Getting Buff!


The training is going really well, the bike has settled in nicely and I have pieced together the final bits of kit needed for my trip. The most important bit of all? I still have the support of the crew at Buff!

What's a Buff? Well you've probably seen them around in some form or other but these are the real deal. Ultra runners and extreme athletes through to campfire junkies and style icons, they cater for all. They even make them for you're canine companion! 

To keep me spinning the wheels from my local lanes all the way to Mexico, they were kind enough to supply me with a few variations. On my reviews page you can find a no nonsense view of this sweet bit of kit. I'm currently using the mernio version;

 
This particular gem is wickable, breathable and offers UV protection as well as being anti-microbial meaning it won't stink after extended trips. Being merino this also works pretty much year round as it regulates body temperature extremely well. 

So far I've used Buffs as helmet liners, hats, scarfs, towels, wash bags, slings, bandana, food bags amongst others. For more uses head over to Buffs handy guide found here!  

Thanks for reading! Remember... 'Flat is boring!'
 

Momentum

I've had the winter to do my research, ride a few different bikes and worry about all things Divide related. It's looking like a May '16 start around the week beginning on 16th. 5 weeks of riding time total with a week's grace for a couple of days in Banff post flight and getting organized to make it home.

2745 miles at 35 days of riding puts me at a nice minimum daily mileage of 80 miles.

I'm pretty happy with my choice of bike.

The kind (and experienced!) folk at bikepacking.net along with a few other sources have given both good and bad reviews regarding the use of a cross bike along the Divide - some even saying 'it can't be done' - but I, along with a few other individuals beg to differ. More info can be found on The Bike link.

Keeping the faith

I'm sure I'm not the first and I sure as hell won't be the last to admit that I feel like I have massively underestimated what it takes to save, plan for and ultimately complete the Tour Divide.

 I had the 'I'm going to do the Tour Divide' idea early last year with the romantic image of me mustering the savings, gear and fitness to set off on a June 2015 Grand Depart but life has had other ideas. 

Sick of a job within the retail sector, I made the decision to spend my savings (which in May this year was on target for TD '15) on a Sports Massage qualification which will eventually lead to my escape. In the long run, great idea! Then add to this my car breaking down, much need breaks away and other necessities it began to look pretty bleak.

Off the back of this I became very frustrated. I watched friends and family complete awesome adventures and images of far off places began to, if I'm honest, piss me off quite a bit. 

 Expressing these views one day to a friend of mine, he said something that stuck and slapped me back into reality;

"Your Tour Divide trip started when you first discovered it..."  

Blimey... There's a point. 

When I started this blog I had always wanted to provide a source of information and inspiration for other people. The trip as a whole is massive but the preparation and planning is a good place to start. 

I plan to save, I plan to cycle, I plan to have life experience from start to finish. 

Adventurers and dreamers; KEEP THE FAITH!  

TOUCHDOWN!!!!!

2185 miles in 151 days along the AT: Georgia to Maine, USA.

Check out the blog: http://banjosandblisters.blogspot.co.uk/

If you're lucky enough to live near Truro, Cornwall, UK stay tuned to the Cotswold Truro Twitter feed as he'll be doing a talk on his hike in the near future!

Thru Hikers are coming....

In other news, my brother is about 70 miles away from being a 2000 miler!

He started on the Appalachian Trail back in March trekking through freezing temperatures, snow, rain and heat as well as bypassing the odd bear or two. 

His blog is found here: http://banjosandblisters.blogspot.co.uk/

A few technical issues prevented updates along the route but he'll be posting his tales shortly. 

Safe trip home bro! 

I'm still here!

I'm still alive, honest! The blog has taken a bit of a slow burn over the last few weeks due to a shift in job roles, sorting a new vehicle out as well as squeezing in the odd ride out where possible.

The ups of the last few weeks;

- New job role (more money = easier TD savings!)
- A surge in blog views (1555! You guys rock!)

The downs;

- Saving has been wiped out by my effort to escape the pains of a job within the retail sector (taking up Sports Massage Therapy with an aim of treating broken cyclists!).
- Not ridden my bike half as much as I would have liked to!

Life goes on though despite having no cash in the bank for my trip and having doubts about going single-speed. 

To be continued I feel....
 

We are Macmillan Cancer Support

Bit of a step forward with my fundraising. The original page I created via Justgiving.com has been shuffled, pictures added and links managed. 

You can now donate online here:  Racing The Divide

Or you can make a speedy txt donation: 'RTGD87 £1' to 70070

TXT is completely free of charge!

You can also find out more about the fantastic work Macmillan Cancer Support tirelessly do by clicking the link to the right....

Power to the people!

I've always been pretty happy with my bike setup: No pains in the knees, back or neck and no pins and needles in my hands. 

So.... All good yes? Well, I thought that until I had a Wattbike Powerfit.

What you see above is a before (left) and after (right). My pedaling is pretty consistent on both legs but overall power (wattage) is low. 

After a few measurements of my Salsa Fargo and some adjustments here and there my output was increased by over 90%. 

