Dave - yeah, the mud is THAT bad. Work out a carry solution for you fully laden bike - mine was seat on shoulder with wet-weather glove cushioning it. Bike will weigh a few kg more due to the mud. Main thing is to clean it properly and not lose a rear derailleur. Some racers found that if they hit a...

I'm thinking to also race the Silk Road. My daughter has had T1D for 9 years so I have some insight. It is completely doable with T1D - Brian won the Tour Divide this year with T1D and does a lot of cycle touring. Jarral Ryter has also raced the TD with T1D. The issue with remoteness is really just ...