#Tour-Divide

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VIDEO: Just to be With You – A Dad, a Daughter and the Divide

On August 4, 2022, Scarlet and her dad set out from Calgary, Canada to ride the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. 42 days and over 2,900 miles later, they arrived at the US and Mexico border with a deeper understanding of themselves and each other. Along the way a poem was written to help a dad come to terms with the inevitable growing up of his daughter.

Congratulations to Lachlan Morton for Completing the Tour Divide in 12 Days 12 Hours and 21 Minutes

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Congratulations to Lachlan Morton for Completing the Tour Divide in 12 Days 12 Hours and 21 Minutes

In the dark hours of Sunday September 10, 2023 Lachlan Morton reached the US/Mexico border in Antelope Wells, NM at 9:24pm. According to his sponsor E.F. Education-EasyPost’s recap on Instagram, his individual time trial (ITT) on the Tour Divide Route was about pushing himself in a sustainable way and during his 12day 12hr and 21min run down the divide, he stopped to rest for 12 hours out of every 48. While it is unlikely that his ride will be counted as the official record given the presence of a media crew, it should be noted that he went nearly a day-and-a-half faster than the late-great Mike Hall (13:22:51), with neither rider going over the now-notorious Koko Claims hike-a-bike section (Lachlan being forced to reroute due to wildfires in Canada).

The Tour Divide on Fabric Spokes: Brian and His Rare Earth Cycle Craft Touring Bike

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The Tour Divide on Fabric Spokes: Brian and His Rare Earth Cycle Craft Touring Bike

For framebuilders, there’s no better test for their product than a long bike tour. When I last saw Brian, he had just completed the Baja Divide on a bike he built. At the time, he had just left the outdoor industry and hoped to transition into building frames full-time under the Rare Earth Cycle Craft banner.

His hardtail was one of my favorite bikes I documented this year until I saw his Tour Divide bike…

Radar

The Search for ATB Episode 1: Howes Divided on the 2023 Tour Divide

What is the “Spirit of ATB?” And how/why should we catch it, assuming we want to? Those questions and more will be answered in a new series that we’ve partnered with our friends at Mythical State Of to create called The Search For ATB. A little bit Parts Unknown, a little bit Alone, a little bit Donut Media, and a little bit National Geographic, The Search For ATB will explore the people, places and things that make all-terrain culture so compelling and inspirational. And FUN. From underbiking and the art of pushing your bike, to interviews with legends and questionable infographics, The Search For ATB begins now!

Searching for Positivity and a New Fork on the Tour Divide

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Searching for Positivity and a New Fork on the Tour Divide

“Well, what the hell now?” I thought to myself as I stared down at my carbon fork now resting on the ground in three separate pieces. A curb-sized, unassuming jump on a wooden arch bridge outside Breckenridge had taken me down, imploding my bike with me. The front brake cable was the only thing connecting my front wheel to the rest of my bike. I had never experienced a mechanical problem like this trailside. That’s it, game over. All the planning and anticipation, just to make it halfway through the Tour Divide.

Radar

Rapha Gone Racing Lael on the Tour Divide

This one from Rapha and Lael is not to be missed!

“Crisscrossing the Continental Divide for 2,450 miles between Banff in the Canadian Rockies and Antelope Wells on the Mexican border, the Great Divide is one the world’s most iconic long distance mountain biking routes. On this sky high trail, there’s no such thing as a regular ride. But even by ultra cycling standards, Lael Wilcox’s history on the route is a colourful one.

In 2015, Lael raced the Tour Divide – an event that follows the route – and set a new women’s course record despite having to ride herself to an emergency room en route to deal with a persistent breathing issue. But rather than celebrating her achievement, Lael set out to better it. Just two weeks later, she rode to the start from her home in Alaska, took on the trail for a second time and lowered her own record by another day and a half.

Today, the outright course record is held by the late long-distance legend Mike Hall, whose time of 13 days 22 hours and 51 minutes has stood since 2016. Inspired by Mike’s methodical approach to managing the mileage but convinced she can beat the record, Lael is returning to the Rockies with unfinished business. In the latest episode of Rapha Gone Racing, we document her latest record attempt and follow her as she runs into issues much bigger than any bike ride.”

Josh Uhl’s 2019 Triple Crown Attempt: A Personal Journey

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Josh Uhl’s 2019 Triple Crown Attempt: A Personal Journey

The beauty of bikes is in the people who ride them—and how they all have a story. I have little doubt that everyone—serious riders, aeroed and grimaced, and carefree cruisers alike—have experienced that epiphanous fresh-air feeling of freedom that accompanies spinning your legs astride two wheels. Sometimes we just enjoy it at the moment—letting the short-lived wave of release and clarity wash over us during a weeknight burrito run, or a trip to the coffee shop. Other times we chase that feeling down with the hope that, somehow, it might change our life.

What first intrigued me about Josh Uhl was, however, not his history with bikes but his podcast Here For Now, which he started in February of 2021. Josh uses this platform to have intentional and intimate conversations with his guests about motivation, struggle, and the big whys of life. Listening to an early episode with Peter Hogan, where the recovering addict asserts that “Bikes aren’t God,” and to a later episode where the writer Zoe Röm reflects on the delusion of “authenticity” on social media, I found myself frequently nodding along. Yes, exactly.

The Bike That Flew: Sarah Swallow on the Tour Divide

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The Bike That Flew: Sarah Swallow on the Tour Divide

Over at Rapha, Sarah Swallow shares her story about how her Tour Divide almost ended before it even began:

The journey began with a three-day drive from my home in Colorado to the start line in Montana. My partner Adam and I were wrapping up a long day of driving and looking for a place to camp south of Seeley Lake, Montana when we drove over a large bump in the tarmac at 60 mph. The entire truck bounced like a sea-saw, causing us both to cringe when we heard a snap and saw something in the rearview mirror.

“What was that!?” I yelled.”It was a bike…” Adam answered.”Was it your bike?” I asked desperately.”I think it was your bike…” he responded.We stopped the car, and I got out to confirm that my Tour Divide bike lay one hundred yards down the road. I ran toward it hysterically like it was a loved pet that had just been run over.

Head on over to the Rapha blog to read more!

Tour Divide Bikes: Arya’s Tour Divide 2021 Crust Bikes Romanceür Tourer

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Tour Divide Bikes: Arya’s Tour Divide 2021 Crust Bikes Romanceür Tourer

This bicycle named Lil Romeo was chosen for my first attempt at the Tour Divide based on trust built over the years of adventuring together. A Reynolds 853 steel Crust Romanceür that I’ve ridden for 4 years in 4 different United Nations recognized countries. The custom frame bag that held food, 3 liters of water, and often a can of nitro coffee has the Tibetan national flag that is not recognized by the United Nations. I love this flag almost as much as I love this bike. Not for the sake of Nationalism, but for the sake of Beauty. Lots of parts on this bike were selected for beauty, practicality, and nostalgia.