Singletrack/MTB
Gravel/All-road
Dirt-road Touring
Fat-bike
Congratulations to Angus Young, who just completed the world’s longest mountain bike route at a blazing-fast pace. Read on for more about Angus’s effort and some reflections from the ride…
On September 8, 2025, Angus Young completed the 6,000-mile Eastern Divide Trail, reaching Key West in just 39 days and 10 hours. The MASON-sponsored endurance cyclist from Dorset, UK, experienced the gamut of challenging conditions throughout his journey on the longest mountain bike trail in the world, notably requiring him to replace several key components on his MASON Macro while also navigating overgrown trails, death mud, humid summer heat, aggressive dogs, bugs, and some mandatory detours from the main Eastern Divide Trail corridor. Remaining damage from Hurricane Helene and legal closures required Angus to follow a different route than previous FKT-holder Logan Kasper, who completed the original Eastern Divide Trail in 41 days. Find some selected reflections on the adventure from Angus below with photos from his finish in the Florida Keys by Rich Acosta.
Eastern Divide Trail Reflection
Words by Angus Young
Forty days is a long time, and fittingly, it’s synonymous with an extended period of suffering or testing in Abrahamic religions. However, to describe my 40 days on the Eastern Divide Trail as suffering wouldn’t be right. Extended efforts elevate all emotions, positive ones included, and it’s the positive ones that will stick with me the most. I could write reams about the trip, but instead, I thought I would simply share three anecdotes that should provide a glimpse into my life on the trail.
Mile 1,933: Montpelier, VT
10 days and 12 hours in
Leaving Montpelier with my stomach full of fruit and pockets stuffed with burritos, I was on a huge high. The famous gravel roads in Vermont really lived up to their reputation. It felt like I had spent the whole day with the sound of gravel quietly crunching beneath my wheels and the tree cover providing shade against the heat of the sun.
I left the town and, before too long, started an extended singletrack climb. It must have taken me 40 minutes or so. It was well-built and pretty much all rideable, and as my legs were good, it passed in no time. Without going into too much detail, I had been suffering from a sweat rash on my belly and lower back caused by the dust and constant perspiration, so I had taken to cycling with my shirt off. When I popped out onto a road shirtless, covered in sweat and filth, I must have been quite the sight. Before long, I passed two young women and overheard one say to the other, “He just looks like he is having the best time.”
It really struck me in that moment that I was having the best time. This is exactly what I love doing, and as I pedalled away into the night pondering that thought, I felt a reinvigorated sense of perspective on my journey.
Mile 3,313: Jefferson County Forest, WV
19 days and 12 hours in
The previous day had perhaps been the most stressful of the trip so far. My Lauf fork had failed, and I was lucky enough to source a replacement Fox 34. On top of that, my AXS was starting to play up. I also began the day a little underprepared from a supply point of view, but there were two shops marked on the map about 100 miles into the route.
I arrived at the first shop a little hungry but with a few snacks still in reserve. It had closed down months ago. No problem, there was another 20 miles down the route. When I got there, they had decided to close early. By this point, I was very hungry and had only two Clif Bars to last me the next 100 miles.
The map noted a tiny thru-hiker accommodation, the Woods Hole Hostel, another 10 miles down the track. As I climbed towards it, the sun was setting over the beautiful West Virginia countryside. I approached the hostel, and it was looking concerningly quiet. I rolled round the front and found the two owners just locking up, as they had no guests that day. They were more than happy to feed me bread and Amish-made cheese, which hit the spot perfectly, and they also let me raid the resupply closet to set myself up for the next day. Two minutes later, and I would have missed them and had a miserable night ahead of me. This stroke of good luck was a huge mental boost, as over the past few days, it had felt like everything was against me.
Mile 5,794: Collier County, FL
38 days and 7 hours in
Fast forward 20 days. A lot had happened, and the bike was on its last legs. The peanut-butter mud in Alabama had wreaked havoc on the components. I had already had my rear mech replaced once in Asheville, but for the past couple of days, it had been playing up again. For the 100 miles prior to this stop, it had completely stopped working.
The issue was the pogo pins where the battery connects. I was stuck in the 20T at the back, which meant that with a 32T front ring, I was spinning away like billy-o, even on the flat. With “only” 250 miles left, I knew I would be able to make it like this, but it would be very difficult.
I drew on a memory from the Silk Road Mountain Race last year, remembering Tom Schwemberger had a similar problem, which he fixed by taking a copper strip out of a USB cable and taping it to the battery. It was worth a shot, because even if I could shift just a few times, it would save hours.
With a bit of help from a local who saw me struggling and offered a pair of pliers, I was able to attach the copper. I popped the battery in and… nothing. Joy. I tried again and this time got a brief flash from the LED. Progress. I kept jiggling it for another 10 miles or so before giving up, telling myself I’d try once again on the hour, every hour, as a strange incentive to keep moving.
So I spun my way through Big Cypress and into the Everglades, testing the battery each hour. Twelve hours later, at 1 a.m., it clicked into life, and I was able to shift gears. I put it up a couple of clicks (turns out I’d been stuck in far too light a gear) and vowed not to touch it again. The sense of elation and instantaneous joy that those gear shifts brought me was indescribable. I tried to carry that feeling all the way to the finish line in Key West.
It was difficult trying to pick out just three moments from such a long trip, but as I sit here in a café in Key West, refuelling on Key lime pie and cappuccino, I’ve taken great pleasure in putting pen to paper and reliving the experience. I truly had an amazing time. It wasn’t without its challenges, but that was to be expected.
I am incredibly grateful to everyone who helped make this possible: those who worked on the route, notably the team at BIKEPACKING.com and Karlos Bernart, as well as my sponsors MASON Cycles, Restrap, Hunt, Le Col and Exposure Lights.
Next up, Angus plans to switch gears and take a leisurely six-month bikepacking adventure with his wife traveling through South America, New Zealand, and Japan. Make sure to follow along on Instagram.
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