Amanda Delcore
Great Divide
Like A Girl
I'll start this with a disclaimer. I prefer to think of myself as a human being. A human that likes to cycle, be outdoors, connect with people, and experience different cultures...among other things. However, I'm also definitely a woman and I'm also cycling the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. This is a difficult post for me to write, because I don't feel the need to write it. However, I am occasionally reminded that many people see me as disadvantaged when it comes to tackling adventures involving risk, self-reliance, physical strength, and emotional resilience. Many men have asked me if I am carrying a gun. Many people have turned a skeptical eye toward me when I talk about doing sections solo. And there's no doubt that I've gotten more offers of kindness and help when I'm by myself or with another female than when I've ridden with men. By my empirical evidence, people assume that a woman needs help and that a man doesn't. (I'd argue that both genders need kindness and some help.)
So I feel compelled to write this post about cycling the GDMBR "like a girl".
What does it mean to cycle the GDMBR like a girl? Here's what it means to me:
I will be able to lift my bike, fully loaded. I will be able to navigate the route. I will know how to make a fire, setup and pack up camp. I will know how to fix most of my bike issues, and perform simple maintenance to keep it rolling.
I will give every ounce of effort to pedal up a "pusher" until I can't anymore, or until it seems I'd risk injury for the long haul. I will ride as fast as I can downhill without risking crashing. I will try to improve my technique along the way.
I will pay attention. I will observe others bikepacking systems (bike, gear, routines), compare it to my own, and see if I could experiment with my own system. I will learn from others and from my own experiences.
To me, it means that I will wake up every day to a new day; one where that future is slightly uncertain. I will ride as much as I can until I'm too tired or until there's an opportune spot to camp (e.g., one with water). I will look around as I ride and try to really be in the present with the stormy clouds, rolling hills, skyscraping mountains, scrubby sage bushes, or aspen groves. I will be open-minded and open-hearted when I roll into a town; keen to receive and reciprocate the energy given by locals and other travelers. You never know who you might meet and how you may positively impact each other.
I am not afraid when I'm alone in my tent. I'm asleep.
I am not carrying a gun, but I am carrying bear spray and a quick-release pepper spray for dogs. (I haven't used either yet.) I am not afraid to be "in the middle of nowhere", because it's not nowhere. It is most definitely somewhere.
I am putting forth an expectation that most people are basically good. I am being good to other people. I am giving people the time of day, a listening ear, or an explanation about myself and my bike.
I am giving it my all up Indiana Pass, through the Wyoming Basin, and northern New Mexico.
I am cycling the same miles as everyone else.
Whether you are a female or not, you can cycle the Continental Divide. You can even do it solo. There are plenty of nice people out there, and there are plenty of other people cycling the GDMBR. Chances are that you will run into some of them and enjoy company for a bit.
So - my advice, as a female and as a human, is to take on the GDMBR if you think you'd like to do a whole lot of camping and cycling in scenic places without a lot of cars.
If this sounds like a basic description of what it means to cycle the GDMBR, then I've described what it means to cycle the GDMBR "like a girl".
- IMAGES OF THE ROAD -
Amanda Delcore
Gear List
- My Ride -
- My Blackburn Gear -
- EQUIPMENT LIST -
- • Giro LA DND glove - size medium
- • Giro Monica glove - size medium
- • Giro – size 38
- • 20 deg sleeping bag
- • Head mosquito net
- • GPS Spot Tracker
- • Omaker Speaker
- • Dog Pepper Spray
- • Blackburn Central 700 Front Light
- • Headlamp
- • Whisperlite International
- • Fuel Canister (no fuel inside)
- • GSI stove set
- • GSI camp coffee pour-over thingy
- • Trusty compass
- • Garmin ETREX20
- • Anker 2nd Gen 9600MAH external battery pack
- • KLYMIT x-frame sleeping pad (desert camo print!)
