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Madeline Hryse

@very__odd

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rider of bikes, lover of geese, & oddest of balls
riding @tumbleweedbikes 🪿

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Today marks one year on the road, living on my bicycle.

How can I possibly sum up the past year? So much I want to say, yet the words don't quite come out the way I want them to, to effectively encapsulate the experiences I've had these past 12 months. There have been extreme highs and lows, that's for certain. A new level of resilience that keeps building, and a comfort zone that continues to grow and push the limits of what I thought was possible. But despite these hardships, this life has somehow become easy for me. The freedom and disconnectedness that comes with being able to go where you want when you want becomes normal. It seems crazy to a lot of my friends that I have the courage to live my life the way I do, but the truth is I'm scared of living a stable, "normal" life like the majority of my peers back home. I don't know if I'll ever live that kind of normal life, but I think my next challenge will be finding stability in one place after such a hectic, nomadic way of living.

I've finally made it to Europe after over 3 years of living and travelling in Asia. In less than 2 months I'll be arriving in Sweden, the final destination of my journey with this little bicycle of mine to spend some much needed time with family. Then the next challenge starts, the one that scares me to my core :) by @very__odd

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8 months ago

It wasn't long before the feeling of ecstasy in the midst of a warm and sunny spring wore off and mother nature showed us just how dynamic a season can be. But what's a flower without water?

The way to Song Kul lake was demanding. We cycled up the infamous 33 Parrots pass-- can you guess how many switchbacks there were? I feel like I'm always going UP these things and never DOWN them... Anyways the ascent was technical off-road that is way out of my league with this set up and towards the top we were pushing ourselves to cycle 20 meters at a time before being totally spent and needing to catch our breath and regenerate strength in our legs again. When we got up and over the pass, we had arrived onto the expanse of land in which the high-altutide lake was found. But to our dismay, the rain had clouded most of the surrounding mountains which make the views so impressive.

What we suppose would have been dirt roads surrounding the lake had turned into mushy swamps of mud, and we found ourselves tirelessly riding these slow tracks, trugging along as much as our bikes would let us. Needless to say our progress was much slower here, and we were naive to think that we'd be able to cycle all the way to the far end of the lake by the end of the day in these conditions. We treated ourselves to a yurt stay along the lake which, although kitschy and traditional in its own way, proved to be much too touristy for our liking. We probably would have preferred to save the money and pitch our tent somewhere nice ;) but hey, I slept in a yurt!!

Our way down was arguably just as difficult as our way up... I'm always looking forward to descents but on these roads in this country you never know what you're going to get. After going back up to 3,400m on the rim of the basin in which houses the lake, we were met with a very steep descent that even one with the most tuned brakes would be skeptical about pedalling down. It's always a disappointment to have to push down when you've worked tirelessly on getting up.

But what I didn't realize in this moment was that weeks of hard off-road in Kyrgyzstan would prove to be excellent training as we continue south to the Pamir mountains :) taken in Kyrgyzstan by @very__odd

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7 months ago

Our last days in Montana were smokey. The whole time we were crossing the state we were probably breathing some pretty unhealthy air. But the final days were some of the worst, and a fire had made it's way directly onto our route, forcing us to take a 100km detour on pavement.

After passing through Dillon, where we were lucky to stumble upon local legend Larry's donation-based cycling oasis, we were back onto familiar gravel roads and were making progress towards Idaho. As we climbed up and over the pass, the weather started to turn. I suffered through my first real headwind of the tour, reminding me of yet another wonderful reason why I love bikepacking....

But it wasn't until we reached Idaho where we really got hit with serious weather. We waited out some of the rain in a cozy restaurant, topping off the charge on all of our devices. I'm sure they're used to dirtbags occupying all corners of the room, each electrical port looking like it's going to short.

There's always this weird period of hesitation when the rain lets off. You question whether or not you should stay and wait to see if another squall comes, or if you should just go for it and keep moving. We stayed around town for a while, making half-assed attempts at finding a sheltered campsite, as we knew that only wet camping spots in the forest awaited us later on.

