Josh took his first bike tour at the age of seven, and later rode a new bicycle from the Giant factory in Shanghai over 15,000 kilometres home to Newcastle in the UK. After riding the Transcontinental in 2022, he’s been lining up at ultradistance events around the world. But one event has always stood out: the Tour Divide, which takes competitors from Banff in Alberta 4,418 kilometres along the spine of the Rocky Mountains to Antelope Wells in New Mexico. “With it being the original ultradistance event it had to be done at some point. It’s a highlight of every ultra-cyclist's life. This was the first time riding the Tour Divide. And probably the last, too!” he says. He covered the distance in 21 days, 16 hours and 31 minutes. We caught up with him afterwards, to capture his thoughts.

What were the biggest challenges?

“The greatest challenge was the sheer length of the event! In the early stages of the race it’s hard to visualise how much ground you’ll be covering: America is vast! Even a week in you’re not even close to half way. Taking a step back and just taking each day as it comes helps, as well as having each new state boundary as a little win within the much larger undertaking.”

What did a typical day on the Tour Divide look like?

“The day begins by packing all of your worldly possessions into your bikepacking bags, whether that’s my bivvy set up or all my clean laundry and cables from a night spent in a hotel or motel. I’ve hopefully got some breakfast to get me to the first shop to resupply for the day. I’ll stuff my pockets with all the crappy snacks I can lay my hands on! You then get on your bike and ride. Sometimes there were many miles between resupply stops but I never ran out of food — always having back up snacks, like Clif Bars, is critical.My largest stint on Strava was 42 hours to cover 300 miles. I had an hour nap in that stretch but then I’d argue people have longer cafe stops than that.”

Was there a point where you thought about quitting? Or a moment where you surprised yourself with your resilience?

“I was very careful not to push myself too far into the red, as I have done in the past. I gave the event the respect it deserved, and when I was ill in the first few days I made sure to sleep inside and give my body more time to recover. Quitting was never an option. I’d put in a lot of effort to get to the start line and I knew if I scratched I’d have to come back and do all of what I had already cycled again. This motivated me to keep going.”

On the flip side, what have been the most beautiful or meaningful moments during the race?

“The connections you make with other riders in such a short timeframe is pretty incredible. Because you’re all going through something really physically and mentally challenging and moving at a similiar daily pace you feel like you get to know someone very quickly. You get a few weeks in and feel like you’ve known this friendly stranger for years. “While the Tour Divide is a solo effort, the trail naturally weaves people together in unexpected ways. I found myself in a lovely group of racers from all corners of the globe – Americans, Canadians, a New Zealander, a Mexican and Brit or two, a dogpacker, many singlespeeders, an F35 test pilot. Amazing, really. Despite our different backgrounds, there was this unspoken camaraderie: we were all facing the same weather, the same climbs, the same distance. Some nights we camped near each other, other times we’d eat together. It’s incredible how quickly strangers become part of your support system out here — sometimes with just a nod or a conversation exchanged before parting ways again. “You also get to see some pretty stunning landscapes in all different lights, both day and night. Places that you’d never see in any other way than if you are cycling the length of the Continental Divide. Wacky and wonderful.”

What role does the kit play on a race like this, and what Café du Cycliste pieces have proven most useful?

“Kit is everything – it's your second skin, and your shelter when the weather turns. Café du Cycliste’s winter gloves were a very important item that I’m very glad I packed. Something you might think would be overkill when riding in June. The Eva men’s cargo shorts were also super handy for those gas-station stops, the extra pockets are brilliant to cram in all the crappy calories to keep you fuelled."

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How do you stay fuelled – and how important is coffee along the way?

“It’s just as much an eating contest as it is a bike race. Eat and drink lots and often. Uncrustables became a firm favourite of mine. This is a frozen peanut butter and jelly, (jam to me) sandwich in a jersey pocket sized packet. Coffee is not something I would drink lots of. Gas-station coffee is definitely not the same quality as you’d get in Italy. The go-to product for most racers would be 5-Hour Energy, a very caffinated energy-drink shot.”

The Tour Divide is more than just a race. Has it changed your perspective on riding, or even on life?

“After doing these super long rides it’s crazy to then look at a map and see how far you’ve ridden: the whole of America in one go! You realize how small and yet how large the world is, too.”

If someone reading this is dreaming about doing the Tour Divide one day, what honest advice would you give them?

“Do it. Break it down. When you set smaller more achievable goals they add up to something much larger.”

You can watch Josh’s film of his incredible ride here.