Dividing the Great

by John Metcalfe

An hilarious account of a couple of wannabe mountain bikers as they race from Canada to Mexico.

Genres: Cycling, Adventure, Nonfiction, Sports, Bicycles

276 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

John Metcalfe is a writer and academic based in the UK. He first started writing for magazines in the nineties and his work has appeared in Dirt, MBR, Australian Mountain Bike, MBI, On The Hill and Singletrack.

His first book Mountain Bike Fitness Training was published in 2001 by Mainstream Publishing and received wide acclaim. His second book Dividing the Great saw John venture into travel writing and it quickly became no.1 Kindle bestseller in American travel.

Articles from his Ph.D. have appeared in several academic journals and his philosophical musings have been published as chapters in academic books.

His debut novel Praesagium follows three strangers who are preoccupied with their own futures. But when their paths cross in Mexico none of them had foreseen the outcome...

Reviews

[Randall · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the book but just because I want to ride the divide before I get too old. It was not a good guide or an exciting story. It was riding the divide with no other thought in his head but riding the divide. A bit boring. It was amusing and was well written. He should have included some tall tells to spice it up a bit. maybe a near death encounter would have helped.

[Paul Below · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good fun romp. Will be appreciated by mountain bikers, also anyone else...

[J A · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the wife of a mountain biker who is planning to do this trip, I wanted an unbiased, truthful understanding of just what he is contemplating! I have heard all about the scenery and bears etc, but this book gives a real insight into the drudgery, the difficulty, the hardships and the mundane food and lodgings. Also it’s not all pretty, plenty of the route is ugly ( litter, industry, traffic, wierdo’s ). I suppose I am trying to say everyone should read this for a balanced understanding of the undertaking. Especially wives and girlfriends. Well done John a great read.

[Terri Schneider · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and entertaining "journal" of a mountain bike journey on the Great Divide trail. This take on this epic route was light and humorous but without a lot of specific details on the actual route itself. Easy to read.

[David Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of fun to read

I felt like I was riding the Divide with these guys. Great read. Makes me want to ride it myself.

[Seth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stoke for June 2024 is high

[Tim Bates · Rating 4 out of 5]

Per your request john, here's your review

[Pete Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Great Divide is more of a personal challenge than a race. It consists of cycling along the great divide from just inside the Canadian Border to Antelope Springs, just across the Mexican border. The route is as off road as possible with ling bursting hills that go on for hours
This is the story of two men who chose to challenge the course and themselves over weeks of heat, tiredness and dehydration. It's written in a very easy to read style and although reading a book about cycling may not be everyone's choice try looking at it from a standpoint of human endeavour and it is a pretty amazing read

[Greg Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun and enjoyable read. The authors sense of humor really makes this work. With professional cycling utterly devoid of any integrity its great to read a story about two regular guys attempting this amazing ride.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read!! Very inspiring, in a subtle "man i need to get off my ass and live" way. The only frustrating part is that its raining a lot in Wisconsin this summer, so I've not been on the trails much.

[Bryce R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like to read books about endurance sports. It was fun to see a Brit's view of some of our Americanisms along his way. Funny writer, but dragged a bit at the end. It did however, put riding the divide on my Bucketlist.

[Guy McArthur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two British blokes take on an American challenge: riding the Great Divide trail from Canada to Mexico. Full of good humour; a fun read.

[Geir · Rating 4 out of 5]

The British don't take themselves too seriously. Good humor. Good account of how it must be like to cycle this route.

[Brian Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great memoir if you're into long distance cycling, mountain biking, or self-sustaining camping/back packing.

[penny martin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very upset

Pages are missing!!!was very much looking forward to a nice read this evening. Pretty upset. Can I get my money back?

[Randy J. Strohmeyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

Would like to try the great divide in a few years. This book was entertaining and informative. Always ride a little farther for good food.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ached and I laughed the whole journey. Cracking read...I'm still chuckling at Evening Primrose Oil and Pietown. What an adventure and achievement. Thank you for sharing lads. #mustread

[Marty Nicholas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good travel writing. Humorous. Conveyed a good idea of what cycling the Great Divide Trail is like. Some coverage of equipment and fitness. Interesting to the general reader as well as the hard core.