Tour Divide 2019

[Dyffers]

Interesting to listen to thenpodcadt with JK on it. A few times he kind of down plays any kind of training. Until near the emd where he says he has a coach.

But didn't that turn out to be a joke, his coach being his dog?

[Dave Barter]

How anyone can get bored doing this is beyond me. Wait till you see my snow video

[gairym]

I can understand it.

It all depends on what kind of riding you prefer.

I've got mates who refuse to ever accompany me on longer trips as they only want singletrack with constant 'interesting' bits to challenge and test their skill.

To them the idea of pedalling along fireroad all day long, day after day after day after day would be akin to torture.

I did a little trip report of the Veneto Gravel route I did a couple of years ago and mentioned how it was almost entirely flat cycle paths and some on here expressed that they'd find it boring (but I bloody loves it!).

Even doing what I love (pedalling!) I find after 4-5 days that I do very much fancy NOT being on a bike for a while (the feeling passes) and so I can definitely get it that someone might simply not want to do it anymore.

[FLV]

Interesting to listen to thenpodcadt with JK on it. A few times he kind of down plays any kind of training. Until near the emd where he says he has a coach.

But didn't that turn out to be a joke, his coach being his dog?

Totally missed that!!

Just been back to listen to the last bit. That'll teach me.

[sean_iow]

His dog is obviously a good coach judging by his performance. If you look at his instagram the dog goes with him in a basket on the front, presumably barking out encouragement and when to dig deep on the last interval

https://www.instagram.com/p/Buxfk1xFZBS ... buyejd84ma

[wriggles]

Oh no but I have been looking at people's pictures of gravel roads running into the distance and thought they might be tedious on my singlespeed, you can have to much of a good thing?

I generally find road and most gravel riding as dull as, and avoid it as much as I can. Only about 10 - 20% of the GDMBR / TD is "interesting" riding, but you see something stunningly beautiful and different everyday. Also the vastness of the whole 2700 miles and the way the land changes the further south you go. The people and wildlife are great as well. Thats what makes it for me.

Plus there is a brewery in every town

[whitestone]

As Gairy says it depends on how you view riding a bike. I'm the exact opposite of his mates - the idea of trail centres bores me rigid so I'd struggle on the wooded sections of the TDR. I've no idea how I'd cope with things like the Great Basin.

I scratched on the French Divide because I just wasn't enjoying it but that might have been the heat and general lassitude on my part.

[NewRetroTom]

Boredom is an interesting reason for quitting.

I found that the changing scenery, weather and trails kept me interested as well as my own state of mind and body. The changes are quite gradual though, and in some ways they are "type 2" entertainment. You can't necessarily appreciate them as you go along, but when you look back on the whole it really gives you a "wow" moment.

Everyone is different - some folks ride with earphones to listen to music or podcasts. To me that is anathema - I'd much rather hear the birds, the wind and the buzz of tyres on the trail.

[Bearbonesnorm]

I think that without doubt we all see things differently - perhaps that's even literal. When I was coaching I'd take some people out and you could tell that they were fully appreciating their surroundings, picking up on the sights and sounds and breathing it all in. Others it simply passed by unnoticed and fell on deaf ears and closed eyes. Not right or wrong but sometimes difficult for one camp to understand the other.

[wriggles]

Plus its a lot of cash to drop on a trip if you get there and find it isnt for you!

[Mart]

some folks ride with earphones to listen to music or podcasts. To me that is anathema - I'd much rather hear the birds, the wind and the buzz of tyres on the trail.

Agree with that - I downloaded some music for the HT and only listed to about 5 tracks - Too busy taking in all the scenery and wildlife

[Scud]

Interesting discussion about being bored etc, i can't imagine spending that money and going somewhere abroad whatever the trails, and finding myself bored, all rides have high points and lulls and it's connecting the two.

Weirdly i have done 24 hour 500km audax style events where the week after i can remember very little as if my brain switches itself as there is not much stimuli at 3am, but then i'll do an event somewhere new, like being in Sweden last week, and i can vividly remember pretty much everything as it was all new.

[jameso]

Boredom is mostly a reflection of your state of mind rather than objective truth of something?

Imagine riding this all day, some would say it was dull


But that's Kazakhstan, imagine where you could be going, or staying that night, or what had happened in the preceding days to get you there.

[techno]

Boredom is mostly a reflection of your state of mind rather than objective truth of something?

Yep, if your heads not in the right place you're not going to enjoy it no matter what landscape/wildlife/hospitality you encounter.
In that case do what makes you happy & sod what other people think you should do.

[Bearbonesnorm]

My ex father on law always used to say "only boring people get bored". How true it is, I don't know but maybe it kind of goes hand in hand with

Boredom is mostly a reflection of your state of mind rather than objective truth of something?

