I’m interested to hear if anyone else is planning this seriously, and how you are sorting out the logistics and training etc. Or what’s stopping you.

Just had a serious conversation with the Mrs about doing this next year. She’s very supportive, love her, but I’m a bit concerned about being away from the kids for so long.

I think I can sort it out with work, potentially. I can book three weeks of leave, leaving 2 for a family holiday which is a bit shit for them. I would need to be able to get it done within 4 weeks; if I leave enough holiday for a 2 week family trip later in the summer, I’d still only need 3 days unpaid.

Re the training, my wife suggested making a year long plan with the long riding bivi weekends planned into it, and working riding into family days out e.g. ride to my parents and so on. I can’t do mega miles though, so I’m hoping that one long ride a week, one epic a month and lots of strength training will be enough.

I’ve bikepacked in the past (before it was fashionable 😉 ) so I’m happy with the ideas, and I don’t need much extra gear. Although I will need a good bit more practise.

Haven’t costed up the travel and logistics yet either.

Well,you are not getting any younger..
So
How much do you want to do it?
Has your life got room for all the training ?
Oh, and your kids would think you were nuts awesome,so don’t use them as an excuse 😉

ask some of this lot

My 2 cent.

Spend a 6 months to year riding a bike a lot. Don’t worry about training. Worry about getting your gear dialled in.

6 Months out, worry about riding more. But focus on riding more on time, than distance. Daily, ride, ride, ride. Low intensity. Ride uphill a lot.

Two months out, start to push.

At some point look at the maps and guide book.

Read all the threads for the past 3 years on Bikepacking.net

Chill.

Has your life got room for all the training ?

That’s the big question.

tdr?

Edric 64 – Member
tdr?

Tour Divide Race

Though so ,just checking !

I am planning seriously for next year. I’m planning to race it as well, but not planning to win 😉

My approach is similar to Gregg’s but with one more aspect that is often forgotten. The key to a ride like this is your head not your fitness. There are days when you will want to pack it all in and there may be many back to back days like this. I am working on conditioning my head away from such thoughts by getting used to adversity and coping with it. This includes odd stuff like doing long rides into the wind or going out for a weekend when I know the weather will be bad. I’ve bailed on some big rides before and am trying to recondition myself to pause a lot longer before bailing and remember that the thought process post bailing is often more painful than the thing that made me bail. In preparation I have a list of all of the UK ITTs I want to tick off in the next 12 months in order to practise not bailing.

Finally, please give yourself a quick punch in the face for the “before it was fashionable” comment. I’ve met a lot of backpackers, they all smell and look like lunatics, without exception. Fashionable. Pah!

ive wanted to do it for years…. when i was fit and had time i had no money ….now i have the money i have no time and not fit enough to do it justice…..

I still have 10 years or so but it will be ridden before i turn 40 even if i end up doing it age 39.5 !

backpackers, they all smell and look like lunatics, without exception. Fashionable. Pah!

*sniffs self*

Oh right…yeah sorry.

On the point of head training – best advice I was given – from Jenn when I asked her about her time on the Divide:
*Beautiful will get boring.
*Never scratch at night.
*Never make a decision when stopped for food in a warm place.
*Never ride hard 30mins after caffeine.
*Enjoy it.

I fully agree with training in bad weather. If you want to race in the suck, train in the suck. You can quote me on that.