Tag: Tour Divide

And now for something completely different

~ Patrick O'Grady ~ 23 Comments
This is how a tech editor and former WorldTour mechanic rigs a bike for a 3,000-mile ride. Photo liberated from Nick Legan’s blog, Rambleur.

Adventure Cyclist tech editor Nick Legan is fixin’ to start the Tour Divide.

In case you were wondering, this is entirely unlike logging two-hour rides on loaner bikes around Albuquerque.

As we speak, Nick’s headed to his start in Antelope Wells, New Mexico. But before he hit the road, he posted a peek at the bike he’ll be riding and some of the gear he’s taking along.

Me? I’m still doing those two-hour loaner-bike rides around Albuquerque, thanks. This keeps me within cellphone range of Herself in case I augur in or stroke out; ensures that my food and water will be served hot and cold, respectively; and spares me the humilation of rolling up to the Tour Divide start only to drop to my knees and squeal: “Do I gotta? Maaaaaammmmmmaaaaaa!”

Divide and conquer

~ Patrick O'Grady ~ 4 Comments

Now here’s a goddamn bike race for you. Only one stage — but it’s 2,745 miles long, from Banff, Alberta, Canada, to Antelope Wells, N.M., and there are no soigneurs, domestiques, chefs, team cars, buses, officials, checkpoints, etc., et al., and so on and so forth. Strictly a garage-band sort of deal. Ride or die.

The Tour Divide runs along the Adventure Cycling Association’s Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, and the association has just hired the women’s record holder for the event, Jill Homer, as project manager and deputy editor of Adventure Cyclist magazine.

I like this note in the rules:

7. Tour Divide is a web-administered, do-it-yourself challenge based on the purest of wagers: the gentlemen’s bet or agreement. Nothing to win or lose but honor.

How refreshing.