GDMBR Tour Divide — Is it best to ride North or South? (Nobo vs Sobo)

3 min readMar 18, 2023

I started this thread over on Reddit as well if you’d like to join that discussion:

Which direction is best and when? — NOBO vs SOBO for GDMBR (Ride north or south on Tour Divide Route)
by u/krismonroe in gdmbr

Context

Personally, I will start northbound from Antelope Wells on June 1st, 2023. My northbound plan is due to logistic reasons, but I can be persuaded southbound if there’s a valid reason. Either way, after my ride, I will update you with my experience and opinions in July.

What is the GDMBR / Tour Divide?

The Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (GDMBR) is an off-pavement cycling route in the United States.

The 2745 mile (4417 km) route follows the Continental Divide of North America, from north to south — starting in Banff, Alberta, Canada and finishing at the US/Mexico border in Antelope Wells, New Mexico—roughly 90% ride southbound, and 10% ride northbound (with more each year).

The Tour Divide is an unsanctioned self-supported, ultra-endurance bike race. The Grand Depart is the second weekend of June each year and follows the GDMBR.

What are the pros and cons of riding either north or south?

In almost every account, Youtube, blog post, or otherwise, I see most people experiencing heavy — near prohibitive — snow and mud in Canada to Idaho in June.

I’m up for the adventure and will race the Tour Divide another year, but — tradition aside — why not ride northbound and arrive in Canada after those sections dry up?

Also, having not spent much time in the southwestern United States, I envision finishing a 2745 bike ride in Banff to be a bit more epic than at a fence in the desert.

What is the best start time of the year for either direction?

“In general, the route is mostly passable during late June through mid-October, but be aware that it can snow at elevation any time of the year. After much research, we decided that a mid-August departure date would be close to ideal..” (bikepacking.com)

A northbound start seems best in May-June to avoid the southern heat and the northern snow.

A southbound start seems best in July-September. After the northern snow and mud have (mostly) dried up, it might avoid the hottest southern heat, and it’s the traditional way to ride the route.

Factors to consider

Whichever direction you ride, Colorado/New Mexico thunderstorms increase in July and August, as do the hotter days in the desert.
In either direction, prepare for a lot of rain and unexpected mountain-weather shifts.
Never get caught unprepared. Bring a RAIN coat/outer shell, not just a water-resistant windbreaker. If you get extremely lucky, maybe you won’t wear it more than a few times, but don’t die out there because you wanted a lighter pack. Seriously.
Bring Bearspray and maybe don’t get rid of it after you leave Montana. Moose are common in Colorado. Also, Bear mating season is in July, from Colorado to Canada, even if they’re smaller in Colorado.