Originally Posted by
RedandBlack
I readily acknowledge that by taking the GDMBT I will be pushing, pulling, cursing, and crying for some portions. I've encountered similar grades as Fleecer with a much heavier load in a training ride, though not for .3 miles. The reason for this post is that I know I need to cut some fat so that sections such as Fleecer will not break me. You mentioned low riders? Is there something about low riders that makes steep grades or rough terrain more difficult?
Low riders can present ground clearance issues. And you lack of a front shock should make things interesting. Make sure you stop into the Wise River Club in the Montana town of the same name. Decent fish & chips along with other things. And the 25 mile descent into town is very nice. The Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway is one of the paved sections of the GDMBR. It used to be dirt but was paved back around 2008 or so. I have ridden that part twice and have plans to do it again this June. The alpine meadow section a bit beyond Crystal Park is beautiful. Make sure you have bug spray. The mosquitoes were so bad we couldn't stop for more than a quick photo. Even when I rode it in 2014 and stopped at the summit in the rain to put on rain gear I got attacked.
BTW...Make sure you can lift your bike. You are likely to encounter a situation like the one I faced on the Mickelson Trail last June:
There was no way around the blockage.