Interesting to hear your comments. I've ridden the Divide one and a half times and agree with many of your comments. My bike had a 1x setup which I converted to 2x before the first trip. I didn't go with drop bars because long descents with drops bother my hands. I used Jones bars, which I was very happy with. Wider tires are good for the reasons you mentioned, and I also think they protect your rims and wheels from the pounding of the trail. I also thought about a dynamo hub, but in the end thought it was simpler and cheaper to just carry a battery bank. I do try to avoid riding in the dark. Like you, I saw people riding all kinds of rigs. In general the MTB type rigs seem to work better for most people.
Nice video! I've always said that you can tour on anything, a more appropriate rig just makes the riding easier. Also I totally agree with you about the dynamo hub, I haven't used mine hardly at all. A 20,000mAh power bank is more than enough to keep all my cameras and devices charged.
Enjoyed your comments and opinions. As an old Granny, I am section biking from Jasper to Whitefish this summer on my old hard tail REI Novara Ponderosa mtn bike. I am ready to go. Got a tune up and new Vittoria Mezcal tires with tubes. I did a section of the Great Divide several years ago with this bike and only got one flat tire. If I was doing the whole trail, per your suggestion, I might consider getting tubeless tires. To tell you the truth, I am scared of tubeless tires because I saw a tubeless tire and rim totally disintegrate during this year's Giro de Italia after the lead cyclist, Tadej Pogacar, front wheel hit the side of a cobblestone. It was unbelievable to see the tire and wheel crumble. There were lots and lots of tubeless tire flats during this race.
10:00 Talking about gearing and chainrings. Yeah, have to agree, small single chainrings make sense for XC and enduro racing, but not for bikepacking and touring. What a lot of people don’t seem to take into account is that a small chainring with correspondingly smaller back sprocket means the transmission is under greater load, so shortens the life of sprockets and chain. Also, a larger chainring is going to give your rig a bit more top end for those rare occasions when the cycling gods are smiling. Enjoyed your Divide videos - great work!
I have a surly bridge club xl 27.5 in a 1x11 that I'm planning on touring with. Looking at upgrading my WTB ST+ i29 rims to velocity clysdale cliffhanger rims with 36/40 spokes to handle my body and gear weight. Planning on the PCBR this fall.
What are you thoughts about riding a hardtail? I have seen videos of people making comments about the jostling of their handlebars due to the surface. Also the videos only show gravel surface as compared to boulders and large rocks mainly which a gravel bike would work.
I met a few people that rode hard tail out there. Hard to say what is better. There’s definitely a couple spots it would be beneficial, but for the majority I was ok on a gravel bike. That depends on a number of factors obviously, but I was able to cleanly ride down Fleecer Ridge on this bike. I think tire size is probably the biggest factor. A lot of people do mention the roads being really bumpy, but in my opinion, it was all pretty good. Maybe I just caught it on a good year 🤷♂️. If I had to ride this trail again, I would not bring a hard tail, and I would be more than happy to ride this bike or just about any other gravel bike as well.
Which bike is better for the Divide: my Surly Long Haul Trucker touring bike, or my Scott Spark 910 mountain bike? The Surly has drop handlebars and carries more gear, but the Scott should perform better on trails and bad roads. Thanks for any advice!
I honestly think a full-suspension MTB is overkill for the trail, but this really depends on how comfortable you are on a bike. Short answer: If it were me, I’d put the biggest tire I could on the LHT and pack light. Longer answer: I would really consider what you think of as fun and lean in that direction. For example, do you enjoy riding the spark on long stretches of gravel roads? Or do you prefer getting a little unnecessarily rowdy on the LHT? This is primarily a gravel riding route with a sprinkle of MTB. I preferred having a gravel bike that I could push a bit from time to time. Don’t quote me exactly on these numbers, but there’s got to be at least 2,200 miles of gravel and paved roads, if not more. For me personally, riding a full-suspension bike on 2,200 miles of road just doesn’t sound that fun.
I’m curious how you liked the brooks saddle for the tough trails/mountain biking. I feel I’ve heard not ideal compared to others for that style of riding, but I’m hating my saddle on my bike and really considering the brooks.
I love it, the main concern it’s keeping it away from rain. Luckily the saddle bag blocks most of the mud from the bottom, and I have a rain cover in case it’s wet. When things get too bumpy I’m standing anyways. I don’t think I would ever really ride on anything else. Just keep in mind, the break in period is minimum 50 hours, it will continue to get better from there, but it’s a rough start. I feel like I hit maximum comfort after 200 hours. I have 11,000 + miles on my current one.
