Great Divide Mountain Bike Route

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The Great Divide Mountain Bike Route is a bicycle route especially designed for mountain biking. It traverses a portion of the Rocky Mountains of North America, stretching from Banff, Alberta, Canada to Antelope Wells, New Mexico on the border with Mexico.

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[edit] Great Divide Route and Continental Divide Trail

The Continental Divide Trail is a nationally recognized hiking trail, although not yet complete. The Great Divide Mountain Bike Route is a mountain bike route that parallels the Continental Divide Trail. Occasionally they intersect and share sections, but they are largely separate routes. The GDMBR is generally comprised of dirt and county roads while the CDT is a narrow footpath.

In Canada, the Great Divide refers to the Continental Divide of North America, which is the divide between water that flows towards the East Coast and the West Coast. Though this term is sometimes used in the United States, it is more commonly referred to as simply the Continental Divide.

[edit] The Route

The Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (aka GDMBR) was created by the Adventure Cycling Association. At 2,711 miles, it's the longest mapped and published off-pavement bike route in the world. The route is generally ridden north to south, crossing the Continental Divide a total of 30 times. Originally it began in Port of Roosville, MT and covered 2,490 miles (4,007 km) to Mexico. In 2003, Adventure Cycling extended the route into Canada. The Canadian segment stretches from Banff, Alberta, to the U.S. segment's starting point at Port of Roosville; this adds another 221 miles to the route.

The route begins in glacial-carved valleys of Banff National Park in the Southern Canadian Rockies. It passes through the heavily forested mountains of Montana and Idaho, meanders down into the barren high desert lands of Wyoming's Great Divide Basin, ascends again up and over several 10,000 to 12,000 foot passes in Colorado, and switch backs through rugged mountainous sections of New Mexico before finally dropping into the Chihuahuan Desert. The majority of New Mexico is forested, not desert. The route's highest altitude is around 11,910 feet (3,600 m) above sea level at Indiana Pass in Colorado. The first half of the Canada segment, Montana and New Mexico are generally considered to be the most rugged, challenging sections but pockets of difficulty exist throughout. Violent thunderstorms can happen at any time on route and are the biggest impediment to progress as they often render the riding surface impassable.

[edit] Time to finish

The 2,711 mile trip generally takes around three months for the leisurely rider who stops frequently along the way. Many also choose to complete the route in shorter segments of 1-2 weeks each over several years. For all but the most aggressive cyclists, taking time to absorb the route's cultural and natural resources is the preferred style of touring the GDMBR. Most through-riders complete the route in about 75 riding days (about 37 miles per day).

The fastest time to complete the GDMBR is 17 days 21 hours 10 minutes, clocked by Matthew Lee in conjunction with the 2007 Great Divide Race (a race on the US segment). 2007 was a favorable year for weather and speed, as in that same edition of the GDR, Jason Petervary recorded the fastest ever US-only time split (Roosville, MT to Antelope Wells, NM) in 15 days 4 hours 18 minutes. The idea of racing the GDMBR is the inspiration of endurance racing legend John Stamstad. He successfully completed the first ever time trial on the route in 1999. There are two competitive events racing the route each year. Tour Divide races southward from the Northern terminus of Banff, AB on all 2,711 miles of the GDMBR. The Great Divide Raceis a US border-to-border challenge, also racing southward, but from Roosville (CA/MT border). It covers the 2,490 miles of the US segment of the route. Both events are held annually and begin a week apart from each other in mid-June. The times to finish in these competitions are particularly impressive as they are completed under a solo, self-supported rule format that prohibits any outside assistance on route.

[edit] Physical and Mental Condition

The Great Divide Route will test a rider’s physical stamina and mental health.

Physically, the route poses many challenges. Cardiovascular fitness is key. Most of the route is in the high desert above 7,000 feet and ascends to 11,900 feet. Approximately 85 to 90% of the route is on dirt. A rider may lose up to 15 or 20 pounds of body weight by the end of the ride. Carbohydrate, protein, hydration, and salt intake is critical for stamina and health. A rider will pass through free range cattle lands and be exposed to water born parasites and viruses, (much like traveling to a third world county).

