The BAJA DIVIDE

B A JA

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4 — 5 PA G E >> D I V I D E B A J A

T HE

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D IV IDE

The B a j a Div id e is a ne w e s ta b l is h e d 2 7 3 5 km l ong o ff-pa ve m e n t bi k e p ac k i n g ro u te, s ta r tin g in S a n Die go, US A a n d f o l l ow in g t he l e n g t h o f th e B a ja Ca l if o r nia Pe n in s u l a a l l th e w ay to S a n Jose de l Ca b o, M e xic o.

I t crosse s t h e Pe n in s u l a s e ve r a l tim e s , c onn e c tin g th e Pac ific Oce a n a n d th e S e a o f Co r te z . O n it ’s w ay c u ttin g th ro u g h be a u t i f u l b ac kc o u n tr y d e s e r ts a nd m a jo r m o u nta in r a nge s .

Usi n g a l re ad y e xis ting ro ad s a n d tr ac ks , o f w h ic h m o re th a n 9 5 % a re u n pa ve d , th e B a ja Div id e l e ad s into th e re m o te w i l de r n e ss o f M e xic o’s Pe nins u l a . T h is o f te n re qu ire s th e r i de r, t o c ar r y 2 -3 d ay s o f f o o d a n d u p to 1 2 l ite r s o f w a te r.

The con di t ion o f th e ro u te v a r ie s , b e t we e n g r ad e d d ir t ro ad s t o roc k y or s a nd y je e p tr ac ks a n d th is m a ke s th e r id in g to u g h a n d some t im e s te c h nic a l . It ’s e s s e ntia l to pac k l ig h t a nd m a ke u se of t he w a r m , d r y c l im a te b e t we e n No ve m b e r a n d M a rc h .

W he n we h e a rd a b o u t th e B a ja Div id e, we im m e d ia te l y k n e w t ha t we w a nte d to r id e it. F in is h in g th e G re a t Div id e i n t he U SA , we no t onl y w a nte d to e xpl o re m o re b ike pac king rou t e s on o u r w ay to S o u th Am e r ic a , b u t a l s o to r id e s om e th in g e ve n more c h a l l e n g ing. E xc ite d to te s t o u t o u r c om f o r t z one s a n d phy si c a l b o u n d a r ie s , we s ta r te d th e B a ja Div id e a t th e be g i n n i n g o f No ve m b e r, a s one o f th e fir s t on e s e ve r r id ing t he rou t e. It to ok u s m o re th a n s e ve n we e ks to r id e from S a n D i e go t o L a Pa z , th e c o ve re d d a il y d is ta n c e s v a r y in g b e t we e n 5 0 a n d 8 0 km .

Sa

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ARE A: BA JA CALI F O RN IA / BA JA CALI F O RN IA S UR

z

U SA

S A N J O SE D EL CABO 2735k m +95% unp aved bik epac ki ng ro ute

Pa

↓ M EXICO

La

S A N DI EGO

6 — 7

The r i di n g w a s to u g h , b e a u tifu l a nd b re a th ta kin g in e ve r y

PA G E

a n d day s, pa s s ing w ith o u t c om in g ac ro s s tow ns o r m a ny

w ay. We e n joye d b e in g s u r ro u nd e d by v a s t d e s e r t l a n d s c a pe s

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ot he r p e opl e. T h e B a ja Div id e is m a inl y a b o u t b e in g in th e

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bac k cou n t r y, b u t none th e l e s s s pe c ia l l y in th e s o u th pa r t o f th e rou t e, we pa s s e d th ro u g h s m a l l S pa n is h m is s ion tow n s , w ith a n

B A J A

a bu n da n ce s o f h is to r y, pa l m tre e s a n d c h a r m , b a s ic fis h e rc a m ps or bu st l i n g h ig h w ay tow n s , W h ic h g ive yo u th e o ppo r tu nit y t o re fi l l yo u r re s o u rc e s a nd e n joy s om e wo r l d y c om f o r ts . T h e B a j a D i v i d e f e l t r a w a nd b o l d to u s a n d we c a n onl y re c om m e n d t o t a k e on th e c h a l l e n ge a n d r id e it. B e a w a re, th a t th is Ro u te re q u i re s sp e c ia l e qu ipm e nt a n d s om e pre v io u s b ike pac kin g e x p e r i e n ce, f o r m o re d e ta il e d inf o r m a tion h e ad o ve r to. . . w w w.ba j adiv id e. c om

Fol lo w our st or i es at : www.t a l es-on-t y res.com www.instagr am.com /tale son t y re s www.facebo ok.com /Tale s- On -Ty re s

B A J A

D I V I D E

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PA G E

8 — 9

B A J A

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PA G E

1 0 — 1 1

B A J A

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PA G E

1 2 — 1 3

B A J A

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PA G E

1 4 — 1 5

1 6 — 17 PA G E >> D I V I D E B A J A

“Af t er a while yo u get u se d t o al l t h e p r ic kl y p lants i n t he de se r t or at l e as t you t r y. ”

“ T h e c am p i ng o p p o r tuni t i e s w h ere plent i f ul and s ube rb� .

