The Great Divide
 

Hey, im 20 years old and currently planning to start off my one year backpacking trip by trailing thru The Great Divide the 20'th of August next year. I figured I'd make this post as I've finally figured yet another bike has been stolen and will never be recovered, **** bike thieves.. Thats the third. And I need a new one.

Since im planning to make the great divide my first long bicycle trip, I figured i'd start looking for a bike now. As there should be some nicely priced bikes and parts coming up in the autumn season.

The budget for this bike is limited, but as large as "it has to be". If you guys (and girls) can understand what I mean by that. Every penny I spend on the bike is a penny less to live for the remaining 10 months of my backpacking year. But at the same time I do need a proper bike if im gonna ride it for hours every single day for about two months.

Im packing light, if it isent absolutely essential it's not coming. So I was concidering to have most of my stuff in a backpack, but im not sure how much strain it will put on my body to do that instead of packing it directly on the bike.

Other then that I want a fun bike to ride, this trip will go on for however long it suits me. My only goal is completion. So I'm thinking of a rather light mountain bike, but then again i've never been on a trail bike so I dont know how it compares. And I certainly dont know the diffrence after 3 weeks on the road.

It will of course have to last from the start to the end, I've heard new MTB's use a lot of plastic parts. How will this affect my trip?

Tried to scramble down a few of my questions here, and I hope some of this makes sense. I was working as a bike assembler and repairman a few years back on a sports store, so I have a clear clue of how to assemble and build a bike. Is this reccomended over buying a premade one?

Allso, if anyone on this forum has done the entire great divide or parts of it. I'd really appreciated if you contacted me so I can ask a few questions. =) Could really use some advice.

If my english is halfway bad it's because im from Norway, it's not my native language. =p

Hi Toth88, try finding a copy of Cycling The Great Divide by Michael McCoy as it covers the American section of the trail. I haven’t found much information on the Canadian part. I am considering riding the trail next year as well and I am in the planning stage.

The bike I am building is a 2000 Norco Rampage MTB with Shimano XT/XTR components. I am using V-brakes and I put a rigid fork on it and will be using trekking bars. I am using Old Man Mountain racks and I also have a BoB trailer for it. The wheels I have now are Mavic 618 rims with XTR hubs but will build up something stronger at least for the rear.

Your Crowns may go much further if you have the bike built in England or in North America rather then buying something in Norway. Also if you pick up the bike up outside of Norway you will save the sales taxes. There are a few builders specialising in trekking bikes so have a look at Thorn, True North Cycles, Kona Big Dummy, Koga-Miyata etc… Since you are starting you build from scratch you may consider building it around Shimano’s new SLX trekking groupo.

Welcome to the forum!

Hehe, I definantly have to pick it up outside norway and "smuggle" it in. Seriously, in norway professionals tell you to stick away from anything priced below NOK 2500 (USD 550?) or sold in a department store. For NOK 2500 you get the same bike you can get in the US for 250 USD.. Prices here are so insane you wouldnt imagine (unless you've been here).

But then again, so are the wages. =p Student on a summer job making 6500 USD a month, sitting at a chair in a factory.. :p

Gonna try to get ahold of the guide.

Btw, the one thing im the most worried about is the weather and temprature, will starting off in late august be a problem?

Yeah, I lived with a girlfriend in Bergen back in the late1980s and I know how expensive it can be. I am also considering cycling the North Sea Route but the cost of traveling in Northern Europe is putting me off.

According to the guide, mid-August could present the best conditions, however one blog that I was looking at showed three guys, who started late in the season, cycling through snow!

Norway is by afar the most expensive country on that rute though, mostly depends on how youre planning to live. If it's hotels \ motels and eat at cafe's and restourants then it's gonna be hell'a expensive. But if youre mostly gonna be living in a tent then it's probably gonna be allright.

If I was gonna cycle thru Northern Europe i'd rather cycle around the Baltic Sea then do the North Sea Rute though. I think you'd get a far better climate then, and it'd be quite a bit cheaper aswell.

If you really have a limited budget, buy a used bike. 2 or 3 years ago, I got an old Specialized Rockhopper with rigid forks that works great for touring. It had hardly been ridden. I put on "city" tires, a new saddle, bar ends and a rack. Total cost: $60 for the bike, about $100 for everything else. There are many brands of mt. bikes that would have worked as well as the Rockhopper, just get one before they put on suspension forks.

