This will be multi day for sure.

https://www.facebook.com/transamtrailrace/

There is a mutter that Terry Smith may line up for this one.

I used a pair of ‘hammers last winter when riding the fattie in the snow – there is no problem with cold-transfer through the cleat and I rode in the dark in negative 15. They work very well in super cold conditons.
They are too warm for riding in + temps for me as I get a build up of sweat, then everything goes clammy, then cold. Simple solution now is to take a spare pair of socks and change into them for the ride home and that keeps temps regulated.

They are great boots – I’ll be in them again this winter and the best thing is you can walk around in the pub afterwards.

I’ve been with Santa Cruz for 10 years – they stand by their bikes and the backup they offer is beyond compare. I’ve been stuck in the Alps and Canada and the local SC shop just steps in and deals with things.

Sometimes, value is more expensive than price.

Heller make some good stuff – they are part of the QBP group who own 45NRTH, Salsa, Surly and more.
That frame is the IP-018 frame that is the same as I have on my http://www.kermodebikes.com/ fattie.

It is the one bike I would keep if I were forced to only have one bike.

It climbs better than a Tallboy, stays upright when everyone else is horizontal and is one of the lightest bikes I own (even with studded tyres fitted)

Jekkyl:-

It makes you stand out from the crowd.

Oh, and sometimes its practical too.

I do fancy this, but I’ll be in North Carolina getting ready for the American Trail Race. Its not on the ‘approved list’, maybe I can get an under the radar entry in 2018?

I’ve had a Maxx D mk9 out for half a dozen rides now; it is simply awesome. Think back to when high intensity discharge lights were the think, then along came some quite dim LED lights with remote battery packs….

I believe the MaxxD Mk9 is about as far as the combined tech of ‘all in one’ units against weight/size can go now.

There are so many clever features on this light to make the run time as efficient as possible, but if you are a technophobe like me, just turn it on when it gets dark, set it in low mode for climbing and general trail use, and hit the button again when you want to see onto the next county on the crazy downhill bits.

Even in ‘outshine the sun’ mode it will last longer than most rides do.

Its that good.

Check your medial colateral ligament. Do you do any running. How tight are your hamstrings and glutes?

I’ve done a few off road miles – wouldn’t consider anything but a DT240.
Taking one on the TAT next year.

Sorry -I don’t have a current blog but may get one underway again. It won’t give details of training rides as I think they make boring reading.
I will do some kit reviews (not that I plan to use loads of new stuff as my current setup works for me)…… it will get tweeked for water carrying capacity as Nevada is particularly dry. Halfway in this race (2700 miles) gets you to Colorado having done 157,000 feet of climbing, then we get to play in the Rockies!
I have no idea what surfaces will be, but I hear that North Carolina is mostly on paved roads, so it will be a good warm-up.

I don’t think 6 pints of Guinness after the Dublin marathon this weekend is the best preparation; it will get better.

Bump – nobody even tried these tyres?

We do 7 Everest’s on our way from Banff to Mexico and you get to see loads of fun places on the way.
OK , it took me 21 days, but what a laugh!
Best riding holiday ever.
Until the big one next year….

+1 for Abe Lincoln.

Fernie.

Another view – I wanted a particular pair of shorts for a particular race and I occasionally get discounted/sponsored equipment. I phoned Mavic HQ and they were very keen for me to support my LBS and obtain the shorts from them….. I duly phoned the shop in Chichester and placed the order. The shop proceeded to forget to order from head-office, then ordered the wrong style, then promised the shorts would be with me in another week and that I could have them at a discounted price.
This all took three weeks.

I cancelled the order and purchased with the help of Mr Google and the right pair arrived in 48 hours.

Some LBS don’t help themselves (and this particular shop is a sponsor of our mountain bike club)

Get the Biokork Ergon grips – they kill vibration – I’ve had no nubmness on long rides.
And I do long rides.

I purchased mine as an alternative to sitting on the trainer for an hour or two in the winter mornings.

It got me really fit.

It made me laugh every time I rode it in the dark and the snow.

Now I can’t wait to ride it on the summer trails too.

My advice is test a carbon one with carbon everything attached to it…and ride the hell out of it.

