Infinite Divide

Let the countdown begin!

In just over two months I’ll set out on my quest to tackle two challenges that have been on my radar for quite some time. By day I’ll be riding my bicycle along the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route from Banff, Alberta, Canada to the U.S./Mexico border at Antelope Wells, New Mexico. At 2768 miles it’s the longest off-pavement route in the world. By night I’ll be reading David Foster Wallace’s Infinite Jest. At roughly 1000 pages, this encyclopedic novel may actually take me more time to complete than the bike ride.

This has actually been in the planning stages for several months. It’s only in the last few weeks have things really started to solidify to the point that I actually believe it will happen. Many thanks go out to my employer, Rackspace, for allowing me the time away from my day job. My manager in particular has been quite instrumental in making this possible. An even bigger debt of gratitude goes to my exceptional wife who’s staying home with the herd and holding down the fort while I’m gone. She has been incredibly understanding, supportive and encouraging about this whole crazy idea.

The GDMBR is quite remote with limited access to basic services and cell coverage for only about 5% of the route. As such, the prevailing advice is to not ride it solo and so I am quite pleased that my good friend Justin will be joining me on this adventure. We fly to Calgary on June 16th where we’ll overnight, do final bike assembly, shopping and prep. The following morning the adventure begins in earnest as we ride out for Banff and the beginning of the trail.

Stay tuned for more details about my planning, the gear I’m taking, and the ride details as it happens.