VerticalScope Inc., 111 Peter Street, Suite 600, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2H1, Canada. Only in a few places, where the 2-track became too sandy to ride, did we wonder if it was wise to be following the hiking route, not the wide dirt road route of the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. For anyone curious, it does actually work with the Da Brim. Stuffable backpack: Not technically a bike bag, but this little backpack is a must-have for long bike trips. While the Eliminator T7 is a well-rounded and versatile tire, it sacrifices a bit in the braking traction department in exchange for rolling speed. Traillinks. The Vittoria Agarro and Michelin Force AM2 have a similar tread design to the Ardent and are great options for those looking to minimize rolling resistance. there's been a few Kahns on Ebay recently. Happiness depends more on the inward disposition of mind than on outward circumstances. JavaScript is disabled. The special edition 10th issue of The Bikepacking Journal is one you wont want to miss! It is available in numerous casings, including DH, EXO, and EXO+. Rain jacket: ArcteryxBeta AR. Held clothes, food, and sleeping pad. Sports sandals: Not strictly essential since my bike shoes work for walking, but I like to bring these for camp shoes, town days, public showers, and a backup in case something happens to my bike shoes. An avid racer, Benson competes in endurance gravel and XC races throughout northern California. Many tires can be used as either a front or rear tire, while some are designed with rear use in mind. I've got some long term plans for the GDR, and want to check out these two tires beforehand: I use the Marathons for training. The Maxxis Ardent, Michelin Force AM2, Specialized Ground Control, and Vittoria Martello perform better in these cases with smaller knobs that don't give the rider a feeling of riding high off the ground. Im Alissa, your virtual guide, here to help you make your biggest, boldest adventure dreams a reality. The Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (GDMBR) is a journey from Banff, Canada, to Antelope Wells, New Mexico. Sometimes my posts contain affiliate links, and if you make a purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. We pedal up the hill to ride back down it. Throughout our rigorous field testing, we rode each tire as much as possible while focusing on important performance metrics in an effort to help you find the tires that best meet your needs and budget. Bears on the Great Divide Trail. So useful for so many things: sun coverage, hair band, neck gaiter, towel, face covering, pillow case, etc. Trails were often loose, blown out, and rocky. Wanted to see if anyone had recommendations on some good tires? The Maxxis Aggressor provided us with excellent pedaling traction on a huge range of surfaces and conditions. As a rear tire, it has excellent pedal and braking traction but has a relatively high level of rolling resistance. MTB Project. Long sleeve midlayer:Icebreaker Merino 260 Half Zip. One of the astonishing things is that routes can be utterly wild yet almost 100 percent rideable on a gravel bike. I didn't want to give up on them, but simultaneus pinch flats were the final straw. We want our tires to last, and we get the feeling you do too. Sandals and sometimes stove strapped to the outside. Alternate routes are indicated in orange on the GDT map, and include: Mount Rowe to Sage Pass - moderately difficult cross-country ridge walk, literally on the Great Divide without any water sources (other than residual snow). Gaia GPS is a popular alternative to RideWithGPS. Sports bra:Patagonia Barely, very comfy (A cup) and stink-resistant. I love the bladder but recommend replacing the bite valve with this one from Hydrapak that includes a shutoff valve and cover. I / we carried a stove for the entire trip and enjoyed hot meals at camp, but its not mandatory. It has a wide temperature range without feeling clammy, and critically the half zip fits over a bike helmet for quicker layer changes on the go. Two shallow tire tracks heading uphill into the darkness remind me that Josh and Ben had recently pushed their bikes through this same slush. Heaven and Hell on Wheels. We inspire and inform through original bikepacking routes, stories, and coverage of the gear, news, and events that make our community thrive. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and we never accept free products from manufacturers. Youll also want the ability to add another 3 4 liters occasionally, probably only a handful of times. It varies with the conditions, but more often than not, a tire with a more aggressive tread design is going to brake better. As with front tire braking traction, rear tire braking traction is also dependent on the size, shape, and orientation of the tread knobs. I carried my meals inside an Ursack inside a 5L dry sack on my front fork. New off-highway route north of Hartsel, CO 3. When conditions get really loose, it is easy to break this tire into a skid, drift through corners , spin out while climbing. Shoe covers: Not used, even though my feet did sometimes get cold in the rain. No issues and no punctures that didnt immediately seal. We feel this rim size to be very representative of current wheel selection without falling into the narrow or overly wide end of the spectrum. Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. Figuring out which tires will perform well. That said, I do use the eTrex for racing and more rugged routes; see my eTrex review for more detail. That said, it's no worse than most similar tires, and a trade-off for its otherwise excellent traction and super smooth feel. Glacier Cyclery in Whitefish (406-862-6446) can handle any bike needs or outfit you with rental gear. It was originally called the Great Divide Race and followed a slightly shorter course along the original Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, starting in Roosville, Montana, at the Canadian border. While testing, we always felt confident that they would hook and grab hold when it came time to slow things down. You'll need full camping gear, bike tools, and a water filter. Stove: Jetboil MicroMo. Waterproof glove covers:MLD eVENT rain mittens, to cover gloves in case of both cold and wet weather. The Maxxis Minion DHR II has an aggressive tread pattern with wide paddle-shaped lugs that offer great braking traction on most surfaces, including soft and blown-out corners. The biggest issue: with the dry bags on the front fork, the load is very front-heavy. Best For Trail Riding: Cushcore Tire For Great Divide Mountain Bike Route Buy on Amazon Compared with other tires in this category, the Cushcore Tire For Great Divide Mountain Bike Route has a convenient design. A 27.5+ hardtail with tubeless wheels and durable tires is recommended for the Baja Divide. The Ardent has a low-profile tread design that prioritizes rolling speed. This scenic trail runs from the USA/Mexico border into Canada and covers 2,767 miles of spectacular remote wilderness. Seat tube length: 508mm (center to top) Seat tube angle: 73 Top tube: 615mm (effective) Chainstays: 435mm Bottom bracket drop: 60mm Fork Offset: 43mm Wheelbase: 1093mm Standover height: 812mm Specifications Frame: 4130 chromoly steel, three bottle mounts, rack and fender mounts Fork: 4130 chromoly steel, rack and fender mounts, triple mounts Fill it with food on your way from the grocery store to the motel, or fill it with water bottles to get you through a rare long dry stretch. What kind of temperatures are we talking about? While we really loved most aspects of the performance of the Butcher Grid Trail T9, it isn't the fastest rolling tire. See my review of the Copper Spur for more detail. Headlight: NiteRider Lumina 900 Boost with helmet mount: Rarely (never?) I think mid-May is typical but it varies year to year, especially these days. I'll be departing on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route this August and I'll be riding a Niner M.C.R. Those concerns aside, we feel this is a great, well-rounded rear tire for aggressive trail riding. Resources and inspiration to support your wildest dreams: Affiliate Disclosure: This site participates in affiliate programs, including Amazon Associates. I used one set for the entire 2700 miles and they still had life left to spare at the end. But you might be a few hundred miles from one when something goes wrong! It also provides heaps of braking traction, providing some of the best control you could ask for. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for GREAT DIVIDE MOUNTAIN BIKE ROUTE #1: ROOSVILLE, MONTANA - By Adventure Cycling at the best online prices at eBay! The truth of the matter is, trail riding is the most common style of riding that most people participate in. The Maxxis Minion DHF, Vittoria Mazza, and Continental Kryptotal Fr use deep, open tread designs with tall knobs that dig well into just about any soil type. T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon all cover slightly different areas, and all have large dead zones in rural parts of the US. Help sustain this resource by joining the Bikepacking Collective: https://bikepacking.com/join/?utm_source=youtubeOutline: Intro - 0:00Support Bikepacking.com - 0:42Tire CharacteristicsWidth - 1:22Casing - 2:35Tread Pattern - 4:09Reliability - 5:53Tire OptionsWTB Nano - 6:30WTB Ranger - 7:40Maxxis Crossmark - 7:56Maxxis Ikon - 8:57Maxxis Ardent Race - 9:22Teravail Sparwood - 9:45Teravail Rutland - 10:26Vittoria Mezcal - 11:04Rene Herse Fleecer Ridge - 11:53Mentioned Links:29er Wheel Diameter History: (http://g-tedproductions.blogspot.com/p/beginnings-of-modern-29er-history.html)Tubeless Tire Repair and Install: (https://bikepacking.com/plan/tubeless-tire-repair-guide/)Rene Herse Fleecer Ridge Review: (https://bikepacking.com/gear/rene-herse-fleecer-ridge-review/)Eastern Divide: (https://bikepacking.com/plan/introducing-the-eastern-divide-trail/)Bikepacking Routes Page: (https://bikepacking.com/bikepacking-routes/)Do you enjoy our videos, routes, and articles? If you have a bright headlamp and a way to mount it, you could consider using that as an emergency-only night riding option. Socks: 2 pair of Smartwool PhD hiking socks, plus 1 pair of thicker Darn Tough socks for sleeping. Once the clock starts, the rider embarks on a solo, unsupported journey to get to the finish line. Note about toiletries: In the US its common for hotels, and even most budget motels, to provide small amounts of basic soap and shampoo. Even though the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route