My 2021 Tour Divide / Great Divide Classic Detailed Packlist

In one week, I will be starting one of the most intimidating rides of my life. I would be riding the Tour Divide Mountain Bike Race in any other year, but because Canada is closed due to Covid, this year's event is called the Great Divide Classic. It's essentially the same, less than 250-miles of riding along the Canadian Rockies and follows the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route by Adventure Cycling Association. All totaled, I am looking down the road at a 2,500-mile ride with 150,800 ft of elevation gain from the border with Canada to the border with Mexico along the Continental Divide on dirt roads, single-track, and pavement.

My Philosophy

My bikepacking set-up 2018-2020. Photo by Jorja Creighton.

Preparing my equipment for such a journey has felt like learning how to bikepack all over again. Why is that? I believe that it is because when I am touring and only riding 35-50 miles per day, it doesn't quite matter if I bring my sandals, a super deluxe tent palace, town clothes, swimsuit, snorkel/mask, a 5-star cooking set-up, etc. (you get the idea). When there are anywhere between 10-14 hours of daylight, and I am going only 35-50 miles, I have all day to go as slow as I want to get to where I am going.

In contrast, the Tour Divide or the Great Divide Classic (whatever we want to call it) is a race. Just to be considered still in the race, I must maintain over 95-miles per day every day. My goal is to ride 100-miles per day and finish the route before I need to abandon the ride, which, at a minimum, will require that I ride 85-miles per day every day. So, for the first time in seven years, and when I started bike-touring, I have had to re-evaluate every little gear decision I make to feel like I can ride that amount of distance loaded with everything I need day after day. If I pack too much, my bike will be cumbersome to ride, hard to pedal up mountains, and pretty uncomfortable. If I pack too little, I could be equally miserable. I could not be prepared enough for the elements; rain, hail, cold nights, hiking through snow. I could be sleep-deprived and find the experience unbearable, leading me to abandon the course due to not having fun or being unhappy.

My gear and bike set-up for the Tour Divide/Great Divide Classic is my interpretation of a healthy balance between an efficient race set-up and a comfortable home on wheels for about a month. I believe that this set-up is light enough for me to travel the distances I want to travel while still feeling like a human. I'd go so far as to call this a luxurious race set-up. After all, I am a lifestyle athlete for a reason, not a racer. Only time will tell if these decisions, speculations, interpretations, and financial investments pan out to my benefit.

Itemized below is a detailed breakdown of my bike set-up for the Tour Divide/Great Divide Classic in 2021. The race begins on June 11. You can follow the race on http://trackleaders.com/tourdivide21. If you find this breakdown of value please consider donating to my Gofundme campaign to increase accessible outdoor opportunities to teen and pre-teen girls through The Cairn Project. Any amount donated gets me closer to reaching my fundraising goal of $8,000. Click here to donate.

Bike Specifications

This is my bike for the Tour Divide 2021

I am riding a Specialized Epic Hardtail Pro mountain bike with the stock Rockshox SID 100mm travel fork and 29" Roval Control Carbon wheels. The front wheel is laced to a SON Dynamo hub which fuels my Sinewave Cycles Beacon headlight. With the help of many friends and mechanics, I have modified this bike with Enve 48mm Gravel drop bars and Specialized aero bars. I also converted the drivetrain to a SRAM AXS electronic shifting system, which I find incredibly reliable and efficient but requires that I swap out and charge a small battery every 400-miles or so. The gear ratio I am running is an 11 x 50 tooth cassette with a 34 tooth front chainring. I may spin out on some faster pavement sections, but my knees will be happy on the climbs. The tires I have chosen for this ride are Specialized Ground Control tires which may be on the nobbier side compared to most, but it's a tire I have run for many years and I trust on all terrain.

I am using a Brooks Cambium C17 saddle; a zero offset seat post, and a 60mm, -20 degree stem, to accommodate my bike fit.

Bag Overview

My front bag system is made by Porcelain Rocket. It includes a minimal harness, a Dyneema stuff sack, and an outer pouch. I used this system on the TAT six years ago, and I have yet to find a better alternative. Inside the stuff sack, I keep my shelter and sleep system. Inside the outer pouch, I store my eating utensils, backstock of electrolytes, mushroom coffee, protein powder, THC and CBD edibles, and my water filter. I try to keep this bag filled with lighter stuff to avoid adding more weight to the handlebars.

I am using a custom frame bag by Rogue Panda Designs out of Flagstaff, Arizona, which includes an elastic zipper that allows me to stuff it to the gills and still be able to close it. In the large main pocket of my frame bag, I am carrying my tool kit, bear spray, and the majority of my food. In the frame bag's smaller side pocket, I store baby wipes, a clear pair of Ombraz sunglasses, and my wallet.

The seat bag I am using is a Gearjammer bag by the wonderful folks of Oveja Negra in Salida, Colorado. My Gearjammer stores my spare tube, toiletries, sleep clothes, a pair of shorts with a chamois, puffy jacket, and rain jacket. I have also added a bungee cord to the Gearjammer to hold my Thermarest pad.

My cockpit bags include a Mag Tank 2000 and Jerican by Revalate Designs (Anchorage, AK), an Eco-pack Snack Hole by Swift Industries (Seattle, WA), and a Chuckbucket by Oveja Negra. I store my multi-tool, headlight, sunscreen, and bug spray in the Jerrycan. Inside the Mag Tank 2000, I keep my point-and-shoot camera, phone, headphones, and additional snacks. The Chuckbucket holds my battery pack, electronic accessories, and a bug head net. There is room for more too. Lastly, the Eco-pack Snack Hole stores a 26 oz water bottle.

Holding my 64 oz Kleen Kanteen is a Manything Cage by King Cage (Durango, CO), mounted to my carbon down tube using King Cage universal support bolts.

The Nitty-Gritty Details