TOUR DIVIDE 2024 RACE COVERAGE DAY8: 'Mud in the Basin'

Welcome to my daily coverage of the 2024 Tour Divide. The Tour Divide is a 2700mile bikepacking race traversing the length of the USA. The Tour Divide starts in Banff, Canada and finishes at Antelope Wells on the USA/Mexico border.
The record for bikepacking the Tour Divide is help by the late Mike Hall and is 13 days 22hours and 51minutes set in 2016.
Lael Wilcox currently holds the women's Tour Divide record with a time of 15 days 10 hours 59 minutes.
A huge thank you to Redshift for their support of the race updates, check out their website here:
redshiftsports...
Get a 15% discount using TDibbett ( valid for June 24)
Check out Bikepacking.com's race preview here:
bikepacking.co...
See a details route map on ridewithgps.com here:
ridewithgps.co...
Over 200 bike packers are lining up for the 2024 Tour Divide. I will be bringing daily updates from the event as I follow the race tracker with further insight into the race route including video shot on the race. I hope I can bring the race to life!
The 2024 Tour Divide race tracker can be found here:
trackleaders.co...
A big thank you to the brands that support me:
Mason Cycles - masoncycles.cc
Hunt Bike wheels - www.huntbikewh...
Albion Cycling - www.albioncycl...
Tailfin Bikepacking equipment - www.tailfin.cc...
Enduro bearings - cycling.enduro...
If you like my videos and would like to help me produce more, please consider buying me a 'virtual coffee' at the link below, thanks!
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[@luluemmons9757]

The Little Snake River Museum is located in Savery Wyoming south of Wamsutter and we have snacks,soda, ice cream, fozen dinners...filtered water. Be sure and stop! We are open 9-5 but if we are closed, you can still get water and a few snacks.

[@Wade970]

I find it interesting how Lael and Lachey’s times don’t count because someone took their pictures, but they’re still the standard to base progress on. Strong work to all the riders on course, and frankly any else who’s getting out on their bike and pushing their personal limits.

[@egalegal2058]

If you watch Lachlan‘s movie, you have to admit that the crew nearby was a safety net on the night around Union Pass. I would say, without the crew Lachlan would not have gone over that pass with that thunderstorm. And his great run would not have counted as an FKT for another reason: he had to change the route due to wildfires. Maybe his biggest accomplishment was, that he showed your are faster if you take care of yourself and don’t go to far into sleep deprivation. I think we see, that both Uba and Justinas changed their strategy this year and sleep more and more regularly. I think in a couple of days we will have two FKTs: one for the old route set by Mike Hall and one for the new route likely set by Justinas

[@Mike-vd2qt]

@Wade970 Lael won the TD last year in 2023. The photo controversy took place in 2019.

[@timothyjohnson656]

I think the women’s record is Lael’s 2015 ride.

[@nazarottto]

Looks like wireless shifting is not as robust as it is usually perceived to be. Lachlan Morton had to single speed his bike in the final stage of his Tour Divide, now we have Marie who's having problems with the batteries.

[@streddaz]

It’s the extremely low temperatures that give any battery run device issues. If you ran the derailleur off your dyno hub you probably would be ok.

[@sveinungfluge1606]

Are you certain that nobody on mechanical groupsets had any problems?

[@ian_pedalz]

Everyone has mechanicals, electronic or mechanical. It just seems like mechanical if set up properly (external cable routing) is easier to fix on the fly. Pinion gearbox with belt drive seems to be getting more and more popular in the states and for good reason.

[@nazarottto]

@@sveinungfluge1606 No, but I'm certain that if the mechanical shifting on my bike broke down, I could at least fix it myself. If I were to use something that isn't user-repairable at all such as wireless shifting, then it would need to 'just work'.

[@jenne1corn581]

Thank you for this coverage! Also: Did not know about the Detour podcast - will be listening!

[@user-wn9hu5st8i]

Thanks for bringing Edyn on the broadcast just so you know his last name is pronounced tie-gee . Like neck tie and “g”

[@JohnMFlores]

Thanks again for your coverage!

[@PhilEnsminger]

Great work Josh. Keep it up.

[@kai_v_k]

I always wonder if this is just a bad contact. I know that some electronics (telecommunication) use sometimes contact grease, that no moisture can come in. I think something close to Vaseline. So some contact grease will reduce corrosion and shorting out of contacts due to moisture. Corrosion or bad contacts also lead to a voltage drop, having a cold battery also leads to a lower voltage and less current. It would fit the problem description of many riders who complain about problems in the cold and wet. (Li batteries are notorious for their bad low temperature performance, especially LFP. Sodium based batteries would be a solution, but they have only about half the capacity.)

