Nowadays, ‘adventure biking’ are two words used to label anything from an afternoon out back to a race around the world. But for those who actually embark on unsupported rides that are planned to seriously exceed the boundaries of comfort, it’s a term that is treated with respect and used sparingly. Rick Hunter created this 29er MTB for someone who understands the true meaning of adventure biking: its maiden voyage will be the Great Divide tour from Canada to Mexico.
Melanie is a riding buddy of Rick’s wife and will be giving this Hunter Cycle a true workout on the 2,745 mile-long ride. She’ll be towing a BoB trailer behind her, which will carry all that she requires for the journey, which takes, on average, 6-10 weeks. That includes food, water and camping gear, as reliable sources can be as far as 100 miles apart on some stretches.
Needless to say, if you’re attempting this ride, you’ll need complete confidence in your vehicle, which is one of Rick’s priorities when building a frame. He’s personally proud of how this frame came together. It features a highly refined version of a chain stay yoke that he’s been working on, a 44 mm head tube for a tapered steerer and new low-mount disc dropouts.
Rick maintains that complete confidence in your bike is needed if you attempt a long distance ride like the Great Divide: it’s okay to worry about your legs but you shouldn’t worry about your bike. At least, on the rare occasion one encounters a grizzly bear, moose or cougar, you can throw your bike at it.
You can see more details of the 29er on the Hunter Cycles flickr stream. Rick is based in California and Brian Vernor, another CA local and an exceptionally talented photographer, captured the 29er on one of his frequent visits. Brian has already photographed many custom frame builders and has also recently released ‘The Cyclocross Meeting’, an insightful film about the Japanese ‘cross scene.
