Bikepacking

Today is the start of my adventure, finally. After many preparations and looking forward for a long time, the time has come to leave home and head towards Banff in Alberta, Canada. In two days I will start riding the Great Divide Mountain Bike Ride, starting in front of the Fairmont Banff Springs hotel. But before that, I first needed to get there. Going to Schiphol It was 6am when our alarm clock woke us up. We had decided that Karin and the kids will bring me to Schiphol. There was construction work being done at the railtracks somewhere between Eindhoven and Schiphol. We thought that was too much of a hassle and risk with all the long queues in Schiphol at the moment. Yesterday, on Friday evening we already put the bike box on top of the car. Now that we’re with the four of us it does not find inside the car anymore. Since I needed to be at Schiphol at 8:30am the family decide to make it a day at the beach once they have dropped me of at Schiphol. ...

For riding the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route you definitively need a bike and gear. These are available for any budget. As often, the budget will mainly decide upon quality, weight, and size. I have tried to re-use as much as possible but definitely had to buy quite some stuff. The items listed on this page are based on my criteria and decisions. Other persons might come to other conclusions. ...

When riding the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, you’ll definitely need a bike ;). Renting is not an option, and neither is buying one local. You’ll want to have the bike upfront so that you can get used to it, make it comfortable, and get the correct bags, tools, and spare parts. So, the bike has to come along. In my case along on the plane (Amsterdam > Calgary) and shuttle (Calgary > Banff). ...

Today (May 9, 2022) I received the Canada + US map sets of the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. It was a bit of a wait because they have been out-of-stock for a while over here in the Netherlands. But after several weeks, they arrived at the shop which sells them here in the Netherlands, which is FietsVakantieWinkel. Although I have read a lot about the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, and bought quite some gear in the past couple of months, receiving these maps makes things (again) more real. It is less than three months from departure and I am getting more each and every day. ...

When you are exploring the route for the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route then you will see that for certain sections there are alternate routes defined. I explored these alternates now so that I am well aware of my options during the ride so that I am better able to make decisions on which alternates to take and which to skip. Since I am riding the route SOBO (South-Bound; from North to South) I will list the alternates below in this order as well. ...

Riding the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route is quite an undertaking. Along the route, you will pass different types of road, mostly gravel, but also some tougher sections and (very) remote areas. You will also experience all kinds of different weather from heat, to (very) cold, (heavy rain), and possibly snow and hail. On top of that, you are traveling through nature, where (black and grizzly) bears, mountain lions, snakes, scorpions, spiders, and other friendly animals live. ...

Cycling the distance of the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, while gaining a massive amount of elevation, through good and bad weather, and loaded with gear seems like quite a challenge. Of course, there are other factors like overall fitness, average pace, and most important (I think) the number of hours in the saddle each and every day. I got asked if I already have training schedules and how I will train for this adventure. To be honest, I have no schedule at all. I will continue with my regular rides with my bike friends. Considering the fact that I already have good overall fitness, I expect that I mainly need to train my bottom and hands/wrists, the main contact points during daytime riding. My saddle and handlebar will replace my office desk and chair for many weeks. ...

Before you can start riding the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route you need to go to ‘the starting point’. Wherever that may be, depending on personal choices. In my case, the starting point is Banff, Alberta in Canada, where I will start riding South-Bound. So, my bike, gear, and I need to get to Banff. Since I live abroad, I will be flying to Calgary. Although I already booked quite some family holidays to the US myself (flights, rental car, accommodations, etc.), this time it feels different. I need to make sure the bike is confirmed (both ways). I prefer a direct flight on my way to Calgary to minimize issues with the bike (damages, loss, …). The date for the return flight is an estimate, I need some flexibility for change (preferable date/time and also departure airport). In short, I would like a professional to look into this. I hope this makes things easier for me, and they might be able to help with other parts of the journey (shuttle to Banff, accommodation in Banff, or alternatives). So I decided to make use of the services of a travel agency. ...

After buying my first mountain bike in 2012, I saw the movie Ride the Divide. This movie follows the participants of the 2008 edition of the Tour Divide, a time-trail event on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. A little seed was planted in my head. I loved the idea, not the racing, but touring such a route. I always loved being in nature when visiting the US for our holidays. Exploring the US by bike sounded ideal (faster than by foot, slower than by car). Not much later I explored more-and-more details on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (GDMBR) and dreamed about the amazing experience it must be to ride this route. ...

Due to the nature and length of the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, careful attention must be paid to the travel direction (North-Bound vs. South-Bound) and the time of year (usually between June and October) for riding this route. Weather can play a significant role in the experiences on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. Freezing temperatures and snow on high altitudes, the pronounced increase in thunderstorms and rainfall during the North American monsoon, high winds on the great plains, and high temperatures during summer are just a few examples of weather that will be experienced during the trip. ...