Nick Legan
Great Divide
Don’t sleep next to train tracks!
Day 2 started early and brisk. I didn’t sleep much after camping next to a busy set of railroad tracks and forgetting to use the earplugs my buddy Jason gave me in Banff (best 69 cent gift ever!). I managed to pack up quickly and get rolling up the road towards Corbin and Cabin Pass after it. I also started my daily self-portraits. Giving myself a reason to smile can’t be a bad idea. The dirt climb was pleasant enough and helped to warm me up. I rode most of it with a fellow named Brett Simpson from Pennsylvania. He runs a really cool outdoor program at Bloomsburg University and counts as yet another extremely interesting individual I met during my time on the Great Divide Route.
At the top, a small group of us found ourselves descending a virtual river, thankfully a shallow one. We each rode it at our own pace, though at one point I noticed Jason was a ways behind. Later I found out that he had fallen during one of the trail’s river crossings and spent a bit of time getting warm again (hard to do on a descent).
What came next was the hardest 100 miles I’ve ever ridden. The day warmed up and we found ourselves on a rollercoaster of steep dirt pitches that seemingly never ended. When the rollers did end it was at the base of a hilariously steep hike-a-bike section. In the ACA route notes, the cue says, “If you have a trailer you will need to unhook and push the bike and pull trailer up separately.” At least I only had to do it once!
Next up was Galton Pass. I had begun to experience some knees issues and was trying to take it easy. This left me riding along most of the day, not the most comforting thing when riding on a trail littered with bear scat. But I was happy enough to be riding my bike in Canada, with everything I needed aboard.
My mileage was a bit off and I kept thinking (hoping, wishing, praying) that the top was around ever corner I rounded. Eventually, the top did arrive, with me walking the final pitch. What followed was a fantastically fast descent on a steep dirt road. Once at the bottom, I had less than three miles to the border, marking 253 miles down on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route!
- IMAGES OF THE ROAD -
- Great Divide Milestones -
Nick Legan
Gear List
- My Ride -
- MY BLACKBURN GEAR -
- MY BIKE SPECS -
- • FRAME-Salsa El Mariachi Ti (w/ an extra bottle mount under down tube)
- • HEADSET-Cane Creek 110
- • PEDALS-Shimano XT XC SPDs
- • BRAKES-Shimano XTR Trail brakes
- • SEATPOST-Moots titanium, zero setback
- • HANDLEBAR-Salsa titanium, PRO Missile clip-ons, PRO ergo grips, Cane Creek Ergo bar-ends
- • FRAME SIZE-Large
- • CRANK-Shimano XTR Trail triple, 175mm, 42, 32, 24
- • CASSETTE-Shimano XT 11-34
- • WHEELS-29er, XTR hubs, Enve AM carbon rims
- • SADDLE-PRO Turnix
- • BAGS-Revelate Designs frame bag, Lemming seat pack, Sweet Roll handlebar bag w/ pocket, Gas Tank and Jerry Can
- • FORK-Whisky No. 7 carbon fork with Calfee Designs bottle cage bosses
- • BOTTOM BRACKET-Shimano XTR
- • SHIFTERS-Shimano Saint (rear) and XTR (front)
- • TIRES-Continental Race King Protection 29x2.2”
- • STEM-PRO XCR 11cm
- PERSONAL ITEMS -
- • PASSPORT
- • WATERPROOF MATCHES AND TINDER
- • SALT TABS
- • TOOTHPASTE/TOOTHBRUSH
- • WATER PURIFICATION TABLETS
- • WHISTLE (FOR BEARS)
- • SUPERGLUE (SINGLE-USE)
- • EYE DROPS
- • JOSHUA TREE CYCLING SALVE
- • BEAR BELL (MOUNTED TO HANDLEBAR)
- • SUNSCREEN
- • BABY WIPES
- • VITAMINS
- •
- TECHNOLOGY -
- • Headlight
- • Spot 2 Tracker
- • iPhone
- • Helmet light
- • Blackburn Mars 4.0 rear light
- • Blackburn Atom 3.0 SL Cycle Computer
- • Sony TX20 digital camera
- • Garmin eTrex 30
- • Ipod shuffle
- • Timex Ironman watch (alarm)
- CAMPING GEAR -
- • Mont Bell UL Spiral Hugger Down #3 sleeping bag
- • Black Diamond Twilight Bivvy
- • Thermarest Neo Air Xlite pad (full-length)
- • Mountain Laurel Designs Monk Cuben Fiber tarp and carbon pole
- CLOTHING -
- • Cycling shoes
- • Ibex wool short sleeve jersey
- • Descent knee warmers
- • SwiftWick Compression Socks
- • Rapha wool sleeveless base layer
- • Castelli lightweight jacket
- • Defeet wool long finger gloves
- • Buff
- • Oakley Radar sunglasses
- • Ibex wool long sleeve jersey
- • Gore Socks
- • Sleep shorts
- • Patagonia Ultralight Down jacket
- • Assos lightweight vest
- • Giro fingerless gloves
- • Ibex wool beanie
- • Rapha Classic bib shorts
- • Descente arm warmers
- • Pearl Izumi toe booties
- • IO BIO merino long sleeve base layer
- • Patagonia Rain Jacket
- • Bell Volt Helmet (World Bicycle Relief custom colors)
- • Mountain Laurel Design rain mitts
- • Mosquito head net
Nick Legan
- FROM: Boulder, CO
- DOB: 1979-05-31
- Single, but taken
- OCCUPATION: Public Relations/ freelance writer
- What was the genesis moment or inspiration for your upcoming adventure? Have you traveled by bike in the past? I grew up racing bicycles and after growing weary of criteriums, intervals, heart rate and power output numbers, I started looking for new cycling adventures. The Dirty Kanza 200 opened my eyes to my own ability to ride distances farther than I had previously attempted. With encouragement from friends at Salsa, QBP, and my wonderfully supportive girlfriend, I decided to take on the Great Divide Route. Now I’ll see how much further I can take my cycling.
- What is your goal for the route? What do you hope to get out of this journey? It’s easy to reply with a number. My goal is to finish in 20 days. But more important to me is how I spend those days. I’d like to find moments for introspection, reflection, projection and hopefully find moments to just be.
MY MUST HAVES
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Warm Gloves
DeFeet Woolie gloves
-
DOWN JACKET
Patagonia Ultralight down jacket with hood
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Warm Gloves
DeFeet Woolie gloves
-
SPOT TRACKER
Spot tracker (great insurance policy)