From Burke Swindlehurst, Crusher Update. Whatup Crushers? Burke Here...

Whatup Crushers?!! Miss us? Well, we've sure missed all you over the last few months. While normally we'd be sharing stories and chatting up the past season's event, this fall has looked a little different for the Crusher in the Tushar team. Suffice it to say, this has been a challenging year full of ups and downs but we're excited to put 2020 in the rear view and look forward to planning our 10th anniversary on July, 10, 2021! We've got lots of news and updates for you to get rolling into 2021. "2020, am I right?" 2021 DEFERRAL REGISTRATION & LOTTERY So here's the news you can use. After we get our final deferral registration numbers sewn-up for 2021, we'll be opening up the remaining number of new slots for next year's race. Rather than force a mad dash to the line, we'll roll-out a lottery for the remaining entries to keep it as fair as possible for everyone. Some important dates to remember: February 1 - 15: Deferral Registration Opens (for riders who registered for 2020 and chose a deferral) March 1 - 15: Lottery Open March 22: Lottery Announcement Rest assured, we'll be sure to share all the important info on the lottery sign up in the weeks prior to opening, so don't fret, watch those inboxes and tell your friends who missed out last year that 2021 is up for grabs! Lastly, if you're not feeling quite ready for 2021. We get it, we'll be happy to roll your entry to 2022. Instructions on how to do that will be in the email going out on February 1, 2021. THANKS & GIVING Despite not being able to hold the event this year, our partners at the Life Time foundation enabled us to fundraise for local non-profits. Athletes (like you!) donated their entry fees through our deferral process and also joined in on the Crusher's "Lone Goat Challenge" to raise funds and give back to our communities. READ FULL STORY COVID QUESTIONS Finally, we'd be remiss if we didn't address the current challenge that the world at large is squaring-off against. Though great strides have been made since the COVID-19 pandemic first appeared, we haven't reached the finish line on this thing yet. As such, we're settling in for the long haul and keeping our eyes on the prize. As we make our preparations for 2021 we'll be making some adjustments to ensure a safe event for all. We want to be transparent throughout this process and keep you in the loop so you know what you can expect. We've put together our initial COVID-19 race guidelines for you to check out here. LEARN MORE That's it for now Alrighty Crushers, that's it for now. We have lots of exciting content and projects coming at you over the next several months so stay tuned! We're working hard on making the 10th anniversary of the Crusher in the Tushar the best one yet and can't wait to see you all there. We sincerely hope this is a wonderful Holiday Season for you all. Onward and upward friends! -Tbird and the Crusher Crew

Update from Jay Petervary: Sun and Snow - The Baja Divide and the Fat Pursuit

 