But alas, we decided to push on. The track was somewhere between loose gravel and sand, so one can easily imagine what that's like after a few hours of heavy rain. We kept losing the route, as there were multiple OHV/ATV routes running parallel to the GDMBR, most of them in much worse condition than the track we were supposed to be on. By the time we reached the next town we were soaked to the bone and desperate for shelter. We toyed around with the idea of sleeping in the open garage of the post office, but after getting the cops called on us and a friendly conversation with the town sheriff, we cycled through the dark to a spot in the forest, pitched our tents as quickly as we could in the rain, and prayed for sunshine the next day as we fell asleep. taken in Idaho by @very__odd

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12 hours ago

The Great Divide Mountain Bike Route is not merely an adventure through rugged and beautiful mountainous terrain.

It's much more than the tough climbs, steep hike-a-bikes, and bumpy descents.

It's the perfect combination of the physical aspects one would expect to find, plus brief cultural forays intertwined in the most gratifying way.

At first I was hesitant to cycle a route that sees so many cyclists every year. I originally wanted to forge my own path and explore areas on a whim as I saw fit, much like my experience on my last tour across Eurasia. But my hesitations were in vain.

The route is 28 years old and well-travelled. Because of this, locals in towns along the way are well-accustomed to cyclists and know exactly how to receive them. It was such a wonderful feeling to enter into a restaurant after a few days in the forest and have the waitress drop everything she was doing to get us our food as soon as possible, filling our water glasses constantly while telling us how much she admires our strength and courage

And it's not just the local, American culture you come to know. It's more than the western-style saloons serving hamburgers and root beer floats, with real cowboys and ranchers catching up over a beer. Its also the rich cycling culture that you find along the way. Llama Ranch is probably the most iconic example of that. Barbara and John kindly welcome cyclists and thru-hikers onto their ranch free of charge, which is equipped with full cabins, all stocked with enough food even for the hungriest cyclists. They won't accept any donations, asking that you just "pay it forward in kindness," but I'm sure they wouldn't object to a bottle of prosecco if you can manage the space and don't mind carrying a little extra weight ;) taken in Montana, USA by @very__odd

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15 days ago

Montana was as rough as it was beautiful.

The climbs were steep and relentless. My body was also adjusting to the big climbing days, being that it was pretty early on in the tour. Every night I'd check the metrics for the next day at my campsite, half-hoping that I wouldn't have to climb up 3,000 feet for the 10th day in a row. That day never came, but my body has adapted and my standard for a "big climbing day" has certainly changed.

It was always such a nice surprise to get up the mountain and find a technical descent on singletrack, especially the kind with no margin for error— one mistake possibly resulting in you falling off the side of a sheer cliff edge... Just the way I like it ;)

It turns out that my lack of planning and research has resulted in me taking routes that I probably would have skipped if I knew what I was getting myself into. Lava Mountain is known to some as one of the hardest part of the whole Divide, which became known to me as I stood at the base of the climb, wondering why the name Lava Mountain sounded so familiar. With only a few miles to go until the top, I figured that it couldn't be that bad....

Well those few miles took us a few hours, having to push our bikes up the steep grades with all sorts of debris thrown onto the track. Loose gravel, baby heads, and giant logs made the whole ascent even more challenging. It was one of those times where the sheer ridiculousness of the situation made it fun and exciting... Until i realized that we had only gone one mile, and that we were going to be on that mountain for a LOT longer.

But reflecting back on that day and retelling the story reminds me why I love those kinds of routes, rife with type 2 fun. by @very__odd

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a month ago

Hello Montana! After 450 miles in the Canadian Rockies, I've crossed the border into my home country. But oddly enough, in a lot of ways, it doesn't feel as familiar as one would think.

I live in California, which I tend to refer to as my "bubble," being that it's so different from the rest of the the states. I haven't done a whole lot of traveling through the US when compared to my travels abroad, so it feels like I'm getting to know my home in a way I've never before.

