Two native Wisconsin bikers took a “normal” long ride and turned it into the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. Over 2400 miles later, Chris Schmidt and Chris Hiebert found themselves across the US from the Canadian border to the Mexico border.
Schmidt said someone showed him the route on a phone, and that was it. “I pretty much immediately said, ‘I have to do that,’” he said. He told his lifelong friend and former college roommate Hiebert about it too, who pretty much immediately said no. But then he couldn’t stop thinking about it either and so they started making plans.
Neither had any experience in bike packing (think of backpacking but with a bike) or any ultra distance cycling at all. They did a few smaller events including a three-day two-night ride in Northern Minnesota and really liked it. But they weren’t as prepared as they thought.
They both say the ride was life changing for them. “Some people buy a midlife crisis sports car,” Schmidt said. Or maybe start a new relationship? Both of their wives thought they were crazy, but were supportive.
Many things in life can help you reexamine and really break things down; in this case that was true every single day. They faced wind, mud, mountains; monsoons sometimes twice a day. They slept as low as 5000 feet one day and rode over 10,000 foot passes the next; by the end they could communicate in grunts, knowing each other so well that an exhausted “yup” communicated more than enough.
If you like cycling documentaries you are in for a treat; if you just like life stories, or overcoming adversity; or if you just enjoy beautiful scenery well then you are still in for a treat! There are three local showings of Tracing the Divide, presented by Lunar Door we encourage everyone to get out and check it out.
Two local Wisconsin riders completed the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route from ‘normal’ long rides. Chris Schmidt and Chris Hiebert took an idea and ended up riding over 2400 miles, across the United States, starting at the Canadian border and ending at the Mexico border.
According to Chris Schmidt, someone showed him the route on a phone and that was it. He immediately said, ‘I have to do that’. He told his lifelong friend, and former college roommate, Chris Hiebert who pretty much said no. But he couldn’t stop thinking about it either so they started planning.
Neither of them had any experience in bike packing (think of backpacking but with a bike) or any ultra distance cycling. They did a few smaller events including a 3 day 2 night ride in Northern Minnesota, and really loved it. But they admit they weren’t as prepared as they thought.
Both say this ride was life changing. Some people buy a midlife crisis sports car, or perhaps a new relationship; both said their wives thought they were crazy but were supportive.
Many things in life can help you reexamine and really break things down on a daily basis this proved to be true though. They faced wind, mud, mountains and monsoons; often sleeping at 5000 feet and riding over 10k foot passes. By the end they could communicate in grunts knowing each other so intimately that a simple ‘yup’ communicated all that needed to be said.
If you like cycling documentaries then you’re in for a treat if you just enjoy stories about life or overcoming adversity or just enjoy beautiful scenery then you’re still in for a treat! There are three local showings of Tracing The Divide we encourage everyone to get out and check out this film presented by Lunar Door!
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