Before reaching Grand Junction, as I mentioned in my previous article, I’ll briefly enter one of the most famous cycling routes in the United States, just so my tires can touch this legendary path.
Great Divide: This route stretches from north to south in the United States, spanning five states from Canada to Mexico. It passes through Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado (where I currently am), and New Mexico. Covering 2734 miles (4,400 kilometers), it includes a total of 196850 feet (60,000 meters) of climbing and consists of 80% gravel roads.
Back in Africa, on my route starting from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital, and covering Kenya, Tanzania, and Malawi, a relatively small part of the continent, I pedaled 3106 miles (4,500 kilometers) with a total climb of 190288 feet (58,000 meters). People often say that each U.S. state should be considered its own country. Well, in the U.S., crossing five states from north to south equals the distance and elevation gain of crossing four countries in the heart of Africa.
In other words, what I’m really saying here is: “To hell with the Great Divide!” Africa itself is the ultimate Great Divide! J The reason this route is so well-known and popular among cyclists isn’t because of its difficulty or uniqueness, it’s because of the advertising and marketing power of American cycling enthusiasts, plus their skill to use social media. This is how “knowing marketing and selling a concept” looks like.
Meanwhile, we, myself included, fail to properly market the cycling routes in our country. But you already know me; I’m not exactly great at marketing myself either. J
You might wonder: “Why are things this way?” or “Why am I like this?”
1— Marketing is not my job. Just like we don’t leave marketing and advertising to experts in our country, we can’t handle it ourselves either.
2— Let me give an example from myself; I am a traveler with unchanging or inflexible ethical values. Some people may link things to astrology, saying things like, “Your ascendant sign is Capricorn, your moon is Leo, and your Mars is Capricorn,” while others might say, “You’re from Arhavi, Artvin, so you’re totally a Laz people,” and make connections like that
The route I would create from the Black Sea plateaus through Eastern Anatolia and Southeastern Anatolia in Türkiye will be more difficult for any foreign traveler than the Great Divide, in terms of its level of difficulty. The climbs are another challenge. But as I said, neither I nor anyone else in our country can handle the marketing of this. (Some may say it’s possible, but no one has done it in the past 15 years when it comes to cycling. The reason for this is that these things are done through advertising investments in people who are trustworthy in their field. For example: KRON bikes would create a promotional video about Türkiye’s bike routes with me, Gürkan Genç, or they might work with a much more famous cyclist, as there are many famous ones out there. Also, that won’t be enough—companies, content creators, and advertising companies will repeatedly have to pay for advertisements, getting these routes featured on their websites, in TV commercials, through airlines, and in many other places. It would take a serious advertising budget + working with people who have already gained trust in this field, and so on. KRON won’t do that, and I’m not just talking about KRON, no company has done it for 15 years. This is because, in our country, companies and institutions that should advertise are generally only concerned with seasonal revenue, not sustainability. People only save/invest for retirement 🙂.
On the other hand, for touring cyclists who have crossed Africa and Asia from end to end or South America both lengthwise and widthwise, the Great Divide promises an adventure that feels more like a picnic. Why?
- Everyone in the region speaks English.
- You’re not more than six hours away from anything.
- Cell service works in most places.
- Where it doesn’t, satellite-based emergency help is quick.
- Apart from certain areas, there are very few predatory animals.
- No mosquito-borne diseases.
- Since you’re often seen as homeless (a beggar) in many states, no one bothers you
Most touring cyclists who are U.S. citizens don’t do international trips (believe me, more bicycle travelers in Türkiye do international…international tours), so they market and promote the Great Divide well within the United States. However, many, many other places around the world are much more beautiful and with a higher level of difficulty. But let me repeat, cycling in North America and riding the Great Divide is enjoyable. “It’s a beautiful route.” It is already officially recorded as the most beautiful cycling route in America.
Two of the places where I camped along this route were really amazing. On the other hand, they’ve built an incredible bike path to Grand Junction. This bike path, which is right next to the highway, was really well designed. It could be designed and implemented in our country as well. I’ve seen bike paths on intercity roads or next to highways in other countries, but I can say that this kind of design was a first for me. I’ve written about the area, and if someone from the Ministry of Environment or the local municipality is interested, they can come and cycle in the region. Or, as I was told before, “Mr. Gürkan, there’s no need for us to travel like you, we can just look it up on Google and build the roads.” Following this approach, they could continue to build our country’s bike path network… In this way, I’ve seen, photographed, and experienced different bike path applications in different states and interesting places in the United States, and added them to my collection.
“Hey Gürkan, why don’t you become a consultant for these bike paths? And why doesn’t any municipality or ministry hire you as a consultant?” some ask. Friends, when I say 15+ years of experience, observations + VAT, our institutions do not have the budgets, and they can’t hire me as a consultant.
