What was your bike and kit setup? I'm starting my planning for 2016 and I'm intrigued to what others have used?
Thanks in advance
Ben

Nope not me but this was a good read http://nicksadventurepage.wordpress.com

Not mine either but if you have a spare day to read it, it was fairly entertaining

http://cjellmoney.wordpress.com

Other than that, go for it now whilst your young, no mortgage etc etc

voodoo_simon wrote:Not mine either but if you have a spare day to read it, it was fairly entertaining

http://cjellmoney.wordpress.com

Other than that, go for it now whilst your young, no mortgage etc etc

Cjell is crazy

Cjell has his head screwed on right.. His blog's a good read.

The Divide or any other 10-day to 2 week+ ride, kit decisions are the same. Not sure there's much unique about the GDR really, you can be assured of some crap weather and some bonked-out miles. If in doubt go light and take less. Take more of the stuff that helps prevent anything that can end your race - antibiotics, savlon, sudocrem, stuff for the runs, Vit I, multivits, chlorine diox and caffeine tablets, etc. I think I had 350g+ of pills in a box.. but saved weight by not bothering with 12oz cans of bear spray. 12oz!

Bear bangers are lighter!

^ exactly.. and by the time you need either you've already screwed up hugely. I was sold a set of bangers for $10 or so because I was being cheap -spray was $40+ - and had an idea of setting off a few celebration fireworks near the border if I made it. In the end I lost them at a gas station in Butte. Not heard of any random explosions there since so all must've been ok. : )

May as well have taken some devil-bangers ..

Ben, sorry, this would have been a more useful post ...

'read this'
http://www.bikepacking.net/forum/index.php?topic=539.0

The thread's not a how-to but it did prompt all of the questions I had to answer or points that I needed to figure out in my plans. It's old now but more recent TDR-prep threads have been a lot more about tech, dynamos etc. This was one I found that had more insightful posts about how to race and aside from weather-preparation I think kit is quite secondary to approach and attitude. Mathewsen's posts in that thread could be 'the book' on divide racing imo.
Kevin/Blackhound on here was very helpful in giving me some idea of what the route involved, as were a couple of other racers I emailed. if you have specific(ish) qs I'm happy to pay that help fwd as will others on here I'm sure.
Still, everyone that does a long ride would do it differently next time and the route would also be different next time.. Maybe 3rd time perfect : )