Subscribe   Loving the Journey on the Baja Divide   Last month I was fortunate to be able to check out the Baja Divide, a 1,700-mile route down the length of the Baja California peninsula. Instead of setting out to race others or the clock, I did it as a tour with a friend, and I have to say, what a cool trip.  The route is an amazing gift that Nick and Lael gave the entire long-distance cycling community. It's laid out very well with a good flow and feels intentional. You hear a lot of talk about sand in Baja but there's plenty of rough, rocky double track and variety of terrain and climates as you cross back and forth over the coastal range. I'd say that the challenging nature of the route caught us off guard. To meet our initial goal of 70-mile days it would have taken us from sun up to sun down, literally.      That was okay though because we got to know the amazing and friendly people that live along the route and we benefited from so much trail magic. Everyone was incredibly generous with food, water, and drinks, and we could stop and buy supplies even at people's tiny houses in the middle of what felt like nowhere. They were also more conscientious about COVID than people are here in the US. We had great encounters with fishermen and village people.  There were plenty of dogs along the way and even they were friendly.     Even though the route has only been published for four years, it seems like the people who live in the villages along the peninsula are already familiar with the economic benefit of having cyclists pass through, just like on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route in the US, and they seemed as grateful to see us as we were to see them.  I would highly recommend this experience and I'm already figuring out a way to get back down there to try it again.     Baja Gear Breakdown I am so glad to have chosen the titanium Why Cycles Wayward for the Baja Divide. Titanium is extremely durable and comfortable, which are definitely important attributes for this route. The Wayward does not have that slightly "soft" feeling that I've noticed on many ti bikes, and it has great power transfer. The 29+ platform seems exactly right for Baja. It handles a heavy load with great stability, rolls through the chunky, sandy terrain with ease and holds great momentum.  Preparing for a three-week tour required a very different mindset than my usual race preparation, so I laid out a spreadsheet to help me pack. Check out the list below and feel free to print for yourself and use, or ask questions about any of my gear. I brought all the creature comforts that I never pack when racing, like a stove, chair, solar panel, tent, casual clothes, and even a kite! I used almost every item (but didn't fly the kite, unfortunately) and it was so fun to travel with a more relaxed attitude.  Of course, because I'm me, I definitely want to get back to the route as soon as possible to try it in light and fast style. I am really looking forward to that.       You might have already heard that out of respect for the safety of participants and the eastern Idaho community, the Fat Pursuit race has been replaced with a choose-your-own adventure. For event details and registration go to FatPursuit.com.  This is not a race, this is a winter adventure challenge that you can do anywhere (as long as it's mostly on snow). The thing I'm excited about is that by taking the finish line out of the equation, everyone will have a chance to practice those winter travel systems that you wouldn't with the pressure of racing. The 200K participants will still be required to boil water, a Fat Pursuit tradition, but hey, why not go above and beyond--wade through a creek, build a fire, bivy overnight. If you do still want to come out to Island Park the weekend of January 8 to ride, run, or ski the course (find the GPX files for those here) there's a pretty good chance you'll see me out there, sleeping outside, riding with friends, sitting around a campfire, maybe drinking some whiskey.  The winter fat bike camps are still happening! There will be an immersive Fat Camp and shorter, more focused Fat Pursuit Camp, so if you're interested in learning as much as possible about riding and racing in the whole range of winter conditions, check FatPursuit.com/FatCamp for more information.   Podcast Alert! I talked about Baja, the Fat Pursuit, and a whole lot more in Adam Blake's Pneu Podcast. If you want to take a listen to that, click here.

DUI charges filed against box truck driver who killed five cyclists – VeloNews.com

https://www.velonews.com/news/dui-charges-filed-against-box-truck-driver-who-killed-five-cyclists/ 

Truck driver kills five cyclists near Las Vegas – VeloNews.com

https://www.velonews.com/news/road/truck-driver-kills-five-cyclists-near-las-vegas/ 

Five Cyclists Dead, Others Injured in Nevada

https://www.thedailybeast.com/five-cyclists-dead-after-truck-drives-into-retirement-ride-in-nevada?ref=home 

Late Season Roundup 2020

It takes some imagination to optimize local cycling in the transitional seasons. Sometimes it turns out well, sometimes it doesn't. I had a great mountain bike ride today. I took a spill on an icy road ride yesterday.

The Fun Farm Bridge--Early November

We fought a real battle with with a tubeless tire just after the first snowfall at Harriman. Tony did most of the work. At the moment, there is too much snow to ride at Harriman until grooming begins and not enough snow to run the groomer.

The best cyclist in the family.

The Deer Park area, west of the Menan Buttes. The mysteriously suspended milk can was photographed near Roberts.

Local Thanksgiving Day ride near the Teton River.

The McNabb Ranch loop northeast of Pocatello--this excellent new mountain bike trail was designed for use by high school NICA racers with a single lap for younger rider and multiple laps for older riders.  

The seasonal closure of the Stinking Springs area has been delayed until December 15th due to low snow levels. Conditions were outstanding today on the lower (Sidewinder) portion, but muddy above the intersection with the Stinking Springs Trail.

Why bicycle storage hooks are still the best way to store a bike (especially in Park Tool Blue) - Bikerumor

https://bikerumor.com/2020/12/04/why-bicycle-storage-hooks-are-still-the-best-way-to-store-a-bike-especially-in-park-tool-blue/ 

Lots of questions answered here. Is it safe to hang all bikes? Bikes with carbon wheels?

The Wasatch All-Road, a New Utah Gravel Race, Announced for August 2021 - Cycling West - Cycling Utah

http://www.cyclingutah.com/racing/gravel-racing/the-wasatch-all-road-a-new-utah-gravel-race-announced-for-august-2021/