- • Camp cup
- • Llwh token
- • First aid kit
- • Emergency blanket
- • Platypus water system
- • Camp towel
- • Bic razor
- • Face sunscreen
- • Chapstick
- • Hair product
- • Sunscreen
- • All-Purpose soap
- • Drbronners
- • Camp knife
- • Dznuts
- • Roll up REI backpack
- CLOTHING -
- • Raincoat
- • 2x tank tops
- • Columbia SPF 40 long sleeve
- • Camp skirt
- • Bikini top
- • 2x bra
- • Bandana
- • 3x undies
- • Warm gloves
- • Warm base leggings
- • Rohancycling arm warmers
- GIRO CYCLING GEAR -
- • Wool jersey and vest
- • T-shirt
- • Warm top base layer
- • 2x socks (#inkin toe socks/Giro wool)
- • Cycling short (#ppt thin chamoux/ Giro Undershort)
- • Giro Overshort
- BIKE GEAR -
- • Bike tube
- • Chain break that someone almost broke
- • Stans
- • Rubber bands
- • Electrical and duct tape (yes I wrapper around my handlebars)
- • Tire lever (but I won't use them promise @TOPHERVALENTI )
- • Patch kit
- • 3x spokes
- • Tubeless patch kit
- • Master link for MSRAMMTB 1 X 11
- • Chain lube
- • Super glue
- • Brake pads
- • Zip ties
- • Spoke wrench
- • Extra valve/core
- • Nuts
- • Derailleur cable
- • Blackburn CENTRAL 100/20 COMBO
- • Blackburn WAYSIDE CO2/OUTPOST HV
- • Blackburn Cargo Cage
- • Blackburn Outpost Seat Pack
- • Blackburn Outpost Handlebar Roll
- • Blackburn WAYSIDE CO2/OUTPOST HV pump
- • Blackburn Multitool- Toolmanator 12
- • Blackburn Outpost Frame Bag
- BIKE SPECS -
- • Frame- Niner SIR 9 size small CHROMO, 142MM X 12MM THRU AXLE
- • Fork-NINER SIR 9RIGID, 853 (9MM QR) OR CARBON RDO (15MM AXLE)
- • Front Wheel-SRAM ROAM 50 29
- • Rear wheel-SRAM ROAM 50 29
- • Front tire-WTB WOLVERINE 29
- • Rear tire-WTB WOLVERINE 29
- • Inner tubes-WTB INNERTUBE PRESTA 29
- • Sealant-WTB TCS SEALANT 500mL
- • Crank set-SRAM XX1 175MM
- • Chainwheels-SRAM XX1 CNC-X-SYNC DRICT MOUNT, SEVERAL SIZES
- • Bottom Bracket-SRAM GPX 73MM
- • Chain-SRAM PC-XX1
- • Rear derailleur-SRAM XX1 X-HORIZON
- • Rear der shifter-SRAM XX1 TRIGGER SHIFTER
- • Cassette-SRAM XG-1199 10-42T
- • Headset- Niner
- • Star Nut-Niner
- • Headset Cap-Niner
- • Headset Spacers-Niner
- • Stem-TRUVATIV STYLO T40 STEM SEVERAL SIZES
- • Handlebars- TRUVATIV STYLO T40 RISER 700MM WIDE, 15MM RISE
- • Tape/Grips- WTB TECH TRAIL CLAMP ON
- • Saddle (Women's)-WTB DEVA SLT
- • Seat Post-TRUVATIV STYLO T40 SEATPOST 27.2MM DIA, 400MM LENGTH
- • Seat Post Clamp/Binder-Niner
- • Front Brake-SRAM GUIDE RSC POST MOUNT, 160MM ROTOR, >1,000MM HOSE
- • Rear Brake-SRAM GUIDE RSC POST MOUNT, 160MM ROTOR, >1,800MM HOSE
- • Brake Levers-SRAM GUIDE RSC
- • Brake Housing/CBL-SRAM
Amanda Delcore
- FROM: Philadelphia, PA
- DOB: 1999-11-30
- OCCUPATION: Adventurer
- Genesis moment for the trip I was visiting the Radavist website and I saw the Blackburn #outthere banner ad. Congratulations… the marketing worked. I was probably at work, day-dreaming, like most outdoor enthusiasts. I had always wanted to hike the Continental Divide in Colorado… Prior to learning about the Blackburn Ranger program, I even blocked out a month in my work calendar to hike the CDT in a sort of act of defiance. Seeing the Blackburn Ranger program got me thinking… why not bike it? I did some research, I admittedly didn’t contemplate the consequences, and started scheming furiously about how to make a killer application video.
- Have I traveled by bike in the past? Yes I bike toured parts of Maine and New Hampshire solo. I biked from Portland, Maine to the White Mountains of New Hampshire; I camped, did day-trip summits in the morning and rode to the next spot in the afternoon. I also bike toured the Blue Ridge Parkway in early spring.
- Goal for the route? I’m not one much for goals. I shy away from formally setting goals, because I find that reward is fleeting and there’s not much else to do but set a new goal. And in units of time, the route to achieving a goal is almost the entirety of the experience. For me, the real reward is the process of following an interest or a curiosity. I am interested in inspiring other females to bikepack; to this end I’m running a Women’s Bikepacking Series in my hometown of Philadelphia. I am curious to see if I can replicate this series in some way during the tour. I am also keen to ride with friends and make new connections in the cycling community; as a start, there are at least three different people riding with me during different parts of the trip.
- Hope to get out of the journey? A deeper understanding of myself and my capabilities. I hope to learn how to endure the extremes of nature and everything in between. I think much of our lives are setup to spend most of the day indoors, and we miss out on how pleasant and how ugly nature can be. On this trip there will be mornings that are cool, clear, and sunny, but there will also be afternoons of thunderstorms or intense heat. I hope to gain an appreciation for the full spectrum of nature and the patience to roll with it.
- What’s in my bag? I’m not there yet in my packing…. : / I think they are going to be my lumbar pack, a thumb piano or another tiny musical instrument, a bandana, and ??? I’ll try to figure this part out in the next week and a half.
