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Biking from New Mexico to Canada on the GDMBR: Gear Shakedown

  • 2 days ago
  • 6 min read

I thought biking across the country was going to be a one time thing. In 2022, my friend Casey and I cycled from California to Florida on the ACA’s Southern Tier route. That was 4 years ago, and we were babies who didn't know anything about bikepacking. Truly, neither of us had even done a single overnight trip on a bike before that, yet our wheels touched sand on both coasts, and we learned a lot along the way.


Fast forward another 4 years. I've just completed a PhD program, and I have a glorious summer break separating me from my next career, whatever that may be. At the same time, Casey and Uri (my husband) are also doing big career changes this fall and so are both ready to go on another grand adventure with me.



This route was much different than the Southern Tier which was all paved, a mix of backroads and highways, and it traversed West to East across the dry to sticky South (palm trees to cacti to swamps). We also rarely saw other cyclists along the way.


Now, the GDMBR is mainly gravel and goes North to South (or vice versa) from Canada to New Mexico, following the Rocky Mountain range. There are fewer services, and we needed to upgrade our rigs to accommodate the more mountainous terrain. I don’t know how the community differs on this route, but I believe this is more popular, due to the famous Tour Divide race that brings cycling celebrities from around the world every June.


So, here we go. My list for the GDMBR, crafted and modified from my other cross country tour, as well as with some background experience in gravel bikepacking. My lighterpack list (linked below) was also posted on FB and modified with crowd-sourced ideas, so it should be ready to go!


As always, I’ll make adjustments along the way, but here is what I’m starting with:

Compact list found here (and subject to minor changes): https://lighterpack.com/r/ed5do3



Maps


  • I am using the Tour Divide 2026 route from bikepacking.com with points of interest (reversed to go south to north). This route is uploaded to my Komoot app on my phone (downloaded for offline use) as well as on my Garmin computer: https://www.komoot.com/tour/3014533528

  • A guy on the GDMBR Facebook page, Mark Perschel, has a comprehensive spreadsheet for resupply that he sends folks upon request. Here is the NOBO sheet.



The Bike

All my items are subject to shift around endlessly!
All my items are subject to shift around endlessly!

For biking the Great Divide, I opted to go with a hardtail Salsa, in large part because it was a gift, but also because I adore my Salsa gravel bike. The front suspension would take the edge off any bumpy terrain; however, my husband is riding a rigid Surly Bridgeclub. Both bikes can accommodate wider tires (Vittoria Mezcals). I modified the handlebars to be Surly Molokos with ergon grips to give myself more hand position options (my hands went numb during my last cross country tour on drop bars). Finally, over the past few years, I've become very attached to my brooks saddle, making it difficult for me to bike with anything else––this one is the short stem with a cutout.



My only hard piece attachments on the bike are water bottle cages and a Garmin mount. I’m choosing to not use any racks or panniers, only working with strap-on bags. My reasoning for this is to avoid extra hardware jostling out of my bike—I’ve had bolts come loose and get lost on route before, and Uri has had his rack break.



The Bags


A main concern of mine was finding enough space on the bike for storage. The Salsa has a notorious itty-bitty frame, though there are custom bags that can squeeze in the space. Retaining the frame for my water bottles, I ended up having my main storage bags behind my seat (14 L) and under my handlebars (25 L). My seat bag would hold my sleeping bag, tent, and bathroom supplies. My front handlebar bag was filled with my extra clothes and electronics. The feedbags are on either side of my handlebar stem for quick food access. I also squeezed a tiny handlebar bag in between the moloko bars for extra food. The top tube bag is holding bike repair supplies (or sometimes an extra water bottle). Additional places for storage: in my hydration vest and fanny pack. If I need to modify, I have other places where bags can tuck, like on my seat post/top tube and/or fork.



Side: I’ve been impressed with Walmart’s selection, honestly. If you’re not looking for something name brand and fancy, there are some cheap options that will get the job done.


Bike repair


This is my first time running both hydraulic breaks and tubeless tires on a long tour, making me a bit wary about how this is going to go. But, here is a list of my common repair kit items, most of which I store in my top tube bag.


