Anyone else dotwatching? I'm keeping my eye on Stef and Dave from Pannier (219a/b), and Sheffielder Megan Wilson (57).
Apparently Megan got hit by a car before the start. She's riding but has some nasty wounds. Fingers crossed she can stay free from any infections.

Yep, just clicked on it.
https://srmr2019.maprogress.com/
Markus Stitz has been there a week already getting some miles in so should be in good form.
We should have some good updates following last years success too. There was some drone footage of the start on FB so all being well we should see more....

Good thread ... Maybe if someone on FB or Twitter (and if its allowed to tweet/FB her like this) they should mention the honey thing to her... Should be able to find plenty raw natural honey from beekeepers enroute and then eat it and slather it on the wounds... Should (I mean will*) safeguard from infection and heal it right over...

In other news... Looks like JP is ahead (has he got sails?) and Lael Wilcox not far behind with our very own James Hayden giving it the good race around 5 more spots behind Lael... I'm thinking its James Haydens year

*Because I'm convinced because Mohammed (PBUH) the prophet of Islam said so based upon the info revealed in the Quran http://www.miracles-of-quran.com/honey_bees.htm

Assuming I'm reading the tracking page correctly, 24 non starters seems a lot, has there been any comment on this?

redefined_cycles wrote: ↑Sat Aug 17, 2019 11:08 am In other news... Looks like JP is ahead (has he got sails?) and Lael Wilcox not far behind with our very own James Hayden giving it the good race around 5 more spots behind Lael... I'm thinking its James Haydens year

I'm taking the tracking with a pinch of salt at the mo. Most folk will be running pretty long intervals to preserve their batteries. I think as the race progresses and folk get strung out we'll get a clearer picture.

Not seen any chat on the non starters, but there's at least one bike that failed to make it to the start.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1Pt4o1IjLH/

Landslide wrote: ↑Sat Aug 17, 2019 11:16 am Not seen any chat on the non starters, but there's at least one bike that failed to make it to the start.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1Pt4o1IjLH/

That guys made it now:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B1Q6VsFo1lP ... oj7ir6ezgj

These guys using spots and garmins for dot duties? Or is it another system due to different platform

redefined_cycles wrote: ↑Sat Aug 17, 2019 7:58 pm These guys using spots and garmins for dot duties? Or is it another system due to different platform

Lael Wilcox is using a spot: https://bikepacking.com/bikes/laels-201 ... g-and-kit/

One other guy using an inreach: https://bikepacking.com/bikes/2019-silk ... race-rigs/

(apologies, thread trolling ... excuse is Cheery Friday... probably understood every tenth word of this thread and strangely pleased thereby .. Reg Dibnah Perrin ....)

FB reports are detailed...

135 riders were on the starting line, with 1,705kms and 27,000m of climbing ahead of them

From 2,300m in elevation the snow has started to come in thick and fast. Some riders have decided to plough on through, others striking up camp in a bid to get dry, warm and possibly some rest

68741338_1131555903707938_6354243426820554752_n by Jeff Price, on Flickr

summittoppler wrote: ↑Sat Aug 17, 2019 10:07 pm FB reports are detailed...

135 riders were on the starting line, with 1,705kms and 27,000m of climbing ahead of them

From 2,300m in elevation the snow has started to come in thick and fast. Some riders have decided to plough on through, others striking up camp in a bid to get dry, warm and possibly some rest

68741338_1131555903707938_6354243426820554752_n by Jeff Price, on Flickr

They look to be having the time of their lives... rider at the rear seems to have used the good old 'plastic bags under yer socks' trick...

Hope they all manage to get through it all safely

Shona and Rich solid midpack on the tandem. Good to see.

Looks like Rich & Shona are out!
:(

Yep, Shona bopped her head and got a rather big lump taken out.

"So it seems that most accidents do happen in the home - or this case the guest house. We got to the end of day 2 feeling good and just ahead of schedule. At a guest house in the middle of the night we found out that not everything agrees with Shona’s stomach. While passing out she hit her head and got a deep cut on her forehead. As riding with no helmet isn’t an option we made the difficult decision to scratch. Totally gutted as we were going well and just settling into it. We’re missing the dusty gravel already as we head back to Bishkek a bit deflated to get stitched up. "

Oh no! That's a big shame.

Shona mentioned that there were a few doubters out there in bikepacking land about the suitability of a tandem but having just received an email direct from the horses mouth, it appears that things were going according to plan.

From Shona earlier this morning.

We’re out, beyond gutted!
We’re doing ok and the tandem was quite fun, we decided to get a guest house in Chaek so Rich could get a good nights sleep. Anyway middle of the night I feel rough and get up to go to the loo, I don’t remember anything then apart from coming round on the floor with blood p1ssing out my head. I’d fainted and smacked it on some metal stairs, Rich stuck it together with steristrips but I’m headed back to Bishkek to get it looked at. It’s very deep (and the flies like it if I stand around too long)
I probably could have continued except I can’t get a helmet on it.... no helmet no race plus i think I may be a bit confused (slight blurred vision and a motherf*cker of a headache). But here’s the thing after 2 days riding I know we could have done it - we always knew if we felt ok by the time we’d pushed over Kengety that then the next 2 sections were easier and the last was Kegety x 2 (if that makes sense). It’s a real p1sser- it’s the sort of thing you never see coming .

Not been following with any consistency but looks like James Haydon is now up into 2nd place, no?

Read a race report on Instagram this morning that said he was coming through the field but that's an impressive stint to get where he now is.

Not that I condone bikepacking racing or anything

Definitely a destination for a nice pleasant bikepacking tour of the route at some point

At least it still looks like its anyone's race after day 3 comes to an end compared to last year. James Hayden had a late finish to pitch up in 1st.
I wonder if JP is suffering from Salsa blues or is he ready to strike in the 2nd half.....?

Looks like James Hayden now in 1st and JP is only 'but 1' ahead of Lael Wilcox... I reckon he's been giving some real beans to prove he's really the King of the Mountain and maybe is starting to tyre from overdoing it (not that I would know such a thing) cos of running on beans and spite for over 2 days...

Hopefully LW will be overtaking him any time soon.. I always wondered (cos reports of both being part of the SRMR have been evident for some time) what they'd talk about when they next see each other...

Looks like they'll know sooner or later ..

My monies on Jay saying "hey Lael"... and Lael just ignoring him and marching forth

Looks like at some ppint whilst we slept, James Hayden also had a quick snooze at CP1 and remains in the lead...

In other news LW has overtaken the JayP

I wonder if Lael had a film crew with her
*salt in wounds!

summittoppler wrote: ↑Tue Aug 20, 2019 6:47 am I wonder if Lael had a film crew with her
*salt in wounds!

summittoppler wrote: ↑Tue Aug 20, 2019 6:47 am I wonder if Lael had a film crew with her
*salt in wounds!

The race has it's own film crew...
Wonder what they would've said to an individual's film crew.
...
Well.... no I don't wonder tbh.

Looks very close at the pointy end, its gonna be a close finish. Good to see no one 'walking' away with it this this year!