[@AntonWoldhek]

Thanks Josh!

[@jastity8646]

My current race-within-a-race is the battle of the South Australians. Jimmy Ashby did so well, but now seems to have dropped back quite a few places. Injury? Teamwork? Now Aidan Lampe is fifth, excellent work. And Raymond Friedrich is ninth. Really the state is punching well beyond its weight. But let’s face it, if you are out there still pedalling you are a star.

[@stefansirkia]

I have cycled in the Finnish winter with Sram's eTap, even in severe frosts, without any problems.

[@joshibbett]

I think it may be more of a connection issue in prolonged bad weather

[@firsthippy]

​@@joshibbettI wish Shimano had cheaper MTB Di2. It's been great for road and gravel but I'm almost at the point of sticking AXS on my hardtail. Then again, maybe not, given all the TD issues.

[@scottpetrie1607]

Running the topshelf bars on my TD rig right now, liking them so far! Also running AXS GX transmission, no problems with batteries so far. Got 8 days of riding out of 2 batteries

[@cyberpunkfpv3032]

first cuttoff fork and then buy bar with rise - genius😂

[@daggius]

are velomobiles allowed in the race?

[@kai_v_k]

Might actually, makes zero sense though. There are quite a few stretches of singletrack, some you even have to carry your bike (The wall), also I doubt you make it down alive Fleecers ridge and Lava Mountain would also not be passable, let alone Koko Claims.

[@miketrowbridge3284]

What's the "Independent Time Trial" category? Are they not really in the race?

[@egalegal2058]

They started any time after the Grand Depart. I think the consensus is, that their time counts against the FKT, but not against the yearly race. Lael‘s women’s record was an ITT

[@egalegal2058]

Predictions are only fun if they are bold and I know everything can change in a second but: I know where about half way through the race, but I am pretty certain we already have the men’s and women’s podium. Marie-Solaire has huge gaps to second and fourth and is in good spirits. Ana had to rest a lot less than Megan and is still trailing. I don’t think she can catch up soon. Megan should be better rested and seems to be faster than Ana. Women’s one and two is the spot where I am the lest certain, but still my bets are on Megan. In the men’s race Laurens made a big push with only napping a few times since he left Colter Bay in the Tetons. Still by the time he will leave Brush Mountain Lodge he will be trailing Uba by the same about 16 hours he did before this push. On the other hand he managed to reestablish a commanding lead over fourth and fifth placed Megan and Thomas. So from here on he will go back to his previous routine of sleeping every night, riding fast in between and maybe wait for a mechanical, illness or bad weather for the leaders. He will sleep in Breckenridge, Sargents, Platoro, Cuba, Pie town and Silver city and finish after 14,5 days. He will come back next year and be even faster. Uba said before the race started on @bikesordeath, that his priority is the triple crown, he would like to win the Tour Divide but not at the price of jeopardizing the Triple Crown. He will continue to sleep indoors and every night in Kremling, Poncha Springs, Del Norte, Abiqui, Grants and Silver City. During the days he will ride efficient and consistent and finish after 13,5 days. Justinas is strong and so flexible in his sleep schedule. He will pull ahead a little more as he makes his way over Boreas and through the Hartsel Basin today. He will than notice that this year he only can beat himself and will settle in a constant speed and daily rhythm. He will sleep in Silverthorne, Sargents, Platoro, Cuba and at Beaverhead Station. He will finish after 13 days and some minutes a little after sunrise. With that we would have a new record to chase. In my opinion Mike Halls record stands as well as he did his record on a different route in a different era. His record will not be beaten by the new one but retired. The same is true if Megan stays ahead of Lael’s record. Justinas‘ record will be up for grabs in following years as we see an ever evolving sport.

[@CycleXplorer]

No portaloo in the basin to shelter in this time 🚽

[@madisondeans5566]

No electronic shifting should be allowed due to safety concerns,i.e.cant move! Mechanical shifting a proven transmission!! Relying on batteries,so 2020's😂

[@michaelhayward7572]

Electronics. On bicycles. Just say NO !

[@FluteCMSN]

Lip smacking and swallowing during public communications is a complete no no. Improve and reach for excellence.

[@richardwolf6269]

Don’t be a dick!