TD Rider Profile: Evan Deutsch

My name is Evan Deutsch from Portland Oregon and I am excited to be riding in the 2019 Tour Divide.

The Divide route is a special place for me and I feel fortunate to be able to give it another go. My first experience on the route goes back 20 years when I was just discovering cycle touring. Hauling my not so lightweight gear in a BOB trailer, I rode from the Canadian border to Steamboat Springs, Colorado. It was a very influential experience and re-reading some of the books that I carried over those mountain passes, namely "For the Time Being" by Annie Dillard, and "The Meadow" by James Galvin, continue to bring me back to a dear time.

I am now a bit more weathered and skeptical but, hopefully, quite a bit wiser.

Fast forward to Banff in 2013 when I showed up with my first true lightweight bikepacking set-up, ready to roll. I was introduced to a great community of people including a fellow rider who, while out on a ride together a few days before the Grand Depart, was able to demonstrate the (quite obvious) merits of a good GPS unit. I was soon scouring Banff for an eTrex and received the ever elusive bike mount delivered by Greyhound bus less than 10 hours before setting off. Proving that wisdom sometimes comes slowly, I didn't quite figure out how to zoom in until I was past Idaho. It was a great experience to be part of and opened me up to a new world of adventure.

Since that time, bikepacking has allowed me to combine my love of traveling and the freedom of being on a bike. I have been fortunate to pedal dirt roads through wonderful places including Colombia, Patagonia, Uganda and Myanmar. During this time, I have been able to appease some of my more competitive nature pushing myself on the Trans Am route and last year's BC Epic.

While I love the adventure of traveling to new places, there is something special about returning to familiar terrain after some time away. Every experience is different and the unknown is part of the allure. I have a better idea of what is ahead and the wisdom helps counteract some of the angst. Still, I cannot escape the unique combination of excitement and self-doubt that invariably accompanies setting off on a race like the Tour Divide.

As always, will try my best to focus on what I can control and ride my own race. During the difficult moments, will try to remember that having the time and resources to participate in something so grand is a privilege and that I elected to do it.

I will be riding a titanium Moots Baxter and carrying a pillow...an inflatable, ultralight version...

Editor: Evan won the TA in 2017 in 17:08:58 breaking Mike Hall’s 2014 record by 7 hours