What kind of bicycle is necessary for riding the GDMBR?

The GDMBR is mostly dirt road riding .  A skinny-wheeled road won’t be up for the rough terrain.  The GDMBR is also not serious singletrack riding, so you don’t need a fat bike or high-tech mountain bike.  What will work best is a robust touring bike with traditional panniers or a sturdy mountain bike or touring bike fitted with bikepacking bags.

The trend for Great Divide cyclists is to go with a bikepacking setup.  On steep climbs like the notorious Fleecer Ridge in Montana, there are obvious advantages to a lighter set-up.  But don’t fret if you don’t have bikepacking gear, a traditional set-up will work just fine.

Here are some of the various set-ups of Great Divide cyclists we met on the road.