Touring The Great Divide...Need Advice!!!

[ele121]

Hi guys. So I'm not going to lie...I literally have no experience with mountain biking. My friend has recently asked me to join him on a tour of the Great Divide. I know it seems a little crazy to consider embarking on the journey with him and his friend considering my lack of knowledge or training but it is something that I've been researching and this trip definitely seems like a once in a lifetime opportunity so I'd like to at least consider the possibility of trying.
I know that I need to purchase my first mountain bike ASAP and begin training, I also need to purchase supplies. I am just wondering has anyone ever attempted to tour the Great Divide or something similar? Do you have any advice on the supplies I may want to bring/what type of bike to use/how to train? My friend says that I should be fine purchasing a Giant Tempt 5 (I am a woman by the way), but I'm a little hesitant considering how inexpensive it is. I could spend potentially about $1000 on a bike and still have money left over for the other things I will need. I know I will also need a decent pair of SPD shoes, rain pants, biking shorts, a tent, a rear rack, possibly two rear panniers, tubes, and patch kits. I am open to any and all advice anyone might have pertaining to this journey. Thank you so much!

[bigbrian]

Buy a Salsa Fargo 2 that FITS, ASAP.  Ride it as many miles as possible before heading out on your trip.  6-8 weeks prior to your trip do a 3 night, 4 day trip.  Take everything that you would take if embarking on The Great Divide.  Right down to the exact amount of toothpaste, chain lube and toilet paper.  If temps on your "shake down" ride are projected to be 100 but your Great Divide kit includes mitts and a down jacket take the mitts and down jacket.  During this practice, ride and move your campsite every day.  Pack all of your food, stay out of grocery stores and restaurants.  Do your best to make the shake down remote, the fewer people and services the better also the more hill climbing the better.
Stay off pavement.
For the Great Divide, give yourself 60 days, no fewer no less.  Travel light and travel fast.  Take many days off, no riding.  If you complete the ride in 52 days, who cares?

Rode the American section in 2013. Loved it!

Themarest neo air for the win!!

[ele121]

Thank you!!! Do you have any recommendations on affordable shoes and which method of storing and carrying things you would suggest (i.e.- rear rack, rear and front rack, bike trailer). I really appreciate the advice!

[bigbrian]

Shoes-I used an old pairs of cannondales that I had in the basement, it's a bike shoe that looks like a hiking shoe.  I'm riding the canadian section this year and have been thinking about the mission northwave pro (I think, that's the one) if my cannondales are toast.

Carrying things-apart from shorter practice trips, the great divide was our first bike tour. My set up worked really well. Oldman rear rack, Ortlieb panniers on the back. Revelate Frame bag. Porcelain Rocket handlebar bag that included a sleeve for the tent poles.  The cost can really add up.  Used several lightweight dry bags.

Back to light and fast, if you can drop the rear panniers and go with a dry bag on the rack or even better just a seat bag do it!  Think race style.

It's a tough call on how much gear to take.  We wanted to be able to camp comfortably but still enjoy the pedaling.  I think our balance was excellent.

I have never tried a trailer, we didn't see many riders on the route but of the ones we did see, I think the majority had trailers.  I can't wrap my head around towing a trailer but maybe I should try it.  When I was in your postion, trying to figure things out I think I quickly dismissed a trailer because it looked like it was the weak link for a lot of folks on the Divide.

[Bluechip]

Have him tow the trailer! You can ride nice and light!

What is your budget?  It will make a big difference in the gear you take.  My bike was just over $2500 but all the other stuff has added up to more than that.  You could go cheaper but then the weight adds up even faster.  I've heard this ride described as the most expensive free bike ride in the world.

For shoes I am using Pearl Izumi Alp-X's.  I am not sure which model but they seem fine.  Fairly stiff but walking is great.  I can just slightly feel the pedals while standing. 

Just keep reading and you can learn a lot. 

[mathieu]

For a newby I would definitely recommend a mountain bike with front suspension, so no Salsa Fargo 2!
The shox can be fairly basic and inexpensive. It will still absorb a lot of the impacts.

You best spend your first 20 dollars by buying the latest edition (2013) of Michael McCoy's book Cycling the Great Divide.
http://www.amazon.com/Cycling-Great-Divide-Americas-Long-Distance-ebook/dp/B00FN65UII/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1394317396&sr=8-1&keywords=mccoy+divide
It has sound and proven recommendations on the bike type and on other gear issues.