  • Crank brothers multi tool

  • Core tool

  • Chain breaker

  • Spare master chain links

  • Tire levers

  • Spare tube

  • Spare spokes

  • Spare bolts

  • Extra cable

  • Patch kit (glueless)

  • Zip ties (reusable)

  • Tubeless repair (Stan's DART)

  • Derailleur hangar

  • Pump

  • Brake pads

  • Bear Spray (picking up just for the northern section)


Electronics

  • GPS Spot (with extra batteries)

  • Garmin Edge 850 Solar bike computer

  • Front Light

  • Solas 250 Back Light (takes micro-USB)

  • Powerbank

  • I-Phone

  • Phone charger

  • Power bank charger

  • Lights charger

  • Charging block

  • Waterproof bag for electronics

  • Spare ziplock bag (just in case)


Clothing

All of my shirts I bought secondhand! (Update: I recently received a merino wool long sleeve shirt as a gift— thanks, Eve!)


I'm also in the low minority of people who wear underwear + chamois. I don't have a history of saddle sores or chaffing, and I like the ability of quick washing underwear while keeping my chamois more hygienic (especially if there isn't laundry often).


Finally, my concern about my Five Ten shoes is that they soak up water and stay wet for a while. The West is pretty dry this year, but I do have my Teva sandals if I need to dry out my socks and feet.


  • Helmet: Engage Smith Session MIPS

  • Salomon hydration vest (for extra water)

  • Fanny pack –– I adore my Cotopaxi fanny pack. I wear it everywhere, especially for carrying quick snacks and important things I don't want to leave on my bike.

  • Biking gloves (Pearl Izumi)

  • Glove liners

  • Buff/bandana

  • LL Bean beanie

  • Regular ball cap


Tops

  • Long sleeve sun shirt (thin, light, and breezy)

  • Merino wool long sleeve

  • Long sleeve synthetic shirt

  • Sleeping shirt (always kept dry)

  • Patagonia nanopuff (warmth; always dry!)

  • Patagonia Rain coat (Rain/ Wind breaker; wet jacket)

  • Thin fleece 3/4 zip up (more warmth)

  • 2 sports bras


Bottoms

  • Capris chamois

  • Shorts chamois

  • Leggings (sun protection but also for warmth)

  • Columbia rain pants (also for warmth on colder mornings)

  • Sleeping pants (always kept dry)

  • 3 underwear


Footwear


Camping


Many people on discussion boards say you absolutely need something warmer than 30-40 F for a sleeping bag/quilt, especially at high elevation. MY 15 F bag is likely overkill, but it’s what I have, and I can’t drop a couple hundred dollars right now. Folks seem happy with a 20-25 F rating, so my 15 F isn’t too far off the mark. Some folks also hate the Z pad, but I love it. At the end of the day, I detest having to blow up a sleeping pad, and my Z pad worked well previously when I biked across the country.


  • 15 F Big Agnes Daisy Mae bag

  • REI 2-person half dome tent

  • Z pad (bought secondhand).

    • Bungee straps: this is getting bungeed onto my seat bag

  • Tent footprint (hammock rain fly, which doubles as an emergency tarp for hail/sun/etc). This is wrapped around my Z pad (shown in full bike photo)


Bathroom

  • Ultralight towel

  • Kula cloth

  • Ear plugs

  • Toothbrush

  • Toothpaste

  • Floss

  • First Aid

  • Sunscreen

  • Diva cup

  • Chapstick

  • Hairties

  • Safety pins

  • Clothesline (bear hang string; tarp string; about 40 ft)


Food


What I eat changes all of the time. Here are some of my go-tos that I had on hand during a test ride. I’ll also likely have jerky/sausage, oatmeal packets, instant potatoes, etc, and I'll eat fresh food whenever I get the chance.


Water: my current setup holds 3 standard bike bottles (~800 mL each) and 1 Nalgene (1 L) on the frame. My top tube bag has the capability of holding another 800 mL bottle. I am also wearing a hydration vest that has two chest bottles (1 L total) and a back bladder (2 L). My fanny pack has the capacity of holding an additional Nalgene (1 L).


Additional

  • Passport (for Canada!)

  • Audiobooks

  • Cash/Credit cards/ ID


This list will be modified after the ride with updated thoughts on the gear used!

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