Question for you about your brooks saddle....I have several...b17, c17 and b17 carved. I have a surly bridge club xl 27.5 and I'm trying to find a saddle and bike kit that will work for road touring without having to wear padded shorts or bibs. I've got a 545 mile supported tour coming up in june and don't like the idea of getting saddle sores. What did you do to be able to do the GDMBR without wearing padded shorts. I'm 6'2, 205lb, 70yrs old. Lost over 80lbs over 2 yrs. Any suggestions as to how to make any of my Brooks saddles to work and be comfortable on road touring.
I typically just wear light weight running shorts with no underwear. That gives me maximum breath ability and minimal layers for chaffing. I use the brooks B17. It’s well broken in, and took nearly 1000 miles to get it there. And that seems to work well for me. Typically keeping the undercarriage clean helps a lot, and for me a will sometimes use a chafe powder. Because humidity has been my biggest problem.
@stevemullin1195 Hi Steve , Im 71yrs old, 6'2" and 86kgs. Well done on the weight loss. I hope to do the GDMBR in 2025. About two years ago I decided to go chamois free as I was having a few minor issues with saddle sores. I got a pair of cheap compression undies from K-mart and wore hiking shorts over the top. The compression shorts are like nicks without the chamois. I started with short rides and slowly built up the kms until it was fine. Recently did a couple of 9hr 200km rides on the road and no problems. Done 10,000km this year and no problems. On a recent Sth Korea trip (1800km) I switched to bamboo undies and they were also fine. I have a cheap WTB saddle that came with my Surly but your Brooks should be okay. Saddles are personal. Just give it a go until you find something that works for you.
Those are both awesome bikes, I would happily own ether one, but I already had the midnight special, a full suspension bike and a touring rig with 40mm tires. Buying a 4th bike would have blown my trip budget, and I really don’t see myself riding those bikes very much after the trail is over.
I took the train to Glacier and caught a ride with a friend to Banff. At the end I rode to El Paso and flew back. My bike was denied by southwest when I went to check it because my bike box was too large. I would recommend not flying with them. I had to literally beg and plead to let it fly. United is a bit more liberal with their oversized luggage policy apparently.
@@MoveWithMurph where did you start the train trip from? I'm looking at taking amtrak from LA to Vancouver this fall to do the PCBR...assuming I survive the aids ride this year on my new bike.
I have a brooks b17 saddle on my BC and I was wondering if you put the saddle rain cover on and rode on it when it rained. Did you use their cream to brake in the saddle? I've got a 545 mi tour in June over 7 days from SF to LA and I know there will be a chance of rain during that ride.
@@stevemullin1195 I have the Selle Anatomica. Leather is definitely different. Came across a feller who did the same, ( came across a post ), He dipped his saddle in 105-130 deg. water, fully immersed for 5 min. checked it's pliability and needed re-immersed for longer until somewhat pliable. Not too long however, it's better for your sit bones to form the leather over time. After which he said dry off then apply mink oil on the entire seat, working in the sit bone area more heavily. Do this, then take for a 20 min ride with no bike shorts so the sit bones dimple. Then reapply more mink oil, generally rubbing in several minutes at a time. Then go out for an hour or more ride, same afterwards, reapply more mink oil in that area of where your sit bones are located. I've just now getting some longer rides on mine. Readjusting set angle etc.. It may still take awhile. You may need to adjust the tension on the seat a bit as it will soften. Not sure how the brooks is set up for this. After a few days, I've noticed pain in that area that I haven't had before on non leather seats so more research and adjusting may be needed. Happy trails.
Interesting to hear your comments. I've ridden the Divide one and a half times and agree with many of your comments. My bike had a 1x setup which I converted to 2x before the first trip. I didn't go with drop bars because long descents with drops bother my hands. I used Jones bars, which I was very happy with. Wider tires are good for the reasons you mentioned, and I also think they protect your rims and wheels from the pounding of the trail. I also thought about a dynamo hub, but in the end thought it was simpler and cheaper to just carry a battery bank. I do try to avoid riding in the dark.
Like you, I saw people riding all kinds of rigs. In general the MTB type rigs seem to work better for most people.
Thanks for the feedback.