It's a beautiful experience to say the least. The GDMBR was all about pushing myself on mountain roads, so the last thing I was honestly expecting was to see so much of the American lifestyle out here and receive that warm, familiar hospitality I've been lucky enough to experience all around the globe.

I've had my fair share of small catastrophes already, including a small slice through my back tire at the top of a mountain pass— big enough to compromise my tubeless set up, and a little incident due to the fact that I installed my shifter UPSIDE DOWN. The fact that I was able to cycle for about two weeks with the shifter like that was a miracle in itself. Those problems have been more or less sorted out; I'm seeing how long i can go with a dollar bill tucked under the hole of my tire and will probably wait until another catastrophe strikes to replace it. It's good to get all of these problems out in the beginning of the tour, right?

Montana has been surpassing my expectations. A state that I imagined to be endless plains and ranches has instead shown off it's beautiful forests and mountains. The smoke has been consistently thick throughout the first days here, so much so that I spent a couple days cycling with an N95. Not ideal when you're cycling up a mountain but neither is inhaling the equivalent of 14 cigarettes per day. I'm hoping as I cycling along, the fires slowly die out instead of follow me down south.

I spontaneously met @downhill_both_ways and @malejcunik on the road, and we've been sharing some miles together since! taken in Montana, USA by @very__odd

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a month ago

The first week on the divide has been full of surprises.

I had faint expectations, forming my opinions based off of what little information I've been told about the route or read online.

So I guess I shouldn't have been so shocked to find that the first day started off with a decent amount of singletrack, given I don't even know whether I'm going to be riding on asphalt or dirt on any given day (it's a good idea to buy the official maps and support the American Cycle Association).

I became worried for a cool minute, wondering what I've gotten myself into and thinking I should reassess my daily mileage. In the midst of my struggle I told myself that I am vastly unprepared for the route that lies ahead— assuming that the rest of the way continues more or less like this.

But slowly the track gave some relief, and by the time I got to the gravel forest service road, my confidence was restored. I passed a grizzly bear on the first day— a nice reminder of just how wild and potentially dangerous of an adventure that I've found myself on! I politely declined an offer from a local to drive me for a short section in order to get away from the big guy, just a couple hundred feet away ;) I knew that some brains and bear spray can go a long way.

A few days more through Canada and I soon found myself at the US border, entering into Montana. The smoke is bad out here right now, but I'm hoping that as I continue to travel south, mother nature gives us all some relief. I've had some beautiful sunny days, but maybe a little bit of rain would be a good thing for these burning lands, at the expense of my relative comfort.

My Sunliner has been holding up like a charm on these rough roads, thanks again to the @tumbleweedbikes team for supporting me on this trip! taken in Canada by @very__odd

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2 months ago

Jasper to Banff. 200 miles cycling through the Candian Rockies, home to magnificent mountains with more glaciers than you can count.

My sister @claisam came to join me for this section, which I've been thinking of as my pre-divide training session.

I've been doing a lot of reflecting on my habits and attitude towards this trip. A lot has changed, but some things have stayed the same. I didn't even give myself two full days to prepare everything on my bike, and aside from the rig itself, I'm mostly using all the old, battered up pieces of gear from my last tour. In general my attitude was very blasé about the whole tour; I knew that everything would fall into place and that there's no need to stress about the details. Is that a good or bad thing? I don't know... But it probably would have been wise to do a taaaad bit more research and not wait until I'm in Banff to look at the route. I'm going deep into grizzly country, and today's rest day errands include tracking down some bear spray, a bear bell, and double checking my food system 🫣 Maybe I need a little bit more balance in the planning vs. go with the flow realm...

But at the same time there are so many feelings that are the same. Being on a new bike reminds me of the first miles in China at the beginning of my trip to Sweden, figuring everything out and fine-tuning all the details. I think I expended a ton of energy the first day riding in Canada thinking about all the different things I want to adjust on my bike, constantly stopping to shift and arrange things to make it as optimal as I can. I guess I have developed a habit of doing my shakeout ride during the actual tour.