Let me write about the days I spent with the hosts in Grand Junction.
Artur and Pem are 65 years old. When they invited me to their home, they were also biking along the West Coast as a couple. They told me I could use the house, the car, the bikes, everything. They said, “Feel at home.” That evening, I met their son Vaughn, who also went for training before going to school the next day.
The next day, while exploring the National Monument area, I saw Joe biking around. He and his wife Ellen invited me to their home in the city again.
On the last day, Ed (81) and Maggie (75) hosted me for two days thanks to the Warmshowers app. They’ve biked all over Europe and now continuing their travels with electric-assisted bikes. I’ll touch on electric bikes in touring cycling…
These people have the following common traits:
• They are all long-distance cyclists.
• They understand how valuable time is, so they try to travel and see the world with the best mode of transportation before they pass away. They know they don’t have much time left.
• After building up some savings and working, they began this journey in their retirement years.
• They were all born and raised in Colorado. People are connected to nature.
• Hospitable.
• They show great respect for me dedicating one-third of my life adventure to traveling the world and allowing me to make the most of the opportunities they offer, and always say, “Whenever you want, come, you have a home.” (This last statement is something that Americans generally rarely say. But many people in Colorado told me this.)
• The question they all wonder is, “So, what will happen when it’s over?”
While chatting with Ed (81) in his garage, he said, “At a young age, you’ve managed an incredible tour with little comfort for 14 years, and it seems like with just the tour you’ve risked not only your life but also your future. I can’t imagine what has happened behind the scenes of your bike tour, and I can’t even imagine its end. Gürkan, you have a very extraordinary life.”
The families I’ve stayed with often have incredible stories. If I were to try to tell each family’s story, I would need to write a different article for each one. I also know very well that if I started telling the stories of others instead of my own experiences, my website would get more clicks, and my social media pages would have more engagement, I have data on this.
But let me continue my story with what I’ve done.
At the Grand Junction point, Elif Akdaş, from the 2018 Genç Kaşifler (Young Explorers) team, wanted to join me on the bike ride. I shared this with you in my previous post. It’s a great honor for me. Teachers will understand me well. The hug when Elif first saw me, the sparkle in her eyes, it was indescribable. She had joined Genç Kaşifler, and I experienced similar emotions with every student I met. But experiencing this with Elif abroad was a whole different feeling. I also learned that her family is liking and following me, which I didn’t know before. A big thank you and greetings to the Akdaş family.
I sent a message to Prof. Nüzhet Türker, the president of Genç Kaşifler, and got information about Elif. He said she would ride the route with you, with ease. I had to know that.
Together with Elif, we did a one-week bike tour from Grand Junction, Colorado to Salt Lake, Utah. Dirt, asphalt, village, town, city, desert, snow, rain, heat, cold… In one week, Elif managed to cover a total of 435 miles (700 kilometers) and 16404.2 feet (5000 meters) of elevation gain with me, she did well. Since she was returning to Denver on October 29, we planned a route at a pace where she could reach Denver on that exact date, and we completed the tour beautifully. When we arrived in Utah, Rodney and his wife hosted us at their home. From there, Elif took a train back to Grand Junction, picked up her car, and made it to The October 29 Turkish Republic Day reception in Denver.
If she wanted to write about her experiences on the tour, I told her, I would publish an article titled “A Week of Biking with Gürkan Genç,” talking about all we have experienced on the road. Since she hasn’t written it, we won’t know what that week looked like from her perspective. If she ever writes it, I’ll share it with you.
From my side, without going into too much detail, Elif proved to be a strong and adaptable woman. Almost everyone who joins Genç Kaşifler should have this kind of spirit. She didn’t complain even once. I thank her for that. Perhaps one day, we’ll pedal together again somewhere in the U.S.
After Elif left, I stayed at Lowell’s house, a man in his twenties, through Warmshowers in Salt Lake City. He had biked across the Americas from north to south. He kindly hosted me for four days. The reason I extended my stay was that I had to wait for the winter jacket and raincoat sent to me by The North Face Türkiye. Ayşegül, my friend from Houston, Texas, who was visiting Türkiye, brought them from there. At this point, I was heading towards the route that would take me through the Great Basin, the largest desert in North America, up to the state capital of Nevada. We had to renew the tent, and I had to get a new jacket and windbreaker. According to my calculations, I would face temperatures around -10C in November at this altitude, and that was exactly what happened.
