Dad and I finished riding the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route one week ago! 49 days (46 days of riding), about 4500km and 55km elevation. Here are 10 thoughts now that I’m done:
1.Time is so relative, and single a moment can last one breath or several kilometres.
2. That said, there were no bad days (there were bad moments) because we stopped measuring time in days and instead in hills, time between resupply or water points, or kilometres. But, there were good days.
3. Living out of a bike simplifies life so much, but conveniences like fridges and a place to dry your socks are really special.
4. Teva’s really are the best riding shoe. I dragged my MTB shoes across America without putting them on once.
5. I am so grateful for the access I have to fresh, local, and diverse food at home and the time, means, and equipment to eat and cook it.
6. For some things, will (stubbornness?) can get you way farther than any training regiment can.
7. Accepting kindness from strangers doesn’t make you a freeloader as long as your gratitude is genuine and you repay it down the line.
8. The only thing fancy gear is good for is to give the old heads on the trail something to talk about, which gets old.
9. People are awesome and the biking community is unmatched.
10. You can probably do the thing if you just… start doing it.
It was such a cool and fun trip! I will not be doing it again!
