AZT 300: Race mistakes, lessons, triumphs from bikepacking the Arizona Trail

[@anotheryoutuber_]

heart rate meter and power meter are like having a tachometer and temp gauge on a car when learning to drive a manual gear box, once you get better at knowing the sounds and feels, i prefer to drop the device monitoring but i absolutely get the benefit on race days or targeted training efforts. fun tends to be a greater driver for me over data but its nice to have em both to check in occasionally. ive recently started cross training with long distance skateboarding to mix up training volume cause its a riot and helps break up training monotony. only problem ive seen from the indoor trainer is the extra corrosion if not wiping down the bike with a sprayer filled with distilled water. absolutely agree that the problem solving from adventuring is best used as "folly-fuel" letting you do more and complain less. keep having fun!

[@DirtyTeethMTB]

Thanks for sharing :) love that you’re skateboarding for cross training 🤙 ride on!

[@richardjacoby7812]

Another fun and informative video. Ie. Proper hydration and sodium uptake

[@DirtyTeethMTB]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@thomasseymour4190]

Awesome video! Patrick was riding my bike. Cool to see it out there again. Great run and time. Appreciate your insights on trip planning, hydration and the motivation for structured training.

[@DirtyTeethMTB]

Thanks for watching and so selfless of you to let Patrick ride your bike 🤙🤙 ride on!!!

[@PumpkinVillage]

Good decision to enjoy the event. Taking care of your mental health is important.. Another well done and informative video. Partially torn Achilles surgery has me off the bike until October. Just in time to start training up for fat bike season here in Vermont. Take care, Al

[@DirtyTeethMTB]

Bummer to hear about your achilles, but your attitude is inspiring- cheers to a quick and full recovery and a fantastic fat bike season 🤙 ride on!

[@dannyzuehlsdorf3697]

From my experiences riding in 100+ degree temps, it was very easy to rev from zone 2 to zone 4+, blasting right past zone 3. Heart rate monitor is an excellent idea when it's HOT.

[@DirtyTeethMTB]

Thanks for sharing your insight:) ride on🤙

[@stevevanness4195]

I’ve mentioned this on a couple other channels, but I think the possibility of auto shifting is really being overlooked the moment. I haven’t run a compute on my bike in decades and it’s all mechanical, but for training, I would love to not have to think about intervals and just have it happen. I would imagine auto shifting would also be more efficient for racing due to all the live data available to a computer. I’d enjoy hearing your thoughts on it, and if anyone could make it happen I’d put the odds on you! Thanks

[@andrewjansen6723]

this is already a thing on GasGas e-bikes - made by SRAM, it will trickle down over time - so you've called it!

[@DirtyTeethMTB]

They’ve already figured out how to live tune suspension with flight attendant… will be fun to see how this evolves- thanks for sharing!!

[@teddgram]

I've had a heart monitor for a while now and recently got a power meter. I am definitely no racer by any stretch of the imagination, but I do like taking long bike rides or trips with my bike and having both helps keep my efforts in check. It is an awesome way to gauge that it's time for a rest and/or eat a meal. At the very least to dial back my efforts a bit before I run out of energy too early into the ride. The newer Garmin Edge units can use that data to gauge how much further you can ride at your given pace.

[@DirtyTeethMTB]

Thanks for sharing your insight- ride on!

[@AdventuresWithDaniel]

Really good tips here. Have a great time on the Colorado Trail!!! I'm in Pueblo CO

[@DirtyTeethMTB]

Thanks! Will do! I’ll be going Durango-Denver on an ITT while the Grand Depart goes south/west… should be fun crossing paths with everyone - ride on !!

[@robertbotta6536]

Your vids are always awesome. Thanks bro

[@DirtyTeethMTB]

I appreciate that! Ride on 🤙

[@albert85b]

Chris at the gas station was a highlight!

[@DirtyTeethMTB]

For me too!! Ride on 🤙

[@mickilkr]

Excellent vid!

[@DirtyTeethMTB]

Thanks!

[@MichaelJulio]

Sweet. Great Video. Are you going to do a bike/ gear walk thru?

[@DirtyTeethMTB]

Thanks for watching 🤙 no gear check for that AZT… pretty much the same as the CTR bike/gear check I made, except for the wheels (which have their own video as well) - ride on!

[@MichaelJulio]

Sweet. Thanks!

[@Hansenrum2000]

Great and helpful video, thank you very much. What was your light setup for this ride?

[@DirtyTeethMTB]

Fenix BC26R on handlebars and Exposure joystick on helmet - ride on 🤙

[@Hansenrum2000]

@@DirtyTeethMTB Would you recommend the Fenix BC26R? I bought one a few months ago for trips without dynamo but have not had a chance to use it. What about the run time and recharging?

[@DirtyTeethMTB]

@Hansenrum2000 I like the BC26R - I carry an extra battery or two, and you can recharge them as well 🤙 decent burn time on two lowest settings…

[@Nicky_Pin_It]

Sketchy gas station stories are the Best Stories

[@DirtyTeethMTB]

😂😂 thanks for watching - ride on!

[@TheJoePavlik]

My experience riding the azt as someone who lives in Arizona is don't. Unless you have an incredibly ultralight carbon full suspension setup. It is a hiking trail and has some really awful sections to ride a bike on. I understand the challenge aspect of the aztr but it really seems like a very unfun thing to put yourself through. Kudos Alan on your ride.

[@thomasseymour4190]

Gotta respectfully disagree. It’s hard, but beautiful and completely worth it. But you’re right, much of it is a hiking trail and there is a ton of hike a bike; I’m going back with flats and trail running shoes. Made the switch last week to get used to it, it kind of sucks but not terrible and I’ll get used to it.

[@davidmurphy9151]

@@thomasseymour4190 A lot of good flat mountain bike shoes - not ideal for long walks but a good middle ground.

[@thomasseymour4190]

@@davidmurphy9151yeah, I know and own a decent pair. They’re too sticky my feet get stuck in weird positions and I just don’t like them. My compromise is salmon xapros; they’re stiff for pedaling, stay in place on pinned pedals well enough and I can more easily maneuver my foot around while still pedaling. I accidentally discovered this while taking my dog on a quick pedal before work one morning.

[@DirtyTeethMTB]

Thanks for sharing your opinion - ride on 🤙

[@notpablo8369]

Hello dad what bike did you use on your ITT?

[@DirtyTeethMTB]

Niner RKT9 RDO

[@1LeggedAdventures]

An issue i had with storing my powder in ziplocs - it seemed to clump up in the bag. Almost as if there was condensation going from inside the house to the hot humid texas heat. Anyone else have this issue?

[@DirtyTeethMTB]

Interesting... I've never experienced that... just used freezer grade ziplocs on the CTR and worked perfectly... ride on!

[@turbo3177]

Mike Hall never used a powermeter!

[@DirtyTeethMTB]

Thanks for watching