Tour Divide 2018 - Post Ride

The start, in Banff, with Crazy Larry. 

I'm glad I decided to do the Tour Divide. It had been on my list for far too long and things lined up nicely to get it done this year. I did very little "extra" or intense training leading up to the TD, but rather I came into it very rested and without injury or illness. Someone once said, it might of been Lance Armstrong, that; "it is better to be over rested than to be over trained for big events"...I went with that advice and it seemed to work well for me.
For gear preparation, I was not at all worried or unsure about anything. I've had some practice over the years, in variable conditions, right down to enduring -40C/F during some Fatbike Ultras and going to university (mostly riding and skiing) in British Columbia for six years. The intense heat and super long climbs were tough to prepare for here in Ontario, Canada, but I knew they were coming, both heat and climbs, so I prepped as best I could, mostly mentally.

I had a blast the entire time. Sure it was tough, long days in the saddle, a little wet and cool in the first week and insane, record breaking heat in the last week, but that is what you sign up for - the 'epicness' of it all. 

Highlights of the ride include the everyday wildlife encounters, from large moose to small little critters dancing between my wheels. I enjoyed the endless hours being alone in the middle of knowhere, wondering what was around the next corner. I looked forward to riding into the many different communities and chatting with other riders on the tour, or some of the locals who had information to share about the area, or updates on the route. 

It was always a good time at a local brewery or pub, people-watching for a little bit, tasting the local fare and leaving with a full belly of food and riding into the night while scoping out a sweet spot to camp, or finding only a shitty spot, but being too tired to care! 

I learnt that I can push myself quite hard in this kind of event, both physically and mentally but that I still have room to push deeper, should I choose to do so. I rode hard, but not to the point of killing myself, as a goal of mine was to also enjoy every aspect of this 'race', including the people I would meet and the landscapes that I would pass through. I feel that I blended the riding and enjoyment factors quite well. I know that if I should return, I could put my head down a little more, dig deeper each day, and perhaps cut off a few days, making better time overall. ...we'll see. 

My body and mind held up very well during my 24 days on the bike. My only complaint being my left knee that bothered me for about 9 days, until I used some Tech-Tape to fix the issue, and also, more stretching each morning, midday and night.

I was comfortable the entire time, both while riding and while sleeping. I feel as though I packed enough for the cool to cold range (0C to -5C) and that i was sufficiently packed for cover from the sun and heat (up to 45C!). My two favorite peices of gear on this trip were my sun sleeves/legs and my Gore-Tex socks. Both of these items were crucial in being comfortable. 

Using the sun sleeves and legs for sun protection, on this trip, was at an all-time high. I wore these items almost every day, unless it was a full-on rain day, where I'd be wearing my Patagonia Storm Chaser rainshell (awesome and superlight). 

It was another goal mine to come of this ride with little to no signs of sun tans and definitely not a sun burn and I was successful. 

The Gore-Tex socks by Rockie Wear are incredible. This peice of gear was new to me as of April 2018. I always wore vapour barrier socks instead, but I realized that the gore tex sock will offer more durability and protection for little to no weight penalties. I made the right decision. I wore the waterproof for the entire first week, as it was rainy and cool, to the point where some people were getting really cold feet/toes on the long and fast decents, having to stop. Another bonus is that your base layer socks (mine were lightweight merino wool), never got wet and thus, I only had to bring one pair of socks with me on the tour. 

Lately I've been thinking about what I would not bring with me next time, mostly in order to save some weight, but I am at a standstill as to what it would that I remove from the kit. ... I did take with me a very lightweight lonsleeve sun shirt from Outdoor Research and a light pair of 3/4 shorts. These I used at the end of my ride, as casual clothing for the trip home...

I could remove my thin fleece boxer shorts and thin merino t-shirt from Specialized, but these were fantastic to have at night, for sleeping and getting out of my riding kit, in order to keep my Mountain Hardwear Ghost Spark -2C down sleeping bag a bit cleaner and functional. 

I did have way too much food at the start. I was carrying enough snacks for almost 4 days, which weighed about 5 or 6 pounds. 

I had two jackets...a Castelli wind shell (125g) and my Patagonia rain jacket(250g)...however I used my wind shell almost every day, as it was the perfect peice for cool mornings and chilly evenings.

My Top Fives of what worked well for me:
1. Gore Tex socks
2. Sun legs and sleeves
3. Lauf Carbonara front fork
4. Specialized fatbike frame with 29er wheelset, for clearance
5. No stove

What I would change/didn't work well for me:
1. I'd strongly consider a dynamo front hub to minimized battery usage
2. Less food off the start
3. Remove a shirt and pair of shorts
4. I'd strongly consider not bringing the 7 maps of the route...
5. I would bring a second Garmin GPS with the route loaded onto it, like my 520 or similar. 

Clothing - Tour Divide 2018 (L to R) Smith Overtake Helmet with Petzl 250 lumen Actik light, Black Diamond Eon 500 lumen light was on my barness, Rhyme shoes, Windriver UL folding pack (stored away when not carrying xtra food), Smartwool Merino short sleeve jersey, OR sun shirt, Specialized merino T, Smith sunglassed, PI riding cap, OR sun hat with neck shades. Top center: OR 3/4 shorts, GORE bibs, PI sunlegs in bright white. Storm Chaser shell in blue, Patagonia Nano Puff Hoody in burnt orange, Castelli wind shell in white, Grey OR sun sleeves, Merino socks, Gore Tex socks, long compression socks (did not bring), Shimano Windstopper gloves, riding gloves, blue Gore Tex shell mittens, CRAFT beanie and neck buff. 

Sleep system: Sea to Summit UL non-insulated pad (400g) , MSR Carbon Reflex 1 tent (1.5 lbs) and MTN Hardwear Spark -2C down bag (1.5 lb). Total weight is under 4lbs. 

Repair/food/other: L to R: zip ties, mini pump, Almond butter, body wipes, route maps and cue cards, repair parts, tent poles, VEGA nutrition shakes, dehydrate meal (did not bring with me), Toothbrush kit, batteries, more repair parts (all fit inside a SMITH sunglass case), 1 light blue battery stick (as a back up, did not ever use it), 100L of water purification tabs, bagged beef jerky, rice and instant coffee/electrolyte powder. Not shown is roughly 20 energy bars, candy, etc... In hindsight, it was a bit too much food on the start. I would bring/use the VEGA type proteins/carb powders a lot more as instant fuel. 

The Grand Depart with Crazy Larry sending us off! 

It might look like this is nearing the end of the tour, but this only at midday on day 2, at the MacDonalds in Fermie, BC. Be ready for mega sticky mud! I lucked-out by using my fatbike frame and a set of Woven Precision carbon 29er wheels with Maxxis Ikon 2.2's, which offered incredible mud clearance. I never had to walk my bike because of mud build-up.