On the other hand, in Salt Lake City, I was finally able to get myself a DJI Mini 4 Pro Combo drone set. After repeatedly spending the money I had saved for a drone on other things, this time my doctor Sine hit the bullseye and helped me finalize the drone purchase. I want to thank Ahmet, Bülent, Murat, and Sine for supporting me in getting the drone. (However, in January 2025, while flying it north of the Hudson River in New York, the motors stopped, and the screen froze. It most likely encountered a signal jammer in the area, which shut down the system during flight. Honestly, I was quite upset; bad luck.)
The North Face jackets arrived a little late, but they did, thank you so much Ayşegül! I’ll continue with TNF Türkiye for a while longer. I should mention that I’m now exploring new brands for shoes, summer and winter clothing, and sleeping bags. I’m hoping to make sponsorship deals with new brands over time, and I’ve been messaging each one individually.
Now, let’s talk about the Great Basin Desert, the largest desert on the American continent. I had briefly mentioned the deserts I passed through in the last month’s posts. I won’t repeat that here. You can read past posts or find detailed information about the deserts I crossed in the “Route” section on my website.
Please Remember: Some cyclists have crossed parts of some of these deserts, but no one has crossed all of them. In fact, if this matter is researched properly, more records will likely emerge gradually.
The Great Basin Desert starts within the borders of Utah, including the state capital, extending to Carson City, the capital of Nevada. Since I pedaled in this direction, I’ll share the areas I crossed from east to west, along with photos from that region.
I covered this distance in 12 days, pedaling 621 miles (1000 kilometers). My total ascent within the region was slightly over 19685 feet (6000 meters). Honestly, I didn’t expect to climb this much. By the way, the altitude varied between 4921 feet (1500 meters) and 7217 feet (2200 meters).
Locals refer to this region as the “high desert.” In winter, the temperatures are known to drop as low as -40C. The lowest temperature I encountered during my pedal in November 2024 was 59 Fahrenheit (15C). During the day, I also saw temperatures as high as 59 Fahrenheit during that period.
The road I took is called US50, known as America’s main street. Believe me, many Americans don’t even know about it. Specifically, for this Great Basin area, a decision was made in 1986 to label it “America’s loneliest road.” There is no other road in the United States, especially in the Nevada US50 section, that is as remote and long. This decision is still valid for present-day America.
One of the main reasons for the road’s lack of use is the absence of Cellular phone coverage in the region. So, if something happens to your vehicle and you can’t fix it, you’ll face a tough situation. With very few cars passing through this area, if your car breaks down and you ask for help, believe me, many people might not stop to help. In the middle of nowhere, they’ll think, “Why should I stop?” and pass by. That’s why, nowadays, most Americans tend to avoid this highway.
I say “nowadays” because it wasn’t always like this in the past. When US50 was completed in 1926, it was America’s first highway between the West and the East. Additionally, in 1860, this region, where telegraph lines didn’t exist, included part of the Pony Express postal route.
It’s a postal route that continued to Salt Lake City in California. Even today, you can still see the resting stations from this postal route. In the past, when these mail carriers tied their horses in front of the bars, I also placed my bike in front of the door while I took a break in these areas. I passed through very interesting places where they were protected from wind, bandits, and Native Americans. The mark this road left on my soul was a beautiful one.
While heading toward the capital of Nevada, I stopped at a gas station to rest. A young man walked in through the door.
Abdullah: “Hey brother, I’m Abdullah.”
Me: “Hello, how are you?” I replied in English.
Abdullah: “Brother, I’m Turkish, hello.”
Having just come out of the desert, exhausted from the wind and tired, I couldn’t quite understand what he was saying in Turkish, haha. Abdullah had come to see me with his mother Mursel and sister Yasemin from another city. He could track where I was using the Garmin GPS system. When he saw that I was traveling to a nearby city, where they live, he quickly jumped in his car and caught up with me on the road. He invited me to his home, but since I had already made plans for that evening, I couldn’t go. I hope to visit them next time I head out on the road.
Before reaching San Francisco, I stayed at the homes of John and Cathy in Davis (I loved that place), Maureen’s in Pinole, and finally at Kili’s in San Francisco, completing the Miami to San Francisco route in the United States.
So many stories could be told, could be written. I shared these stories with you much later because, on the road, I was truly exhausted. Not physically, but mentally tired as well. After spending 14 years, physically being on the road, after a point, there’s no real difficulty. The challenge is; when you try to continue the journey mentally. I believe I’ve handled it well, but I’m tired. It’s time to rest and put on a bit of weight.
I’ll be taking a train from San Francisco to New York, spending some time with my friends, getting my Canadian visa, going through health checks, and then returning to San Francisco to continue my journey…
Miami to San Francisco
Days spent cycling: 110 Distance: 9,650 kilometers.
Total Elevation Gain: 54,000 meters.
States crossed: 10
Average daily distance: 86 kilometers.
Average daily elevation gain: 500 meters.