Bikepacking - What to bring for cold an wet riding.

Scott Thigpen, this is for you....



As I am preparing to thaw out from this incredibly cold winter, I have been unpacking the gear I have been storing and starting to get out on the bike.  I regret my decision not to purchase a fat bike this year since it would have been the best season in years for it. If I wait for the warm weather I may not be out for another month!  As I write this, we sit at  a bomby -13 degrees Celsius which is about as cold as I can handle with this system.


I hate over dressing.  I hate being cold.  And I hate carrying things that take up space, weight or things that I have to remember to pack each time I stop somewhere.  The K.I.S.S theory applies here. The Keep It Simple Stupid, not the if you paint your face and stick out your tounge you will make a rock band theory.  So to solve this I layer.  Obvious to many, but I still see many people bundled too tight and carrying too much gear, or complaining about not wearing enough.  Or  worse people having to stop every 15 min to readjust gear regulate temperature. 

I want to be a little chilly for the first 10 minutes or so.  I start with my merino long sleeve base layer, wool arm bands and a t-shirt or jersey.  Giro winter riding gloves and my Under Armour balaclava.  When I start getting too warm I pull the balaclava down as a scarf to keep my throat warm as to try to help with the post cold weather ride sore throat.  I sometimes carry thin glove covers for rain and terrible wind, because they take up . no room and carry a huge net benefit.  Comfortable hands is a huge priority for me.  Next I use my North Face lightweight rain jacket. Whilevriding, this works to keep the wind out and the heat in and as I heat up, I use the pit zips to vent.  On my legs I use light weight wool socks, Shimano GoreTex shoes, bike shorts and my Patagonia rain pants with full length zipper.  The rain pants were a last minute purchase in Banff before TD 2013 and are one of my favourite pieces of gear now.  They pack up about the size of a coffee cup, have some stretch in them, tight ankles and full length sealed zippers on each leg.  Great for cold and rainy.   I carry a small down jacket (which doubles as a fantastic pillow) and put it on if I have to stop, but when riding I am very comfortable.  Using the rain gear really helps keep heat in and the windchill out.  I also carry fleece leg warmers that I wear instead of the rainpants in warmer temps, or with when its really cold.  I am actually going to switch these out for shorter wool knee covers. This system kept me warm and dry on the Divide.  With the option of arm bands and zipper I can regulate my temp on the fly pretty easily.  I think the key component is wool. If I do start to sweat and get the chills then I keep riding to stay warm or use the down jacket to make sure I keep warm if wet. 

When I wasn't using the Gore Tex shoes, which I didn't on the divide since they would have been awful in the hot weather and too heavy, I have used Gore Tex socks and/or plastic bags.  When I knew I would be on the bike for a while I put the plastic bags right over the shoes and clipped in through the plastic.  On hike a bike sections, shoe covers become a pain and get trashed. They also become one more thing to pack and remember every time you are stopped. Not worth it.  Plastic garbage bags are a great thing to carry for emergencies. Cut arm holes and wear over your core to keep the heat in.

If I ever get really cold I try to keep moving whenever possible.

Bikepacking - 20 Lessons I've learned from the trail

In no particular order....

1.  Beef Jerky in trail mix isn't an awesome idea

2. Don't ride with someone who would rather be on a conference call

3. Make Friends.  Lots and lots of friends

4.  Don't sleep in wet or damp bike shorts

5. Even if you are racing, take the time to see, touch, listen, smell, and feel.  The world is an incredible place and we are lucky to be out there.

6. Every mile you push and suffer through now is one you won't have to struggle with later. 

7. The sun will rise and the sun will set.

8. When you feel discouraged with the length of the race or your tour, try to focus on the day.  When the distance of the day seems impossible, focus on the next town.  When the next town seems too far away, only think about the mile ahead.  If that mile is creating pain and misery, focus on your next pedal rotation.  If that fails, take a look around, realize how lucky you are and pay attention to each breath you take.  Every breath, every pedal stroke, every mile, every town, every day are all equal parts of the whole.  Keep moving, if only one breath at a time.