I absolutely love mine from a little Canadian company called Kermode Carbon Fatbikes.

http://www.kermodebikes.com/

I’ve got a Kermode carbon fattie with 5″ studded tyres for winter use and with Jumbo Jim’s for summer trails.
It weighs less than my Tallboy and is so much fun to ride.

http://www.kermodebikes.com/

Greg, you’re right about a camera.
However, some of those views are so mindblowing that I’ve got to back again and ride the Flathead again.

Leaving for Fernie tomorrow. I will take a camera this time.

What a brilliant set of piccies, some of those mountain pass views are awesome.
Thanks for sharing – I won’t be back next year but might cross trails with you as I’m doing Billy Rice’s epic and I think it goes through Brush Mountain.

I stuck two stroke oil on my chain, rode 600 miles through France on lanes, then did a week in a very wet and muddy Morzine which included evening hoze downs.

Never missed a shift.

Advice?

Don’t try this.

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/south-downs-way-double-double-ride-is-go

I have not ridden the SDW since.

That was meant to be a piccie of bibs outside of my shirt.

Fernie

Good for you guys nailing singles and doubles on the SDW – I have not even managed a single this year, though the year is far from over….

c7 for me….. just finished tour divide. Physio, a complete change of sport from modern pentathlon, through to kayaking and now extreme distance biking – you can do it.

Might I suggest a full suspension bike?

Notch a hole in your saddle, big enough to give it somewhere to nestle, and carry on riding until it bursts on its own.

and remember to wash it all down with chocolate milk. Loads of chocolate milk.
And then start refueling within 15 minutes of starting the ride.

Try different places to put your hands – Ergon Kork grips, bar ends and tri bars work for long rides.

Before you do all that, I would test a handlebar with a few extra degrees of backsweep – it will let your little fingers relax instantly.

several layers of both. Apart from on my ears – thats all sunscreen, and they still burnt.

The trail angel Jeff, who gives rides to TD finishers just sent me proof that I finished and it was not all a bad dream.

Thanks Jeff.

Johnnys – did you get bugs flying at head height down the last few miles to Antelope Hell too?

Fasthag – I had this advertising campaign built in my head for the team from Lauf…… the fork is built to take the vibration and brutality out of the trail; the washboards job in Colorado is there to pull your pants down and rape you. The Lauf stops that happening.
It was a great piece of kit and my hands, feet and backside all survived in perfect working order.
I will be using the Lauf on the Billy Rice race next year.

I won’t be using it in the Alps in August.

There are so many great blogs and race reports from this years Tour Divide that I feel unable to equal any of them, so I submit my list of ‘…..est’s’ for you to digest.

Longest distance in a day……………………..152 miles.
Greatest climbing in one day……………………1796’
Shortest distance in a day……………………..94 miles.
Abruptest stop ……………………………….falling off during the descent from Brush Mountain Lodge on my way to Steamboat (I didn’t get there that night, and stopped to look at my bruises about 20 miles shy)
Etheralest night………………………………camping in the Great Basin and looking out at the milky way stretching almost horizon to horizon.

Grubbiest……………………………………..I only did 5 nights in motels; the first two nights of the race were planned motel stops to aid recovery from the Flathead and the blitz out of Banff, so pretty much any other night was in the tent with no washing. I got more feral as the race continued. Who cares?

Itchiest section………………………………….riding out of the Colorado river crossing towards Kremmling and being eaten by evening mosquitoes.

Lengthiest normal day in the saddle……………..19 hours 4 minutes

Longestest day in the saddle……………………28 hours 3 minutes with 229 miles covered through the Gila, the CDT and down the blacktop to Antelope Hell.

Biggest grin………………………………….47 mph down the graded road towards Kremmling.

Frustratingest night……………………. ……missing the last room in Lima and sleeping on the launderette floor.

Gourmetest stop…………………………… …Del Norte; the motel owner fired up the grille to cook an awesome mushroom burger and whisk up a really thick milkshake. He then left me to lock up the diner as he had to go and run some errands in town.

Magnificentest view………………………….. a tie between the Great Basin and looking back at the Tetons from Togwottee pass.
Dumbest decision………………………………thinking I could ride down Fleecer ridge.

