For many, a summer holiday is a trip to an amusement park or a day at the beach, soaking in the sun. How about a bike ride around the countryside? Or for bike enthusiasts, how about a bike ride from Canada to New Mexico? That is what Commander David Crumbley has chosen to do this summer!
An Associate Clinical Professor in the College of Nursing, Crumbley is participating in The Tour Divide Ride, an ultradistance, self-supported mountain bike ride that runs the length of the Rocky Mountains from Canada to Mexico. Organized by the ultradistance cycling and bikepacking communities, the ride is held each year on the second Friday in June. A group of cyclists will congregate for the “Grand Depart” from Banff, Canada. The distance of the Tour Divide is approximately 2,745 miles which is touted to be the longest bike packing route in the world.
According to Crumbley, there are no prizes, no entry fees, and no sponsoring body for this event. “Each participant must be completely self-supported since there are no support crews,” he said. “Each person carries everything they need for the trip on their bike — tent, sleeping bag, food, water, etc. The clock runs continuously once the ride begins and the first person to reach the US/Mexico border in Antelope Wells, NM, is declared the winner.”
Crumbley has always enjoyed bicycling, especially off-road on dirt/gravel where one can experience the environment. The Tour Divide takes participants through some of the most beautiful scenery in the world — the Canadian Rockies, Montana, Idaho, along parts of Yellowstone National Park, the Colorado Rockies, and the high deserts of southern Colorado and New Mexico.
The grueling training starts long before the scheduled event. “I spent hours a day on the bike riding the backroads and dirt roads of Lee and Tallapoosa counties,” Crumbley said. “We are fortunate to have miles of gravel and dirt roads in the area. I trained further north near Lake Martin and Tallassee to prepare myself for lots of climbing for the terrain that I will be traversing. Although these aren’t the sustained climbs like out west, Alabama does offer multiple shorter and steeper climbs. To simulate the weight and get my body used to what I will carry on the Tour, I trained with a “loaded” bike by adding more water and gear to my bags to create a heavier bike. I think the biggest shock was how my body felt after adding 30+ extra pounds to my bike.”
For Crumbley, there were several factors to be taken into consideration when selecting a bike for such an event. “When I seriously considered participating in this year’s Tour Divide, I realized I would need a bike different than my current one. The Tour is primarily an off-road event with surfaces ranging from forest service roads to jeep trails, rough single track, and small stretches of pavement. The ideal bike is one that can comfortably handle all these surfaces — a mountain bike, gravel bike, and road bike all rolled in one! In addition, the bike must be capable of carrying a rider, 30 lbs. of gear, water, and food.
“There are multiple frame material choices and I favored titanium as it is very strong, light weight, and flexes to create a more comfortable ride quality for the 2,700 miles of rough terrain. I looked for a bike that could run on wider/larger tires for traction and additional comfort. To haul heavy loads, the bike also needed multiple attachment points on the frame for bags and racks.
“Last December I found the perfect bike that fit every category. A small company in Michigan, Bearclaw Bicycles, manufactures gravel drop bar bicycles they claim is “a jack-of-all-trades Swiss army knife that’s proven to handle anything you put in its path — Beaux Jaxon. The bike weighs around 21 lbs. without any attachments. As an Auburn fan, I knew I had found the right bike,” he added.
According to Bearclaw Bicycles, “Beaux Jaxon is a disruptive paradox in the gravel bike scene aptly named after the legendary Bo Jackson, the only American athlete to claim all-star status in baseball and football. So, if recruiting a multi-talented, all-star superbike is high on your list, consider Beaux your new best friend.”
Crumbley’s bike has special racks which allow him to carry extra weight. A dynamo hub on the front allows him to generate power by pedaling. It powers lights without using batteries and can charge devices — GPS, satellite tracker, bicycle computer, and cell phone.
When it comes to weight, Crumbley thinks, the less the better! “You must pedal and/or push your bike up very steep and rough terrain. More weight means more effort. Some areas such as the Great Basin may not have water for over 100 miles. At such times, I may need to carry 10 liters of water, (1 liter of water weighs 2.2 lbs.), which means over 22 lbs. of just water.”
Besides the weight of the bike, he will carry a load of 30 lbs. which includes tent, sleeping bag, clothes (for four seasons due to the variety of climates he will be travelling through), food, water, tools, and toiletries.
“I will be carrying a variety of pre-packaged foods that won’t spoil and don’t require cooking. One of the main reasons I am choosing not to cook is that the smell of cooking can attract bears (who have a highly developed sense of smell. Most of the sections of the Tour Divide in Canada and Montana have heavy Grizzly bear activity.) I will be relying on processed, less healthy meals to replace the 6,500 –10,000 calories per day I will be burning while cycling. Meal planning is centered around what is available at gas stations! The Tour Divide route goes through towns where I can replenish my supplies.”
Each participant carries a satellite tracker for safety, which relays information to a “spot tracker” updated at 10-minute intervals, revealing everyone’s location along the route.
AUCON wishes Commander David Crumbley new and profound experiences, and a safe return to the loveliest village on the plains!
