The Great Divide
Section 5 of our North American Epic.
The American West conjures up images of the Rockies, crystal clear mountain streams, endless skies, and cowboys and cowgirls huddled around a campfire sipping coffee.
And while the Great Divide section includes several long challenging days in the saddle those who are able to find the frontier spirit within themselves will be richly rewarded by this journey on 2 wheels into the Wild West.
Type | Tour bike |
Duration | 10 days |
Level | Moderate |
Support | Guided |
Total distance | 864 mi / 1390 km |
Group size | Min.10 max. 45 |
Lodging | Camping, hotels |
Bicycle | Bring your own |
Month | August, September |
Start | Helena |
Finish | Moab |
States or country | Montana Wyoming, Utah |
Airport start | Helena Regional Airport HLN |
Airport finish | Canyonlands Field Airport CNY |
*Please note the prices are subject to change depending availability *
The Great Divide
The American West conjures up images of the Rockies, crystal clear mountain streams, endless skies, and cowboys and cowgirls huddled around a campfire sipping coffee.
And while the Great Divide section includes several long challenging days in the saddle. Those who are able to find the frontier spirit within themselves will be richly rewarded by this journey on 2 wheels into the Wild West.
After exiting Helena we visit the historic Missouri River headwaters before spinning up the Gallatin River canyon where white water rafters dodge boulders as they rush downstream.
From there it’s a quick ride to West Yellowstone and a rest day when clients can cycle into or take a guided tour of Yellowstone Park. Where they will spy herds of bison, fields of hot springs, and the world’s most renowned geyser, Old Faithful.
Back in the saddle we’ll cruise along 2 quiet scenic roads in Idaho, with great views of the foreboding peaks of the Tetons which we traverse at Teton Pass. Then it’s a wicked downhill into the rich and famous … and expensive … ski resort town of Jackson Hole followed by a sweet rolling bike path most of the way to Hoback canyon.
From there the riders’ mettle will be tested by a century+ day of 165 km up onto and across the gauntlet of Wyoming’s remote High Chaparral.
Reminiscent of Botswana, here humans are vastly outnumbered by cattle, and the few lonely settlements such as Big Piney are populated by oil industry workers, trailers and pick up trucks. At more than 2000 meters elevation in the middle of nowhere one shudders to think how cold and lonely it must be here in winter.
After passing by Green River and the Flaming Gorge Reservoir we’ll catch our first glimpses of the surreal rock formations of the southwest. The route takes us into the northeastern corner of Utah where prehistoric sea life flourished and dinosaurs roamed long ago.
Then it’s up and over western Colorado’s Douglas pass. Finally we cycle along Utah’s Highway 128, dwarfed by red rock cliffs and buttes carved eons ago by the Colorado river, and arrive at the mountain biking paradise town of Moab. Moab is also the gateway to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks.
* This is a general itinerary. Tour itineraries are subject to change based on the group, available accommodations and other unforeseen circumstances such as the weather, local conditions, government intervention, that may affect the quality of the trip and/or safety of the participants. Please view this itinerary as an outline as to what to expect on this tour.
Bring you own bike
For this tour, we recommend a touring bike with 35-40c tires.
Bring your own bike
Make sure you bring a bicycle that is appropriate for your tour, and in excellent working order. If you intend to use your current bicycle, it needs to be fully tuned, cleaned and ready to go. Ideally, get your bike shop to do an overhaul of your entire bike three to four weeks before your departure. Have them inspect, and if necessary replace, the drive train, pedals and bottom bracket for wear.
Choosing a bicycle for long distance touring
This is the most common question we get asked by people contemplating a bicycle tour with us. For any cycle tourist – whether in a group or going solo, and cycling the smooth cycleways of western Europe or thru the rugged back roads of South America – choosing an appropriate bike for the tour is no easy task
Three Basic Types To help you make the right choice, we have broken down your options into the three most suitable options.
1. Mountain Bike with Front Suspension A ‘hard tail mountain bike’ is the most versatile choice for any bike tour. It provides suspension and relative comfort for the off roads, and with a thinner set of tires it provides a decent ride on paved roads. |
The drawback is that it will be a little slower, a little heavier, and a little less efficient than other bikes on pavement. Having locking front suspension is useful, as you can ‘lock out’ on the smooth roads and engage the suspension on the rougher roads. This bike is the most common choice on tours crossing rugged terrain.
PROS: versatility, durability, and comfort
CONS: less efficient on smooth roads, less mounts for panniers, more complicated parts.
2. Cyclocross or Touring Bike Cyclocross bikes are becoming more and more popular among cycle travelers, as they combine the ruggedness of a mountain bike, with the speed and efficiency of a road bike. These are quite similar in style and form to classic touring bikes.
While cyclocross/touring bikes do accommodate wider off road tires they do not have suspension, and riders may be seriously challenged on the rougher off-road sections. Touring bikes, moreso than cyclocross bikes will have excellent mounts for racks and extra water bottles.
Both these bikes are a good choice for places with better roads or on any tour where speed is more important to you than comfort.
PROS: efficient on the smooth roads, while still rugged enough for the rougher roads
CONS: no suspension, less comfort.
3 Hybrid Bicycle This bike has the same wheel size as a cyclocross bike, but with straight handlebars instead of road style drop bars. Hybrids sometimes have front suspension and suspension in the seatpost.
Hybrids are designed more for comfort and leisure than for performance, and have more of an upright sitting position. This is a very popular style of bike for European cycling trips, that also works well in other places.
PROS: comfort, good mounts for racks and bottles
CONS: not always designed for rugged terrain
Consider your Riding Style: What type of rider are? Do you like to sit upright to have a full view and worry little about speed? Or do you like to be tucked into an aerodynamic position and go as fast as you can, and as efficiently as you can? This will help you narrow down your options very quickly.
North American Epic | section 5
4 Nights in hotels
6 Nights of camping, bring your own camping gear
8 riding day, 1 rest days
Note:
We advise booking at least 1 additional night at tour accommodation before the tour, to be able to attend rider briefing and have assistance from tour bike mechanic in setting up your bike.
Tour price 2025: $ 3950.- pp Single fee, double occupancy rooms on hotel nights, we pair each rider with others of same gender.
It is also possible to combine this section with adjacent sections
Tour date 2025:
02 Sep – 15 Sep, limited space available
Next North American Epic will not take place until 2028!
Deposit $300.00
The deposit payment for a tour must be paid within two weeks after the booking is confirmed.
The remaining payment is due 90 days before the start of the tour.
For tours that are booked within 90 days before the start of the tour you will pay 100% of the tour price
Some long and tough days with shorter less challenging days mixed in. Environment (sometimes including wind and heat) and terrain (including some significant climbing) are more of a factor. Some unexpected challenges may creep in from time to time.
Gear / equipment:
Two duffel bags (max 110L each)
Basic spare bike parts
Tent and camp gear