I always think its funny to imagine what people rode on this trail 20 years ago, Probably lots of long days out there.
I’m doing this tour later this year. Can’t wait to see your other videos as I’m preparing.
you're going to love it!
All great advice. Thanks!
Nice video! I've always said that you can tour on anything, a more appropriate rig just makes the riding easier. Also I totally agree with you about the dynamo hub, I haven't used mine hardly at all. A 20,000mAh power bank is more than enough to keep all my cameras and devices charged.
I wanted the dynamo so badly. I feel like pavement touring, I would be great and I would use it a lot more often.
Enjoyed your comments and opinions. As an old Granny, I am section biking from Jasper to Whitefish this summer on my old hard tail REI Novara Ponderosa mtn bike. I am ready to go. Got a tune up and new Vittoria Mezcal tires with tubes. I did a section of the Great Divide several years ago with this bike and only got one flat tire. If I was doing the whole trail, per your suggestion, I might consider getting tubeless tires. To tell you the truth, I am scared of tubeless tires because I saw a tubeless tire and rim totally disintegrate during this year's Giro de Italia after the lead cyclist, Tadej Pogacar, front wheel hit the side of a cobblestone. It was unbelievable to see the tire and wheel crumble. There were lots and lots of tubeless tire flats during this race.
Really looking forward to your Great Divide series :)
Thanks for sticking around for it!
10:00 Talking about gearing and chainrings. Yeah, have to agree, small single chainrings make sense for XC and enduro racing, but not for bikepacking and touring. What a lot of people don’t seem to take into account is that a small chainring with correspondingly smaller back sprocket means the transmission is under greater load, so shortens the life of sprockets and chain. Also, a larger chainring is going to give your rig a bit more top end for those rare occasions when the cycling gods are smiling. Enjoyed your Divide videos - great work!
I like your advice, its honest ..no sugar coating,thx
Good stuff
I have a surly bridge club xl 27.5 in a 1x11 that I'm planning on touring with. Looking at upgrading my WTB ST+ i29 rims to velocity clysdale cliffhanger rims with 36/40 spokes to handle my body and gear weight. Planning on the PCBR this fall.
Damn those sound like some burly wheels! Have fun!
What are you thoughts about riding a hardtail? I have seen videos of people making comments about the jostling of their handlebars due to the surface. Also the videos only show gravel surface as compared to boulders and large rocks mainly which a gravel bike would work.
I met a few people that rode hard tail out there. Hard to say what is better. There’s definitely a couple spots it would be beneficial, but for the majority I was ok on a gravel bike. That depends on a number of factors obviously, but I was able to cleanly ride down Fleecer Ridge on this bike.
I think tire size is probably the biggest factor. A lot of people do mention the roads being really bumpy, but in my opinion, it was all pretty good. Maybe I just caught it on a good year 🤷♂️.
If I had to ride this trail again, I would not bring a hard tail, and I would be more than happy to ride this bike or just about any other gravel bike as well.
Which bike is better for the Divide: my Surly Long Haul Trucker touring bike, or my Scott Spark 910 mountain bike? The Surly has drop handlebars and carries more gear, but the Scott should perform better on trails and bad roads. Thanks for any advice!
I honestly think a full-suspension MTB is overkill for the trail, but this really depends on how comfortable you are on a bike.
Short answer:
If it were me, I’d put the biggest tire I could on the LHT and pack light.
Longer answer:
I would really consider what you think of as fun and lean in that direction. For example, do you enjoy riding the spark on long stretches of gravel roads? Or do you prefer getting a little unnecessarily rowdy on the LHT?
This is primarily a gravel riding route with a sprinkle of MTB. I preferred having a gravel bike that I could push a bit from time to time. Don’t quote me exactly on these numbers, but there’s got to be at least 2,200 miles of gravel and paved roads, if not more. For me personally, riding a full-suspension bike on 2,200 miles of road just doesn’t sound that fun.
Thanks for the videos! It looks like you rode it by yourself, did you?
Yeah I did, met some folks along the way though
I’m curious how you liked the brooks saddle for the tough trails/mountain biking. I feel I’ve heard not ideal compared to others for that style of riding, but I’m hating my saddle on my bike and really considering the brooks.
I love it, the main concern it’s keeping it away from rain. Luckily the saddle bag blocks most of the mud from the bottom, and I have a rain cover in case it’s wet.
When things get too bumpy I’m standing anyways.
