We’ve had this plan in the works since I rode through Europe in 2023 with Andrew, Wytze and Daniel. I think it was pretty early on, like in the first week heading south from Paris that we starting thinking about the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route for 2026. But the idea always seemed pretty far off. We started working more seriously on planning late last year but still it seemed remote. Well, in 15 days, Andrew is flying in from Perth and a couple of days after that we’re flying to El Paso to meet the rest of the team. I rode today with a lot of my full setup, carrying sleeping bag, pad, tent, 4.5 liters of water, food, tools, clothes etc. I left behind electronics, toiletries and a little bit of camping gear.
Today’s little 50 km ride was fun with friends and didn’t have much climbing but we rode a lot of dirt roads and some semi-steep/bumpy single track. I was surprised at how easy it felt and how stable the bike was. No issues at all. I’m guessing the real thing will be a lot harder due to daily distance, weather and much more climbing! The Salsa is going into the shop for one more little tune-up, a new chain, and I need to get a box for the flight. I have a few more little gear items to get too but I think my packing list is complete now. Over the next week I’ll assemble everything for another shakedown cruise and try camping in my new tent.
Nathan's Blog 
Dang, getting close. You are adding a lot of unsprung weight with those front fork attachments. Is that okay / intentional? I’m also surprised to see no rear rack (they make universal-fit ones that utilize a custom seat-post-clamp attachment) is that intentional as well?
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Nowadays I think the only reason to use a rear rack with either paniers or a dry bag or something like it is if you really need lots of carrying capacity. My seat bag is waterproof and carries 13 L of gear. It’s surprising how well it tracks with no wobble. The only slight downside is when you’re really tired mounting by swinging your leg over is hard.
I haven’t tried the front mini racks before. They are ‘King Cages’, super light titanium. That weight should be no problem, lighter than front panniers in the old days. We’ll see how it all works. But I can tell you the bike feels more like a bike and less like I remember my fully loaded MTB with front/rear racks and panniers (a truck). I remember that just the racks & panniers weighed 14 pounds empty. I should weigh the new set up but I think it’s a quarter of that or less. What makes this reduction in volume possible is the new lightweight gear. You should see the size and weight of my sleeping bag and pad for instance. Amazing stuff.
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