Endurance is more important than speed. In some sections it is impossible to go fast and the rough down hill sections can be just as hard to ride as many of the long uphill portions. Wind currents blow from the south to the north and a rider will experience strong head winds. Riders may also be exposed to rain, thunderstorms, and even a mid summer snow and should be prepared at all times for extreme temperatures that may range from 0 degrees to 110 degrees F. Temperatures can fluctuate radically in one day of riding.

[edit] Terrain difficulty

Most of the route is on unpaved US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) roads. These roads vary in quality from smooth high quality dirt or gravel to a very few unrideable sections of steep cobble. Washboard can be a nuisance and will vary depending on when the last time the road was graded. Several sections in New Mexico can become impassable mud after moderate to heavy rain.

Overall the route is moderate to difficult. The most strenuous portions can actually be the relatively flat basins because head winds are sometimes significant. Down hill sections can be as much work to ride as going up hill when riding into the wind or because of poor road quality. Montana is the most technically challenging and New Mexico is the roughest.

[edit] Supplies

The set of maps published by Adventure Cycling contain detailed information about the availability of food, water, bike shops and so forth along the route. It is essential that the rider obtain these maps and carry them with them. Be advised though, that the maps can become outdated as the details on the ground can change. Do your research and plan ahead. Check the Adventure Cycling website for the latest map updates before you start the trip.

Many towns along the route are very tiny with a poor selection of groceries and goods. There are relatively few bike stores and some of them only carry lower end department store bicycle gear. Research local bike shops before going on the route. A possible way to ensure you will have the parts and supplies you need is to mail them to the local post office c/o USPS General Delivery, Attention “Your Name”. There are time limits on how long the post office will hold mail, so contact each one for specific information. Some post offices will make exceptions and hold mail for longer periods.

Obtaining enough water can be a challenge on portions of the route (the Great Basin in Wyoming and portions of New Mexico), so the rider must have enough carrying capacity for several days worth. There are also several multi-day stretches of the route (depending on the distance ridden per day) where no services of any kind are available, so the rider must be prepared to be completely self-sufficient.

[edit] Essential equipment

A sturdy mountain or all-terrain bicycle is recommended for riding this route. A front suspension helps, since there are several washboard sections, especially later in the year. Some riders have experienced problems with rear suspensions and a seatpost shock absorber could take the place of a rear suspension. Rear shocks will undergo extreme abuse and the mileage and rough terrain of this ride may exceed the MTBF (mean time between failures) of many shocks. Mechanical disc brakes might be the best choice because hydraulic lines are more difficult to repair or replace. Hard rubber tires are best; softer high performance tires will wear out very fast. The wider the tire the better. Riders use either trailers or on-bike saddlebags (panniers) both front and/or rear to carry their gear.

A water filter or chemical means of sanitizing river or creek water is needed. A cell phone could be taken, although it won't work in many areas. Insect repellent may be needed in some areas at certain times of the year. Horse flies are more of a problem than mosquitoes and they will bite through clothing. A thoroughly waterproof tent should be taken. Use the maps sold by Adventure Cycling Association. A good cycling odometer is a must for successful navigation. Some people take bear spray as some sections navigate through grizzly bear habitat. Be prepared to hang food containers in bear areas.

Some riders find that a mapping GPS device useful as it can give additional peace of mind. The route, however, is successfully ridden many times each year without the benefit of a GPS. GPS routes and waypoints are available from Adventure Cycling and from other enthusiast web sites.

Weight is everything. "The real luxury is enjoying the ride, not carrying luxuries around." ( Trek4fun.com)

[edit] Animals likely to be encountered

Animals seen along the route may include both black and grizzly bears, moose, deer, elk, antelope, and much more. The presence of bears makes the storage of food an important issue. Suspend food packs from tree branches where bears can't get at them overnight. Some people carry bear spray. Rattle snakes, field mice, and other small animals can also pose a problem for safety and food storage.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links