One of the great things about the HEAT is that we can live vicariously through the adventures of
others. Kim Sprenger and Duane Staskal gave us all a big dose of inspiration this year by sharing their experiences on The Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (GDMBR).

The Mother of All Bucket Lists

This off-road odyssey takes intrepid riders from Banff, Alberta, all the way to the Mexico border. The route skirts the Continental Divide and includes some seriously rough terrain. Kim and Duane are seasoned gravel and mountain-bikers, but their message to the club is that desire and commitment are really what got them through. Preparation and fitness were important, but adventures like this aren’t just for “elites”.

I Don’t Think We’re In Iowa Anymore

Kim and Duane brought the club along through each stage of their journey. Enjoy some of their highlights!

(Bonus for cookies and cowboy hats!)

Kim and Duane’s GDMBR adventure started with a dream…a big, psycho dream. (They’ve sort of made a habit of that throughout their endurance careers.) They spent a year learning, planning, and training, logging thousands of miles and doing several multi-day bikepacking trips to dial in their gear. The club threw them a farewell party in July so that we could pump them up and ask them inane questions about bear spray. We all became avid “dotwatchers”, monitoring their GPS progress on the trail. Duane’s Instagram stories showed just how spectacular the terrain was…and how tough!

In November, our intrepid travelers held a Q&A at World of Bikes to share their experiences with the club and members of the community. Their message: adventures like this are achievable, with the right passion and preparation!

If you’re curious to learn more about the GDMBR, Duane has chronicled their experience at: https://www.youtube.com/@adoj105