runs from Banff Canada all the way down to Mexico, the Colorado section is one that every bikepacker should have on their to do list. How to Avoid Hand Numbness and Weakness While Cycling, My Bikepacking Gear List System, from Ultralight to Ultra Prepared, 7 Utah Bikepacking Routes for Every Style and Experience Level, Salsa EXP Anything Cradle + dry bag: held sleeping bag. The Vigilante's aggressive tread design comes with a slight penalty in the rolling resistance department. In New Mexico in summer, nights can be hot. In general, a rear tire has more of a focus on pedaling and braking traction, and tread designs often reflect that. I replaced it halfway through with the womens version which is slightly warmer and shorter perfect for me. While it provides good braking traction in most situations, the knob spacing also doesn't bite quite as well as more open tread designs in super loose conditions. TCS Light SG2 casing reduces weight and still feels tough, Tighter fit in the rim during installation. Lets start with the most important part of a Great Divide bike route gear list: the bike, obviously! We ended up sharing one and it worked fine. Rarely used given the high fire danger lately, but occasionally useful for campgrounds and in case of emergency. I expect this one to last at least another 7 years. Every few days at most basically as often as youll find food youll find a convenience store with the basics like toothpaste or soap. Despite its cornering and braking chops, the tread design still rolls fairly quickly and efficiently. We found the T7 rubber to be long-lasting with even wear, and the Grid Trail casing stood up to our abuse during testing. The JetBoil is so efficient that I / we only needed three canisters total for the whole GDMBR. More here. Definitely touring, not racing. The Specialized Ground Control Grid T7 is a tire that bridges the gap between cross-country and trail riding, call it down-country if you like. The tread design also contributes to controlled and predictable braking performance that outshines other models in its category. Continental's latest tires deserve praise in the metric, and the Kryptotoal Fr represents a new era for the brand. There are many different approaches to choosing gear for the GDMBR, and no one can give you the one perfect list. Learn more. The Avid BB7 brakes took a lot of fiddling to keep adjusted. I highly recommend these for the Great Divide and bikepacking in general. Depending on your setup, some people will need multiple sets of new brake pads and maybe new tires. I love reading at camp or on rest days. A relatively squared-off profile and a stout row of shoulder knobs give it excellent cornering manners, while the moderately spaced center and intermediate tread do a fine job of providing traction when braking and climbing in most conditions. Front fork: Assortment of RockBros dry bags (2L and 5L) and Voile straps. Like most cross-country tires, they are very fast rolling, but unlike a typical XC tire, they provide better cornering and braking traction than you might expect. Bigger than the Salsa pouch and similar in size to a Revelate pouch. Cloth face maskfor town, this being 2021 and all. Some of the more burly casings are more difficult to work with. That and the fact that the route comes back through Whitefish makes Glacier Cyclery the logical US staging headquarters for Great Divide riders. I layer this on for sleeping or riding in cold weather. Pat Donahue also contributed to this review. Flexible flask: Vapur 10oz, used to carry olive oil, or sometimes a bit of whiskey as a special treat. In our latest YouTube video, we talk about what factors to consider and reveal a few of our favorite tires for long, mixed-terrain routes. Having said all that, we still feel the Aggressor is the most versatile rear tire. Free shipping for many products! A few areas, in particular parts of New Mexico and Wyomings Great Basin, are much drier. The Maxxis Assegai is a gravity-oriented tire from Maxxis that was designed in collaboration with World Cup DH racing legend Greg Minaar. Small knife: Kershaw Scallion, useful for cooking on trail and in town. Sawyer Fast Fill adapter kit, allows you to gravity filter directly from the Sawyer into a hydration bladder. One of the best pieces of advice Ive heard from couples who take long adventures together: use a 3 person tent! If you leave some necessity for your trip at home, don't worry, you will be able to replace it easily here. The Salsa Fargo Apex 1 is a burly steel frame gravel bike. Nano, Dry X 2.1, Small Block 8, in that order. Bikepacking Pace Guide: How many miles per day? Lower profile tread designs like those of the Maxxis Ardent, Vittoria Agarro, and Michelin Force AM2 grip very well on hardpack and slabby rock, though they tend to falter when the surface conditions are super loose. The T7 rubber compound offers a nice blend of grip and longevity, and the Grid casing feels relatively robust and durable while remaining lightweight. This time around, we tested the TCS Light SG2 casing, dramatically reducing its weight while still providing a robust feel thanks to the Slash Guard (SG2) insert. TCS Light SG2 casing is much lighter than the Tough casing. This post describes the GDMBR gear list that worked for me, but if you know your