Talk to your local bike dealer about Wattbikes, they're the future!


 

2014 Tour Divide

Well we're a few weeks past the 2014 Grand Depart of the Tour Divide. Some will still be out on the route, and closing fast on New Mexico, but for Jefe Branham the race is over....

(Photo Credits: Vicki Rystrom)

16 days, 2 hours & 37 minutes in the saddle. That's what it took to claim victory on this years TD race.

Great pedaling by all in some testing Wintry conditions. Take a look at Bikepackers Magazine 'Faces of the Tour Divide'.

Hungry for more!

So I've foolishly signed up for another event. 

Moving on from the rolling hills of the Mountain Mayhem, this latest venture will see me tackling 200km of Welsh wildcountry goodness....

A true bikepacking Independent Time Trial (ITT). The Bearbones 200 is well worth a look if you fancy an organised jaunt around the hills and valleys.

Entries have just opened! Get your place here: BB200
 

Wiggle Wiggle Wiggle!

The legs have made a smooth recovery after the immense Wiggle Mountain Mayhem 24hr Mtb Event. 

I entered the event as a team of 5 and we all had a great time getting in 5 consistent laps each giving us a great result of 16th of 70!

Highly recommended for everybody that rides a bike!  

Cooking on gas!

This years Tour Divide is in full flow! Follow the racers here;

http://trackleaders.com/tourdivide14 

In other news...

Awesome weekend watching the UCI MTB World Cup in Fort William, Scotland!

 

Atmosphere was unbelievable and I'd recommend a visit to anybody, no matter what your cycling discipline of choice might be! 

Be sure to check out the updates on the useful links page. I've added a provider of great value flights as well as a kit supplier. 

Blog & sponsor stickers are on the bike...

First big mileage day on a Single gear complete...

And the bike is looking swish...

My Twitter has also now been sorted out so I can provide updates on the move during training & events.  

Hope you're all getting the miles in this weekend! The weather forecast looks great!

 

Buff gear arrives!

Been pretty excited with the support from Buff. They have been kind enough to sort me out with Buff headwear for every condition you could think of as well as some cool shorts & baselayer apparel.

They're on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Bufflife  

They're also on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BuffLife

See you on the trails! 

Buff join the party!

Fantastic news! The guys & gals at Buff have offered support for the many miles ahead. 

For those of you that haven't come across the awesome products before I'd urge you to visit them at www.buffwear.co.uk.

Multifunctional headwear of all sorts of varieties, there's something for everybody! 

Many thanks for your support guys!  
 

Who needs gears?!?!

So the bike is now a 29er.... And single-speed. And it's now blue. 

There's method behind the madness, I promise!

I was putting a lot of thought into the trip recently. Originally I wanted a trip about three/four weeks long: Fly out, push myself mentally and physically to the limit at approx 120+ miles a day, fly home. 

2 outcomes from that: 

- Massive success: See Canada and the USA in a bit of a sleep deprived blur & bragging rights when I get my sore body home.

- Utter failure: Bike fails early on, get eaten by bears, it rains (I'm talking Noah's Ark style...) and I quit having bitten off more than I can chew.

So. The thinking cap went on.

2745 miles through somewhere I've never set eyes on before? Too good to miss I say! Extend the trip to 6 weeks, shrink my daily mileage and enjoy what bikepacking is all about. 

I'm now planning on a tent rather than a bivi, I've gone single-speed to slow myself down and I'm going to enjoy every. single. second.

Interesting times!

So I've been putting some thought into the bike. 

I'm pretty happy pedaling all day on a 26er wheel. It's lightweight, I have the bike built already therefore saving me some cash however I found myself wanting to push further.

The terrain on the GDMBR is wide open trails so I did my homework and asked around on the forums regarding reputable 29er rigs. The general view was Salsa....

 

I've never been a fan of 29ers and I've certainly never been a fan of drop bars. So what now? Turns out I'm building a drop bar 29er: The Salsa 'Fargo'.

Stay tuned on the bike page for more info!

Fundraising goes live!

A bit keen I know but I wanted the page up early on. 

http://www.justgiving.com/RacingTheDivide

I'll be raising funds for Macmillan Cancer Support. They improve the lives of those affected by cancer by providing information, support and care to those in need. 

Having received this support first hand I am keen to repay the favour! Please spread the word & share the link. It'd be much appreciated.

Whoops!

Some may have noticed in the below post that my tracked route didn't quite hit the 23 mile target. Here's why....

Didn't have much warning and it could have ended up much worse had the trails been busier. 

So my RaceFace NEXT crankset has bit the dust. Still wanting to keep the 1x10 setup and not having the funds to get hold of the same setup again I'll be going for a Shimano ZEE.

Ride safe! 

Progress!

I can certainly feel the benefit of getting back on the bike 'properly' and it's helped having the TD as a massive goal. 

I'm lucky to work on a circular 23 mile cycle route on which I can train on regularly. During the summer I'm planning to double up on the laps at least once a once a month to simulate longer days in the saddle with my bikepacking rig.