Great Divide Mountain Bike Route
Encyclopedia
The Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (GDMBR) is a continuous long distance cycling route from Banff, Alberta
, Canada
to Antelope Wells, New Mexico
, USA. As of 2010, the route is 2745 miles (4417 km) long; its length is likely to change over time as the GDMBR is continually being refined to improve it. The GDMBR was developed by the Adventure Cycling Association
(ACA) and was inaugurated in 1998. A set of highly detailed route maps is available from the ACA. A guidebook has also been published.
as closely as practicable and crossing it 30 times, about 90% of the GDMBR is on unpaved roads and trails and requires basic off-pavement riding skills to complete. The unpaved portions of the route range from high quality dirt or gravel roads to a few short sections of unmaintained trails which may not be possible for most people to ride at all. The GDMBR has over 200,000 feet (60960 meters) of elevation gain and loss for the rider to contend with. While most of the GDMBR is off the pavement, the route does not require highly technical mountain bike riding skills. The route has been designed to provide a riding experience primarily on very low trafficked roads through mostly undeveloped areas of the Rocky Mountain west.
The GDMBR is routed through a variety of terrain and geographic features. Highlights include the Flathead Valley in Alberta, Grand Teton National Park
and the Great Divide Basin
in Wyoming
, South Park, and Boreas Pass
in Colorado
, and Polvadera Mesa and the Gila Wilderness
in New Mexico. Colorado's Indiana Pass, at 11,910 feet (3630 meters), is the highest point on the route. On route, the rider will encounter isolated river valleys, mountain forests, wide open grasslands, high desert, and, the end of the ride, a section of the Chihuahuan Desert
. The GDMBR passes though some larger towns, including Helena and Butte, Montana
, Pinedale and Rawlins, Wyoming
, Steamboat Springs, Breckenridge, Salida, and Del Norte, Colorado
, and Grants and Silver City, New Mexico
. Otherwise, only extremely small towns will be encountered, limiting the variety of goods and services available to riders.
Logistical issues complicate riding the GDMBR. Reliable food and water sources on some portions of the route are over 100 miles (160 KM) apart. Unpredictable mountain and desert weather can bring snow, rain, high winds, and temperature extremes at any time of year. It is also not uncommon to encounter large mammals including Grizzly
and Black Bear
, Moose
, and occasionally Mountain Lion.
Due to the possibility of deep snow in the mountains and monsoon rains in New Mexico, careful attention to weather and climate is required to ensure the rider can complete the route without having to wait out impassible conditions. On portions of the route, rain can turn some sections of dirt roads into quagmires of adhesive mud. The only options for the rider to pass these obstacles are to wait for the roads to dry or to carry their bike.
As much of the route is not signposted, good navigation skills are also necessary. Riders should be self-sufficient and carry camping equipment as commercial lodging is not available for long stretches of the route. It is also helpful to be skilled in bike maintenance and repair.
For all the challenges, properly prepared and equipped riders can expect to have an enjoyable and adventurous experience. In 2010, National Geographic listed riding the GDMBR as number one of its top fifty best American adventures.
, follows the US portion only. In these events, the race clock runs 24 hours a day and the riders are allowed no outside support other than access to public facilities such as stores, motels, and bike shops. The record time to complete the Tour Divide in its 2010 routing is 17 days, 23 hours and was set in 2009. The Tour Divide has been raced and completed on both single speed bicycles and on a tandem bicycle. There are neither entry fees nor prizes in either race.
Banff, Alberta
Banff is a town within Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. It is located in Alberta's Rockies along the Trans-Canada Highway, approximately west of Calgary and east of Lake Louise....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
to Antelope Wells, New Mexico
Antelope Wells, New Mexico
Antelope Wells is a small unincorporated community in Hidalgo County, New Mexico, United States. The community is located along the Mexico – United States border, in the New Mexico Bootheel region, located across the border from the small settlement of El Berrendo, Chihuahua, Mexico. Despite its...
, USA. As of 2010, the route is 2745 miles (4417 km) long; its length is likely to change over time as the GDMBR is continually being refined to improve it. The GDMBR was developed by the Adventure Cycling Association
Adventure Cycling Association
The Adventure Cycling Association is a national cycling association in the United States which provides services for cycle-tourists, publishes maps and campaigns for better cycling facilities. Its headquarters are in Missoula, Montana...
(ACA) and was inaugurated in 1998. A set of highly detailed route maps is available from the ACA. A guidebook has also been published.
Route description
Following the Continental DivideContinental Divide
The Continental Divide of the Americas, or merely the Continental Gulf of Division or Great Divide, is the name given to the principal, and largely mountainous, hydrological divide of the Americas that separates the watersheds that drain into the Pacific Ocean from those river systems that drain...
as closely as practicable and crossing it 30 times, about 90% of the GDMBR is on unpaved roads and trails and requires basic off-pavement riding skills to complete. The unpaved portions of the route range from high quality dirt or gravel roads to a few short sections of unmaintained trails which may not be possible for most people to ride at all. The GDMBR has over 200,000 feet (60960 meters) of elevation gain and loss for the rider to contend with. While most of the GDMBR is off the pavement, the route does not require highly technical mountain bike riding skills. The route has been designed to provide a riding experience primarily on very low trafficked roads through mostly undeveloped areas of the Rocky Mountain west.
