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Kirsten's Tour Divide Bike
In 2024, rode the Tour Divide finishing as 4th woman overall in 22 days 7 hours and 11 minutes. This is a mammoth amount of time to be out on the road and as native Scot, Kirsten spent as much time as she could out under the stars.
Battling freezing temperatures, raging storms and then extreme heat, this race took riders from border to border in the USA. With over 20 days of riding there was snow at the Northern ends of the route, with Kirsten struggling with the cold. Only then to be basked in the warmth of the desert, but don't let that fool you - it get's cold overnight!
Take a look at how she tackled cold, kept her bike maintained and survived the Divide.
Kirsten at the End of the Tour Divide in 2024
The Bike and Bags
- Sensor Blue Mason Raw (size M)
- RockShox SID front fork
- Shimano GRX group set
- Vittoria Barzo/Mezcal 29 x 2.35″ tyres, with rear insert
- Profile Design aero bars
- Shimano SPD pedals
- Apidura Backcountry frame, Expedition saddle, and Backcountry top tube bags
- Scottish made Straight Cut Design Sidekick feed bags x 2
- Lomo handle bar bag
Kirsten's Mason
Electronics
- Exposure Joystick front light (+ helmet mount)
- Cateye AMPP800 front light
- Moon Orion rear light (+ helmet mount)
- Cateye ViZ450 rear light
- Petzl Swift RL head torch
- Garmin eTrex 32x
- Garmin Edge 530 (back up)
- Gen 4 GPS Spot Tracker
- AA batteries x 6
- AAA batteries x 9
- Anker 525 Power Bank x 2
- Charging cables (kept all together with a hair tie)
- US/Canada plug
- Apple EarPods
- iPhone XS
- Quad Lock phone mount
- Plastic food bags (to keep electronics dry)
Kirsten's cockpit setup (apple pie for scale)
Food and Water
- Camelback 2L bladder
- Aonijie hydration vest
- 1L water bladder (packable)
- Platypus Quickdraw water filter
- Chlorine tablets
- Electrolyte tablets
- Spork
- Food for 1-2 days
Kirsten's food strategy
Sleep System
- Alpkit Pipedream 400 sleeping bag
- Thermarest Neoair Uberlite sleeping mat (small)
- Sea to Summit Aeros Premium pillow
- Rab silk sleeping bag liner
- Alpkit Elan hooped bivy
Setup mid-race
Clothes and Wearables
- Universal Colours jersey
- Rapha Core Cargo shorts
- Kostüme bib shorts
- Berghaus light weight puffa jacket
- Endura light weight gilet
- Nike light weight leggings
- Helly Hansen thermal top
- Columbia waterproof trousers
- Gore waterproof jacket
- Fox gloves
- Castelli Arenberg Gel fingerless gloves
- Tartan Buff
- Decathalon Hat
- Liv arm warmers
- Adidas sports bras x 2
- Universal Colour socks x 2 pairs
- Giro Ventana MTB shoes
- Poc Ventral Air (MIPS) helmet
- Kostüme cycling cap
- Melon Alleycat custom sunglasses
- St. Christopher pendant
Kirsten decked out in her gear, again in Antelope Wells
Safety and Essentials
Tool kit:
- Pump
- Chain lube
- Spare gear cable
- Chain links
- Tyre plugs
- Patches
- Chain breaker
- Multi tool
- Mini Swiss Army knife
- Inner tube
- Tubeless valve caps
- Spare cleat
- Cable ties
- Tyre boot repair
- Needle and dental floss
- Voile straps
- Bungees
Toiletries:
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Small bar of soap
- Tampons
- Comb
- Factor 50 sunblock
- Chamois cream
- Lip balm
- Sun protection lip balm
- Spare hair ties
- Ear plugs
- Eye mask
Other:
- Fluorescent reflective vest
- Foil blanket
- Bear spray
- Bear bell
- First aid kit/medicines
- Passport
- Visa paperwork
- Canadian dollars
- US dollars
- Monzo card
- Laminated route cue cards
A definite need for those tools
You'll learn more from Kirsten as the Tour Divide progresses. A truly life-changing route, this journey tends to be the spark that begins the rest of a person's bikepacking journey. Inspiring the likes of Chris Ellison and Alan Goldsmith to name a few, the Tour Divide really is THE bikepacking race.