I don’t think I would ever really ride on anything else.
Just keep in mind, the break in period is minimum 50 hours, it will continue to get better from there, but it’s a rough start. I feel like I hit maximum comfort after 200 hours.
I have 11,000 + miles on my current one.
@@MoveWithMurphthanks for all that info. May be making the switch. Appreciate it.
Question for you about your brooks saddle....I have several...b17, c17 and b17 carved. I have a surly bridge club xl 27.5 and I'm trying to find a saddle and bike kit that will work for road touring without having to wear padded shorts or bibs. I've got a 545 mile supported tour coming up in june and don't like the idea of getting saddle sores. What did you do to be able to do the GDMBR without wearing padded shorts. I'm 6'2, 205lb, 70yrs old. Lost over 80lbs over 2 yrs. Any suggestions as to how to make any of my Brooks saddles to work and be comfortable on road touring.
I typically just wear light weight running shorts with no underwear. That gives me maximum breath ability and minimal layers for chaffing. I use the brooks B17. It’s well broken in, and took nearly 1000 miles to get it there. And that seems to work well for me.
Typically keeping the undercarriage clean helps a lot, and for me a will sometimes use a chafe powder. Because humidity has been my biggest problem.
@stevemullin1195 Hi Steve , Im 71yrs old, 6'2" and 86kgs. Well done on the weight loss. I hope to do the GDMBR in 2025. About two years ago I decided to go chamois free as I was having a few minor issues with saddle sores. I got a pair of cheap compression undies from K-mart and wore hiking shorts over the top. The compression shorts are like nicks without the chamois. I started with short rides and slowly built up the kms until it was fine. Recently did a couple of 9hr 200km rides on the road and no problems. Done 10,000km this year and no problems. On a recent Sth Korea trip (1800km) I switched to bamboo undies and they were also fine. I have a cheap WTB saddle that came with my Surly but your Brooks should be okay. Saddles are personal. Just give it a go until you find something that works for you.
Why didn't you go with Surly Krampus(rigid) or the Ogre?
Those are both awesome bikes, I would happily own ether one, but I already had the midnight special, a full suspension bike and a touring rig with 40mm tires. Buying a 4th bike would have blown my trip budget, and I really don’t see myself riding those bikes very much after the trail is over.
How did you get your bike and gear up to banff for the start then the return home from the end of the route.
I took the train to Glacier and caught a ride with a friend to Banff. At the end I rode to El Paso and flew back.
My bike was denied by southwest when I went to check it because my bike box was too large. I would recommend not flying with them. I had to literally beg and plead to let it fly. United is a bit more liberal with their oversized luggage policy apparently.
@@MoveWithMurph where did you start the train trip from? I'm looking at taking amtrak from LA to Vancouver this fall to do the PCBR...assuming I survive the aids ride this year on my new bike.
@stevemullin1195 I started in Detroit’s and changed trains in Chicago.
I have a brooks b17 saddle on my BC and I was wondering if you put the saddle rain cover on and rode on it when it rained. Did you use their cream to brake in the saddle? I've got a 545 mi tour in June over 7 days from SF to LA and I know there will be a chance of rain during that ride.
@@stevemullin1195 I have the Selle Anatomica. Leather is definitely different. Came across a feller who did the same, ( came across a post ), He dipped his saddle in 105-130 deg. water, fully immersed for 5 min. checked it's pliability and needed re-immersed for longer until somewhat pliable. Not too long however, it's better for your sit bones to form the leather over time. After which he said dry off then apply mink oil on the entire seat, working in the sit bone area more heavily. Do this, then take for a 20 min ride with no bike shorts so the sit bones dimple. Then reapply more mink oil, generally rubbing in several minutes at a time. Then go out for an hour or more ride, same afterwards, reapply more mink oil in that area of where your sit bones are located. I've just now getting some longer rides on mine. Readjusting set angle etc.. It may still take awhile. You may need to adjust the tension on the seat a bit as it will soften. Not sure how the brooks is set up for this. After a few days, I've noticed pain in that area that I haven't had before on non leather seats so more research and adjusting may be needed.
Happy trails.
Oh, I see how it's gonna be... another rich guy with a dynamo hub! 😉
lol to me real wealth is a dynamo, I don’t even need electricity anymore!
surly croner bar MTB drop bar
Don’t Paint the bike 😳🤦♂️😂
But but but, I know a guy with a sand blaster.