preferences are different, you do you! When things get a little damp, the somewhat open tread design sheds mud quite well to ensure a clean braking surface. Yeah I'm thinking about doing it too. There are affiliate links in this post. If youre not yet aware, the famous Tour Divide bikepacking race covers almost the same route as the GDMBR, but most racers aim to finish in under a month (or for the fastest folks, half that time!). With that in mind, we set out to review the best tires for all-mountain and trail riding; you can even call it enduro if you like. Sign up here for occasional emails full of inspiration and information about bikepacking and bicycle touring. In some areas you might rarely fill it all, carrying only 1-2 liters at a time. It is one of the best cornering tires our testers have ever used. Extra bottles: I carried two 1L Platypus SoftBottles for extra capacity. This post will give you my gear list, including what worked well and what I would change in hindsight. What are the best tires for the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, the Tour Divide race, and other long, mixed-terrain bikepacking routes? The rigid fork would theoretically have some braze ons which would give you more places to bolt stuff, either more water or fork bags or something along those lines. Pedals and Shoes for Bikepacking: Is clipless worth it? The Great Divide Mountain Bike Route is one of America's best big adventures, traversing thousands of miles of remote dirt roads and high-altitude trails through the Rocky Mountains. If I ever get nervous, having it nearby helps me sleep. It was tirelessly mapped over a 4 year span, and published in 1998 by Adventure Cycling Association, North America's premiere bicycle travel organization. But on the GDMBR we often showered at RV parks and campgrounds that didnt offer this. Even the legendary Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, which often crests above 10,000ft in its 2,700 miles, fits this category.Our selection of routes spans the whole spectrum, from short two-dayers in the desert, to properly long technical mountain routes, and woodsy adventures in . We found it provides excellent cornering traction across the spectrum of lean angles in all but the loosest of conditions. However, this isn't the most aggressive tire on the market. Read more: Continental Kryptotal Front 2.4. When it comes to big adventures, deciding to take the plunge is often half the battle. Custom, handbuilt 27.5", 29", Plus and Fat wheels. there are a lot of toilets along the route, but that doesnt guarantee youll find one when you need it. As a general rule, the more aggressive the tread design, the better the tire will perform in loose conditions. A mountain bike designed for off-road riding with adjustable components and a 1x drivetrain, and tires with good grip, puncture resistance, and durability will provide . It has a distinctive locked-in feel, though it may take a little getting used to for some riders. Related: Essential Bike Repair Skills You Can Learn at Home. Despite its somewhat aggressive appearance, the Specialized Ground Control is a very fast-rolling tire. I rarely have problems with tire rub if I pack properly. Location: Alberta, Canada to Antelope Wells, New Mexico. The Trail casing we tested offers a good blend of support and suppleness, and Vittoria's 4C Graphene rubber was surprisingly resilient with an above-average tread life. Nearly 70% of the route is on public lands - 18 National Forests, 6 National Parks and Monuments, and 4 areas with Bureau of Land . Come join the discussion about bike parts, components, deals, performance, modifications, classifieds, trails, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more! We mounted tires to 30mm internal diameter wheels. Dont forget to check for a helmet-compatible hood. . George Rose / Contributor // Getty Images. Semi-slick tires have lower profile treads in the center to decrease rolling resistance with sturdy side knobs for confident cornering. Bandanafor wiping out dishes and other miscellaneous needs. We suggest getting a tire that matches your terrain and riding style. Does anyone have a recommendation on minimum tire width? I'm looking for something with better than average rolling resistance (though it still needs some traction) and good wear. Cattle are everywhere on the GDMBR, even where you might not expect them. When backpacking we dont find it worth the weight, but on this bikepacking trip we absolutely did. One of these days Ill have to try that kind of setup. Fuel canisters were easy enough to find at gear stores, hardware stores, hiker boxes, etc. I hope youre able to get out there eventually. This DH tire has more tread in the transitional zone, softer rubber, and an even more robust casing that makes it unflappable. No rack, but bikepacking bags stuffed to the gills. These are made for hiking, not biking, but I use them for both. The larger tire will absorb some of the rough stuff and give you some more traction. And 68-year . The DHR II has great braking traction, and it works very well for climbing in loose conditions. Likewise, braking is controlled and confidence-inspiring, and should you choose to run it on the rear, it hooks up very while climbing. We were thoroughly impressed by the tread life of the