Continental Divide via Touring Bike?

[mdilthey]

I'm sure this question has been asked before and I'm also sure it gets annoying, but I don't have another resource to ask it in. Bear with me.

I've got a steel frame touring rig with a Surly LHT Disc fork and a Raleigh frame, and 38mm tires (I might be able to squeeze 40's). I rode it on the sand/cyclocross trails all across Colorado, south of Denver, and I've done a bit of trail riding and off-roading in VT, NH, and MA.

So... could I do the Divide on it instead of a rigid MTB? Or is that insane? I'd be rackless, full frame bags, 8-10lb base weight for camping gear and I weigh about 170, so i'm not a heavy load.

Thanks for any opinions

[harryonaspot]

I say yes.. There are spots you may find your tires are under sized. But not too many. I put 40 mm tires on my Fargo this past year and then rode some fairly gnarly stuff. With my normal bikepacking load. No problems. Most of the route is good dirt road. I would recommend schwalbe Marathons or similar. They are heavy but rugged. Good luck. Harry

[12wheels]

Go for it.  Deanna Adams raced and finished it on a fixed gear road bike with cyclocross tires in 2009.

[mdilthey]

Where can I find a report from someone who did it on a cyclocross-style bike? Anyone have a lead?

[Cawlin]

As stated above you will find some sections where you'll wish you had bigger tires but not that many sections. It also depends on how you want to ride, if you want to put in long days, going hard covering tons of distance you may struggle and your hands may suffer. If you are ok with a moderate pace then I think you'll be fine

[Mike K.]

I like your rig!  I ran a setup not unlike yours on the GDMBR. Co-Motion Pangea with 26 x 2.0 (559 x 50) Schwalbe Marathon Dureme hardwaring tires with tubes.  Next time will be the same bike with tubless 60 mm super supple tires (Schwalbe Super Moto). Tubeless is far supperior as it makes the same tire smoother and grippier and provides better pincture protection. Use lots of sealant and figure out how to add more through the valve without breaking the bead seal.  Bike fit is everything. Loose the cross top levers as you wont really use them and they complicate things.  Move the hoods back just a smidge so you can descend on the hoods without leaning too far forward. Full cable housing for all cables and be able to squirt lube into both ends of each cable. Relative to a mountain geometry, you will walk slightly more. Howver, you gain efficiency and comfort for the vast majority of the route. Mud will kill you as you'll have very little frame clearance. Loose sand will be trickier and harder.

[Mike K.]

I like your rig!  I ran a setup not unlike yours on the GDMBR. Co-Motion Pangea with 26 x 2.0 (559 x 50) Schwalbe Marathon Dureme hardwaring tires with tubes.  Next time will be the same bike with tubless 60 mm super supple tires (Schwalbe Super Moto). Tubeless is far supperior as it makes the same tire smoother and grippier and provides better pincture protection. Use lots of sealant and figure out how to add more through the valve without breaking the bead seal.  Bike fit is everything. Loose the cross top levers as you wont really use them and they complicate things.  Move the hoods back just a smidge so you can descend on the hoods without leaning too far forward. Full cable housing for all cables and be able to squirt lube into both ends of each cable. Relative to a mountain geometry, you will walk slightly more. Howver, you gain efficiency and comfort for the vast majority of the route. Mud will kill you as you'll have very little frame clearance. Loose sand will be trickier and harder.

[MidSouth]

Here is a journal from CrazyGuyOnABike where a couple toured the GDMBR and more on Surly LHT's.  They used racks and panniers.

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=1&doc_id=5281&v=Xj

[ROADHOG]

Yes and good advice. I haven't biked the trail but off road vanned similar sections. I have a Redline champ cyclocross replica of 2006 but trained on a road Raleigh. I bought the Redline for the trail but as advice sez the Redline is again more around obstacles than the Raleigh's ability to bring power to straight ahead riding...that is a hybrid set up with wide tires, a wider tire on front for sand is more effective delivering your energy tha the cyclocrosser. I think so but again haven't been out there for days.

Maybe if you have trained extensively on a cyclocross frame, the Redline is a long chain stay long trail cyclocrosser, and not a classic sports touring road Raleigh, your muscles and nervous system may work with the cyclocrosser more than the road frame.

But then again I do have problems stubbing out the road frame's wider front wheel on loose sand/gravel where the Redline comes down the hill and across the gravel at 20 mph no problem.

[boglenn]

There is a you tube on the site somewhere by a guy who did the Divide on a Long Haul Trucker.  He seemed to have no trouble.  If I find it I will send the link.  A brother of a friend did it on a mountain frame but with no suspension front or back, pulling a trailer.  I think it depends on how fast you plan to do it.

[offroute]

I guess everyone knows the CD and GDMBR are two different trails that share some sections.

Good luck with your ride!