That familiar soreness in my legs has made its grand return, a feeling that I know will become normal for the next two months. How lucky I am to be able to experience this perpetual discomfort, and to have a healthy body that will get me to amazing places :) taken in Banff, Alberta by @very__odd

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2 months ago

Dirt in my nails & haven't showered for days. What could be more fitting?

We're getting married!

There couldn't have been a better place to get engaged than in the Sierra Nevadas, a place that has been very near and dear to my heart for my entire life.

To top it all off it truly felt like we had the entire mountain range to ourselves in the height of summer, being that we decided to explore a less travelled region of the Sierras.

And so it was that we spent our week as an engaged couple walking over high passes and craggy peaks, some of them much more forgiving than others, until we finally made it to the summit of Mt. Whitney at 14,500 ft— the highest point in the contiguous United States!

That strenuous sojourn in the mountains, which would be a make or break experience for some's relationship, was just another week for us :)

What a beautiful way to celebrate our love 💍 taken in California by @very__odd

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2 months ago

This upcoming year's cycling plans are underway!

Spending over a year on the bike made me realize that although it's wonderful to cross such vast distances, my time is valuable. I sacrificed a lot of personal relationship building for the solitude that comes with this kind of travel. I wouldn't change anything about what I did, but going forward I'm definitely prioritizing my time and rethinking how I spend it. That means a lot less moving around and a lot more staying in one place and building something that lasts :)

That's not to say I won't be traveling, because I'll still be doing a whole lot of that! But I will say I'm a lot more excited about the hard off-Road sections and much less about the long days cycling next to dangerous highways. It's no wonder the GDMBR stuck out to me, as unpaved roads will be my norm for a couple months!

& a very big thank you to @tumbleweedbikes for the Sunliner. They're making this next chapter of adventure possible, and I'm so excited to be riding for them this year! taken in California by @very__odd

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3 months ago

A half broken screen made each photo a surprise! by @very__odd

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4 months ago

Lower and lower we descended, leaving the snow capped peaks behind us. That familiar, empty feeling of grief that comes with dropping out of the mountains washes over me & I'm suddenly questioning the road ahead, wondering if I'm ready to say goodbye to the landscapes I've grown to love. The whole idea of this cross-continental cycle trip was essentially centered around cycling through the Pamir mountains, so to be leaving so soon was a depressing thought. It was this sentiment that inspired us to quite literally turn around from Khorogh and head back east, this time up the less-explored Shakdara valley. Now under 2,000m in the height of summer, it was difficult to adjust to the heat. But it wouldn't be long until we were back up above 4,000m, which seemed to be our preferred elevation, especially in summer.

We already had a small taste of Tajik hospitality, but it was in this particular valley where we really saw just how big the hearts of the Pamiri people are. Before we knew it we were already being invited into homes; it was one of those places where progress was difficult and slow due to the sheer amount of locals who wanted to chat or have us over, so many that we simply did not have time to accept every invitation. What a beautiful inconvenience that is!

So it didn't come as a surprise when we found ourselves in a warm house the next evening. We drank loads of tea, picked fresh cherries & apricots, & ate a delicious home cooked meal as we did our best to communicate. I found myself following a woman to the collective village farm to get some fresh milk for our tea, where I milked a cow for the first time!

It was hard to say goodbye, but a beautiful high altitude pass awaited us, where barren rock replaced trees, yaks instead of cows. It was a harder than expected ascent up sandy roads that involved a fair amount of pushing. The descent was technical & exhilarating, the kind of riding that requires you to be completely focused, especially when you're lugging 45 kilos. Eventually we reached the pavement of the famous M-41 highway, which is notorious for it's poor condition. But after 3 weeks on gravel, I couldn't see why anyone would complain! taken in Tajikistan by @very__odd

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4 months ago