9.  I quite strongly dislike New Mexico's sheep dogs, or stray dogs for that matter

10.  Lower your tire pressure before taking on the sandy rail trails.  Yes Idaho, I am talking to you.

11.  Teenagers in Helena don't take kindly to men in spandex

12. Pack light whether you are racing or touring, the lighter the better.

13.  Mike Hall may not really be human.

14.  Wherever you are riding, leave the route better than how you found it. 

15.  You will need chain links and extra shoe screws, derailleur hanger, tire repair items, a scaled    down first aid kit, a Leatherman, and Sour Patch Kids

16.  Duct tape can hold parts of your frame together

17. Age, gender, sexual orientation, race, occupation, religion, marital status, income level, educational background DO NOT MATTER when your riding bikes together, sharing stories and loving the journey. It's pretty awesome when you share a passion with people you may not otherwise have had the chance to meet.

18.  Payphones don't exist anymore so bring a cell phone.  Just try to avoid certain phone providers that have terrible coverage.  Not to mention names but  if your phone company rhymes with
T-Smobile find another company.  I have a phone for sale if anyone is interested.

19.  Bikepacking becomes part of your DNA

20.  Limits only define where you have been, not how far you can go. 

.

 

 

Tour Divide - Why

Cool Video just put out from ACA.


I have been trying to answer the question `Why` when talking about my Tour Divide experience. I am not a pro.  Not racing to win. I am competitive by nature and I think that helped me to push when I was out there for sure.  But what I usually will tell you is`Why not` or `Because its there` or I would tell you I loved the adventure and find it thrilling knowing I am attempting something most people wouldn`t even consider. Or that I need to live my dreams before its too late. All of those answers are very true. However for me the reason was bigger. For me, failing in 2012 was an important part of the `Get back up and fight` process. For me, there is much more to the answer that I really don`t understand. I think for myself I need to answer the question more completely or risk losing the answer completely. So if you don`t like hearing about grown men crying look away now. I feel a little weird about putting this out there so sorry for the sap, but this was a significant moment in time for me. I promise to do my best to never speak of crying again. Please destroy after reading....(or just skip to the next post)

Below are my thoughts from that day in June 2013- Somewhere between Atlantic City and Rawlings...

I had tears streaming down my face. Tough to hold back today. Spent a lot of time crying over the last few years about things I felt I had no control over. I was the cause of my own troubles I am sure but the solutions were beyond me. I shed tears of hopelessness, tears based on fear, more based on the dwindling ability I had to keep secure the things I loved. I wet my cheeks over thoughts of increasing my life insurance policy as a way out. I had days that many would consider trouble free but the tears would still come. It was never a wail, or a sob, or a breakdown, or an obnoxious dramatic sort of cry, but a slow release of mind numbing pain I could not control. Many nights I layed awake in a panic when I should have been sleeping, and many days I spent sleeping when I should have been working. I tried the pills, I tried the talk but still something was missing. I lost faith in family, lost hope in the future and lost part of my soul in the process. You can lose a lot of things, money, friends, loved ones, your keys, but when you lose hope, that is about as close as you can get to the end. Today as I cried, my tears mixed with the dusty air to draw mud lines down my face that I smudged with my hand accidentally to create warrior lines when I wiped my tears. Today when I cried it was different. It wasn't a wail, or a sob, or a breakdown, or a sniffling or an obnoxious dramatic sort of cry, in fact if I kept my glasses on, if anyone else was there they may not have noticed my emotion at all. These tears were making way for part of my soul to return. My eyes would fill up and slowly leak down and I could feel the pounding force of an uncontrollable joy soaking in through my skin as the tears dried in the baking hot sun. I was thirsty, hungry, tired, cycle computer read 114 degrees and I didn't see a cloud in the sky. I had ridden 100 miles through the deserted section of the route that I feared the most with 50 more to go that day but for the first time in a long time I had found hope. Right there, where I least expected it. Hope met me there in the desert landscape of the Great Basin on the Great Divide holding on to another piece of my soul and smiling. This was the first time in two years I knew I was going to make it. The route had chewed me up and spit me out in 2012, and up to this point in 2013 I held on to large amounts of doubt. At this moment though, with more than 1400 miles left I just knew I was going to pull this off. The feeling of hope was so foreign to me. It was overwhelming really and the tears of hope just rolled down my face and I let them. I lifted my head to the sky with my eyes wide open and whispered "This is what I came for" and I smiled and rolled on.

Tour Divide - 'Rope a Dope' the Sleep Monster

How do you fight the "sleep monster" on an 18+ hour riding day?  Take a nap.  15-20 minute naps were my key to success.  I always felt better in the hours after a power nap than I did when I fought it.  Don't sleep to long though or you may feel worse or sleep through.  On my best days (140-150 miles)the power nap helped me defeat the monster.  On my short 90ish mile days the sleep monster won. 

