That’s the advice to follow for competitors in the inaugural Tour Divide Race, who on June 13 started pedaling out of Banff, Alberta, a whopping 2,711 miles all the way to …Mexico in the world’s longest mountain bike race.

Carrying their own supplies and gear, the racers are expected to take less than 25 days to pedal from Canada to Mexico along the spine of the Rockies, facing snow-packed passes, unnervingly large carnivores, and no cell phone signals whatsoever.

Following Adventure Cycling’s Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, the first crew of 16 riders set out on June 13, traveling along primarily dirt roads without any outside assistance. In classic touring tradition, they’re carrying everything they need — food, water, shelter — on their bikes and backs, with refueling stops in small-town stores along the way. “The riders are truly on their own, with no support crews, SAG vehicles, or massage-teams allowed,” says Advetnure Cycling’s Winona Sorensen. “It’s the longest, most-challenging cycling race in the world.”

Exactly one week later, on June 20, at the Montana/Canada border, another group of riders will set off on the route’s original race, the fifth annual Great Divide Race. Ridden in the same self-supported style but only covering the 2,490-mile American portion of the route, the race’s winners typically finish in a jaw-dropping 17 days or less.

Both races promise to deliver high-quality human drama and unparalleled long-distance adventure. Information on the Great Divide Race can be found at www.greatdividerace.com

Adventure Cycling supports all riders of the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, but does not organize or officially sponsor either race. In fact, no one sponsors the races — both are grassroots by design, with exactly zero dollars in prize money for the winners.

Adventure Cycling Association is the premier bicycle travel organization in North America with nearly 44,000 members. A nonprofit organization, their mission is to inspire people of all ages to travel by bicycle. They produce routes and maps for cycling in North America, organize more than 40 tours annually, and publish the best bicycle travel information anywhere, including magazine and The Cyclists’ Yellow Pages. With 38,158 meticulously mapped miles in the Adventure Cycling Route Network, Adventure Cycling gives cyclists the tools and confidence to create their own bike travel adventures. Contact them at (800) 755-BIKE (2453) or www.adventurecycling.org/