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Tour Divide 2019
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Tour Divide 2019

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  • Resans start
    8 juni 2019
    cairnswmTour Divide 2019Resenär

    The Tour Divide

    8 juni 2019, Sydafrika ⋅ 🌙 8 °C

    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "The Tour Divide is an annual mountain biking ride traversing the length of the Rocky Mountains, from Canada to the Mexican border. Following the 2,745-mile (4,418 km) Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, it is an ultra-distance cycling ride that is an extreme test of endurance, self-reliance and mental toughness. The ride format is strictly self-supported, and it is not a stage race - the clock runs continuously from the start until riders cross the finish line, usually more than two weeks later.

    The ride has a very low profile, and is entirely amateur. There are no entry fees, no sponsorship, and no prizes. Although "letters of intent" from likely starters are encouraged, any rider may turn up on the day to participate. Challenges along the route include mountains, great distances between resupply towns, risk of mechanical failure or injury, bears, poor weather, snowfall, and significant unrideable sections that require pushing the bike. Riders usually adopt a "bikepacking" style, carrying minimal equipment sufficient for camping or bivouacking, and only enough food and water to last until the next town. In this way, riders ride huge distances each day, the current ride record averaging over 174 miles (280 km) per day.

    The Tour Divide has been ridden and completed on both single speed bicycles and tandem bicycles. It usually starts on the second Friday in June - at an event called Grand Départ.[1] The ride can also be completed at any time as an individual time trial (ITT).

    Due to the extreme distances, inaccessibility of the route, lack of television coverage and small number of participants, spectating is impractical. However, many riders carry SPOT Satellite Messenger tracking devices, allowing their progress to be continuously monitored on websites. "    Läs mer

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    Banff

    9 juni 2019, Kanada ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    I'm staying at the Samesun Banff Hostel. I'm in a shared room of 8 people (mixed sex). In the bed to me is a Chinese girl who is exploring Banff and the area around it.

    She asked "If you are from South Africa, how come you are white?"

    Banff is beautiful, even if it is very much a tourist town.

    I set up my bike down in the basement parking. Unfortunately I needed to take it to a bike shop to get the tubeless rear tire sorted as the slime had leaked out.

    Met up with Nat Rainbow with whom I had been chatting on Facebook for the last few days. She happened to be staying in the same hostel. We ended up hanging out together for the next 3 days.    Läs mer

  • cairnswmTour Divide 2019Resenär

    Quick ride around Banff

    11 juni 2019, Kanada ⋅ ⛅ 6 °C

    Rode through Banff and followed the Tour Divide trail for about 8km. This part of the trail is really nice and smooth, think of it as a good dirt road just wide enough for two or three bikes. The river is running really strongly, I would not want to try wade through it.Läs mer

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  • cairnswmTour Divide 2019Resenär

    Lake Minnewanka

    11 juni 2019, Kanada ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    Nat and I went for a ride today. To start with, we rode from Banff to Lake Minnewanka. The whole area was truly spectacular. We stopped and took lots of photos all the way.

    Part of the road was under construction. The flag guy at the start said we were in for some big climbs and a difficult road. We rode the whole way waiting for the "big climb", it never came. Just a reminder that people who drive cars dont understand what the terrain is like for cyclists.

    At lake Minnewanka we had a cup of tea while watching the Chipmunks running around on the rocks and between our feet.    Läs mer

  • cairnswmTour Divide 2019Resenär

    Sunshine valley

    11 juni 2019, Kanada ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    From Lake Minnewanka we decided to try find some snow. We both thought it would be fun to try push our bikes through snow. We found a spot on the map that showed a restaurant at the top of a mountain and thought we could get something to eat there.

    On the way we saw Bighorn sheep and deer alongside the road.    Läs mer

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    Sunshine village ski slopes

    11 juni 2019, Kanada ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    We cycled to the top of the mountain. Unsurprisingly everything was closed as it's past ski season and not yet mountain bike season.

    On the way up Nat chose to push her bike up a section while I rode round. I sat and waited for her for a while but it did give us a good laugh.

    We found our snow to push through, yes, pushing a bike through snow is hard work. Your feet fall through the snow and never get a good purchase, and the tires dont ride through the soft layer as easily as I expected. I am really hoping we dont have any heavy snow to push through on the race.    Läs mer

  • cairnswmTour Divide 2019Resenär

    The start of the Tour Divide

    13 juni 2019, Kanada ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    Finally the trackers arrived last night. This gives me about a 24 hour head start on the Grand Depart. I'm looking forward to seeing all the top riders coming past me. I'd love to get a chance to have a chat with some of the big names in my sport.

    My bike is very front heavy but I've been riding like this for a while now.

    My sleep system is packed in my handlebar roll. My tent and cooking in my seatbag. My food is all in the drybag on my handlebars and my clothes are scattered around but mostly in the two sidebags on my aerobars.    Läs mer

  • cairnswmTour Divide 2019Resenär

    Boulton Creek Trading Post

    13 juni 2019, Kanada ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    One of the first things I saw while riding was bear poop! I had heard it was red but it still really surprised me.

    Lots of fantastic views all day. The grandeur of the mountains and the beauty of the lakes and forests is really something to behold!

