Lachlan Morton Embarks on Epic Journey along the Tour Divide Mountain Bike Route
The Tour Divide Mountain Bike Route, spanning 2,671 miles from Banff, Alberta, Canada to Antelope Wells, New Mexico, is known for its beauty and ruggedness. It is considered one of the most challenging bikepacking routes, and professional cyclist Lachlan Morton is about to take it on starting on August 29.
Morton, known for his alternative cycling calendar and long-distance rides, is approaching this journey in his own unique way. Rather than pushing through with minimal sleep, Morton plans to rest for 12 hours every 48 hours. However, the clock will never stop, as he aims to complete the route within a competitive timeframe. He will also be following a self-supported ethos, refusing outside support and only resupplying from publicly available stores along the route.
Speaking about his approach, Morton said, “I want to do this on a pretty good amount of sleep every night for a few reasons. The main one: I want to enjoy the riding, and it becomes increasingly difficult to enjoy what you are doing when you are running on minimal sleep, for me anyways, because you are not as present and aware. I don’t want to enter that space… I am really interested to see with this approach, how fast you can really go and if it would be competitive with people who have really pushed that sleep element.”
The current course record, or fastest known time (FKT), for the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route is held by the late ultracycling legend Mike Hall, who completed the ride in 13 days, 22 hours, and 51 minutes in 2016. Morton estimates that his ride will take around two weeks or more.
Throughout his journey, Morton will be raising funds for Adventure For All, a non-profit organization that empowers individuals with exceptionalities through outdoor adventures. Previous fundraising efforts by Morton have raised more than $1 million USD in donations for various causes.
Morton’s ride along the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route will not only test his physical and mental limits but also inspire others to explore and push themselves. As he puts it, “Ultimately, I hope the ride inspires people to wander, to push themselves, and to see these big, wild places.”
