Two Months and Two Weeks!

That's the amount of time left before the Grand Depart of the Tour Divide!  Not that much time and if I think about it too much I start stressing out.  No matter how much I train and prepare I still feel like I'm not doing nearly enough. 

It's the same way if I start thinking about the length of the route.  It's a lot to grasp when I think about 2,745 miles and 200,000 feet of elevation gain.  But I learned during the Trans North Georgia that you just have to make small goals which in turn gives you small rewards.  I like the expression, "one day at a time." The same goes when thinking about how prepared I am.  I remember making last minute decisions the morning of the start of the Trans North Georgia.  This time around, I hope to at least have things a little more dialed by that point!

Training with TC Webb up in Vermont

I just got back from visiting some friends up in Vermont and got to get a few training rides in.  It was great since it's the start of mud season up there.  All the roads were extremely mushy and we even had to hike through some snow.  Perfect Divide training!

Now that I'm home, I'm starting to put together my gear and see how it all fits in my new bags I received last week.  Makes for a heavy bike but I've noticed I can go a little faster down hills now thanks to the extra weight.  Hopefully that will compensate for the extreme snail-like pace I'll be keeping on the climbs. 

The weather seems to finally be stabilizing a little and hopefully we won't see any more snow (although I am not holding my breath).  I'm looking forward to getting out with a loaded bike and doing some longer rides.  It will give me a good opportunity to explore some new areas with a whole different mentality.  

Article about the Pioneer of the Tour Divide, John Stamstad

This is a great article worth checking out if you are interested in ultra endurance athlete, John Stamstad.

http://www.outsideonline.com/blog/outdoor-adventure/catching-up-with-the-legendary-john-stamstad.html

I really like his response to this question which can be found in the article:

"Have you ever been broken by a race?""The only event that can break you is the one you are not mentally prepared for. Dirt is just dirt, mountains just mountains. Hard, is a totally relative term--relative to your mindset and expectations. If you are truly prepared to suffer, no course is hard--they are just fast or slow."  - John Stamstad

Gaining Momentum, One Pedal Stroke at a Time

So what's been going on?  Well, mostly just tons of time in the saddle!  I've almost logged 300 miles this week and still have tomorrow to ride. Some days my motivation is high and other days, quite low. You wouldn't think that riding your bike so much could eventually get boring.  But there are still lots of places to explore and lots of people willing to get out and ride so it's been fun.

So far I have raised almost $500 that will go to Trips for Kids WNC.  That's 25% of the goal!  I have to say thanks to all the great folks out there who have donated and helped to spread the word!  Every little bit helps!  Spreading the word on Facebook and other social media sites is a great way to help out as well!  Tell all your friends!


Magic Cycles and Earth Fare are also showing their support in helping me reach my goal by providing biking needs and healthy food!  Gotta keep the steed and the engine running smooth and clean.

My bikepacking kit is almost put together.  I'm just waiting for one more bag to arrive that attaches to the handlebars.  Once I get that (next week) I will get some photos and a post up about my bikepacking setup and some of the gear I'll be bringing along.

Keep checking back for more updates and don't forget to Donate to help get more kids outside and onto bikes!

Donation Page:  http://tripsforkidswnc.kintera.org/ryansigsbey

Changing the lives of kids, one bike at a time!

I wouldn't be taking on the Tour Divide if it wasn't for my outdoor experiences as a kid. Taking off down the driveway on my bike with no real destination in sight.  The feeling of freedom was overwhelming and continues to be today. Of course I'm a little more focused on a destination this time; Antenlope Wells, New Mexico.  But I'm relying on the same yearning for adventure and freedom I had as a kid.

These kids look like they're having a good time!

Trips For Kids WNC is an amazing organization based out of Asheville, North Carolina that focuses on getting kids outdoors and on bikes! They have mountain bike outings for kids, a bike "thrift store" where they have a variety of bikes, parts and other accessories, and programs where kids can earn bikes.

Visit their website at www.tripsforkidswnc.com

All this is organized by local bike advocate and community supporter, Stephen Janes. I have yet to meet Stephen in person but can't wait for the opportunity to share ideas about my fundraising and the Tour Divide. Stephen told me he would also like to race the Tour Divide and with his track record, I have no doubts he will accomplish his goal.

Stephen Janes talks with the kids about bike safety.

When I decided to use the Tour Divide race to raise money for an organization, there was no question which one I was going to pick.  I had heard about Trips for Kids WNC before and it always made me think of how important my bike was to me when I was younger.  It was my transportation and the path to my adventures and experiences. I think it's important that kids have the opportunity to experience adventure by bike and that's exactly what Trips for Kids WNC does.

If you would like to donate to my fundraising efforts please visit the fundraising page here. I really appreciate your support in helping Trips for Kids WNC and hope that you will follow along as I race the Tour Divide.

Images courtesy of Trips for Kids WNC

Big Thanks to Eddie Clark!

Thanks to Eddie Clark for the great photo used as the background image on the blog.  He is a great photographer and has followed the Tour Divide the past few years and really captured the vast solitude of the race.

