as an addition (not really a hijack) what about doing it as a vegetarian? is it hard?

There is a DVD called the Ride the Divide and there was a vegan that did it and to be honest is must be tough whatever you eat.

Also to be fair it is probably easier being a vegetarian because carrying fresh meat I guess would be a nightmare to keep fresh, and the easiest thing to carry is dried fruit and nuts etc...

Aidan's done it, and Trail_rat's planning to do it, sure they'll be along soon...

i was under the impression that most of the food came from gas stations?

have you read [url= http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/book/9781845965617/Two-Wheels-on-My-Wagon ]2 wheels on my wagon[/url]? there is a vegan (on a fixie in that!

i lent it to a mate but if you want to borrow it after drop me an email...

thomthumb - I havent read it yet, but I will soon 🙂 cheers for the heads up...

im leaving any advice to those that have done it - ive done my research but nothing is better than experiance ....

there are 4 or 5 lurkers on here that have done it ....

try cordillera as a collection of short storys and experiances of the event

2 wheels on my wagon gives a good insight into how stubborn a man can be ....:)

trail_rat - When you planing on doing it mate?

It will be good to have and feedback re to research etc... 🙂

2012 - purely because its the first time ill be able to get long enough off concecutively to do it

Same for me we are getting married next year and i am planing to do the trans alps in 2012, so it has to be 2013. but it gives me time to save up for it, with out braking the bank 🙂

I rode it this year...

There is no cost of entry, but accommodation can be expensive if you chose to use it.

This year, Matt sorted us out a good rate at the hostel in Banff before the start. On the first day of the race, I had a serious tyre splitting problem and had to stay in a hotel for $100. It's cheaper once you get to America, though. Some places know about the race and will go as low as $35/night. You can also share with other riders if circumstances allow.

Food costs are higher than you might think for the US. Remember the places you can buy food are pretty rural so charge a lot more than you would expect in a normal city.

Bike costs depend on your luck. I think I spent about $130 in Steamboat to change a couple of things: new rear tyre, new (SS) drivetrain.

Really, you want to take the financial side out of the equation once you've started. It costs what it costs, and if you need a hotel to dry your gear you'll just want to get one.

I'm a vegetarian and didn't have any trouble getting food. Most people don't carry cooking equipment anyway so it will only affect you in restaurants and in avoiding gelatin. On the bike, I ate loads of sugary crap. At restaurants, I enjoyed big fat American breakfasts.

The vegan fixie girl took absolutely ages (31 days) to finish. It's an impressive feat that she made it, but I wouldn't say she "raced" it.

I have a US Visa because I also made a (failed) attempt on the PCT. I think the normal method (Visa waiver) only allows you to stay for 30 days. Depending on your plans, that might not be enough.

I think the most realistic account of the race is [url= http://www.bikepacking.net/multiday-race-reports/the-story-of-eight-tour-divide-2009/ ]The Story of Eight[/url].

I enjoyed the film before I did the race but it doesn't accurately portray what it is like. First off, Mary would have been disqualified under current rules for having external encouragement and for travelling along the route in the car when she temporarily gave up. Also, it makes the riding look quite boring - the vast majority is non-technical but not as boring as the film looks. The whole "spiritual journey" thing isn't necessarily applicable. It wasn't for me - it was a great ride, but not a life-changing event.

Oh yeah, and ride a 29er. Preferably a [url= http://www.singularcycles.com/ ]Singular[/url] 😉

Oh yeah, and ride a 29er. Preferably a Singular

Agreed! 😆

There's a huge thread on the bikepacking.net ultra facing sub-forum dedicated to various bits of info & knowledge on the TD.