Brokenest bit of kit………………………….. my rear tyre (Stans Race couldn’t fix it) on the way into Butte. I also killed the front brake pads and replaced them in Salida.

Reliablest kit…………………………………..is a tie between my xtr chain and xt cassette and Raceface crankset. All made it to the finish in one piece and they got me through the Dunwich Dynamo too. Its probably time to retire them now.

Numbest bodypart……………………………. nothing to report. Hands and feet never had any issues. Backside had a small relative of Uncle Fester on day 20 but in usual fashion, I gave it room to expand by cutting a notch in my saddle and he kept quiet until the finish line.

Blushingest moment…………………. ……..it involved wearing arm and leg warmers and nothing else and getting up for a wee. No more information.

Charmingest food stop……………………… The Hungry Bear Steak House, slightly off-route near Holland Lake. They had forgotten to flick on the ‘open’ switch and were wondering where all the customers had gone to. They made a great burger, yam fries and chocolate milk and gave a huge bowl of ice cream for desert.

Easiest section…………………………. ……..the flat section before the evils of the Bannock road with rain and headwinds. Oh, the calm before the storm.

And finally, the relievest momet of the entire tour………….riding into Beaverhead camp and finding people there. I was badly prepared leaving Pie Town as I can’t eat nuts and all I could find was trailmix and chocolate with peanuts in apart from some wraps I found in the Toaster house, I kept my supplies going from Grants as long as I could but was bound to run out….. the guys at the camp gave me brekkie and fruit and sarnies for the road that helped me get to Pinos Altos.
Sadly that put me out of the race with a self-inflicted relegation, but it was still the best way to spend 21 days on my bike and meet many amazing people. I would like to single out one moment and that was riding into Brush Mounntain Lodge and being greeted by Kirsten and Billy Rice. I can’t think of an adjective to express that moment.

Thanks to all the companies who helped me out – see you on the startline of the 5000 miler next year. I’d better get back on the bike.

I went.

Did it on the TD bike as I don’t have a roadbike….. it was the most overspecc’d bike there I think. It was great fun, but does remind me how reckless many roadies are – they seem surprised when a car approaches and have to shout out ‘car!’.
They also ride with no food or water as I saw the same trains of matching-coloured riders stopped at every pub or garage.

Apart from that, it was a chuckle and good to do a fun ride with some good pals.

We got to 92 miles before the sun came up. Needed to be on the beach at 114, so we blew it.

It would have almost have been quicker to ride back as there was a road accident on the way back to central London.

Hello, its taken a while, so whilst I’ve got a day off I’ll try to scribble a reprort of my TD this year.
For some reason I did the Dunwich Dynamo on my loaded bike over the weekend (we missed seeing the sun rise over the sea, but it was a chuckle all the same) and it reminded me that the mind may be willing but the body is still weak.

I don’t think my efforts of reporting and blogging will be up to the ones I’ve read – us Brits do a good job out there on the Divide and at home, spreading the knowledge.

Well, the system that AndyG built for me for my Tour Divide worked perfectly – I started in Banff with a fully charged etrex, rode for 21 days and quite a lot of nights (including straight through the last night) and it never came off four bars of charge.
The little switch that changes over to the Revo light worked as long as I didn’t knock it with the drink tube on the handlebars.

I rode through some belters of storms, dust and so much washboard that I say this system is fully tested and approved!

So, to recap…. no cache battery, no usb connection and no melting at 40 mph and charging right down at 4.5 mph.

A grat little solution.

Thanks Andy.

Decompressing.

Give me a while.

That was a darn good race.

This time next week, I’ll be up in Calgary and getting ready for my Wednesday ITT depart. Bike is getting checked by Straight line in Fernie tomorrow and all the go-faster drivetrain put back on. Bags all cleaned, kit all ready.
GPS/ lights all tested and had a nice email from Lauf saying good luck and I’m in good company as Josh Kato is also racing the same fork. He should pass me on my day 5, somewhere near Helena.
Thanks again to the team at USE for lights, bars, seatpost etc.

If I had a camera, I’d post a piccie, but space on the bike for more food is better than a camera.