TAF

There was a regular at R&I who we haven't seen for some time - Fixie Todd, I think - who used to participate. Pretty sure it's been going on for years, and injuries are common.

The only Yo-Yo'er I know of is Billy Rice - perhaps there have been others? It's the sort of thing you hear those PCT and AT thru-hikers doing, but I guess those guys have no job to go back to or something.

There's absolutely nothing in Antelope Wells - not even a water spigot, I don't think. I recall from a some posts I read a few TDs back, that if you can't get met at the border, there used to be a guy from Silver City who you could pay to come pick you up, otherwise you had to ride back to somewhere like Lordsburg. Not a whole lot of fun, after all that riding!

Chris just finished - wonder if he's getting picked up, or if he has to slog it back to the bus stop in Silver City.

sewing - he's not fucking a pig here.

Almost certainly the furthest a Red Wing has ever pedaled - they'd probably want to know all about it!

From the TD FB page:

I believe Indiana Pass is just south of Del Norte. Then into the NM furnace, and I believe a considerable stretch with no water re-supply.

Concourse C - must be a SWA flyer.

I was hoping for more out of this thread, having clicked on it coz of the title.

"Hill Country Chunk" is always a good all-rounder.

I guess there are two kinds of people who race the TD -- those who race to win, and those who race to finish. Kind of like the EB, really.

Indeed - you get heat stroke even once, you may never be the same again. It's certainly not likely to make you stronger. I make sure I avoid it, which isn't too hard.

They had the advantage anyway 🙂

Fix-It Sticks attach under the cage mount: https://www.backcountry.com/fix-it-sticks-original-tool-with-bracket This bad boy will hold your tube, tire tools, CO2, band aids and probably your phone. Mine is mounted on the top tube below the saddle. https://www.specialized.com/us/en/top-tube-pack/p/155212 At this point, it's just down to the water. I've been riding all our central Texas trails, including the Green Belt, without a pack for 2+ years now. I also have a waist pack, and it's way better than a backpack - you really don't notice it. Cons: less water volume, and they haven't figured out how to clip the tube on properly (I tuck it through the belt strap).

I find that the biggest issue with riding packless is not tools, but carrying enough water. Assuming you have only one frame-mounted cage, and assuming you don’t want to wear a waist pack, you’re down to: Revelate feed bag on the bars (can weight them down), seatpost bottle mount (won’t work with a dropper), or bottles stuffed into your jersey pockets - I use two Camelbak Quick Stows as they are more comfortable.

A surprising development .. could be anything though - mechanical, frostbite, family illness - you never know on the TD!

QOTD from bikepacking.net: "So a gravel grinder turned into the Iditabike, then turned into mud like the trenches of World War I (just the mud, not the dead bodies luckily)"

Interesting update from Billy Rice at the Brush Mtn Lodge - it's a FB video, so hopefully the link works. https://www.facebook.com/groups/tourdivide/permalink/869120576755374/?__xts__[0]=68.ARCFUFnak_4XSXOJcrYTp8kd1Mu0iQ1b5QpIZr5TA80Ja_TvA-qVi_-ZdtnCsHM8aSIUEMDlrYv-JuIqlrtO1YAm74M68L_LkJ645AJOoSKlDV_FFYsj5qpXHKwnZL0EQl8-EnqJtBBtq_AWuQgL53IuW2EJC8hC1U-p_JngBcQoKVykOmoQclw_cnqWg2AuxOlpTzXS4oSILQEG4hkOBAS1cCJOBAN5lhtKtKLTP0yonR11yXbcuIYj&__tn__=CH-R

Those are insane distances!

I think the targets have to be taken a little loosely - it's hard to predict in advance how much snow, freezing sleet or bad weather they might have to slog through. Some years seem way worse than others.

It's heating up! Will Josh Kato pass Sofiane? Will either of them even stop in Steamboat or Salida? Looks like Lael Wilcox is ahead of the record set by her, and Alexandera is hot on her heels. Shame there's no live video feed!

We have some local TD celebrities right here in Central Texas. The Sheila’s have both completed it, as has Billy Rice and his (then) 16 year old daughter, from over in College Station. In fact, if memory serves, Billy and Lena completed the Sobo on a tandem, and I think he then turned around and went back Nobo on his own. Our very own Hoss from Austin is planning to ride it in 2020. So plenty of blue dot tracking to come!

Pretty sure people have bikepacked using Bastrop/Beucher State Parks and Bluff Creek Ranch.

The last time someone gave the thumbs up right after rainfall, there were puddles and mud pits everywhere. I'm gonna give ol Chardog and the crew a break!