[jameso]

Your F-I-L's right. "boredom seeps into the boring mind" Metallica

(not directed at anyone's TDR or his reasons for retiring, to be clear. I heard that in my late teens and took a look at my moany self, that's all. Marginally less moany now, mostly )

[whitestone]

Possibly (for Brits) it's that the landscape is so massive. We are used to the whole scenery, fauna and flora changing almost hour by hour when moving around but the States (and most continental areas for that matter) aren't like that.

In the mid 1980s I went to New England on a climbing trip. The first part was in New York state at a place called Shawanagunks about 70 miles north of New York itself I then hitched up to North Conway in New Hampshire. This was just as the fall colours were starting. A bright orange leaved tree is fine, 300 miles of brightly coloured trees gets a bit boring even though North Conway is basically "New England fall central" and the place is just stunning. It took a day or two of not actually "moving" to begin to appreciate it.

I'm with Tom - never felt the need to have music/audio intrusion whilst I'm riding. Then again I grew up in the country and appreciate silence or perhaps better put - the lack of intrusion of modern "life".

[faustus]

Agree with the sentiments about boredom being a state of mind. I often find myself more attracted to landscapes that might seem superficially 'dull' or 'monotonous'. I actually like riding in forest plantations (overlooking their sometimes dubious biodiversity for now!) and flat plains, as there are still plenty of things to see and take in - human and non-human - they are just harder to see but more rewarding because of it. It's why i'm quite drawn to the forests of Scandinavia, and why the TD appeals, because of the vast scale.

Also - no music for me, never appealed or needed.

[gairym]

I suppose all boredom really is is not enjoying the thing you're doing at that moment.

If I get like that whilst on a bike trip I stop doing the thing I'm not enjoying (i.e. riding my bike) and consider what I'd rather be doing instead on my 'holiday'.

Usually I end up having a little trailside nap, feel better and then carry on.

And if I genuinely don't want to ride my bike anymore then I stop, set up camp or get a room, eat some food, get an early night, rest and see what's what in the morning.

I think that's why I'm not suited to über challenges as ultimately I want to enjoy myself and I've got no desire to 'suffer' (the use of that word is contentious in this context I know) when in taking valuable time away from my family and work.

I want each day to be thoroughly bloody lovely! And I want that much more than I want to complete target X, distance Y or event Z.

But.....that's just me and I'm totally in awe (but not jealous) of those who put in 22 hour days and achieve mental mileages day after day - bloody go for it!!!

[gairym]

As for music.....

I used to say that on the road I want to hear what's coming and off-road I want to hear the area I'm riding through but.....when I'm doing something long and multi-day and I just need to get my head down and grind through some miles then I do really benefit from whacking the headphones on and zoning out for a while.

[Jurassic]

I think that's why I'm not suited to über challenges as ultimately I want to enjoy myself and I've got no desire to 'suffer' (the use of that word is contentious in this context I know) when in taking valuable time away from my family and work.

I want each day to be thoroughly bloody lovely! And I want that much more than I want to complete target X, distance Y or event Z.

But.....that's just me and I'm totally in awe (but not jealous) of those who put in 22 hour days and achieve mental mileages day after day - bloody go for it!!!

I like your outlook Gairy, I can totally relate to that. Sometimes folks that I know think I'm nuts for doing some of the activities that I do (as they involve what they perceive as hardship) but it's all very calculated to ensure that I manage the hardship to a level that allows me to still enjoy the experience as much as possible. Obviously variables such as weather can have a big impact on the challenge and I would never want to sanitise my outdoorsy experience too much but whilst I have total admiration for the exploits of folks undertaking some of these extreme endurance challenges I have no inkling to take on anything on that scale.

[FLV]

Looks like Dave stayed in Lima last night and has been on the move for a bit over an hour. Should see himself pass 1000miles today. Quite a long way in a week that

Go Dave !

[wriggles]

Dave has really been racking up the miles!

Looks like Montana and Wyoming are going to get some really sh1tty weather today with Snow above 5000'. Wonder if Joah Kato and Sofiane will be south of it and gain an advantage, although Sofianes bike was caked in peanut butter mud when he got into Wamsutter last night.

Edit; nope Facebook full of pictures of snow in Colorado as well!

Also kind of nice to see Mike Halls record flag has overtaken Josh and is catching Sofiane up. I seem to remember he went with very little sleep laterly the year he broke the record?

[Richpips]

I've bought two plane tickets today and Dogtag Insurance.

We fly out on the 25th of July.

Tom and I chatted with Mike at the Dirty Reiver about our respective TD plans back before his record run in 2016.

[wriggles]

Brilliant Rich! Fingers crossed no fires this year. Hopefully see you on RTTS tomorrow!