Tour Divide - Tips for getting home

Antelope Wells is a lonely place.  Make sure you have an exit plan before you get there.  Silver City offers a lot of options but we couldn't fly out of there and decided to head straight to Tuscan. Hamish and I were lucky to have a ride waiting for us at the finish and we made our way to Tucsan which was a couple hours from the border.  It felt strange to be off the bike and in another form of transportation and we still didn't feel finished.  It was going to be another day of deprogramming, racing around to pack up the bike, arrange flights and get home. 

We stayed at the Americas Best Inn at 810 E. Benson Highway.  Great option since it was a couple minutes from the Airport, walking distance to the bike shop http://ajobikes.com/  and walking distance to a Walmart where I picked up a clean 'going home" outfit which consisted of a cheesy "Arizona" t-shirt that was on sale and some hybrid sandal water shoe things.  Pretty ugly but they were only 3 bucks.  I figured a 4 hour flight in the bike shorts I wore for a month wasn't necessary.  We had some trouble with the bike shop as they weren't prepared for the influx of riders looking for empty boxes.  If you are hoping to fly out of  Tucsan (or any where) it may be a good idea to call before you leave Banff and ask for them to keep a box for you.  In the end they made it work but not without letting us know they were stressed.  We grabbed our boxes and packed the bikes up in our rooms. Hamish head off to LA for a few days of R and R and I flew to Buffalo.

It was a good and efficient place to end the trip.  Hamish, great to have your company the last few days. It was lucky to have met you.  Dom and Nadia, Thanks for the ride!

Tour Divide - Hang Outs, the bike shops

I guess "Hang Outs" is the wrong term here since we are racing but, here are my favourite spots.  Some of these places I had planned on staying at and some surprised me. At all of these places I met great people and I think that what really makes these places great.  Of course, this list is based only on my experiences and where I ended up.

First the Bike Shops...

Glacier Cycle


In Whitefish, MT.  These guys were great. Being the first shop on route they see a lot of riders and they seemed ready to handle us.  They opened a little early too which was awesome! I was so happy to have found them with all of the stupid issues I had the first couple days.  Awesome little patio to hang out with other riders in the back and an awesome breakfast place across the street.  Try the blueberry cream cheese spread on the french toast if you get the chance.  I left my phone in their shop and was way to far ahead to turn around so I called them to ask if they would send it to Butte for me, which they did.  They wrapped the phone in a stylin 'pair of shop socks and shoved it in the box.  Very happy to receive a nice pair of warm socks!  Great work.








The Outdoorsman

Bike shop in Butte Montana.  This is a Tour Divide must stop if there ever was one. If you can get there during business hours.  I missed and arrived half hour late one evening and was a little upset that I had to wait till 10 am the next morning, but I get it, it was my own fault.  If he opens late for one he has to open up for all. I know a few racers were put off by that.  Here's the positive though, Rob opens his shop and riders lounge to racers, provides drinks, Internet, snacks, motivation and doesn't charge to take a look at your ride, and even repaired it for nothing (plus parts of course).   He is dealing with stressed out panicked riders desperate for repair, and contemplating their future in the race.  He understands this race and loves to help the riders.  He is equal parts, shop keeper, mechanic and counsellor.  He tried his best to shame me in to not quitting in 2012.  I  am so impressed with how he handles the growing number of racers each year.  He really understands what we need as racers.  So if you pass through Butte, say a big hello and make sure you tip accordingly!


Steamboat Ski and Bike Kare
 http://www.steamboatskiandbike.com/

These guys saved my bacon.  I arrived in Steamboat Springs just before lunch and headed to Orange Peel Cycle to get a lot of work done. First I will start with the positive, these guys have everything you would need, they have the knowledge and they pushed aside their everyday business to fit in us racers.  Much appreciated.  But mistakes do happen.  It took 5 plus hours to get the work done and they finished at 6, just as they were closing.  No one took it for a test ride.  They handed me my bike, I paid (a lot) and they closed the doors.  I didn't get very far, maybe 7 miles when I realized I couldn't shift under load and my small ring kept phantom shifting.  I tried to adjust myself but no dice.  So painfully I turned around, wondering how on earth I would find a bike shop open on Saturday night after 6pm, and assuming I would have to wait until noon the next day for a shop to open on Sunday.
A passing cyclist directed me to Steamboat Ski and Bike Kare and said the were open till 7, and I arrived with about a minute to spare.  Two mechanics jumped to work, stayed late with a smile, and had me out before 8pm.  Again a labour charge that couldn't be beat ;) and they had a beer fridge.  They had a friend from their shop in the race and were eager to help.  I was able to salvage a terrible day and I rode out of Steamboat. If, I mean when,  you make it to Steamboat, make it to Steamboat Ski and Bike Kare.