Last week I got a Trek 790, also very lightly used, for $200. It needed fatter tires and a wider more comfortable saddle - that's all. It is already geared for touring and had a rear rack. I replaced the cables and handlebars, but it didn't really need it. I'll have about another $100 into it when I'm all done.

I would bite the bullet and buy your bike in Norway. Of course you can buy twice the bike for the money in the US, but you really should "train" and work up to such a major trip. You don't want to be sorting out issues on a brand new bike--- especially on the trail. You need to be very familiar with your equipment, and have a workable plan for stowing your gear.

If you do buy your bike in the US, by the time you have ridden it, it will look used and you won't have any tax or import duties when you return. I don't know where you live in Norway, but I never seem to see anyone working customs when I arrive home. The other issue is that airlines generally no longer allow bikes to fly free as a piece of checked luggage as they once did. When I moved to Norway, I brought a bike that I packed in a bike box-- and flew with it-- the box was recycled from a bike shop. It arrived without a scratch.

Keep in mind that everything in the US will seem very cheap when coming from Norway--- except rental cars (they nail foreign license holders).

I would not want to bike with a large backpack. It could really be a hazard if you are biking off road-- catching on branches, messing with your balance in technical areas, etc.-- not to mention how it will affect your body. Also, you don't need the lightest bike, since you will be loaded with gear anyway. In the US, I had a low end Specialized hybrid that cost $300 that had the eyelets for racks--- it would have fit the bill OK. But you can buy a lot of bike for the buck at $750-1000. Despite the prices, there are deals to be had in Norway. I purchased a 10 000nok mountain bike on sale at Spinn for 6000 because it was last year's model. You might want a cassette with lower gearing for riding fully loaded.

I've been up in the northern rockies in late August, and there is still snow in spots, but it is doubtful you will encounter any where you are biking-- Temperatures are generally quite nice--- around 20 during the day. Nights can be cool, and the sun goes down quite early behind the mountains. Rain is not uncommon.

What part of Norway are you from? I am in Stavanger....

I envy those prices, in norway you can hardly even get a used three weeled bike for $60. :p

But I am of course looking in to used bikes. =)

And my budged is "as large as it has to be"... Hoping to get something used though.

Made in Bergen, living in Årdal (Sogn og Fjordane) at the moment. ^^

"Rescued" a couple of backpackers yesterday, one of them works in a bicycle store so I thought I'd ask him if he has any idea of a good buy.

But about buying a bike in Norway, im still unsure wether or not I should. You live in Norway yourself so you know how large the diffrence is, if your buying in the EU you can allso get one "tax-free". So im thinking of buying one in the Autumn Hollyday, a one week vacation plus buying the bike is probably cheaper then buying it in Norway, unless I can get a used one or a good deal.

BTW, im packing as light as humanly possible. :P But I guess backpacks are to be avoided.

If you were going to spend some time somewhere that you could stage a purchase like staying with friends and familly then buying a bike in the US would make sense. Touring bikes can be hard to find in many parts of the country, and the kind of MTB you want for this kind of trip might be as hard to find. But if you can start sending stuff in advance it might work out fine.

Frame: Trek 8500, 2006 mod. ZR9000 legering
Fork: Marzocchi WC 100mm 2007 mod.
Rims: Bontrager Race Lite med tubelessbånd satt inn 26"
Tires: Conti Mountain King 2,2 tubeless
Breaks: Avid Juicy 5
Gear back: SRAM X9
Gear front: Shimano Deore
Gearshifters: SRAM XO
Crankset: Truvativ Stylo Team 2007 mod.
Pedals: Egg beaters MRX
Seat: Fizik Gobi
Seatstick: Bontrager Race lite carbon
Handlebar: Truvativ Team carbon
Stem: Truvativ Team
Headset: Cane Creek S3

Got this bike at hand at what seems to be an acceptable price, worth going for? And what parts would have to be changed?

A little off topic, but here is a link to the 2009 Great Divide Race. It has many great pictures!
http://www.greatdividerace.com/

Three run thru's on that picture series, finding it interesting how they packed their bikes. Similar to what I had initally thought i'd do with mine. Every single day this trip is growing on me, it's without a doubt an experience of a lifetime.

