[Closed] - Tour Divide'rs - How's the training going?

I've been riding quite a bit. Just back from a 3 day ride from the Isle of Mull to Edinburgh.
Pretty settled on what I'm taking with me now. Just minor changes.
Looking forward to the solitude, the mountains, the people and getting to know myself and my body better.
Still a wee bit worried about wildlife (bears, cougars etc. but suspect they will leave me alone).

Mine is going well; had a great mix of TT and snowbike through the winter in Fernie and am just setting the race bike up for a ride to the peak district and a long weekends riding with http://www.southdownsmtb.co.uk/ then a jaunt around Wales next weekend.

Heading out to Canada on 19th May to get a spot of climbing done and to do last minute tinkering. Kit is pretty much nailed and really looking forward to not having snow diverts as in 2011. It could be bad for fires this time as the snowpack is melting fast.

The GPS, lighting and charging system is all working (no cache battery, no phone and no mp3 for this race) and plotting 130 miles a day.....

The GPS, lighting and charging system is all working (no cache battery, no phone and no mp3 for this race) and [b]plotting 130 miles a day[/b].....

😯

how come no music? a lil ipod wouldn't take much to charge. I'd go bananas without tunes to keep me going. How do you stop from going insane?

How do you stop from going insane?

Its too late for Rob!

[quote=jekkyl said]how come no music?

He wants to hear the bears/mountain lions running after him 🙂

So far so good. Mainly turbo torture for me living in Suffolk. Not sure I'll be taking much more kit than a normal weekend away, after all I'm not going to take 3 weeks worth of spare clothes in any case.

He wants to hear the bears/mountain lions running after him

Terrahawk is not doing it now!

no phone

The GPS, lighting and charging system is all working

Dynamo?

Why no phone Rob?

I'd be surprised if you can get signal for 5% of that route!

yeah I thought that, but surely it's better to have one and not need it than not at all.

Spot tracker though innit, for emergencies. At least then you can't phone someone and ask for a lift home when it gets cold.

We're fit being doing plenty on the bike plus some running and big walks.

June is looking unlikely for us now, more likely we'll set off in August.

Training going fine. Not much else to report.

Except a new bike 🙂

I'm starting my training for 2017 now the work/wife pass is sorted.

I don't even have a phone in the UK, so bothering with one during a race seems dumb...when you see half the world wasting their lives on one and never looking around, why would you want one.
Yes I understand about being updated re diversions, but notices do get posted at mercs and other stops, so I will hear of them.

Spot (Rob dodging bears) will be active so there is a enough safety, and I have a bear whistle!

All powered by a dynamo and loads of cookies and ice cream.

The last time I took music on a race, the player jammed on one song after 24 hours of getting rained on. I'll never listen to Tiny Dancer again.

I'll never listen to Tiny Dancer again.

You realise I'll make sure Crazy Larry plays that at the start now right?

Except a new bike

What bike? The bike is about as far as I have got in my effort.

My son and I are doing it too, we can't make the grand depart as he has exams, we're flying on june the 24th

We've been doing as much extra riding as we can fit in. My bike is finally finished, his just needs a couple of bits. All of our gear is sorted, except for a warm jacket for me, I feel the cold more than Tom does!!

If anyone is interested in helping us raise some money for a good cause: [url= https://www.justgiving.com/jim-tom-tour-divide ]https://www.justgiving.com/jim-tom-tour-divide[/url]

[url= https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1496/24821749455_4a8c8fd721_h.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1496/24821749455_4a8c8fd721_h.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

[url= https://flic.kr/p/DPpXkv ]Travers Rusty[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/jimbosussexmtb/ ]Jim Barrow[/url], on Flickr

Rob, fair enough. Wondered if there was more reliance on or expectation of riders having phones now but if not, that's good.

What's a bear whistle? I spend a fair amount of time in bear country and I've never heard of it.

[url= http://www.nps.gov/klgo/planyourvisit/upload/bear-brochure.pdf ]Whistling not recommend in general[/url]

[quote=sweaman2 said]What's a bear whistle?

Anything you ask it to.

molgrips - Member
Except a new bike
What bike? The bike is about as far as I have got in my effort.

[url= https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1526/26387272616_620a3e908b_b.jpg [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/GcKEQ9 ]IMG_3832.jpg" target="_blank">https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1526/26387272616_620a3e908b_b.jpg [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/GcKEQ9 ]IMG_3832.jpg"/> [/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/13995637@N08/ ]Greg.May[/url], on Flickr

That's that tdr specific bike they made...

