Gear List

Just a preliminary version. The final version will be issued a few days before the start of the race. Yellow marked cells are still pending in weight and/or are subject to change. The list is moving a little bit on the save side with focus to cold and rainy weather. Most important thing for me is to have a complete second set of dry and warm clothes to avoid hypothermia and to keep the discomfort in the basement, even if I have to camp in bad weather conditions. For a rookie like me it’s really difficult to evaluate which part of the gear is completely unnecessary or I need just for a few miles. But I guess the bad weather especially in the north during the race of the last few years will give me right in the end. Otherwise there are some post offices along the way where I can ship some parts back home.

 

 

Body Preparation

To make a long story short – Somebody who has a 9 hour plus job, house and family, is not just an aspirant for one of the places in front of the pack. The winter here in Germany was one of the worst ever. A lot of rain, snow and compared to the years before fairly cold. Bike tours longer than 3 hours without dancing under the shower afterwards due to hurting and prickling feet were not possible. Until end of March I had nearly more miles on my jogging shoes like on my bike speedometer. As the temperatures slowly became more comfortable a flue completely knocked me out for three weeks. My first attempts riding more than 70 miles with some climbing but without loaded bike after the flue let me feel like a pussy.

Now less than two months to the start - some kind of panic crawling under my bike jersey.

My weekly training program at the moment schedules for Monday some workout units in a fitness studio. Tuesday: Jogging. Wednesday: Relaxing. Thursday: Jogging but longer than on Tuesday. Friday: Workouts units in the fitness studio again and strength unit on my Ergometer. Saturday: Longer bike tour with nearly full loaded bike and some climbing. Sunday: Extensive bike tour with full loaded bike but less climbing.

In May we have a lot of bank holidays here, mostly around the weekend. I am gonna grab the chance for spending some extended weekends with extensive bike and butt training. If this will be enough in the end? I don’t know. But my intention tells me it won’t be. Even if I make the best use of all the resources available until start of the race I will line up with a more pessimistic feeling. But who can claim from themselves he/she is really in good shape for a race like this?

Route preparation

Getting familiar with the route and the location of resupply resources is one further key for crossing the finish line at the end. At the turn of the year many issues of the Tour Divide project were just construction area. But my conception how a decent navigation has to looks like was quite clear. Navigation just with the cue sheets, speedometer and the official ACA maps was not an option for me. One requirement was leaving the bulky maps at home and put all the cue sheets information on the GPS. I scanned all the maps and put it on a smart phone.

Getting all the text from the cue sheets into the GPS was a big achievement. It costs me more than hundred hours at the desk at least and produced a big Excel sheet with all the information I need. Elevation profiles, distances between different kinds of facilities like campgrounds, motels, grocery stores, restaurants, supermarkets, towns, bike shops, Starbucks, gas stations and a lot of more. The Excel sheet also moved on a smart phone. For every section in the cue sheets that is marked with the star symbol I created a POI (Point Of Interest). So it's possible to move the text of the section to the comment of the POI. I used the Excel sheet after some filter steps to create the corresponding gpi-files for the GPS. Getting the coordinates for the POI’s and the Excel sheet means scanning every inch of the route with Google Earth. The first time I got a very good impression of the whole route and a steady increasing respect with every further mile I virtually headed on southward. To add the POI’s for the towns I used Street View (if available) for the location of the different resources. In bigger towns I don’t wanna searching for a special facility as long as absolutely necessary. Arrival and relax is the slogan. 

Letter of Intent

Letter of Intent mailed to the TD website:

Here comes my letter of intend for the 2013 Grand Depart of the Tour Divide.

I, Michael Gruenert, not in the full possession of my mental and physical capacity, would like to join the 2013 Tour Divide despite of the following obstacles:

I don’t like sleeping in a tent. I hate mosquitoes. I hate dogs (You have got to know I am living in the dog capital of Germany. It’s not a joke!). I don’t like go to bed without a shower. I really hate slipping in the same smelly and unwashed bike wear from the day before. I hate riding in the rain. I hate cold. I hate walking in the mud. I hate headwinds. I really hate wet feet. I don’t like dirty bikes. Snow – no way. Riding in the dark – only if it’s absolutely necessary. Saddle sores – oh my goodness. Did I mention that I really hate mosquitoes!    

Best requirements to line up in June, though!

But all these issues are nothing against the healthy loneliness and solitude, the amazing landscape and the experiences I’m going to make at the trip of my lifetime!

So set me on the start list and keep a SPOT for me in the back, please!

The Jersey

A special event needs a special jersey. Spending some more hours at the desk with my humble graphic skills, but in the end the additional time was worth the effort. 

 

 

The Why Question!

