Featured Rider: Spencer Kessler on the Tour Divide
Each June, a few hundred riders roll out of Banff, Alberta, and point their bikes south for the Tour Divide — roughly 2,700 miles along the Rockies. We spotted a few Tumbleweed riders in Bikepacking.com's coverage of the rigs of the tour divide this year, among them Spencer Kessler's Midnight Sparkle Stargazer, riding (not racing) north bound up the ACA's GDMBR.
After Spencer finished his tour, we reached out to hear how it went, and he generously shared his photos and thoughts on the build, the route, and what his self-supported tour was like.
Thanks, Spencer!
Spencer's Specs
Bike: Tumbleweed Stargazer, gen 1, Midnight Sparkle
Drivetrain: 1×12 combination Shimano GRX 820 and XT mechanical. 10-51T cassette, 32T chainring. Swapped to a 30T Wolf Tooth oval on the CAMO system.
Wheels & tires: Alloy DT Swiss wheels, 350 hubs. Vittoria Mezcal, 2.4″ front, 2.35″ rear.
Bars: Tumbleweed Big Dipper
Saddle: WTB Volt
Pedals: Shimano PD-M8100
Seatpost: Started rigid, swapped to a PNW Coast Suspension Dropper
What got you interested in bikepacking? Did you have prior experiences camping on bikes, or backpacking, etc? Did you grow up camping or biking?
I first gained interest in bikepacking near the end of high school. I started bike touring with my aunt Robin in middle school, and this seemed like the right progression to allow me to go further into nature. I biked very often on the Katy Trail in Missouri, having grown up only a few minutes away. I started camping later on, and developed my backcountry skillset through volunteering with Outdoor Recreation Georgia Tech (ORGT) during college.
People don’t necessarily get in touch with us about race rigs - did you already have the Tour Divide in mind when you picked up your Stargazer?
I did have the Tour Divide in mind for a while prior to choosing the Stargazer! I generally place reliability above most other factors, and steel certainly is real. I felt confident that the Stargazer would be able to handle whatever I threw at it more than carbon options others often consider for the divide. I'd also point out that I truly did consider this a tour rather than a race, mainly following the ACA's GDMBR route northbound rather than participating in the official race.
What was the first trip you took with your Stargazer? Can you share some highlights since you first got it in terms of trips or what you enjoy about it?
My first trip with my Stargazer was an overnighter in the Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge in the state of Georgia. After using this trip to work out some fitting adjustments, I continued with a few training overnighters before taking on the "Of Milk & Navvies" by Matt Bark on Bikepacking.com. I co-led this trip with two friends, Angie and Zelda, bringing a total of 9 Georgia Tech students through ORGT.
Since then, the most notable trips I've taken prior to the divide were the No Business Loop, the Tango Through Hell, and the Monumental Loop. Throughout all of these trips, I've routinely felt that the Stargazer has supported me well and that the geometry inspires plenty of confidence to tackle rough terrain both unloaded and fully loaded.
How did you find out about Tumbleweed, and what drew you to the Stargazer in particular?
I consider myself a bike nerd, and had come across Tumbleweed while perusing Bikepacking.com well before looking seriously for a new bike. When I started to search more seriously, I found that the Stargazer checked every box for me. The standards/compatibility, geometry, and the amazing support from the team at Tumbleweed made this bike an excellent choice for my needs!
Do you consider yourself a bike nerd, into technical details, or are you more just for the experience and the ride itself? Do you have any background in the bike industry, whether in sales, as a mechanic, etc?
I definitely consider myself a bike nerd! I love to keep up with the industry and try and make all of my gear choices with a lot of mindfulness. Throughout high school, I worked part-time as a bike mechanic for Big Shark Bicycles in St. Louis. Later, at Georgia Tech, I volunteered with the outdoor recreation organization (ORGT), where I worked with a team of students to maintain a fleet of 14 bikes and lead beginner bikepacking trips.
Does your bike have a name?
I've named my Stargazer "Ursa" in connection with the bear constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor (Ursa meaning bear in Latin) in hopes that I would get to see some live bears while riding it (at a safe viewing distance of course).
Are there any highlights from your build that you recommend to friends?
I've found the GRX 820 wide range groupset very reliable and the shift quality very smooth. I've already referred a few friends to Tumbleweed's line of racks; I find them very reliable and easy to set up, and I love the option to run panniers or to utilize the triple mounting points.
For some more niche items, I decided ~1000 miles into the Divide to swap my 32T Shimano XT chainring for a 30T oval ring from Wolf Tooth's CAMO system and my rigid seatpost for the PNW Coast Suspension Dropper. I think the smaller chainring saved my knees on the steep climbs, and I appreciate the ease of swapping rings from the CAMO system. It took a few attempts to dial in the air pressure on the suspension dropper, but I really came to appreciate the versatility of this seatpost as the trip continued to cross a wide variety of terrain.
What other bikes do you have? Where do you place yourself on the spectrum between ‘one bike for all the things’ and ‘n+1 is the rule!’
I'm not much of a 1 bike type of person, I definitely believe in the 'n+1 rule'. I just purchased a used 2016 BMC Alpenchallenge with a Shimano Alfine 11 hub and belt drive for commuting since I moved to Chicago after completing the Divide. After the trip, city biking is a big adjustment! I'm also considering a Tumbleweed Prospector with suspension and gravel race bike in the long term.
Can you share some of the challenges you experienced on this edition of the Divide?
I felt very lucky with the conditions I faced. I managed to avoid peanut butter mud and only rode a few days in the rain. We were hit by a large storm when we were in Idaho. Luckily, a very kind couple took us in on day two of three of the seemingly endless rain and we were able to dry ourselves and our gear! The generosity of those around us was a huge highlight of the journey. We also faced ridiculous winds at a couple points, especially going through the Great Basin. It was a big mental game to keep pushing so hard and feel like we were barely making progress, but it led to some great nights of sleep!
When you’re riding, do you prefer to listen to music and podcasts? Or are you a ‘sound of the road’ kind of rider?
I generally prefer the 'sound of the road', but occasionally I would listen to an audiobook for an extra boost or distraction when riding became a slog. In grizzly bear country I frequently blasted music from a Bluetooth speaker. I never got to see a grizzly, so I guess it might've worked a little too well!
What’s your ideal riding pace? For this particular ride, did you have any specific goals in mind?
The group I rode with aimed for ~50-60 miles a day; this seemed to be a good pace for us to keep our bodies in working condition and really get to enjoy the journey. We had time to take plenty of breaks to enjoy nature, and never passed up an opportunity to stop into a small town, grab a snack, and share conversation with the locals!
Do you have a hot take about bikes you’d like to share?
A lot of singletrack can be more fun with a rigid bike than with suspension!
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