I have now been back in the UK for about 5 days. The wind and rain lashing against my window as I type this is a grim reminder that I am back in Wales, and am unlikely to see the sun until sometime next July. Oh joy.
BASIC STATS:
2722 miles travelled (on route)
61 riding days
12 rest Days
Total riding time of 237 hours
Average speed of 11.5mph
Punctures: Cennydd 0, Hywel 1, Chris - quite a few!
Several gallons of chocolate milk
Photos/Video taken by Hywel - 1047. Selection available here: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/crichards1976/GreatDivideRide200802#
SPECIAL MENTIONS:
There were a lot of people who helped make our GDR attempt an enjoyable and successful one. Particular thanks goes out to the following:
Sheila & Martin Flint
Mark Lynn
James Foulger
Mike Williams - http://greatdividecyclery.com/
Pat and Nancy Galyan
Maria and Robert at South Fork Ranger Station
Mike, Bobbi and Emily - http://www.hwl.net/
David & his wife at Como - http://www.comodepot.net/
Johnny, Gigi, Paul & Barbara from Steamboat Springs
Kim Barz at Lugers Campground
Aaron at Salida Mountain Sports - http://www.salidamountainsports.com/
Scot Banks at Absolute Bikes, Salida - http://www.absolutebikes.com/
Geoff in Abiquiu
Bryan McDonald - Out N' Back Trails Unlimited, shuttle service based in Silver City (575) 590-7795
KIT RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. Schwalbe Marathon XR tyres. Hywel and I both used them with Stans latex solution and had just one puncture between us over a combined distance of about 6000 miles.
2. Rohloff internal gears. Both Hywel and I used them with no problems at all. The only drivechain maintenance we did on the whole trip was to change our chains once, and occasionally clean and oil them.
3. Panniers. At the risk of upsetting both Kate and Andy, having seen Bobs and Extrawheel trailers in action, I am convinced that panniers are the best kit carrying option for the GDR. Trailers proved themselves to be cumbersome on technical sections and prone to mechanicals.
4. Wool clothing. Useable across a wide temperature range, wools' main advantage is that it remains relatively odour free after many days of use. Garments by Icebreaker, Howies, Smartwool and Ground Effect featured heavily on the trip.
5. GPS unit with a trackback function. I used a Garmin eTrex Vista HCX with the TOPO US 2008 map package. Download the track points gathered by Paula & Scott on their 2004 trip at http://www.topofusion.com/divide/ (great site) and simply follow the yellow brick road all the way from one end of the USA to the other. Whilst the GPS is no substitute for the ACA maps, it does provide welcome reassurance that you are on route and heading in the right direction.
6. SPOT tracker device. Innovative product that allows those you leave at home to receive precise updates as to your whereabouts via text message and Google maps, and also allows you to raise the alarm in the event of an emergency no matter where you are. I think I paid about £150 for the unit in the UK. The unit has worldwide coverage. See http://www.findmespot.eu/en/ .
7. The warmest sleeping bag you can reasonably carry. I started the trip with a Marmot Atom which was woefully inadequate for the nighttime temperatures we were experiencing. Even with a thermarest, silk liner and my wearing thermals and a down jacket, I was being kept awake by the cold. As soon as I was able to I purchased a Marmot Hydrogen.
8. Small laptop. We didn't have a laptop with us but wished that we had. Internet cafes were few and far between. Libraries usually had internet access, but the opening times were erratic, the hardware often old, the connection speeds slow and the usage time limited. In contrast, almost every motel provided some form of Wi-fi facility for those guests with laptops. Something like the ASUS Eee would have been ideal: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASUS_Eee_PC .
9. US mobile phone. I was a little surprised to discover that mobile coverage for UK networks in the US section of the trip proved to be almost non existent. As an Orange customer I did not receive any coverage at all after crossing the US/Canada border until I reached Colorado. Those with O2 products faired slightly better, but still the service was extremely poor. Anyone who intends to remain in touch by phone should consider purchasing a US mobile for the purpose on their arrival.
That's it from me. I would encourage anyone contemplating this trip to have a go. It is not particularly difficult, the scenary is spectacular, and the characters you will undoubtedly meet along the way will entertain you no end. If anything, returning home is proving to be the hardest part!
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