LUIS DOES THE DIVIDE

THE DIVIDE

PHOTO CREDIT: Christina Bowers Photography

THE DIVIDE

The Divide is a gravel race held in Manton MI which features a mix of gravel, seasonal and beautiful forest roads. The Divide + category is a 34-mile race that includes very large hills (2,297 ft of elevation change) and very fast downhills including the famous redneck roughneck. 

PHOTO CREDIT: Chris N.

The main venue was located at a very nice park downtown called Manton Station, we got there early so I could find a good spot and chill before the race. After an hour rider started to pour in and take over the downtown area, it is always a great vibe to see that many bikers ready to race. I toured around town for a warmup and spotted some friends at the local campground which gave me some pointers for the race. (T&A Cycles you girl’s rock!) 

The race started at noon, so I expected it to be a warm one, with plenty of water and nutrition with me we were off!! Since I knew I was expecting a good chunk of climbing my main goal was to find a comfortable pace and hang on to a group If I could. After leaving downtown we headed south and west toward the dirt roads that border the Manistee National Forest. The real fun/challenge began once we hit what they call the Outer Loop which is where I encountered the first big hill. The race quickly became a very mental because every corner presented even a bigger hill with no sight of a flat spot for quick breather, so I quickly cranked some tunes kept my head down and started churning away. After a couple of miles, I encountered some very sandy parts that even forced Fat Bikers to get off and walk, I quickly realized that walking uphill with your bike takes way more effort than pedaling he he. 

Even though the outer loop presented the most challenging parts of the race it also was the most beautiful section, the forest provided a nice shade and breeze. I would not mind riding it again and discovering more of the area. Despite the heat and the gnarly hills I felt very good throughout the race and was able to conserve my energy all the way through the finish line. I completed the race in 2hr and 27min with an avg of 13.3mi/h, by looking at the data and comparing with previous races I can definitely tell that the hills slowed me down. 

Overall, I can agree with the description the race organizers had on their Facebook page “Mile per mile one of the toughest damn race in the lower peninsula”.  If you are looking to test your climbing skills and bomb technical downhill this is the race for you. 

See you at the next race!