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riverfever
June 24th, 2007, 20:42
I've been following the Great Divide Race and thought I'd share. This is simply nuts. 24 riders started this race in Canada and will follow the Rockies to Mexico for a distance 2,490 miles. This race is entirely self-sufficient. Riders do their own repairs, carry their own supplies and cook their own meals. They will cross the Continental Divide 28 times and climb a total of over 200,000 feet. The course record is an impressive 16 DAYS, 57 minutes and change (do the math on that). There's 3 guys on pace to break that record this year. For those in the know...one guy is attempting it this year on a single speed and another on a damn fixed gear. The guy on the fixie trained by logging 6,800 miles on his bike in the 5 months leading up to the event. The route will pass about 40ish miles from my house so I'm gonna try and figure out when they might be coming through and ride with them for a few hours. I remember all too well what a fraction of that pain was like.
Funrover
June 24th, 2007, 20:45
That is awsome!!! Wis i COULD do that!
saki669
June 24th, 2007, 21:08
The course record is an impressive 16 hours, 57 minutes and change (do the math on that).

146 MPH on a mountain bike? Damn that is impressive...

I think its more like 16 days...
Even that is impressive.
riverfever
June 24th, 2007, 21:13
Well...even cooler is that these are all dudes like you and me. It's not like the Tour de Farce where everyone is doped up. There's guys that are carpenters, chefs, teachers, bike messengers...you name it. They just like riding mountain bikes and being in the wilderness.

A dude from Denver is riding the fixed gear with platform pedals and what appear to be skateboard shoes. He also doesn't like cycling shorts or the chamois in them so he's just wearing shorts. What a stud!
riverfever
June 24th, 2007, 21:14
146 MPH on a mountain bike? Damn that is impressive...

I think its more like 16 days...
Even that is impressive.

You're right...sorry. Still though...16 days is nutty.
DrMoab
June 24th, 2007, 21:21
Mountain bikers are a bunch of P**sys. :D
riverfever
June 24th, 2007, 21:38
Mountain bikers are a bunch of P**sys. :D

I was under the impression that you thought ALL bikers were? :laugh3:
SCW
June 25th, 2007, 08:16
Wow! And I'm sweating buckets after 1/2-hour on the rollers this morning.
Fergie
June 25th, 2007, 11:02
Well...even cooler is that these are all dudes like you and me. It's not like the Tour de Farce where everyone is doped up. There's guys that are carpenters, chefs, teachers, bike messengers...you name it. They just like riding mountain bikes and being in the wilderness.

A dude from Denver is riding the fixed gear with platform pedals and what appear to be skateboard shoes. He also doesn't like cycling shorts or the chamois in them so he's just wearing shorts. What a stud!
Won't be much of a stud when he is done.

Very cool.

Oh...to quit the monotony of daily life and do something like that!
riverfever
June 25th, 2007, 12:28
Sorry I didn't post these links earlier.

http://www.greatdividerace.com/

Here's some cool pics that show each rider and their bike:
http://www.adventurecycling.org/gdrgallery2007/gallery01.cfm
sparkchaserXJ
June 25th, 2007, 12:46
That's awesome. Most I ever covered in a day was 75 miles and it wasn't even on a mountain trail.
SCW
June 25th, 2007, 13:08
Amazing, I'll be doing a little bit of 'adventure' turing this weekend on my mountain bike, but it's nothing like these guys!!

I'll post some pics of my back-country mtn bike trip Sunday.
riverfever
June 25th, 2007, 21:52
A guy named Jay is leading right now and he is hauling some major a$$. These guys started at the border on June 17 and he showed up Sunday at 5:00 p.m. in downtown Salida. He wolfed down an apple pie and ice cream and took off. This guy covered 242 miles in the first 24 hours. I'm lovin' this sh!t.