B A J A

D I V I D E

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PA G E

1 8 — 19

B A J A

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PA G E

2 0 — 2 1

B A J A

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PA G E

2 2 — 2 3

B A J A

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2 4 — 2 5

“ De s pite M e xic o s ‘s b ad m e d ia c o ve r a ge, we f e l t a l w ay s s a f e a n d w elc o me . ”

B A J A

D I V I D E

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PA G E

2 6 — 2 7

B A J A

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PA G E

2 8 — 2 9

3 0 — 3 1 PA G E >> D I V I D E B A J A

“ The q u a i l t y of Tacos, c a n v a r y b e t we e n dr y w i t h ha rd l y a ny fi l l i n g to j u i c y a n d s t uff ed to i t‘s li mi ts .

B A J A

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3 2 — 3 3

3 4 — 3 5 PA G E >> D I V I D E B A J A

“O f fic ial l y it‘s recom me n de d t o be ab le t o c ar r y 10Li te rs of w a te r p e r pers on on some stretc he s. We of t e n c a rr ied m o re, r unni ng ou t of w a t e r, in our o p i nion, is abso lu t e l y n o f u n .

B A J A

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3 6 — 3 7

B A J A

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PA G E

3 8 — 3 9

B A J A

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4 0 — 4 1

“At s om e po in t we b u m m e d in to the p rer u ns o f th e B a ja 1 0 0 0 , a n o ff-road r ace.

We we re n o t to o e xc ite d s h a r i n g the road w ith th o s e m ons te r tr u c ks b u t af ter gettin g h a nd e d a n ic e c o l d c oke an d water, we d e c id e d it h ad s om e ad v a ntages too. �

B A J A

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PA G E

4 2 — 4 3

B A J A

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PA G E

4 4 — 4 5

B A J A DIVID E

ROADSCA PE S

B A J A

D I V I D E

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PA G E

4 6 — 4 7

B A J A

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PA G E

4 8 — 4 9

B A J A

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PA G E

5 0 — 5 1

B A J A

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PA G E

5 2 — 5 3

B A J A

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PA G E

5 4 — 5 5

B A J A

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PA G E

5 6 — 5 7

B A J A

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PA G E

5 8 — 5 9

B A J A

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PA G E

6 0 — 61

B A J A

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PA G E

6 2 — 6 3

B A J A

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PA G E

6 4 — 6 5

B A J A

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PA G E

6 6 — 6 7

B A J A

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PA G E

6 8 — 6 9

B A J A

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PA G E

7 0 — 7 1

B A J A

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PA G E

7 2 — 7 3

“ D a i l y dr i ve tr a in m a inte na n c e is a mu s t! �

B A J A

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74 — 7 5

B A J A

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PA G E

7 6 — 7 7

B A J A

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PA G E

7 8 — 7 9

B A J A

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PA G E

8 0 — 8 1

“ S te e p b u t n e v e r h o pel e ss. �

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8 2 — 8 3

B A J A

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PA G E

8 4 — 8 5

8 6 — 8 7 PA G E

probl e ms or si c k n e ss on you r ow n .

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re act i on , l e t i t swe l l u p comp l e t e l y.

B A J A

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“ The R ou t e i s p r ett y r emote a n d o f te n le a ve s you ha v i n g t o de a l w i t h me c h a n ic a l A w a sp st u n g Fr a n zi ‘s e ye a n d a n a l l e r g ic For a w hi l e she had t o r i de on e - e ye d . ”

B A J A

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PA G E

8 8 — 8 9

B A J A

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PA G E

9 0 — 9 1

B A J A

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PA G E

9 2 — 9 3

“S ometi mes we were swe a r i n g ou t load and o ther times we p u she d on in si lence. This i s no t a n e a sy r ide acro ss Baja Calif o r ni a . I t ha s cha l l e n ged us as r i de rs an d pe rs on a lly. �

B A J A

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PA G E

9 4 — 9 5

B A J A

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PA G E

9 6 — 9 7

B A J A

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PA G E

9 8 — 9 9

B A J A

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PA G E

1 0 0 — 1 0 1

B A J A

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PA G E

1 0 2 — 1 0 3

B A J A

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PA G E

1 0 4 — 1 0 5

B A J A

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PA G E

1 0 6 — 1 0 7

“ S ome t i me s , we c a u g h t o u r s e l ve s g l a n c ing a t t he e l e v a t i on pro fil e, th inkin g it w a s fl a t a n d so some w h a t it s h o u l d b e a n e a s y r i d e. T h a t w a s n e ve r t he c a s e, b e c a u s e w h e n it w a s fl a t, it w a s sa n dy. An d b e l ie ve u s , th a t‘s s om e tim e s e v e n h a r d e r t ha n be i n g c onfron te d w ith s om e s te e p c l im b. �

1 0 8 — 1 0 9 PA G E >> D I V I D E B A J A

“ Br inging eno ugh li mes i s es s en t i a l.

Even if the water we dr a n k w a s p u r i fi e d, it s ometi mes had thi s we i rd t a st e... ”

“ The most s tor es a r e s ma ll a n d on l y o ff e r li mi t e d f ood op t i on s. I t re q u i re s s om e c re a t i v i t y a n d we c a n p romi se you , a f te r th i s you w i l l n ot e a t f r i e d be a n s and to r t i l l a s f or a l on g t i me. �

B A J A

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1 1 0 — 1 1 1

B A J A

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B O M B T R A C K B I C Y C L E C O M PA N Y | R I C H A R D B Y R D S T R . 1 2 | 5 0 8 2 9 K Ö L N / C O L O G N E , G E R M A N Y | W W W. B O M B T R A C K . C O M | M A I L @ B O M B T R A C K . C O M