Following Thursday’s screening of “Ride the Divide” in Carrboro, endurance mountain bike racer Matthew Lee answered questions about the race. Some quick highlights:

• The Cannondale bike he rode for 2,700 miles (200,000 total feet of climbing) weighed just 35 pounds. “Just,” because the Ride the Divide is a self-supported race — Lee had to carry everything he would need on the race.
• Lee won the 2008 RTD, the focus of the film, finishing in 17 days and 20 hours.
• He averaged about 150 miles a day.
• His typical day: Wake up at 4:30 a.m., ride until just after dark. In the northerly lattitudes of Canada, that didn’t occur until around 11 p.m.
• Fifteen racers started the 2008 Ride the Divide, six finished.
• About 40 racers are signed up for this year’s RTD.
• Since the race started in 1999, a total of 100 riders have started, 40 have finished.
• The RTD route is not “super technical,” says Lee, who is also the race organizer, though more singletrack trail may be added in the future.
• Lee has won the race four times.
• “The heavy headwinds will drive you crazy.”
• Lee’s goal for this year’s race: 16 days.
• If he does this year’s race in 16 days, he says he’ll probably retire.