Great Divide 2013

Hi Andrew,

That will be an awesome ride! It took us 9 days of riding to make it that far. Some days were longer than others but averaging around 65 miles probably. Hope that is helpful, and enjoy the Great Divide! PS - don't forget to bring cash to Pie Town, no ATMs for 22 miles and you don't want to miss that pie :)

Leigh's gear list. 

Surly Ogre. Heavy, but fit perfectly. Stock Alexrims wheel set and handlebars with 27 degree sweep worked great. When riding loaded on rocky trails, frame flexed a lot, but in a way that allowed me to maintain control. Had no problems with the frame itself. Only downside was that when loaded, it was too heavy for me to carry and hoist up and down big ledges and rocks, so needed someone to help me - not what another tired rider wants to do! It would have been a huge struggle for me to ride the GD alone with this bike. I would use another bike on the GD because I could not carry and hoist this one when it was loaded. Otherwise, I definitely recommend the Ogre (if you can carry it loaded).

Thudbuster ST Seatpost. Unlike my saddle, I never noticed the thudbuster while riding. However, once I started using it, my back pain went away. The urethane elastomer can be swapped to fit riders' weight and riding terrain. I would use this seatpost again on the GD. 

Crank Bros Mallet 2// Pedals with cleats. These are great when you cannot cleat in for whatever reason. Downside is that they are hard to cleat out of during a fall and sometimes the spring grinds when they get very sandy or muddy for extended periods of time (this happened more with my older pair than with Don's). We were concerned that the spring might crack, which Don has seen happen with the eggbeaters, but this didn't happen. I have used the same pair for 3+ years and would use again on the GD. 

Profile Design T1 Plus Aerobars. Lightweight, comfortable, sturdy design. Easy to control bike in aeros. No problems, great fit, easily adjustable. Would use again on the GD. 

Continental X-King Tire. Durable and have good traction. Put one of these on my rear tire in Salida, CO and it saved me from a lot of flats. While fixing Don's flats in northern NM, I didn't have to worry about rolling over prickly desert plants because the tire could handle it. (Only one flat on the last day from a goathead, compared to Don's ~ 20 flats.) Downside is that the bulky tread causes mud to accumulate quickly. In extremely muddy situations, wheel wouldn't be able to roll and mud would need to be cleaned out from around the chain stays to continue. A small price to pay for not worrying about flats! I would absolutely go with this tire on my rear wheel again and probably use it just from Salida onward where flats become an issue.

Hutchinson Toro Tire. Good traction, great at shedding mud. No problems with wheel getting stuck from mud accumulation around fork. Used Toros on front wheel (same tire on front the entire trip) and rear wheel (until Salida, CO). Had been using them on-and-off for a year before the trip and they had ~ 300 miles on them before Banff. Over 3,000 miles now, no flats whatsoever. Would highly recommend. 

Terry Butterfly Cromoly Gel Saddle. Became painful on rides that were longer than 6 hours. Unfortunately, it made many rides a lot tougher than they could have been with the right saddle. I would not use this saddle if I were to ride the GD again. But no derrière is created the same! I would suggest getting your sit bones measured at a bike shop and choosing a saddle based on width measurement or comparing the width of a saddle that has worked for you in the past. This saddle is 155mm wide. My sit bones are 141mm, so I may have been better off with the 143mm Specialized Women's Ariel Comp. 

Ergon GP2 grips. After finding the right angle to set them at, no pain or numbness. Many hand positions. Had some blistering, but it wasn't a problem because it was easy to find an alternative hand position. I would use these grips on the GD again. 

Pearl-iZUMi Women's X-Alp Seek Shoes. Sturdy design and outstanding lugged outsole make for great riding and hiking shoes. Crank bros cleats do not click when walking or press up on sole (but SPD cleats do click with these shoes). Have abused them for 4+ years on and off the bike (even in snow) and they have held up great. Would use if I were to ride the GD again. PI doesn't make them anymore, but similar styles, like the Women's X-Alp Seek IV shoes, are available. 

Tubus Logo Evo Rack. Very sturdy, no rattling, no bending, no issues. 88 lb carrying capacity. As with any rack, screws need periodic tightening, especially during beginning of GD. I would use this rack on the GD again.

Ortlieb Sport-Packer Plus Panniers. Durable, waterproof, simple to adjust.  Easy to take on and off bike, QL2 and elliptical hooks can be adjusted quickly and without tools. Fell completely off the bike a few times when I was careless about putting them back on the rack and adjusting the elliptical hook (which would shift after bumpy rides). I would use these panniers again on the GD. 

Revelate Frame Bag for Surly Ogre. Waterproof, spacious, lightweight, fit bike perfectly. Velcro divider allows you to compartmentalize largest pocket. Downside - zippers take serious effort to close when there is a lot of stuff inside. Upside - kept water extremely insulated in our platypus reservoirs (still had ice after 24+ hrs). I would definitely use this again on the GD. 

Revelate Gas Tank. Waterproof, extremely spacious, easy to open and close one-handed (zips smoothly), lightweight. Has velcro divider so can have two compartments, or just one. Two zippers allow you to tuck in part of lid that is closest to stem (like the opening of a shoe) so you can access food while riding. After a month on the trail, it still shocked me how much this thing can hold. This stem bag definitely stands out as top-quality next to others I have used on tours. I would absolutely use this again on the GD. 