Tour Divide 2013 - Gear review. The good, the bad, and the completely destroyed.

Firstly, I used everything I brought this year. I was really happy with my set-up but would still make a few changes if I ever get the chance to ride again. Had some minor issues and some major malfunctions.  You can see a more complete gear list at

Blackburn Designs - J.D. Pauls Gear List

In no particular order.

Sleeping Gear

Sleeping bag. ZPacks 900 fill down bag. It was perfect. The only issue I had was with the bulk.  It was very light and warm but since I had to get the longer and wider bag it seemed bulky, filling most of my handle bar bag. Probably could of used the 40 degree bag, but waking up in the frost I was happy I went warmer.  On warmer night I just left the bag open or slept on top. It took a beating.  Still working on getting that stink out!

Sleeping pad. Klymit Inertia sleeping pad. Loved this thing.  Doesn't look like much and packs up to the size of a coke can but it works really well!.  I used it inside the bag so I didn't slide around and it was perfect. Quick to inflate and deflate as well. 


Tent. Big Agnes Seedhouse SL1  This is great.  I'm not crazy about having to carry the poles, but the tent packs up so small and offers great protection against rain and sprinklers.  Loved having a vestibule for my shoes too.  I looked for a bivy but in the end couldn't give up the protection and had a hard time finding one much smaller.  May switch to bivy in the future but after the weather in 2012 I couldn't say no the tent.  It set up and came down fairly quick.  5 min or so.

Rain Gear. 
Pants. These were a last minute decision.  Bought them at Patagonia in Banff the day before the race.  Glad I had them.  They were full zip down the legs so I could keep them on without over heating. They kept me warm dry and packed up pretty compact. They also gave me something to put on in the laundry mat when I washed my shorts.
Jacket.  The same light weight North Face shell I had last year.  Loved having the hood. It is a little bulky but did a great job.

Socks.  Sealskin Water proof socks.  These worked well for a couple days.  Started to stink so bad though.  When the weather got warmer I had no need for them but riding in the chilly air, rain and creeks in Montana they did the job. Better than booties. I also had 2 pair of Giro wool socks.  One warmer and one thinner.  They were great.

Gloves.  Found some thin plastic gloves on clearance at MEC that came halfway up my forearm.  Worked well over my regular gloves and prevented the wind chill on descents.  Love them. I also took Giro riding gloves and a pair of Giro insulated gloves. I hate riding with uncomfortable hands.

Accessories
Pump:  Blackburn Airstik Loved this little guy.  Took up no space and it does the job.  Its a little workhorse.  I was happy I could fit in my top tube bag with my tubes, wrenches, pliers and spare parts and keep everything together.

Leatherman: Juice S2 Used this almost everyday.  Pliers were a must. And having the scissors was awesome.  I also had a Blackburn Toolmanator multi-tool for the bike, but I used this for everything else including some bike repairs.

The bike

White Bros. Carbon fork.  Loved it.  Took a beating.  There weren't many times I wished for front suspension.
Tires were great.  Glad I had tubeless set-up. No flats!  I replaced the Crossmark on the rear in Steamboat but my Nano on the front went the distance.
Also replace the rear cassette, chain and small front ring in Steamboat. They were worn pretty bad, and they were only a couple weeks old before I left for the race.

Easton Haven handle bars and carbon seat post were awesome.

What didn't work...




Bike Frame. I say it didn't work, but it did get me to the end though not without stress and discomfort.  The frame is unrideable now. 

 Redline D660 Didn't fair very well.   It is an aluminium frame and it cracked clean around about a 1/2 inch below the seat post clamp, just above the welds.  I rode it the last 300 miles or so staying out of the saddle a good portion of it, walking climbs and balancing on it when I hit pavement.  I didn't have a lot of options, other than getting to Silver City to repair it so I duct taped it together.  When I got to Silver City, I decided to ride the last 120 miles on the broken bike instead of waiting for the bike shop.  Figured I could hitch back to town if something went wrong. Redline said they are replacing it (very cool of them), so I sit here waiting for it to arrive. 

I am sure I will add to this list in the future, but there you are.  Any questions?