To check out more of his work on the Tour Divide, head on over to his website www.eddieclarkmedia.com

Image Courtesy of Eddie Clark

Racing the Divide for Kids

This June I'll be racing the Tour Divide which is a self supported mountain bike race along the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. The route covers over 2700 miles climbing over 200,000 feet! Riders must be totally self supported and carry their gear with them.

I’ll be riding to raise money for a local organization called “Trips for Kids WNC.” This organization is amazing and has been really successful in getting kids outside and on bikes! They have only been around for a few years so are looking to gain more support to provide more opportunities for kids!

All you have to do is click the “Donate” link on the side of the site, enter your information and how much you would like to contribute and Donate. All the money I raise will be going to Trips for Kids WNC, a local organization who gets kids outdoors. This is something that I am very passionate about because when I was a kid all of my outdoor experiences helped to mold the person I am today. There is so much kids can learn from being outdoors!

So, when the Tour Divide gets really tough I know that when I turn around you will be there telling me to push on. And together we can help and make it harder to just throw in the towel. I am asking for your help. I am asking for some support. Not only for me but for an organization that I think is really important to the future of our kids.

By donating money to this cause you will not only be helping me get to Antelope Wells, but most of all you will be supporting Trips for Kids WNC to help get kids outdoors!

Tour Divide 2013!

Just got a confirmation email from Matthew Lee that my Letter of Intent was accepted for the Tour Divide 2013!!  

So many questions and specifics I am wondering about but I just don't know where to start.  A huge part of me just wants to figure it out on my own but that seems a little crazy.  Why not use these great resources at your fingertips?    Prioritize your concerns and realize which ones are true concerns and which ones will ultimately play themselves out in the end.

This is going to be an amazing adventure and I am lucky to have the opportunity.  I have a great uncle who is letting me take time off work, an amazing wife who is extremely supportive and understanding and so many amazing friends and family.

Thanks!

New Year, New Goals!

Reflections on a Great Year!

This past year has been amazing!  So many great biking adventures, both with friends and without!  I have really gone out and tested the waters in a short period of time and maybe its a little early to determine whether I will be successful or not but self supported endurance racing is definitely at the forefront of my biking priorities at the moment!

The Pisgah 111k (www.pisgahproductions.com) was definitely my first long distance race.  Not even really that long at only 70 miles but it did pack in 11,000 feet of climbing through some of the best trails the Pisgah Ranger District has to offer.  It was great experience and had me instantly hooked!

Somewhere between that race and mid summer I decided that the Trans North Georgia would be a good idea to attempt next.  I think I really had my sights set on the Tour Divide however how can you just decide that you want to ride a 2,745 mile self supported mountain bike race when you haven't even done any over night bikepacking!?  So the TNGA was set as the "test ride" to see what it was all about.  I trained pretty hard having done a lot of normal (shortish) riding and a lot of road riding over the summer.  I managed to pull off a couple 60-70 miles days on the mountain bike and did one overnight trip, covering about 40-50 miles each day.  I documented my first overnight trip for the Salsa Cycles Video Contest and ended up winning a Fargo Frame!

My Path - Salsa Cylces Video Contest Entry from Ryan Sigsbey on Vimeo.

TNGA Start - I'm Psyched!

The TNGA ended up going really well.  Especially since I had no idea what to expect!  2 days, 20 hours and some minutes was my finishing time.  Less than I had thought!  I learned a ton during the trip and most of my setup worked out pretty well.  I definitely learned that on shorter races like this you can certainly go light and fast!  Maybe another year I will attempt to beat my old time!  One day I will try and post up a trip report.  I have one started somewhere but it got put on the back burner.  I think the best part about the Tour Divide was when I finished at 4 am and thought I was going to be camping out behind the gas station waiting for the shuttle to arrive the next morning.  Come to find out my wife, Andi and my mother-in-law, Judy were there waiting along with Andi's Uncle Mike!  Did I mention it was 4 am?!  I have some great family and a great wife!

So... after the TNGA I figured, what the heck!  This is the year!

TOUR DIVIDE 2013!

I talked it over with Andi and we decided that this was the best time for this to happen!  Kiddies will be on their way soon enough and this needs to happen before that!  I had a talk with Tuxbury, my boss and he said we could make it work as well.....sooooo.....

Here we go!!

My Dad and I - Iceman 2012

After the TNGA, I definitely took some time off to let my body recover.  Quite a bit of time actually.  I managed to train a little for the Iceman Race in Michigan.  Although I didn't train enough to best my time from last year!  It was actually about a minute slower this year!  Dangit!  Oh well.  It was fun and there was snow this year so that made it pretty fun!  What a beautiful place I was raised in.  Being up there, on my bike, with family made me want to stay.  

Since being home I have just been enjoying the bike and exploring new areas.  18 Mile Road, Sand Mountain and various other places.  My Fargo frame is set to arrive tomorrow and I can't wait to get it built up and start exploring some old logging roads in the area.  I have about 2 or 3 ideas in mind right now and endless other opportunities!  It will make training all the more exciting when I can mix in exploration!  That is what its all about!  On my ride last Sunday with Matthew Lee I heard him say "Don't ride unless you want to, it's supposed to be fun!"  I agree with that statement 100%!

Exploring 18 Mile Road