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. 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. 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. Each issue features a collection of inspiring writing and beautiful photography. Gravity filter bag: CNOC Vecto 3L (28mm thread), used as dirty bag in a gravity filter system and for extra water capacity as needed. Heres my GDMBR gear list related to water: Water filter: Sawyer Squeeze. There are better choices than the Minion DHF if you ride firm ground almost exclusively due to the fact that the knobs are on the aggressive side with a fair amount of spacing between them. Montana Town of Grizzly Attack a Popular Stop for Cyclists TCS Light SG2 casing is much lighter than the Tough casing. A few areas, in particular parts of New Mexico and Wyomings Great Basin, are much drier. 10 of the best USA bikepacking routes - Bike Perfect That said, it's no worse than most similar tires, and a trade-off for its otherwise excellent traction and super smooth feel. Panties: 2 pair for sleeping and town days. In New Mexico in summer, nights can be hot. Gloves: Pearl Izumi lobster gloves. One of the astonishing things is that routes can be utterly wild yet almost 100 percent rideable on a gravel bike. Read more: Review of my Salsa Fargo After 4500 Bikepacking Miles and Cutthroat vs. Fargo. Location: Alberta, Canada to Antelope Wells, New Mexico. We usually rode together and often filled up with potable water from campgrounds or stores, so we werent stopping to filter as often as we do on backpacking trips. It is exciting but slightly frightening to look through it and realize I have just about everything needed to embark on an adventure like this, apart from time (for now)! I rarely have problems with tire rub if I pack properly. Look for tires that are as durable as possible. The emergence of enduro racing has helped drive innovation in all aspects of bike manufacturing. 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. When backpacking we dont find it worth the weight, but on this bikepacking trip we absolutely did. Down tube: Water bottle cage and tool pouch. Here are all the electronics I carried on the GDMBR: Smartphone: Primary navigation device using the RideWithGPS app, with maps cached offline. My solo tent: Big Sky Soul 1P. Gear Aid Tenacious gear repair tape, handy for patching tent, sleeping pad, bike bags, water bladder, etc. Solo riders especially (and their loved ones) will likely appreciate the peace of mind. Side knob designs vary, with slightly less emphasis typically placed on the rear tire's ability to corner. The DHR II has great braking traction, and it works very well for climbing in loose conditions. . Garmin eTrex22x: My backup navigation device while riding solo. What kind of bike maintenance is needed on the GDMBR? Tires: Continental CrossKing ProTection 292.3 tubeless. Check out the reviews on Dirt Rage and Twenty Nine Inches. We tested the TCS Light SG2 casing with High Grip rubber, and while it isn't the lightest tire in the world, it weighs a lot less than the Tough casing we've tried in the past. We did our best to use consistent testing trails that offered a variety of features and soil types. Author: www.bikeforums.net. Definitely touring, not racing. T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon all cover slightly different areas, and all have large dead zones in rural parts of the US. The stock build features Salsa Woodchipper drop bars, a 1x11 drivetrain, and 29 x 2.2" tires. 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 . The 26" size used to be the industry standard, over the last two decades, 27.5 . Hydration bladder with hose: Platypus 3 Liter Hoser, carried in my frame bag as my primary water container. Reroute through Chama, NM skipping closed Carson and Santa Fe forests 4. It sacrifices some rolling speed in exchange for boatloads of braking traction and cornering prowess. We ended up sharing one and it worked fine. To give context to the Great Divide gear list that follows, here are the basics of my experience on the GDMBR. They inflated and seated easily, but it required two tire levers just to pull the tire into position. Swan Valley logging detour removed -- route goes back to original GDMBR 2. Sleeping pad: Therm-a-Rest NeoAir X-Lite. Cup: Snow Peak titanium mug. This may not always be the ideal tire for your riding style, your trails, or the conditions you encounter most frequently. The Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. We're dealing with a product category here that is prone to specialization, so if you're looking for something other than an all-arounder, make sure to read up on our award winners for tires that do specific jobs well. The WTB Trail Boss provides excellent cornering traction in the rear of the bike. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. The JetBoil is so efficient that I / we only needed three canisters total for the whole GDMBR. Benson is a competitive gravel and mountain bike racer, highly experienced tester/reviewer, and published author. If youre particular about brands or types youll definitely want to bring them with you and/or mail them in resupply boxes. Learn more. The best of both worlds! Canada's Great Divide Trail - A Full Guide and Itinerary Do you all think that would be too small? For help with other aspects of your Great Divide prep, see these other posts: These general bikepacking posts might also be helpful: Or, visit the bikepacking resources center for many more bikepacking guides and stories. The sections are arranged in the direction I rode, which is northbound (also referred to as NOBO). I especially liked the flexibility of the big 5L dry bags on the front fork, which could expand or contract a lot to hold varying amounts of food or even, in one long dry stretch, water. Only downsides: they wear out quickly and are not especially sun-protective. Totally worth the weight. No rack, but bikepacking bags stuffed to the gills. I would never claim my way is best for everyone, but I do think its a solid setup that wont steer anyone too far wrong. My DIY tool pouch a pencil case did NOT work well once the zipper became covered in mud. Im Alissa, your virtual guide, here to help you make your biggest, boldest adventure dreams a reality. I chatted with every cyclist I met and . This tire rewards good technique with predictable and confidence-inspiring cornering traction. Its burly enough to handle occasional rough stuff, efficient enough for pavement, and perfect for the large chunk of gravel and dirt road in between. 