That sucks man,

Anyway, I like the fact you've packed some balloons with you too...

Balloons aren't mine, hopelessly optimistic flip flops are. Travel Tap is somewhere out there in British Columbia waiting to be loved by its new owner.

Bugger about the hub JS. That motel holds not-so-fond memories for me from last year (where I called in to scratch from).

Maybe the shop between the motel and the gas station there in Seeley Lake can help out? Don't recall the name of it, but they have a MTB mounted on the porch roof IIRC.

I'd call Glacier Cyclery in Whitefish (relatively close and backward on route if you have to go there) or at a stretch, Fitzgerald Cyclery in Driggs, ID - the folks @ Fitzgerald expressed me parts in 2014 and were very supportive for a TD rider. There's most likely a reasonable bike shop in Kalispell too. Mail the dodgy wheel home...get a fresh one and crank on.

Greetz

S.

Sorry to hear that johnnystorm you were having a good ride. Hopefully you can sort it out. Shame that the bike shop in Seeley Lake has closed.

"Terry" took a bit of a weird route out of Warm River, ID, and is now about to enter Targhee National Forest. The most mosquito infested, false summit hell of the entire route for me. At least it makes you so happy to be done with it that the touristy hell of Flagg Ranch can be overlooked in exchange for a burger and a beer.

would that class as not being on route?

I don't recall there being another road off to the left to turn down there...it's a hill climb up from the river then a left off out into Yellowstone.
If there is, maybe he was just so happy to be off the Idaho rail trail that he was giddy with delight? :)

Unlike MB, I quite enjoyed the next section...and had no problem with mozzies. Was more worried about grizzlies through there.

Lonnnnnnng break for Mr Kato...I wonder if his bad knee has packed in.

Greetz

S.

If you zoom in you can see the road he took. I guess he turned too early and then went back onto the actual route a little later.

Well there ya go...my memory failed me there. :) Technically, a DQ for Terry right there. Will be interesting to see what ML has to say about it.

Greetz

S.

Young Terry also went astray at the start of the rail trail from Macks Inn.

Bugger. Bike shop in Helena just said bring it in. No mention of getting the RAF to drop me in a new wheel!

Now taking the piss with the motels snacks.

Johnnystorm, sorry to hear that .. not sure if it'll come to much but I've emailed Mr SP in Taiwan, to ask if he has anyone in the US that can get a 29er SP front wheel to Helena as a PR thing.. Will keep you posted. Mr SP is a TD fan, met him a few times in Taiwan and he sponsors a few riders in these events. .. we'll see.

What axle size?

Scattamah wrote:Well there ya go...my memory failed me there. :) Technically, a DQ for Terry right there. Will be interesting to see what ML has to say about it.

Greetz

S.

He also went fairly substantially off route on day 1..... maybe an old route GPX track?

Tom and Greg both seemed to have dropped the largeish group they were in. They've also dropped the '20 day' flag

Maybe Terry is a real person, Guy look-a-like rolling through with the front groups... http://www.bikepacking.net/forum/ultra- ... /#msg83795 few more messages further down...

Thinking about it, given Guy's famed obsession with details, going off route (or having the wrong GPX track) is extremely unlikely so I'm thinking we've been betting on the wrong horse.

jameso wrote:Johnnystorm, sorry to hear that .. not sure if it'll come to much but I've emailed Mr SP in Taiwan, to ask if he has anyone in the US that can get a 29er SP front wheel to Helena as a PR thing.. Will keep you posted. Mr SP is a TD fan, met him a few times in Taiwan and he sponsors a few riders in these events. .. we'll see.

What axle size?

James,

I'm pretty sure he has a Superstar Carbon fork

Josh Kato out of contention, not sure if he's quitting though, must be pretty gutted http://www.bikepacking.net/forum/ultra- ... /#msg83822

QR, got it. Ta.

Shame for Josh Kato to be out especially for that reason.

That f*ck*ng sucks. I really, really hope it wasn't done intentionally.

Just read an update on BP.net, thought JK's injury was just one of those narrow road blind bend moments. I'm with Richard's take on it, bad way to have a ride stopped.

Just checking in here after stuffing a massive burger in The Scapegoat Eatery in Lincoln. Now going to push onto Helena.

Just saw James's posts above, cheers! MountainBaker has my details if he does manage to magic something up!

I do indeed have a qr fork but it's running the infamous 15mm hub with adapter. Funnily enough it was putting out a feeble amount of light earlier but it has terminal side to side play!

Time to hit the road!

Quick glance at trackleaders... Tom put in a good day yesterday, 130 miles from Lincoln to Butte think that puts him around 8th with the 5 other riders sleeping there. Seems to have gone for a motel tonight.

Greg was in around 17th place when he arrived in Lincoln, think he might have lost a couple of places to the riders currently who pushed on to Basin. Been asleep for 6 1/2 hours, seems to be getting decent rest stops in.

Both ahead of the 20 day ghost, apparently that rider had some ankle problems in this stretch and will pick up the pace again today...

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 :)

Trail-rat wrote: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 :)

At 670 miles in just under five days it's theoretically a 20 day sort of time.

Mike's hit 1000 miles in almost exactly 5 days, which puts him at 13 days 18 hours (ish) finish time, who'd have thought that sleeping slowed you down?
Sad news about Josh Kato, I was hoping for more of a battle between the front runners than we've seen so far.