3:2 landscape
photo here

Summer 2025  ·  Antelope Wells → Banff → Antelope Wells

Tour Divide
Both Ways

5,500 miles. 400,000 feet of elevation. No sponsors. No coasting. The Great Divide Mountain Bike Route — ridden both ways in a single continuous push.

5,500
Total Miles
400k
Feet of Elevation
May 23
Yo-yo Départ
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What is the
Tour Divide?

The Great Divide Mountain Bike Route is the longest off-pavement cycling route in the world — 2,745 miles of remote dirt, gravel, and backcountry roads tracing the Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico.

Every summer, riders attempt the Tour Divide: an unsupported, self-navigated traverse from Banff, Alberta to Antelope Wells, New Mexico. No crew, no support vehicles, no drafting.

This summer, I'm riding it both ways — starting at the southern terminus, riding north to Banff, then turning around and riding the entire thing back. Unsupported. Solo. No sponsors.

It has never been done as a single continuous effort in both directions. This is my attempt.

Mile Location
0
Antelope Wells, NM ↑ Start
70
Hachita, NM
155
Silver City, NM
330
Pie Town, NM
400
Grants, NM
525
Cuba, NM
600
Abiquiu, NM
770
Del Norte, CO
925
Salida, CO
970
Hartsel, CO
1035
Frisco, CO
1165
Steamboat Springs, CO
1300
Wamsutter, WY
1400
Atlantic City, WY
1485
Pinedale, WY
1710
Island Park, ID
1810
Lima, MT
1945
Wise River, MT
2000
Butte, MT
2070
Helena, MT
2130
Lincoln, MT
2170
Ovando, MT
2340
Whitefish, MT
2430
Eureka, MT
2450
US / CAN Border
2545
Fernie, BC
2700
Banff, AB ↩ Turnaround

Miles shown Antelope Wells → Banff (one direction = 2,700 mi). Total both ways: 5,400 mi.

Both Ways

The Tour Divide is a 2,750 mile bike race. I've started three times. Finished once. Out there I'm just a shape moving through the landscape. Too small to matter to the mountains. Exactly small enough. This time I'm going both ways. Antelope Wells → Banff → Antelope Wells.

Yo-yo Départ  ·  Antelope Wells, NM  ·  May 23, 2026

Days
Hours
Minutes

Watch the Video

Everything you need to know about the ride, the route, and why I'm doing this.


The Soundtrack

Miles of dirt road, hours of silence broken only by wind and gravel. Music is the other fuel. This is what's playing across 5,400 miles of the Continental Divide.

Follow the playlist and ride along — updated as the route evolves, from the desert heat of New Mexico to the peaks of the Canadian Rockies.

Apple Music

Playlist Coming Soon

Swap in your Apple Music embed URL via APPLE_MUSIC_URL in the script below.


No Sponsors.
No Safety Net.

01

Self-Funded

No corporate sponsors. No brand deals. This ride is funded entirely by people who believe in what it represents — doing hard things without a safety net.

02

Unsupported

No crew vehicle. No supply drops. Everything I need goes on the bike. Food, gear, shelter — sourced from towns along the route, just like every other rider.

03

Both Directions

North to south is already one of the hardest things a person can do on a bicycle. Turning around and doing it back challenges what we think is possible.

Gear List

The build optimized for 5,500 miles of mixed terrain — dirt roads, gravel, and backcountry double track along the Continental Divide.

Item Notes Category Weight
Frame
Add your frame here
Frame
— g
Fork
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Cockpit
— g
Drivetrain
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Drivetrain
— g
Wheels
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Wheels
— g
Tires
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Wheels
— g
Brakes
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Brakes
— g
Cockpit / Bars
Add your bars & stem here
Cockpit
— g
Saddle
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Contact Points
— g

Everything carried on the bike — no panniers, no trailer. All weight distributed across frame, bar, seat, and top tube bags.

Item Notes Category Weight
Frame Bag
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Frame
— g
Handlebar Bag
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Front
— g
Seat Bag
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Rear
— g
Top Tube Bag
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Frame
— g
Feed Bags
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Cockpit
— g
Shelter
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Sleep System
— g
Sleeping Bag
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Sleep System
— g
Sleeping Pad
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Sleep System
— g

Layering system built for desert heat, mountain cold, and everything in between — from New Mexico summers to Canadian Rockies weather.

Item Notes Category Weight
Helmet
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Head
— g
Kit / Bibs
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Base Layer
— g
Shoes
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Feet
— g
Rain Jacket
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Waterproof
— g
Insulation Layer
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Warmth
— g
Gloves
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Hands
— g
Leg Warmers / Rain Pants
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Legs
— g
Off-Bike Shoes
Add your camp shoes here
Camp
— g

Navigation, power, communication, and light — everything needed to move safely through remote terrain day and night.

Item Notes Category Weight
GPS Device
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Navigation
— g
Satellite Communicator
Add your sat comms device here
Safety
— g
Front Light
Add your front light here
Lighting
— g
Rear Light
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Lighting
— g
Power Bank
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Power
— g
Dynamo Hub / Charging
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Power
— g
Phone
Add your phone / backup nav here
Navigation
— g
Headlamp
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Lighting
— g

Support the Ride

This ride has no sponsors — it runs on the support of people who want to see it happen. Your contribution goes directly toward gear, food, logistics, and keeping the wheels turning across 5,500 miles of backcountry.

Year-to-Date on Strava

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