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. This post will give you my gear list, including what worked well and what I would change in hindsight. I think mid-May is typical but it varies year to year, especially these days. 2.8" Mountain Bike Tires: 26 & 29 Inch MTB Tires for Sale Online Stuffable backpack: Not technically a bike bag, but this little backpack is a must-have for long bike trips. Average star voting: 4 ( 74471 reviews) Summary: At nearly 4,300 km long, The Great Divide Mountain Bike race route is the world's longest, most challenging off-road mountain biking trail. Finally, Ill underscore again how many ways there are to pack for a route like the GDMBR. Rolling resistance is often more of a concern for a rear tire, and some tires feature low to medium height center tread knobs that roll faster than more aggressive designs. The Maxxis Minion DHF is our top recommendation for a burly and aggressive front tire. That said, this tire is meant to be pointed down the hill, and it rewards the rider with outrageous levels of grip. I saw everything out there, from How on earth are you surviving with so little? to How on earth are you hefting all that gear up these climbs?. In general, the size, shape, and orientation of the center tread play the biggest role in how well a tire slows and stops your forward momentum. When buying a complete bike, it comes with whatever tires the manufacturer chooses. The Maxxis Dissector is another of our favorite rear tires. More info: Pedals and Shoes for Bikepacking: Is clipless worth it? See my review of the Copper Spur for more detail. It was originally only available in the DH casing which was super heavy, but now its versatility has been expanded to the rest of the market with the lighter options. You can also use certain water compatible water bottles, but the syringe is light and works well. Small knife: Kershaw Scallion, useful for cooking on trail and in town. I can definitely see advantages especially for those of us with low tire clearance. Passport: My husband brought mine with him when we met in Jackson, and we both carried ours (carefully) for the rest of the trip. If you have a bright headlamp and a way to mount it, you could consider using that as an emergency-only night riding option. While testing, we always felt confident that they would hook and grab hold when it came time to slow things down. I have limited tire-to-bag clearance on my small 29er frame but this system is pretty dialed. Through the years, they've mapped routes down the West Coast and several routes across the U.S. for road bicyclists. The handlebars are Salsa Cowchipper 50cm drop bars for best grip and handling. The Great Divide Route is the world's longest off-pavement cycling route. This saddle has worked well for me in the past, but it caused issues on this trip and Ive since retired it. Review of my Salsa Fargo After 4500 Bikepacking Miles. Bowl: Sea to Summit collapsible mug. stunning mountain lakes and great views of the divide, High Rock Range, and Beehive Mountain. The trail isn't signposted . It is North America's premier long-distance mountain bike route. In general, the GDMBR is perfect for a standard 3-season backcountry layering setup. For the more aggressive rider, the Maxxis Minion DHR II is our favorite option. I suggest packing the same toilet kit you would for a wilderness backpacking trip. 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. The 10 Best Bike Saddles of 2023 (So Far) It is one of the best cornering tires our testers have ever used. But it delivers excellent pedaling traction. 700 Miles of New Mexico-Bikepacking the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route Given this tire's impressive rolling speed and moderate height/relatively tightly packed tread knobs, it can't compete with more aggressive tires in loose conditions. This aggressive tire has a row of well-supported side knobs and a predictable locked-in feel when on edge. A tire's performance is the corners is one of its most important attributes. The even tread pattern of those tires also feels more predictable on firm ground as the transition across the tread is smooth the whole way through. Vittoria uses a 4C (4 compounds) rubber that is infused with Graphene. For anyone curious, it does actually work with the Da Brim. The places I ride are very similar to the GDMBR. This is an awesome resource! Nano, Dry X 2.1, Small Block 8, in that order. The Avid BB7 brakes took a lot of fiddling to keep adjusted. We also particularly like the 2-knob, alternating paddle tread running down the center of the WTB Vigilante. Paired with a DIY lid made from metallic bubble wrap to keep food warmer while rehydrating. Bikepacking.com: Best Tires for the Great Divide By Jan Heine Tires With the 2021 Tour Divide happening this year - on a shortened course, since the Canadian border is still closed - Neil Beltchenko from bikepacking.com looked at what he considers the best tire for this challenging 2,745-mile (4,418 km) course. Read more: Specialized Butcher Grid Trail T9 review. . I think a racing type tire with low profile knobs would be fine, but most of those have sort of scary thin sidewalls for loaded touring. The larger the circumference and the wider the tire, the less up-and-down. Great Divide Mountain Bike Route - Riding Canada to Mexico Carrying about two days of food is pretty common. Odor-Proof Bags from Opsack (12 x 20): Not sure how odor-proof these are in practice since theyre hard to zip, but theyll prevent spilled food from making your food bag into a rodent buffet. The Eliminator has a semi-aggressive center rolling for speed, but it still has good braking bite and cornering traction.
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