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| Troll ready to ride the Divide |
When I get back on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, maybe as soon as next week, I will bring the same bike and most of the same gear I used last year—but not the same front rack.
The Surly Bikes Eight-Pack Rack I used last July rattled loose and dropped on to my front wheel as I was speeding down a steep gravel road in the Montana wilderness, throwing me over the bike’s handlebars.
The five broken ribs and separated shoulder I suffered in the crash forced me to put on hold my attempt to complete the 2,500-mile route linking Canada and Mexico seven days into the adventure.
I’m not sure why my rack bolts fell out. Surly subsequently recalled the rack, then reissued it with upgraded bolts and clamps to make the rack safer. With the new upgrades, I assume the rack is now perfectly secure.
Still, after my over-the-handlebar “endo,” the idea of riding a bike over hundreds of miles of rough dirt and gravel, with a load balanced directly above the front wheel, does not appeal to me.
So for this year’s adventure, I will be using a different front rack system—the Salsa Anything HD. It uses two mini racks to carry smaller loads separately on each of the bike’s front forks.
With the Anything set-up, none of the load is carried directly above the front wheel. If these new racks fail, I am hoping that the consequences will be less severe than they were with the Surly rack. And, yes, I will now be checking the fork rack bolts with OCD-like frequency.
Despite my injuries, I have no gripe with Surly. In fact, now that the company has graciously agreed to pick up the tab for my accident-related out-of-pocket medical expenses, and is buying the rack back from me, I am a bigger fan than ever.
My steed for this year’s quest will be a Surly Troll, one of the four Surlys currently in my basement.
To add more storage space to the bike for this year’s adventure, I am switching to a new rear cargo system.
Last year, I used a seat post bag to carry most of my clothing. This year, I will be using a rear rack and small panniers to carry most of my clothing and food.
The seat post bag, which mounts to the seat post and saddle rails, is more nimble and lighter than the rack/pannier combination. But the rack/pannier combination accommodates more than twice as much cargo as the seat post bag.
During this COVID-19 era, I want to carry as much food as reasonably possible to minimize my need to visit trailside towns to resupply.
This year my friend Dave is planning to ride along with me for the first two weeks, just as he did last year.
Mike, a friend who lives in Colorado, is slated to join us.
Partly due to COVID-19 concerns, Dave and I are each driving our own vehicles to the GDMBR from our homes in northern Virginia.
How far I will be able to ride on the GDMBR is unclear, partly because New Mexico is closed to visitors due to COVID issues at the time of this writing. I will respect New Mexico’s druthers.
My plan is to park my van in Butte MT, and then ride at least 1,100 miles down the trail to Salida, Co.
Dave and Mike are going to bail in Pinedale, Wyo., about 500 miles south of Butte. In Salida, or wherever I end up, I will rent a vehicle and drive back to my van in Butte.
My Surly Troll is mostly stock.
Key upgrades include a Shimano Deore 22/30/40 triple chainring. Paired with the standard 11-36 cog cassette, this gives me a super-low, walk-up-a-wall granny gear of 17 gear inches.
Other upgrades include Maxxis Ikon, 26 x 2.35, front, and Ardent, 26 x 2.4, rear, tubeless tires; Jones/Profile Designs aerobars mounted on Fred bar; Cane Creek ST Thudbuster seatpost; Brooks Imperial B-17 saddle, and Crank Brothers Doubleshot pedals.
Out back, I’ll be using a Tubus Logo Evo rack paired with Ortlieb Gravel Pack panniers. I will strap an Ortlieb rack pack to the top of the rack. To enhance my cargo space, I also will be using several Revelate Designs packs, including the frame bag.
Dave and Mike are also riding Surlys. Dave is pedaling a Long Haul Trucker equipped with standard Surly racks. He’s carrying his gear with Ortlieb panniers in front and a milk crate in the back.
Mike is riding a Bridge Club. He’s carrying his kit in a seat post pack and a variety of other bike-packing bags.
Dave and I have taken our rigs out for a couple shakedown rides in northern Virginia, and everything seems to be working fine so far.
With any luck, we’ll report back soon that it all holds up to the harsher realities of the Great Divide route.
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| Dave and his milk crate |
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| Mike's Bridge Club and friend |
