Arizona Trail Race 750 | The Abusive Boyfriend

Another gluten for punishment is thinking about doing the AZT 750 in 2015 and he had few questions. Norb, consider yourself warned.

QUESTION: THE CARRY?? What kind of system did you rig? I looked over the pics on your blog and saw your Osprey pack. I assume you started the race with this same pack? And left the rear wheel on it appears.

ANSWER: Yes, I rode with my pack and “hiking” shoes from the start. I only bought a pair of hiking poles right before I dropped into the Grand Canyon. I was very worried about riding with the pack because I don’t like to have weight on my back and I thought it would make me feel hotter in the AZ sun. But it turned out fine. I only carried my sleep kit on my back (~5 pounds). The alternative is mail your pack to the post office at the South Rim. Unfortunately, it looked like there was a good chance that I would end up there on a Sunday when it was closed. And that is exactly what happened, so I was glad I carried it all with me. Eric Foster, a rider who I was chasing, mailed all of his hiking gear and got there when the post office was closed. He got extremely lucky because he saw someone in the office and begged him to go in the back and grab his package. The guy did him a major solid and united him with his hiking kit. Practice rigging your bike, gear, food and water to your body. Seriously – try a couple different methods and go for a test walk. It’s extremely important to get this right and be able to take no more than 90 minutes getting yourself converted for the hike. I used 5-6 straps with my Osprey pack to get myself situated. I carried food and water on my chest, so I would have access while hiking. I only took my entire rig off once – when I got to the bottom of the canyon.

QUESTION: I’ve messed around with my Osprey Ultra-light Hornet and the bike feels like it’s going to rip my pack to shreds.

ANSWER: People have had their straps and packs tear apart during the hike. Keep in mind that you aren’t just carrying your bike. You’ve got all of your gear, food and water. I specifically bought my backpack model because another racer had a successful run with it the prior year. Other racers mail proper backpacks to themselves. Bring 1-2 extra straps in case something fails. I don’t know whether the Hornet is likely to hold up.

QUESTION: TIRES?? My norm is to carry a two tubes (w/slime). Did you have sidewall issues (so many people do, from what I can tell). You ran the Geax Saguaro tires……..were they the right ones? Any change here if you were to do this race again?

ANSWER: I got cocky and just stared with 1 slime tube, 1 normal tube, and a patch kit. In the first 300 miles, I slashed my front tire and the Stans just sprayed out. I put the slime tube in, but didn’t pump it up enough. Within 10 miles, I had a major pinched flat from a rock drop off. I then put in my normal tube and carefully picked my way around cactus debris. I still got 3-4 more punctures that I fixed with patches. If you want to avoid my fate, carry 2 slime tubes and a patch kit. I had to limp into Apache Junction. Luckily, I got my tubeless tire to seal again and bought two slime tubes. No more issues for the rest of the ride. I’d recommend the 29×2.2 Saguaros. However, the model that has a reinforced sidewall is way too hard to get on and off my Stans rims. Avoid those and just run the normal Saguaros.

QUESTION: And how many tubes did you haul with you?

ANSWER: I’d recommend starting with 2 slime tubes and a patch kit (see previous answer).

Teva Mush shoes? How did they hold up?

ANSWER: They worked well. I’d recommend them. They were very light and packable. I didn’t get any blisters. The trail in the Grand Canyon is a smooth path, so you really don’t need beefy boots for ankle support. I slipped once and went down on loose dirt as I was descending. Really my fault, not the shoes. One other tip: I wish I had brought light running or hiking shorts for the hike. I hiked in my bike shorts which ended up creating a “warm” environment and chaffing my butt. When I got on my bike again at the North Rim, my ass was on fire. I literally stopped and rubbed snow on my sensitive bits. Not fun. Others have been fine hiking in bike shorts, but it didn’t work well for me. I couldn’t sit normally for the first 15 miles after the canyon.

QUESTION: Are the GPX tracks tight from your experience?

ANSWER: Yes, I don’t remember any major issues. During the first stretch to Patagonia, there are one or two spots where I always screw up and pick the wrong split in the trail, but you figure it out pretty soon. And, there was a small amount of bushwhacking and thoughtful route finding in a section before Pine, but it was pretty straightforward.

QUESTION: What are your thoughts on water capacity needed for the AZT? Been researching sources and know there are areas of concern.

ANSWER: Know your water sources – especially in the first 300 miles. If Day 1 is a scorcher, bring 3-4 liters to get to Patagonia. After that, Tucson to the top of Mt Lemon is a really bad stretch. I’ve run short on water both times I’ve done this. To be safe, I’d recommend carrying 7 liters when you leave Tucson – especially if it’s hot. Then, a real killer is the stretch from the Gila river to Apache Junction. That is no joke. I strongly recommend that you do not try to climb out of the Gila river valley in the midday heat. Either hit it in the morning or wait until after 4pm to go for it. I got the Gila at 11am and just slept under a tree until 4pm. Cjell Mone was about an hour in front of me and went for it. He said that he ran out of water and “almost died”. I had a similar experience the year before. When he got out to the highway, he was done – he decided to drop out. The only other section that I ran low on water was the section just before the South Rim. I’d suggest carrying 5 liters or more when you leave Flagstaff in case there is no water at the fire lookout cache before the South Rim.

QUESTION: Did you mail anything for the hike through the ditch? Hit a store for any certain supplies?

ANSWER: No, I didn’t mail anything. Again, I was worried that I’d get there when the post office would be closed. I just bought a pair of hiking poles at a store when I got near the South Rim. I’d definitely recommend hiking poles.