Cyclocross Bike for the Divide...

[intheways]

This may be crazy, but I was wondering if anyone has tried doing any
off the Divide on a cyclocross bike?

[OmahaNeb]

On one of the Great Divide journal links, there was an individual who rode a portion of the Divide Ride on what looks to be a cyclocross bike.  I sent an email to the group asking if the cyclocross style worked well on the Divide.  The response back was that after the first two weeks of the ride, the individual using the cyclocross bike left the trip.  The remaining individuals thought that later in the trip through CO and NM, this style of bike would not have worked.

In summary, it looks like it all depends on which part of the Divide Ride you plan on riding.  I have been on the parts around Steamboat in CO.  On this section, a cyclocross bike would have worked, but the washboard roads would have been very uncomfortable.

Hope this helps.

[intheways]

Maybe, I should just go with a Karate Monkey

[alh]

I know of one rider who started the Great Divide route on a cyclocross bike; he replaced the cyclocross bike about 2 weeks into the trip with a mountain bike. (He did finish the trip and had a ball..)

That said, I did the Great Divide using an unsuspended mountain bike with dropped handlebars and 1-1/2" inverted tread tires. There were stretches that were awkward to ride with this bike, but there were also spots where this combination was like a magic carpet.

The bike is very comfortable for me to ride. In the tricky terrain extra effort was required to control the bike; the narrow handlebars, forward braking position, and tires all contributed. I also used panniers for the trip. I am a fairly skilled mountain biker, which allowed me to make the combination work. On the other hand, the bike is a gas to ride on hard packed dirt roads.