The GDMBR is routed through a variety of terrain and geographic features. Highlights include the Flathead Valley in Alberta, Grand Teton National Park
Grand Teton National Park
Grand Teton National Park is a United States National Park located in northwestern Wyoming, U.S. The Park consists of approximately and includes the major peaks of the long Teton Range as well as most of the northern sections of the valley known as Jackson Hole. Only south of Yellowstone...
and the Great Divide Basin
Great Divide Basin
The Great Divide Basin is a drainage basin of the Continental Divide of the Americas. The basin is between the Green River watershed on the west and the Medicine Bow River watershed on the east . From the northwest, the basin begins in the "Wind River Range .....
in Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
, South Park, and Boreas Pass
Boreas Pass
Boreas Pass, elevation , is a high mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of central Colorado in the United States. The pass is located on the continental divide, at the crest of the Front Range along the border between Park and Summit counties...
in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, and Polvadera Mesa and the Gila Wilderness
Gila Wilderness
Gila Wilderness was designated the world's first wilderness area on June 3, 1924. Along with Aldo Leopold Wilderness and Blue Range Wilderness, the wilderness is part of New Mexico's Gila National Forest. The wilderness is approximately from north to south and east to west...
in New Mexico. Colorado's Indiana Pass, at 11,910 feet (3630 meters), is the highest point on the route. On route, the rider will encounter isolated river valleys, mountain forests, wide open grasslands, high desert, and, the end of the ride, a section of the Chihuahuan Desert
Chihuahuan Desert
The Chihuahuan Desert is a desert, and an ecoregion designation, that straddles the U.S.-Mexico border in the central and northern portions of the Mexican Plateau, bordered on the west by the extensive Sierra Madre Occidental range, and overlaying northern portions of the east range, the Sierra...
. The GDMBR passes though some larger towns, including Helena and Butte, Montana
Butte, Montana
Butte is a city in Montana and the county seat of Silver Bow County, United States. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the sole entity of Butte-Silver Bow. As of the 2010 census, Butte's population was 34,200...
, Pinedale and Rawlins, Wyoming
Rawlins, Wyoming
Rawlins is a city in Carbon County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 8,538 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Carbon County...
, Steamboat Springs, Breckenridge, Salida, and Del Norte, Colorado
Del Norte, Colorado
The Town of Del Norte is a Statutory Town in and the county seat of Rio Grande County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 1,705 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Del Norte is located at ....
, and Grants and Silver City, New Mexico
Silver City, New Mexico
Silver City is a town in Grant County, New Mexico, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 10,545. It is the county seat of Grant County. The city is the home of Western New Mexico University.-History:...
. Otherwise, only extremely small towns will be encountered, limiting the variety of goods and services available to riders.
Riding the GDMBR
Most people ride the route north to south. Southbound riders normally cannot start prior to mid-June nor later than the end of September. Typical times to ride the entire route range from six to ten weeks. A few people through-ride the GDMBR every year and trip reports are available on the ACA website.Logistical issues complicate riding the GDMBR. Reliable food and water sources on some portions of the route are over 100 miles (160 KM) apart. Unpredictable mountain and desert weather can bring snow, rain, high winds, and temperature extremes at any time of year. It is also not uncommon to encounter large mammals including Grizzly
Grizzly Bear
The grizzly bear , also known as the silvertip bear, the grizzly, or the North American brown bear, is a subspecies of brown bear that generally lives in the uplands of western North America...
and Black Bear
American black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
, Moose
Moose
The moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...
, and occasionally Mountain Lion.
Due to the possibility of deep snow in the mountains and monsoon rains in New Mexico, careful attention to weather and climate is required to ensure the rider can complete the route without having to wait out impassible conditions. On portions of the route, rain can turn some sections of dirt roads into quagmires of adhesive mud. The only options for the rider to pass these obstacles are to wait for the roads to dry or to carry their bike.
As much of the route is not signposted, good navigation skills are also necessary. Riders should be self-sufficient and carry camping equipment as commercial lodging is not available for long stretches of the route. It is also helpful to be skilled in bike maintenance and repair.
For all the challenges, properly prepared and equipped riders can expect to have an enjoyable and adventurous experience. In 2010, National Geographic listed riding the GDMBR as number one of its top fifty best American adventures.
Racing
There are also two entirely self supported races every year on the GDMBR. The Tour Divide follows the entire route, while the Great Divide Race , which starts at the border in Roosville, MontanaRoosville, Montana
Roosville is a populated place and United States Port of Entry on the Canada-United States border in Lincoln County, Montana, at the terminus of US Highway 93. The locality on the Canadian side of the border is also named Roosville and is the southern terminus of British Columbia provincial...
, follows the US portion only. In these events, the race clock runs 24 hours a day and the riders are allowed no outside support other than access to public facilities such as stores, motels, and bike shops. The record time to complete the Tour Divide in its 2010 routing is 17 days, 23 hours and was set in 2009. The Tour Divide has been raced and completed on both single speed bicycles and on a tandem bicycle. There are neither entry fees nor prizes in either race.
Also see
- Ride the Divide
- Mixed Terrain Cycle-TouringMixed Terrain Cycle-TouringMixed Terrain Cycle-Touring, nicknamed “rough riding” in North America and "rough stuff" in Europe, involves cycling over a variety of surfaces and topography on a single route, with a single bicycle. The recent popularity of mixed terrain touring is in part a reaction against the increasing...
- Bicycle touringBicycle touringBicycle touring is cycling over long distances – prioritizing pleasure and endurance over utility or speed. Touring can range from single day 'supported' rides — e.g., rides to benefit charities — where provisions are available to riders at stops along the route, to multi-day...
Further reading
- Cycling the Great Divide: From Canada to Mexico on America's Premier Long Distance Mountain Bike Route; Michael McCoy; Mountaineers Books (June 1, 2000); ISBN 0898866987
- Two Wheels on My Wagon: A Bicycle Adventure in the Wild West; Paul Howard; Mainstream Publishing (1 April 2010); ISBN 1845965612