About the last post:
Rims: Bontrager Race Lite med tubelessbånd satt inn 26"

These are rather expensive rims, so im trying to buy without them. 26" wheels is a bit too small right?

Put a lot of thought and money into the wheels so you don't break down in the middle of nowhere. 26” is the norm for trekking bikes as they are available globally. 29” are becoming common and from what I read they are great for smoothing out a bumpy road.

In regards to buying a bike in North America, you should have no problem finding a reputable dealer in Seattle, Vancouver, Calgary or Edmonton. Just order what you need and do a mini tour until you are happy with your build.

Having a really tough time deciding on wether to buy a used bike in norway, a new bike in norway or buying a bike abroad. Buying either a used or new bike is probably gonna mean im gonna change a lot of parts before I'm ready to depart. Starting to seem like building a bike myself or ordering a custom one is the only way to go. Possibly buy some used parts, probably a frame and some other stuff.

I've had 28" wheels reccomended, you think 29" is better\easier to get ahold of?

I think what the Americans call 29" is sometimes called 28" in Europe. This is the same size as 700c. Should be easy to find good rims, reasonably easy to find tyres.

26" is standard MTB wheels, stronger for a given weight (or lighter for a given strength) than 29", also the equivalent tyre will be a little lighter. I wouldn't say 26" is too small. You could go either way and still be fine. The 26" will be a little lighter and easier to find off-road tyres for; the 29" will maybe roll over things easier and maybe go a bit faster on-road with narrow tyres. I would choose 26" (standard MTB) myself, but my experience with off-road stuff is pretty limited.

For road, though, you will want a slick tyre (same goes for 29"/700c wheels - on the road you can put on a hybrid/touring tyre and save the fat knobby tyres for off-road).

Do you know the chainstay length of the bike? A lot of MTBs have pretty short chainstays.

There are plenty of "MTB conversion" posts and threads, they will give you an idea of what various people like for touring MTBs.

Also there are some off-road touring threads. Some people have used a Big Dummy or similar "long bike" off road. Some use trailers, some panniers, some ultralight with seat and bar bags and stuff strapped to the frame.

Anyone have links? Otherwise do a search in the forums.

No need to rush choosing your bike (unless you find the "perfect" one and love it on the spot!). You have heaps of time to think about the options and also to test-ride lots of different bikes.

Hehe, yeah. But I figure since it's fall most bikes are gonna be downpriced pretty soon.

www.greatdividerace.com had a few pictures of the ones doing the race, and their bikes. But I might just have to throw around a few emails to try figure out what I should use.

Just measured mine. 17" on both mt. bikes and my "touring bike." They certainly looked longer on the mt. bikes. According to this article by Bruce Gordon, 17" (43.2cm) is marginal. http://www.bgcycles.com/bruce.html

Still, it's what I'm going to use. And the only tour I've ever done was with front low-rider panniers, and the sleeping bag on top of the rear rack - no rear paniers at all. Next time, I'm planning on the same setup with a small set of rear panniers. I already have these, so I know my heels will clear. But I see why most people would want/need longer chainstays.

There was an article on the GDR in Outside the other month, it's online here. Don't know how applicable it is to your trip but it's a fun read anyway. IIRC the only specific bike mentioned is a Karate Monkey.

Sunburst:
I rode the Divide with only 2 front panniers and a rear rack dry bag stuffer on top. It works well and forces you to travel light.

This talk of front panniers is making me curious. Are you guys running with front panniers and a suspension fork or simply going with a unsuspended bike?

I rode the Divide on an unsuspended/rigid Bruce Gordon RNR bike with 700x47 Schwalbe Marathon XR tires with 2 front panniers and the dry bag stuffer on top of the rear rack.

More on chain stays; My classic Miyata 1000 has 16" (41cm) stays, the Cannondale tourer has 17.5" (44.5cm) stays, and my Bruce Gordon BLT has 18" (46cm) stays. My size 13 heels still hit the Nashbar bags on the BLT with the 18" stays. The BLT would be the best ride for the OPs' trip but not on his budget. On such a long trip you have a lot at stake. Buy your bike at home and do short tours over there to get the problems worked out. Do not risk a year of your life on an untried system.