David Nice is a whiskey distiller from Denver, Colorado, who started the GDR on a fixed-gear Surly Cross-Check with a duffel bag of gear strapped to his rear rack. Tragically, Nice's bike was stolen outside of Bigfork, Montana – an unfortunate first for the GDR – while he napped on the side of the road and he was forced to drop out of the race. Adventure Cycling member Dick Bratton aided Nice when he reached the nearby town of Polson and a fund was established by another GDR racer that quickly raised $1,100 to help him buy a new bike.