[JulieW]

I agree with the recommendation if a mountain bike if you are a newbie.  Whilst the trail is mostly fire roads a mountain bike will feel much more stable and will cost less.

The less gear you have the easier it is on hills an on the few single track/rugged sections.  I toured with two panniers which were fine however I did try to keep them light.   I had a two sets of bike gear, full rain gear, a warm sleeping bag, a book, descent camera, long johns etc, a change of clothes for off the bike and jandals as 2nd footwear.  Shared was a gas cooker,  basic cooking gear and a water filter.  Given we were in tour mode the panniers were fine.  Get quality that clip on well.  Ortlieb are great.

Alternatively you can go bike pack style and go minimalist.  It is  trade off for creature comforts.  Seat bags & frame bags handle getting bounced about much better than panniers.  That said there isn't much bumpy stuff to be encountered.  I would stay away from trailers.  At high speed they can get the speed wobbles.  If you have to hike up hill they are a major drag.

As far as shoes go, I recommend a cross shoe which has some flex. These are much more comfortable to walk in around camp and in towns than a stiff mountain bike shoe.

Check out crazyguyonabike.com  You will find lots of blogs of riders touring the divide.

Enjoy :-)

[bigbrian]

Hello,

I rode the Divide with BigBrian this past Fall. I also had not really ridden much and felt the same regarding this being a once in a lifetime chance. We didn't have a strict timeline which really helped.....in the end, we were on the trail for 64 days and rode for 56....so averaged about 50-55 miles a day. If needed I could have done more but it was really nice to be able to take our time. I work full time so my training was minimal - I maybe rode about 600 miles including 3 practice overnight rides. Big Brian rode way more. I got fit along the way so as long as your friends are okay with waiting at times, don't worry. Have Fun!

Bike - I had a Salsa Fargo 2. There is a bit of give with the thudbuster seat post and I guess a front shock would have been nice at times but the Fargo is built to be low maintenance and easily repaired on the trail. I wouldn't worry too much about suspension.....it would be nice on the washboard but that's about it. Spend as much as you are able to and you will find that it will work....and you will get used to riding whatever you have.

Packs - I had rear paniers from Ortlieb that were great. Waterproof and easy to pack. I also had a frame bag and a handlebar stuff sack bag. You could go  without the frame bag to cut cost but it was a nice place to carry heavy items (water bags) when needed. The other nice thing about Fargos is they have many attachment point for extra bottle cages that regular mtn. bikes won't have.

Shoes - I agree to get a more flexible cross shoe - make sure they are comfortable and break them in now. I also had a pair of crocs for camp and showering etc.

Gear - good sleep pad and bag. Don't skimp on the pad....you will be happy to get good sleeps. Neoairs are amazing and worth every penny. I had a 20 degree F bag (-7Celsius) and it worked - we were gone from mid-August to October 20. It gets cold up high through Colorado and Northern New Mexico.

      - two pairs of good shorts, I had a long sleeve sun shirt and a t-shirt. Long underwear set, fleece tights, two pairs socks and undies. Down sweater, smartwool toque and light wool mitts. Rain coat and bought rain pants enroute. Lots of laundry opportunity along the trail. basic toiletries that you can replenish enroute.

      - shared pot, pocket stove that used butane/propane mixed fuel. Hot coffee in the morning was great.

The most important thing is to believe you can do it, I'm proof that anybody can. Have a great time

[bruce.b]

Before you buy a bike you need to decide if you want to do it with drop bars or some variation of straight bars. There are pros and cons for each, obviously. I prefer something like the Jones Loop bars, so, sticking with the Salsa theme I'd get the El Mariachi instead of the Fargo. There are a ton of 29ers out there to choose from...... Salsa is a good choice along with many others.

http://salsacycles.com/bikes/2014_el_mariachi_ti_xtr

[ele121]

Thank you everyone for all of the help and recommendations, I really appreciate it.

[offroute]

The most important thing is to believe you can do it...

^^^ Words to succeed by!

No great advice here, just want to cheer you on for considering something that seems a little outrageous. One great thing about multi-day outings is, you can have a ho-hum day and get to try for stellar the next day.

Of course you can do it. It's not about mountain biking, really. It's about keeping your head and heart in it and making sound travel and outdoor decisions day after day. Go for it! Enjoy the whole process