Learnin's from the Great Divide:
- Climbing mountains with a loaded bike ain't easy.
- A little training beforehand isn't a bad idea- unlike hiking, biking uses a set of muscles that are built over a long period of time.
- People are generous and kind - we were surprised how often we were invited into peoples homes.
- The bike is in constant need of attention - brake position, chain lube, seat height, seat position, straps on bags, tightening bolts, adjusting tire pressure, etc.
- There are a fair amount of bike shops up and down the Great Divide, so tune ups and bike parts are no problem.
Gear rejects:
- Bivvies - the bivvies were meant for a stealthy quick set up, but our 2p tent will suffice.
- Tyvek ground sheets - for protection under the bivvies.
- Comp Mouse - editing video without a mouse sucks, but its not worth the weight or bulk.
- Olivia's town dress - would rather get something unique overseas.
- Rain Pants - riding in the rain with rain pants sucks, and is sweaty. Riding in shorts is preferred and you dry faster.
- Eric's sandals - getting rid of these might have been a bad move but i couldn't think of anything else to get rid of.
- Long power adapter for macbook- switched to small.
New gear:
- A spare full chain
- More powerlinks
- Swapped Sawyer Squeeze water filter for a Steripen
- Swapped crankset for Surly crank set
My folks are some kind of amazing! They have given Eric and me incredible support through out this entire endeavor, and we couldn’t be more grateful. We knew before we started The Divide there was no way we would make it to Denver in just 3 weeks; so my Pops offered to essentially shuttle us from whatever point we made it to to Denver to catch a cheap flight to India.
Not knowing when we would see each other next after we left the country, we decided to buff in a little family time. We spent an awesome last few days exploring Bannack Ghost Town, Grand Tetons, and Yellowstone before heading down to Denver.
