Photos from 2012 Great Divide Mountain Bike Trail

[Deacon Patrick]

With the interest in the trail, here are photos from my trip on the Southern Colorado portion of the trail:
http://thegrid.ai/withabandon/great-divide-mountain-bike-trail/

With abandon,
Patrick

www.OurHolyConception.org
www.MindYourHeadCoop.org

[Les Lammers]

DP, thanks for posting, Excellent photos and it looks like a great adventure. I was working in South Dakota and took a  side trip to the Badlands. There is no place better than the middle of nowhere. Interior SD population 67. 68 as I passed through.

[Don Compton]

Thanks for the photos. Beautiful.

Don Compton

[Paul Y]

Gorgeous pics.... wow, are you riding barefoot ? 

The GDMBR is number 1 on my list of dream rides.

[Ed Fausto]

Hi Patrick!

Wonderful pictures!

Makes me want to do the ride this summer :-)

I noticed that you had fenders installed in your Great Divide Mountain Bike Trail but in the Continental Divide Trail there were no fenders.

Would you recommend fenders doing ACA's Great Divide Mountain Bike Trail?

I will be using a 48 Hunqapillar for this trip.

Thanks,

Ed 

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[Deacon Patrick]

Paul -- Yes, I am barefoot. I have constant neurological vertigo and riding barefoot, or at least with maximum pedal feel (equivalent to ground feel in walking or running) makes it so proprioception tells my body where I am in space, allowing me to ride (and walk and run). If I were to try riding, walking, or running in standard shoes (cushioned, supportive, raised heel) I would need several days to recover after just a few steps or pedal strokes (no exaggeration. It's been tested a little too often -- most recently trying to find winter shoes for riding. Too much cushion in the Uggs I tried, likely with a slightly raised heel). My pedal platform has evolved to be VP Vice with pins in on both sides, and I ride with Xero Shoes' most minimal sandal. For winter I ride with Otz shoes, insole removed and boiled wool socks.

Ed -- Fenders were part of the original build. I now have an SKS front mud guard and a Woody (not sure the exact company) rear fender. They do not give full protection, but they have ample room for mud, snow, and debris to clear, so the Racing Ralph tires can do their thing no matter what I'm riding through with minimal splash onto me. Today it was snowpack, slush/slop, frozen/loose peanut butter depending on which two feet of trail/road I was on.

Would I recommend fenders? Yes, so long as they don't interfere with your riding. On the GDMTBT this is unlikely, but on singletrack, I'd want a system like mine that has loads of clearance. In the last bike photo (second to the last photo) in this post, you can just see the rear fender under the safety triangle and left of the rear light, as well as the front mud guard. http://thegrid.ai/withabandon/winters-glory . Somewhat similar here: http://thegrid.ai/withabandon/hogmanay-ride-to-rampart-reservoir

Unlike the fenders on my QB, which I have fairly close to the Barlow Pass tires, I have loads of clearance and the fenders are minimal. This keeps them solid and quiet on all the jouncy trails, rocks, roots, and washboard of the riding I do and they don't clog.

With abandon,

Patrick