as an advertising campaign.

Has it not become that already? What appears to be the most popular bike out there? What was it 'designed' and more importantly marketed as?

I also noticed a big piece somewhere about Lael's bike which read like an advert for Specialized. Now that we have sponsored riders (maybe even 'pro' riders), brand ambassadors and dare I say - 'influencers' racing, then I think it's fairly inevitable that motivations change.

[AndyTheBikeGuy]

Sofiane is off again, looks like he was stationary for around 5:20, whereas Mike was still stopped at this point.

[redefined_cycles]

and it will become a commercial event for companies to use as an advertising campaign.

Has it not become that already? What appears to be the most popular bike out there? What was it 'designed' and more importantly marketed as?

I also noticed a big piece somewhere about Lael's bike which read like an advert for Specialized. Now that we have sponsored riders (maybe even 'pro' riders), brand ambassadors and dare I say - 'influencers' racing, then I think it's fairly inevitable that motivations change.

Yeah... surely soon enough there'll be drugs involved and lots of extra training as well as power meters and rest days (from training)....

[gairym]

Alexandera Houchin

I like her attitude. She appears to convey the message that 'it's just riding a bike'. Good on ya girl

Totally agree!

Zero sh1ts given re: how it's 'meant' to be done. Not sure I'm liking that some folk seem to have decided what's normal, correct or appropriate when out 'bikepacking' (AKA riding a bike for a long time and having fun).

[Alpinum]

and it will become a commercial event for companies to use as an advertising campaign.

Has it not become that already? What appears to be the most popular bike out there? What was it 'designed' and more importantly marketed as?

I also noticed a big piece somewhere about Lael's bike which read like an advert for Specialized. Now that we have sponsored riders (maybe even 'pro' riders), brand ambassadors and dare I say - 'influencers' racing, then I think it's fairly inevitable that motivations change.

Pretty much what I wrote concering Salsa and the "mediagate".
I wrote something very similar a few days ago, just more provocative and with the pointing finger (too much perhaps?) but I either missed to click on "Submit" (had to hurry to go ride) or some chief censored it.

Ohh... you forgot to mention Wahoo... I had a little rant about that too.
Basically that video on Bikepacking.com was an advert. Radavist is following up on it.
Next year we'll surely see more Wahoo's in use on the TD.

Things change, people change too.
I think it's okay to be positive about things we like and it's okay to be negative about things we don't like.

edit:

11.5-12 days is possible in theory but perhaps we'll be at the stage of fully-trained and sponsored Pro riders and custom carbon aero Divide bikes maybe on conditions-opportunist ITTs for someone to do it. I'm sure a big brand and sponsor could suck the roots out of this event as any other

It has already started...

[jameso]

Had a quick look at AH's blog, she's cool huh? 36-19 though.. I expect that's for pace on the flat and she'll be walking a fair bit on the hills. Either that or she's a SS WC! Could be a wise approach?

RE commercialisation stuff,

"Lael was allowed to make a film"

Stamstad's original ITT was filmed, so I learned this week. Matt Lee was filmed for Ride the Divide. It will get more well known and companies will use it for promotion, still the event's taking it's time to grow - compare it to Dirty Kanza etc, it's still not something most riders relate to (long, dull county roads and slow to unfold) and a tough one to get mainstream commercial promo material from. Change happens but no matter who makes a bike or a promo film out of it, there's every opportunity for any rider to race on their own terms along a ('the'?) classic route. That won't change and the S-S ethics to aspire to have been set out well.

I just love it... as I'm sure you can tell it's the mix of BC and mid-west Americana landscape and all that goes with it, big skies, open miles and riding on a crazy scale. Dave ... hope you're ----ing enjoying it

[Alpinum]

there's every opportunity for any rider to race on their own terms along a ('the'?) classic route

That's one of the things I meant with the positive part.

Had a quick look at AH's blog, she's cool huh? 36-19 though.

I completely understand the 36/19 gearing, as my go-to is 34/18 which gives exactly the same ratio.

What I struggle to comprehend is her riding sans clips. Same with Randall Riecker.
Once the track climbs with about 10 % or more, there's no way I'd be pushing the cranks for more than a few minutes. I always roll my wrists, lean forward, basically get on my arms and start pulling in a slow rhythm and do that until the pass is behind me. Hard to fathom how they push down to get up the climbs... add in the distance and overall speed... mind-boggling

Also spinning, say flat gravel track, light tailwind, will soon ask for spinning the cranks beyond 100 rpm. With cleats you can be quite lazy doing that, without it's quite a different story to stay well connected. No lazing about.

[jameso]

I ride 34-18 or 34-19 locally but I'd be walking a fair bit on the TD with a loaded bike on that ratio. A lot of the climbs are mellow gradients but it just adds up. Maybe the footwear is related to that. Maybe I'm softer than her : )

A guy on a 2:1 ratio was 2nd place last year (or 2017).

[BobCatMax]

Theres a few posts in her blog about her legs being her secret weapon and that climbing is her thing. read into that what you will, she's badass...


(yes I'm smitten)

[Dave Barter]

Hi all stopped for my first meal in 5 days and have wifi. I’m dead pleased with progress, this is well tough and it really is a race. I’ve got a chest infection so might have to back off for a few days. We will see. The support really helps!!

[Scud]

Good going Dave. Doing bloody well so far...

[wriggles]

Cracking pace Dave.

Chest infection not good as the altitude is going to get higher, air more dusty further south you go. Body saying its on the limit? Take care with that. Some of the long stretches before Colorado, in particular the basin are are tough without places to stop off if unwell.

[sean_iow]

Good going Dave. Doing bloody well so far...

No words of encouragement its meant to be self supported

Good riding Dave, I'm loving watching your dot smashing out the miles

[Scud]

I retract that then..... do really average Dave...