One of the most challenging questions ever. If people were asked why they are participating to extreme sporting events like ultra long  Marathons or other ultra endurance events they are often not able to give a sufficient answer and are surprisingly lost for words. For a long time I’ve reflected about my own motivation to spend so much time and money in only a more than 3 weeks lasting planned self destruction.

I know for sure what it is not - It is not, because I am feeling like a pussy or want achieve more acceptance in my life with such a big accomplishment.        

The first reason is really very simple: I’m a landscape junkie. Except with a mountain bike, with no other means, not by feet nor by car, you’re able to experience nature in such an intensive way in such a short amount of time. That’s it. Quite simple. But if I go further on I realize - this is not all about that.

Learning the simplicity of life absence the mainstream. Realizing what we really need in our life. Not what the merchandizing industry want make us believe we need or not. Concentrating our view to the basics. All aspects that might be an answer!

As a consequence of our education and society we are all “goal driven”. First we have to finish school. Maybe passing the exam and after going to the university. The first job, wedding, maybe our own house, kids – and now welcome to the daily rat race. Every day, week, month and year follows a certain pattern. We have to operate and work. At the one hand this routine gives us a safe haven in our sometimes stressful life. A scope of action where we don’t expect negative surprises we really not wanna face to during our daily business. At the other hand exactly the same routine is banging at our psyche. Likely a psychiatrist would argue now we all standing at the doorstep of midlife crises - hitting people between 30 and 60 years with an age focus of the mid forties. A glimpse view at the age column of the annually unofficial starting list tells me: “I am in good company! By now, more than hundred riders are planning their getaway his year.

Yes, for me it is something like a getaway from all the daily obligations. Turning the focus to more simple things just like eat, sleep, and ride - a total hard reset.

How it began

The first time I came in touch with the Tour Divide was in 2008. A report in a German bike magazine about the race immediately aroused my interest. Without any clue how to manage a distance of 2700 miles in only 3 weeks with a full loaded bike and how getting the time off from my family I buried the project “Tour Divide” in the corner of my mind, temporarily. But the seed was sowed.

In 2009 my family and I were on a round trip during our summer vacation in Canada and the States. We also spent some days in Banff as a base to explore the near vicinity. As I stepped into the tourist office I saw the book “Cycling the Great Divide” from Michael Mc. Coy. Immediately my thoughts went back to the report in the bike magazine one year ago. I told my wife about the report and the book would be the corresponding part to the report. I don’t know why, but I didn’t buy the book. Four weeks later I found the book at my birthday table. Secretly my wife bought it for me. This was the crucial mistake. I ate the pages and ever since I started collecting as much as possible about the race and the little bit weird and new topic of bike packing.

Bike packing how it is performed at the North American Continent or in other parts of the world is nearly unknown in Germany and its neighbour's countries. There are some reasons that make bike packing not really necessary. The first one is the distance between resupply facilities. They are very short. Annually thousands of Bikers are crossing or touring over and through the Alps with just a backpack and maybe some water bottles at the bike which is a very popular way. In the most parts of the Alps the concentration of alpine huts or little villages in the valleys is very high. So there is always the possibility for resupplying several times per day and finding a sleeping spot either in an alpine hut or in the next valley. Many Tour operators offering luggage transportation for every day stages. So you have got to carry just a minimum weight in your backpack.

The second reason is that camping outside from designated campgrounds is prohibited, especially in the Alps region.

The third reason is that touring or even racing with a full loaded bike in the Alps won’t really cause any fun. The grade is mostly high, so you’re likely not able pushing a full loaded bike uphill over a loose gravel road. The roads and single trails are partly extremely rough. Something like “flow” trail riding is rather rare. There are some exceptions, but you’ve got to look for it. This is also the reason why a Hardtail is not the first choice when you go biking in the Alps. For the downhill’s you need the full control over your bike and not the spirit of a lame tractor.

Conclusion: The topic “gear” for a bike packing trip like the Tour Divide would cause a lot of research if I really want line up someday in Banff.

In spring 2010 my frame of my 26” Hardtail cracked, (un)fortunately, a welcome excuse for switching over to a 29er.

In the meantime I carefully informed my wife over my bold venture. She thought I would just kidding her. But as the time went by she realized that I obviously making no jokes. The fact to convince my wife to let me go should be the biggest challenge in the whole project during the next year(s).

I terminated my Tour Divide start to 2012, time enough to cool her down.