    Boulton Creek Trading Post is the first resupply point on the route. Its one of the few campgrounds on the whole route that has a shop. At Boulton Creek I got water and some more food.    Läs mer

  • cairnswmTour Divide 2019Resenär

    Day 1 comments

    13 juni 2019, Kanada ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    That was possibly the toughest day on a bike I have ever had!

    In the early morning all was fine as I rode along the really nice bike path. But the further I got from Banff the more the path deteriorated. The trail (single track) became very uncomfortable with the heavy bike.

    Once I got to some open road I stayed on it and a km or 2 later had to turn around (thanks to someone pointing out I was on the wrong trail) for other single track. This single track was anything but flat, rolling bumps on the bike were making everything jump as I rode over them.

    Then came some rain just before Boulton creek trading post. The rain made some of the roads very muddy. I twice had to stop to get mud off.

    The last 15km before koko claims turn off I was falling asleep. About 1 km up the road I gave in and camped out.    Läs mer

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    Koko Claims

    14 juni 2019, Kanada ⋅ ⛅ 5 °C

    Koko claims is as difficult as I've heard. I pushed nearly the whole way up. And then pushed the whole way down.

    The pictures look like a river bed but that's the road!

    My original plan was to sleep in the Koko claims hut last night. When I got there I was 4 hours behind schedule, and minus about 4 hours sleep. The Koko Claims hut was built by snowmobile enthusiasts as a place to warm up during their rides.Läs mer

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  • cairnswmTour Divide 2019Resenär

    Snow Valley Lodging

    14 juni 2019, Kanada ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Free soup, bread and coffee for Tour Divide riders.

    I booked into the hotel as I felt my commitment to spending money with places that support the Tour Divide was perfectly aligned to their free food offer.Läs mer

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    Day 2 Comments

    14 juni 2019, Kanada ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    After crossing the Koko Claims pass I reached some nice open roads along the river. I had Tuna wrap and coffee for lunch. Coming into Fernie I loved the signs saying "Mexico, this way =>".

    Once I reached Fernie I stopped at the Snow Valley Lodging where they offer free meal to riders. Peter from Denmark arrived while I was eating my free soup (He rode in 1 day what took me two days), we shared the hotel room.

    Tomorrow I need to take my bike to the local bike shop to look at my gears as some thick mud has caused problems.    Läs mer

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    Gear Hub bike shop

    15 juni 2019, Kanada ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    As the bike shop only opened at 8 I took it nice and easy. On the way to the bike shop bought some groceries so I didn't need to waste time afterwards.

    At the bike shop I asked them to look and clean the gears. The bike mechanic did some major cleaning of mud in rear derailleur. I bought a new shirt as the Merino shirt was just to warm.Läs mer

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    Day 3 comments

    15 juni 2019, Kanada ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    What a frustrating start to the day! This morning I went to bike shop to fix gears. They seemed fine when I left but soon starting playing up again. I rode back to fernie and the bike mechanic redid my complete drive chain. That made an extra about 20km, and a whole lot of climbing for the day for absolutely no reason.

    I seemed super slow today.

    Was going to sleep at butts cabin, but it was very busy so I continued on and found a secluded spot just over the next pass    Läs mer

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  • cairnswmTour Divide 2019Resenär

    The Wall

    16 juni 2019, Kanada ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    I've heard so much about how tough The Wall is. In the end I was disappointed at how easy it was. On adventure races I've done much, much tougher hike-a-bike sections. The Wall felt only a short distance. That said I did carry some kit up before brining up the bike.

    I stopped to have (cold) coffee at top of The Wall.    Läs mer

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  • cairnswmTour Divide 2019Resenär

    Into the USA

    16 juni 2019, Kanada ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    I crossed the border at Roosville. So into the USA I go.

    Quite amazing how the Canadian side of the border is lots of trees, yet the USA, Montana side of the border is just open grasslands.

  • cairnswmTour Divide 2019Resenär

    Chats with Yolande

    17 juni 2019, Sydafrika ⋅ ⛅ 6 °C

    2019/06/17, 00:53 - Yolande Cairns: How are you feeling.
    2019/06/17, 00:54 - Yolande Cairns: Are you enjoying the scenery?
    2019/06/17, 00:54 - William: Feeling mentally good
    2019/06/17, 00:54 - Yolande Cairns: Good.
    2019/06/17, 00:55 - William: Physically not quite as goon. Legs very tired
    2019/06/17, 00:55 - Yolande Cairns: That is good. Just keep going. How is your bum?
    2019/06/17, 00:56 - William: Ok
    2019/06/17, 00:56 - William: In Canada it was just forest.
    2019/06/17, 00:56 - William: Just crossing the border everything changed to grassland
    2019/06/17, 00:57 - Yolande Cairns: That's weird. How long did it take through border
    2019/06/17, 00:58 - Yolande Cairns: Get some when you can
    2019/06/17, 00:58 - Yolande Cairns: How is your food supply
    2019/06/17, 00:58 - William: About 5 minutes
    2019/06/17, 00:59 - Yolande Cairns: Wow that's quick
    2019/06/17, 01:00 - Yolande Cairns: When is the next town
    2019/06/17, 01:00 - William: Whitefish is sometime tomorrow
    2019/06/17, 01:01 - Yolande Cairns: OK cool.
    2019/06/17, 01:01 - William: About 140km from where I plan to sleep
    2019/06/17, 01:02 - Yolande Cairns: Love you lots
    2019/06/17, 01:02 - William: 😍    Läs mer

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