Nice

molgrips - Member
That's that tdr specific bike they made...

Indeed it is. Replacing my Ti Fargo.

Veeery nice! I like a good cutthroat.

I'm making my own cheapo version using a drop-barred scandal 29er (alright, not quite the same).

My training for watching the TDR on the internet is going well...

You're going to have to put in a good ride now or else risk looking like an ATGNI...

El Mar was my choice.

So what's the secret to managing repeated long days on a rigid front? Upright position and loop style bars etc?

Does anyone use front suspension? I've got an arthritic wrist and rigid's not really possible.

molgrips - Member
You're going to have to put in a good ride now or else risk looking like an ATGNI...

I do have ideas...silly ideas.

We'll see, if everything goes as I hope it'll not be a slow run.

adsh - Member
So what's the secret to managing repeated long days on a rigid front? Upright position and loop style bars etc?

Does anyone use front suspension? I've got an arthritic wrist and rigid's not really possible.

Well, riding ridgid for the two years before on nearly every sort of terrain and around Hebden and the Lakes has helped a lot. But really, it's a combination of getting stronger - and getting better technique wise to let the body absorb the terrain.
But on the TD - it's more about being robust than anything, and cutting out the micro vibrations - hence the very compliant fork + big front tyre on a wide ish rim (30mm) + double wrap bar tape + ****ty drop bars and aero bars. Multiple, soft, hand placements.

Personally, suspension is a no go- A)Heavier B)will need maintenance C)Most of the route doesn't demand it.

faustus - Member
My training for watching the TDR on the internet is going well...

May I suggest beer. It helps.

Does anyone use front suspension? I've got an arthritic wrist and rigid's not really possible.

If you need it, ride it. Doesn't matter what everyone else is using, does it?

There's no one method for this stuff. The ONLY way to get your kit right is to try it out for yourself. Do lots of long tours with similar constraints, on similar terrain (if possible), and see what happens.

EDIT

Just checked Greg on Strava. I withdraw the ATGNI comment.

Just checked Greg on Strava. I withdraw the ATGNI comment.

No issues 🙂

I'm still building up too...

Greg
Would be good to see your bike in full TD mode.
How did you decide which bars you liked(worked best),did you try many sets before settling on the combo you have on the Salsa?

fasthaggis - Member
Greg
Would be good to see your bike in full TD mode.

Give it a few days - embargo'd on something at the moment 😉

How did you decide which bars you liked(worked best),did you try many sets before settling on the combo you have on the Salsa?

That is a story in itself. I've used on the Fargo - Woodchippers, Cowchippers, Jones Loops, and the current Luxy bars (strokes bars) - the aero bars have been through three iterations.

Simply, trial and error - but each set of bars being ridden for a minimum of 500km as a setup before making any choices - Its also slightly tweaked for the bags that go with it as I like to run a reasonable sized front bag. But that can be awkward with the ****ty bars.

EDIT - geom on the CT is very close - but not quite Fargo, I've made a minor adjustment to the front end, like 1 degree change in bar angle or something as the head angle is steeper than my Fargo setup (non standard forks).

I'll write something up and link it - along with a nearly final kit list - which hasn't really changed in a year, just been refined.

WTH are luxy strokes bars?

ERm...I refer to them as "the precious" it was me pretending to stroke said bars.

Luxys are somewhat hard to find these days.

Luxys are somewhat hard to find these days.

Are the [url= https://www.alpkit.com/products/love-mud-bomber ]Love Mud Bomber[/url] bars similar?

Mike - I think they have a different shape to the Luxy - closer to the PX ones - Midge bars??

Short ride with only the TD kit - fully wet bike - and semi loaded with food. Also a DSLR as I wanted to take some photos.

May be able to shave a bit more off if the snow pack stays low like it is.

[url= https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1497/26594763056_57f247cd34_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1497/26594763056_57f247cd34_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/Gw67vw ]Tour Divide Bike[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/13995637@N08/ ]Greg.May[/url], on Flickr

Looking good Greg.Very uncluttered.
Is the downtube bottle for fuel, as its hobvisly going to get covered in cack?

fasthaggis - Member
Looking good Greg.Very uncluttered.
Is the downtube bottle for fuel, as its obviously going to get covered in cack?

If by fuel you mean water - then yes. Not taking a stove. Never do.

Water bottle down there is mostly for the dry parts of the route later on. Take lid off, pour into another bottle to drink from. After a few years doing it on the Fargo I've not had issues with any grit getting into the bottles down there.

Should also note - the frame bag is empty bar a water bladder for the really dry sections at the end in New Mexico.