Getting a decent 29er in the season 2010/11 was not as quite simple as I thought in the beginning. The request for the relatively new trend “29er” in Europe was extremely high during this period. Many bikes were already completely sold out before they entered the shops. After a long research I ordered my bike in January 2011. I got it in June of the same year. Half of the season was over and one of the most important gear like sleeping bag, sleeping pad and tent I would get just during our summer vacation in the states at the end of August, because the price of the stuff in the States was nearly half off the price here in Germany. Due to the late arrival of my bike the frame bag, saddle bag and the harness for the handle bar were also missing. Before I was able to start the first tour with a full loaded bike the time schedule would point out late fall. Ever since it was clear I am far behind my personal time schedule. A decent preparation with a sufficient test period and all the side work like route preparation and many, many hours at the desk was not possible anymore. With some regret I postponed the start to 2013.

2012 was the year of testing the gear and for “blackmailing” my wife with a four weeks summer vacation. She and my son hadn’t the faintest idea about the destinations. I have chosen all the destinations my wife ever dreamed off. I’ve got a relatively cheap kombi ticket with Emirates. Despite of this fact the check after the trip was very long and not really cheap. But in the end I’ve got a silent “OK” for the event.

Beside many training trips at the weekends from my home base and the huge amount of time for preparing the summer vacation for my family, I decided to start the ultimate test with lining up at the Grenzsteintrophy in June 2012.

 

Set up for the Grenzsteintrophy

The Grenzsteintrophy has got the same conception like the Tour Divide, but within a smaller frame. About 800 miles with 50.000 feet of climbing along the former border of East Germany. It is a race into a dark chapter of German history. The race is very tough and demanding in terms of gear and human being. Many miles are proceeding on the old tank plates along the border. It is comparable with riding very bad wash boarded roads - loosing every screw out of your frame and your brain and the rest of the terrain is not even better.

After 8 days and some years older I passed the test successfully. My bike and I reached the finish line together with three other fellows in one piece. For me the certification and the final entry ticket to the Tour Divide.

To run out of excuses I booked the flights to Calgary and the return from Vegas at the end of September.

The Race

Every second Friday in June about hundred riders starting to race the entire route. The race is a solo event and completely self supported. Every racer has to carry all the stuff and gear he things to need to on his bike and/or back. On the downside - The additional weight of the gear turns a former race bike very quickly into a lame duck. Any kind of support from outside is strictly prohibited and results in disqualifying. Every rider has to take care of not running out of food or water. If your bike breaks you have to fix it by your own. There is no entry fee but also not a trophy nor any other financial reward for the winner. Only a so called Letter Of Intent (LOI) is necessary to announce you are in a stand by position for the race.

The best racers make it to the Mexican border in 16 days. The red lantern needs almost the double time.
What makes the race so difficult? Immediately everyone would reply "The fitness" of course. For sure, fitness is one pillar to successfully finish the race, but the race is not all about fitness. The most challenging thing on the Tour Divide is the unforeseen. Nearly nothing is according to a schedule. Every day you have got to align your goals.
In addition: Very capricious weather along the whole route can turn the ride into hell. Cold weather in the north with many days of rain or even snow. Extremely hot weather in the south with the possibility of forest fires. Thunder, lightning, hail and strong headwinds. Snow covered mountain passes where it is impossible to ride a bike. You've to walk or carry your bike over miles. The same can happen in very muddy conditions. Wash boarded roads slowly drive you mad.
Grizzlies, black bears, snakes, mountain lions plus mosquitoes and aggressive dogs.
Long stretches with less or without any service at all.
The Basin in Wyoming with 140 miles of nothing. The Gila Wilderness in New Mexico: 175 miles with just one coke machine (may work or not).
Riding every day from dawn till dusk or even riding through the night. Mostly alone. There is a lot of time left to thing about the sense or nonsense of the (ad)venture. This is the issue why the mental fitness is nearly more important than the physical fitness.
Every racer is carrying a SPOT - Messenger. This GPS satellite device provides tracking and SOS functionality. Family and friends at home are able to follow online the position (updated every 10 minutes) of their favorite rider(s).
Navigation or route finding is done with GPS or/and the so called cue sheets (a roadbook) plus the official maps from the ACA (American Cycling Association).

 

What is the Tour Divide?

No, it's not the Sunday afternoon Bike trip. Though it sounds like that. The Tour Divide is the longest mapped off pavement mountain bike route of the world. Following within a 50 miles range the North American Continental Divide watershed across the Rocky Mountains from Banff in Canada until Antelope Well at the Mexican Border. Crossing two Canadian states Alberta and British Columbia and five US states with Montana, Wyoming,  Idaho, Colorado and New Mexico. Tackling 2700 Miles and 200.000 feet of climbing is not even a piece of cake. From the Canadian border the route tends generally upward until it crests in southern Colorado with Indiana Pass its highest elevation of nearly 12.000 feet. Touring the route is the best option for people with a lot of time. There are two options for people with less time. The first one is touring the route in several sections or - Racing the entire route.