Spring is almost sprung (2 months left!)

I really believe that spring is coming soon here in the northern territory. I really have to believe otherwise it may not happen. The temperatures are hovering around 0ºC, sometimes even raising the bar to 10ºC! But the snow and ice are still clinging to the frozen ground on the trails and in the trees. So, alas, my training is still consisting of pavement rides for now. I can't wait for the day to come when I will be ripping up the trails (in an environmentally friendly, way of course) getting dirt and bugs in my teeth, reminding myself of what mountain biking is again. Its hard reading the blogs of others who are already wearing short sleeves and shorts, riding the back wood single tracks and loving every minute of it (sigh).

One thing I am thankful for is the amount of time I have been able to be on the bike for the past 6 months. Being a bike courier definitely has its advantages when it comes to training and getting extremely comfortable on the old steel steed. I am also happy that it allows me to focus on off the bike training and preparing for the race in the evenings. It seems to be a full time job just to constantly read over the maps and logistics, research and prepare gear, figure out expenses and make mental preparations to be away from my life and girlfriend for a month.

The second thing I am thankful for is the support of some great people and sponsors who have come on board and helped me out. Oakley has stepped up with some great eye wear and apparel (thanks Giancarlo). Golite has offered up rain gear and some great discounts on their ultra-lite products (thanks Tiffanie). Montreal local In-Sport has dealt me a great Osprey Pack (merci Benoit). I can't forget the kind help from Henry Shires at Tarptent ultralight shelters. I would also really like to thank the skilled Jeff Boatman from Carousel Design Works for all of his indispensible advice and help with the pack department. Cheers to everyone for making my trip that much more successful!

The plane ticket to Calgary, Alberta has been booked, and I am jumping at the bit to get the race started. I am ready to "eat, sleep, ride, the Great Divide"!

Race Countdown: 4 Months (and a bit)

February is upon us... and winter is still here. Is it ever going away?

If you can't tell I'm getting a cabin fever and a bit antsy for the snow to disappear so I can start some longer weekend rides. So far the winter in Montreal hasn't been too bad, if you consider averages of -20ºC (plus the windchill) not that bad. It hasn't made my job that easy, but I'm still riding about 9.5 to 10 hours a day as a bike courier, slugging away in the slush and snow.

Writing this post I just realized that there are only around four months left before the big race day. There is still lots of other things to do other that training though. I just received my ACA Maps and Cycling the Great Divide book in the mail last week. I have already started to pour over the material, trying to make mental notes, and trying not to wish I was already rambling through the Colorado aspen groves.

On top of that I am trying to figure out all of the expenses and budget for the trip. Taking a month off of work, flying across the continent and riding a bike for a month isn't the cheapest thing to do, but with the right planning I can try and make the budget manageable. In fact I just finished a donation sheet that I am sending out to potential sponsors to help with the cost of gear and traveling. If you are interested in helping me out with donations click here for more information on what you can do and how to contact me.

There are now 4 months 4 days and 3 hours left (can you tell I'm excited?).

A new beginning: The Tour Divide

A new beginning indeed. It's the middle of winter here in Montreal and I am already planning what to do for the summer. On June 12, '09, I have decided to commit myself to do a 4,360 kilometer (2,711 mile) mountain bike race from Banff, Alberta all the way to Antelope Wells, New Mexico… and complete it in under 30 days.

"This battle royale braves mountain passes and windswept valleys of the Continental Divide from hinterlands of the Canadian Rockies to badlands of the Mexican Plateau."

Its called the Tour Divide and follows the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route from the Adventure Cycling Association. Its the longest, toughest, mountain bike race… ever. The entire route is an all off-road assault crisscrossing the Rocky Mountains and involves climbing over 200,000 vertical feet, the equivalent of ascending Mount Everest from sea level 7 times. Half the people who start never finish. To top it all off, it is a self-supported race. This means racers are completely on their own with absolutely no assistance from each other or outside support teams. Its going to be a spectacular ride.

I am looking forward to return back to my old playground of the Rockies as I grew up in a small Albertan town about half and hour from the heart of those peaks. I learned all I needed to know about mountain biking and back country survival there and will be able to focus my skills during this month long endurance test.

My last taste of biking through the mountains happened last summer on my Cross Canada Trek when I spent a few months to cover the 7,600 kilometers from coast to coast. What did I learn from accomplishing such a feat? Canada really is a beautiful place, especially when you see it on two wheels. But even more important is I learned that I can do anything I put my mind to. Its that sort of thinking that will get me through the next chapter of bike touring on the divide!

Stay tuned as I find a way to make this dream on two wheels possible. I will be documenting my efforts on how to budget, what gear I will use, trip pre-planning, and the training I will be going through. Wish me luck!