Revelate Mountain Feedbag. Waterproof, spacious, easy to open and close one-handed, useful mesh pockets, lightweight. Fits water bottles and keeps them insulated, but hard to fit bottle back in with one hand. Best used for stashing gummy bears to eat on long climbs. Yellow inner liner is good for seeing contents. Sometimes things fall out of mesh pockets on rocky descents, but this is probably user error. I would recommend and use again on GD. 

Platypus Hoser 3.0L & Big Zip SL 3.0L Reservoirs. Light, easy to stash in framebag, did not grow mold, nice drinking valves, able to be boiled and frozen, all-around great reservoirs. Big Zip was punctured twice due to can opener being kept in the same pocket, but was easy to patch with bike tube patches. Because of its large opening, the Big Zip is easier to fill with ice at gas stations and hotels, whereas the Hoser has a much smaller opening for water, but a longer hose. Hoser drinking valve cannot be closed whereas Big Zip valve can. I would use both of these reservoirs if riding the GD again.

Topeak ALiEN II Multitool. Not the lightest tool in the toolbox, but we were never stuck without a wrench or screw driver that we didn't have. More useful than other multitools (cough cough Don's multitool cough cough) because it is designed in a way (comes apart into two pieces, has longer wrenches) that allows you to get to hard-to-reach angles (eg. pesky screw that covers end of shifter cable). I would bring this tool again on the GD.

MSR SweetWater Water Filter.  Good for water without any sediment, but is easily clogged when used to filter murky water. It was a pain in the neck when clogged. After about a week with a new filter it would already be clogged. I would not use this product again. Platypus GravityWorks Water Filter may be a better option because it is fast, does not require pumping, and can be backflushed to easily wash out sediment. 

Exped SynMat Basic 7.5 with foot pump. Lightweight, small, easy to inflate with foot pump, synthetic down keeps you warm during cold nights. Downside is that it takes a few minutes to pump up (whereas Therm-a-Rest ProLite takes 8 seconds). The material is extremely durable, but mine is 4+ years old and started to unglue at the seams, leaking air slowly (fixed by covering hole with Shoe Goo). Exped will replace old or damaged products, something I should have done before the trip. Exped does not make this exact product anymore, but SynMat 7 S is similar. I would bring an Exped SynMat with foot pump if I were to ride the GD again. 

Sierra Designs Solar Flare 30 Sleeping Bag. Warm, lightweight, down, specially designed for women's larger hips. Down is protected by a waterproof, yet breathable, layer so you don't freeze when bottom of the tent gets wet when setting up camp in lousy weather. I would definitely bring again on the GD, but it is not sold anymore. The Sierra Designs Women's DriDown Clo 25 is similar.

Assos H FI.Lady_s5 Chamois. Favorite piece of clothing I had on the trip. Fit perfectly and comfortably. Stitching is kept far away from sensitive skin. Noticed a tremendous difference from other chamois I had used in the past. Highly, highly recommend. Buy it if you still haven't found the perfect chamois.

Patagonia Women's Ultralight Down Hoody. This is a truly amazing jacket. Incredibly light, very warm, breathable, packs down into a tiny bag. Very glad I brought it, would definitely use again on the GD, highly recommend. 

Outdoor Research Women's Helium II Jacket. Lightweight, packs down to the size of a granola bar, breathable, great for wet weather. Would definitely use again on the GD. 

Outdoor Research Women's Palisade Pants. Lightweight, durable, packs down very small, breathable, good for wet weather. Great for 30 min, but in all-day rain, seams rub against sensitive skin while in the saddle and waistband is too tight to adjust where seams rub skin. If I were to ride the GD again, would bring a cycling-specific waterproof pant, such as Gore-Tex Paclite Pants. 

Day 48. Gila National Forest to Lake Roberts, NM. 68 miles.

Woke up planning to make it all the way to Silver City, 96 miles away. This was a challenge and it became evident after a few of the Gila’s steep and repetitive climbs that this wasn’t going to happen.

Beautiful riding and spotting a bull elk running through the field (picture #2).

Day 45. Grants to El Malpais National Monument. 44 miles.

Day 42. Abiquiu to Polvadera Mesa, NM. 24 miles.

The guidebook claims the climb out of Abiquiu to be one of the hardest on the route, and perhaps it was. The grade wasn’t incredibly steep, but the weather and road conditions made for a challenging day. It was not easy to gain elevation while riding over the rough lava rocks, although it was surreal to imagine how the terrain formed from molten volcanic flows millions of years ago.

After getting a late start, dark clouds dropped hail and rain as we pedaled high into the mountains. We decided it would be a good idea to set up the ‘fast fly’ portion of our tent and wait out the storm as it passed over. Retrospectively, not a good idea. As we tried to set up the fly in a hurry, a tent pole snapped and left our tent looking a little sad. Still functional, but sad.

Our chains became sandy because of the rain and started to malfunction when under stress. Climbing up a steep, rocky section and coming to an abrupt stop was not ideal. We cleaned and lubed our chains in the rain but they kept getting stuck. We pushed our bikes up the really steep sections and made it to a nice campsite in a quiet area at about 10,000 feet.

Day 41. Lower Lagunitas Campground to Abiquiu, NM. 95 miles.

Drastic scenery change today. Dropped from aspen and pine forest to desert and cactus. Culturally much different also. Happy for the change when it comes to food, enchiladas and burritos instead of burgers and grilled cheese.

Many cyclists have described New Mexico as their favorite state on the Great Divide and so far it hasn’t disappointed.