Vittoria Mazza. The stiff carcass on the Michelin Wild Enduro Front and Wild Enduro Rear were both tough to pull onto the rim. The 26" size used to be the industry standard, over the last two decades, 27.5 . We struggled to get the trail casing of the Kryptotal Fr and its counterpart (the Kryptotal Re) to seat, as a result, we might not recommend it to those who have more of a convenience-reigns, Laissez-faire approach to bike maintenance. T-shirt:Icebreaker Merino Tech-Lite Tee. Feed bags: Climbing chalk bags (these work great and are cheap!). Tent(s): Because I rode solo for the first five weeks and then was joined by my husband for the last four weeks, we used two different tents. There are some sections with sharp rocks. Our Editors independently research, test, and rate the best products. This post covers my experience bikepacking the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route in Montana.. Vittoria's 4C Graphene rubber provides a tacky feel, and longitudinal siping on all the tread knobs further enhance their grip and traction in all conditions we encountered while testing. We can't speak for the science behind it, but we found the Mazza's cornering knobs to have above-average durability. Headlamp,Petzl Actik Core: I like that this headlamp is USB-rechargeable but can also take AAAs in a pinch. The simple, no-nonsense tread design uses square, horizontally siped knobs that splay to increase friction and surface area. BIKEPACKING.com is dedicated to exploration by bicycle. Ways to expand your water capacity: buy disposable bottles; carry collapsible bottles or bladders, fill up the dirty bag from your water filter, and carry a small stuffable backpack to hold it all. But if you want more cushion in the tire area, the bike can accommodate up to . We researched nearly every tire on the market before purchasing the 28 models in this review. The Kryptotal Fr impressed our testers and proved that Continental is back at the top of the game with their new generation of tires. In terms of front tire braking traction, the more aggressive, the better, and tires like the Michelin Wild Enduro, Maxxis Assegai, WTB Convict, and the Schwalbe Magic Mary have got your back when you want to shut it down. I wear them for warmth and wind protection in addition to rain. The tread design of the Trail Boss seems optimized to work in dry conditions, and the tighter spacing of the knobs seems a bit more prone to packing up with sticky mud. The Maxxis Minion DHF is arguably the most popular tire ever thanks mostly to its cornering prowess. Bear spray: picked up at Brush Mountain Lodge for the northern section (theres a box where southbounders leave their bear spray and northbounders pick it up). The Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (GDMBR) is a 3,083.8 mi (4,962.9 km), off-road bicycle touring route between Jasper, Alberta, Canada and Antelope Wells, New Mexico, USA. Just 5% of the route is on more difficult terrain such as unpaved four-wheel drive tracks and single tracks. This saddle has worked well for me in the past, but it caused issues on this trip and Ive since retired it. Tires are currently trending wider, and a wider front tire can help maintain traction as they have a larger contact patch on the rolling surface, and you can run lower tire pressures to enhance this even further. One of the fastest-rolling tires in the test was the Specialized Ground Control. I wouldnt have minded magically reducing my bike weight by about 5 pounds. Some cities even have beer boats, if that . $61.38. We tested each tire as much as humanly possible and ranked them based on these metrics. It's moderately heavy at 1,123-grams in the 29" x 2.6" we tested, and the aggressive tread, open spacing, and grippy rubber put up a bit of rolling resistance. Ascent to Tornado Pass. Taller knobs with wide spacing can penetrate deeper into loose surfaces, and braking edges that face perpendicular to the direction of travel will most help slow your roll when it's super loose. Lighter-weight tires often have less protective and resilient sidewalls, while those that weigh more can usually withstand a bit more abuse. (Offline caching requires a small monthly fee, totally worth it in my opinion.). We have over 300 original and curated bikepacking routes in our global network spanning nearly 50 countries. Likewise, while the Grid casing feels fairly tough for an XC-ish tire, it's a little under-gunned for super rough and chunky trails. No sponsored content. The GDMBR is an epic journey, and I think youll be really glad you decided to take it on. For this reason, many front tires feature tread designs with large side knobs that aid in maintaining cornering grip. With rear tires, you'll find huge variances in traction, depending on the type of terrain and the surface conditions. We used our beloved Joe Blow Booster floor pump to successfully set the bead on many, while a standard floor pump proved to be powerful enough for several of them. Our Editors independently research, test, and rate the best products. The Maxx Terra compound on the Minion DHF is an excellent balance of grip, rolling resistance, and longevity. It also allows . 2y You run 2.2s on a 35 mm wide rim? Club Ride Savvy shorts are my absolute favorite.
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