best tires for great divide mountain bike route

You can see the deterioration of the shoulder knobs. Learn more. Every few days at most basically as often as youll find food youll find a convenience store with the basics like toothpaste or soap. I've found the Geax Saguaro can't be beat. What kind of bike maintenance is needed on the GDMBR? I usually kill a pair (scratched or lost) on every long trip and these are cheap enough that it doesnt matter. Water filters for Bikepacking and Touring, How to Keep Electronics Charged While Bikepacking, Bikepacking Bikes and Bags for Small and Short People. I used these less than expected on the GDMBR, but it was a relatively warm summer and my leisurely pace meant I rarely rode in the chilliest hours of the day. Again, many tires are designed to be lightweight and compromise durability. The bikepacking route is mostly singletrack, except where it detours around wilderness areas. How did this all work? George Rose / Contributor // Getty Images. Headband and neck gaiter: Buff and/or bandana. But its also a long time to be out there without whatever makes you feel comfortable and happy. We tested each tire as much as humanly possible and ranked them based on these metrics. Sawyer Fast Fill adapter kit, allows you to gravity filter directly from the Sawyer into a hydration bladder. Tires like the Schwalbe Magic Mary, Michelin Wild Enduro Rear, WTB Vigilante, and Maxxis Assegai slay corners, but they also roll much slower than most of the competition. 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. It was never cold enough on the Divide that I needed to ride in this (though I sometimes do in other places), but it was essential for camp and occasionally sleeping on cold nights. Bikepacking Pace Guide: How many miles per day? I use Jabra Elite wireless earbuds (technically only one earbud; I always leave one ear open) to enjoy audiobooks, podcasts, and music on all my long adventures. Horizontal knobs with edges that run perpendicular to the direction of travel are often employed to enhance braking traction. The Kryptotal Fr impressed our testers and proved that Continental is back at the top of the game with their new generation of tires. Likewise, braking is controlled and confidence-inspiring, and should you choose to run it on the rear, it hooks up very while climbing. In general, the GDMBR is perfect for a standard 3-season backcountry layering setup. I replaced it halfway through with the womens version which is slightly warmer and shorter perfect for me. We inspire and inform through original bikepacking routes, stories, and coverage of the gear, news, and events that make our community thrive. 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. Mosquitos are also a consideration on the Divide; youll want fully zippable bug netting. If youve packed something youre not using, mail it home. Stuffable backpack: Not technically a bike bag, but this little backpack is a must-have for long bike trips. 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. In the market for the best new tires for your mountain bike? 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. The Maxxis Minion DHF is our favorite tire for all-conditions riding. On my bike I feel free. Tail light: Red blinky tail light for visibility on high-traffic roads. Youll want a system that keeps you cozy enough in a bad mountain storm. My solo tent: Big Sky Soul 1P. This little guy makes it so much more pleasant. 9. Minor complaints: I could have used an even lower low gear for all those climbs (running the stock Fargo gearing of 38/24t in front and 10 speed 11-36t in back). If the mission of the day is to climb up a ridiculously loose fire road with golf ball-sized rocks loosely embedded in the surface and soil that is so loose you're leaving a wake in the sand behind you, something knobby like the Minion DHR II will "get 'er done.". We've tested the WTB Trail Boss before, but were always a little turned off by its heavy weight. He also touches on eight different tires that fit the bill, including his favorite one in this class.Do you enjoy our videos, routes, and articles? . The Vigilante provides excellent traction and control is nearly all conditions. Gear Aid Tenacious gear repair tape, handy for patching tent, sleeping pad, bike bags, water bladder, etc. At the same time, the sharp edges of the tread knobs bite well into firm to moderately loose, dry conditions while pedaling and braking. Swan Valley logging detour removed -- route goes back to original GDMBR 2. While we were truly impressed by the performance of the Ground Control Grid T7, it is important to keep in mind that these tires do have limitations. And of course, if youre unlucky, anything can happen My husband somehow snapped his inner chainring in Montana and finished the ride on a haphazard 110 conversion! 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. Mountain Bike Tire Sizes Knobby 29 x 2.6 Teravail Kessel trail/enduro, Mountain bike Tire. BIKEPACKING.com is dedicated to exploration by bicycle. 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. The Vittoria Mazza is an excellent, aggressive tire that rivals the performance of the most popular models on the market. there are a lot of toilets along the route, but that doesnt guarantee youll find one when you need it. I love this thing and always clip it on when riding in traffic. Here are all the electronics I carried on the GDMBR: Smartphone: Primary navigation device using the RideWithGPS app, with maps cached offline. Youll be spending a lot of hours in this stuff, so choose carefully. The Mazza mixes it up with the best of 'em. Continental's latest tires deserve praise in the metric, and the Kryptotoal Fr represents a new era for the brand. No matter what type of rider you are, we can help you find what you need. Try a plastic bag between two pairs of socks as a lightweight alternative. The Bikepacking Journal is our biannual printed publication. Despite costing less than most of the competition, the Specialized Butcher Grid Trail T9 and the Specialized Eliminator Grid Trail T7 are highly rated and are our picks for an affordable front and rear trail riding combo. The 2,700-mile Western Wildlands Route (WWR, formerly known as the Wild West Route) offers bikepackers a non-technical riding experience through the vast expanses of wild and public lands in the Intermountain West. Heaven and Hell on Wheels. Spare derailleur hanger not used (but has been needed in the past), A few zip ties and extra electrical tape used the electrical tape to patch my handlebar tape. Bootlegger Bikes is a small, full service bike shop near Smugglers Notch in Jeffersonville, Vermont that serves the Jeffersonville, Cambridge, Fletcher, Fairfax, Johnson, Underhill, Jericho, and surrounding areas. On a long ride like the GDMBR there will be times you cannot clip in due to mud, snow, shoe issues, and all kinds of other fun surprises. Land between the lakes canal loop mountain bike trail, Calvert City, Kentucky. VerticalScope Inc., 111 Peter Street, Suite 600, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2H1, Canada. I wear them for warmth and wind protection in addition to rain. Bigger than the Salsa pouch and similar in size to a Revelate pouch. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, which supports our community. Rain pants: Mine (White Sierra Trabagon) have been discontinued, but theyre a relatively lightweight 2-layer pant. Squared-off edges and siping on tread knobs also help to grip and bite under pedaling forces. GearLab is reader-supported. Reroute through Chama, NM skipping closed Carson and Santa Fe forests 4. The Maxxis Minion DHF features a pronounced transitional zone and scored among the highest for cornering. I can definitely see advantages especially for those of us with low tire clearance. We loved the Mazza as a front tire where it excels in the corners with a stout row of well-supported side knobs that grip well in a huge range of conditions. Kindle E-Reader. More often than not, the more aggressive a tread design is, the more rolling resistance it has, and vice-versa. For more detail, seeHow to Use Your Garmin InReach Mini. Pat Donahue also contributed to this review. The majority of our testing took place in dryer California conditions. Note that ordering items from Amazon or other online retailers can be harder since they often use UPS. Garmin eTrex22x: My backup navigation device while riding solo. There are many different approaches to choosing gear for the GDMBR, and no one can give you the one perfect list. Note on sharing a filter: When my husband joined in Jackson we considered each carrying our own filter. Partial inclusion of GDMBR dirt route from Cuba to Grants 5. Material on GearLab is copyrighted. We independently buy, test, and rate all the products we review. While other tires may handle specific conditions better, the Aggressor rarely leaves us wanting more. Trails were often loose, blown out, and rocky. I hope that will be especially helpful to my fellow northbound riders, since there are fewer resources out there written from our perspective. One of these days Ill have to try that kind of setup. This burly and mean front tire can stand up to aggressive movements, committed riding, and all types of terrain. there's been a few Kahns on Ebay recently. Happiness depends more on the inward disposition of mind than on outward circumstances. Front tires are responsible for more of the steering and cornering duties, and they do a fair amount of the braking work as well. Download this free bikepacking resupply checklist to your phone, or even print it out like in the old days: Sign up to receive the free downloadable bikepacking town day checklist to help with your resupply stops: Youll also receive occasional emails with other bikepacking and touring resources. Front tires often feature directional tread patterns to improve rolling resistance, although a front tire does not support as much weight as a rear tire and consequently doesn't suffer as much drag. This native New Englander is particularly obsessed with tire choice and is constantly on the hunt for the elusive perfect tire. 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. Free shipping for many products! 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. Still think lightweight racks ie Tailfin beat Saddle Packs by themselves by a street mile. In hot and sunny New Mexico I loved it, but as I rode north I often found that the sunniest places were also the windiest. This post covers my experience bikepacking the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route in Montana.. 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. I think the Fargo is a perfect bike for the GDMBR, at least unless you can afford a Cutthroat. Your experienced riding buddy in digital form: 140 mobile-friendly pages packed with how to's, problem solving tips, and hard-earned wisdom from the trail and road. From a casing standpoint, we were impressed by the TCS Light SG2 casings on the WTB Vigilante and Trail Boss. This DH tire has more tread in the transitional zone, softer rubber, and an even more robust casing that makes it unflappable. Tires are a great way to improve the performance of your ride, but to have the best bike gear setup, you may need a few more items. T he Great Divide route, for the uninitiated, has been mapped by the Adventure Cycling Association, a bicycle group based in Missoula, Montana. The Maxxis Assegai is a gravity-oriented tire from Maxxis that was designed in collaboration with World Cup DH racing legend Greg Minaar. Sleeping pad: Therm-a-Rest NeoAir X-Lite. In essence, we describe the behaviors of the various front tires as they navigate the terrain. Read more: Specialized Butcher Grid Trail T9 review. Resources and inspiration to support your wildest dreams. That said, the Maxxis Aggressor, Maxxis Dissector, WTB Trail Boss, and Specialized Eliminator T7 offer decent braking bite given their rolling speed. A closely packed row of taller shoulder lugs provides good cornering traction and a predictable feel until things get super loose. We tested the Butcher Grid Trail T9 in both 2.3" and 2.6" widths, and while the tread pattern hasn't really changed, this feels like an entirely new tire. Rawlins to Pinedale (Great Basin) The Great Basin (the area starting north of Rawlins and ending south of Atlantic City) is often spoken about with reverence as the most remote and dry section of the entire Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. If you have a bright headlamp and a way to mount it, you could consider using that as an emergency-only night riding option. The best of both worlds! I had come for this, in part, after a year of isolation that left me craving the community of a well-traveled route. Gaia GPS is a popular alternative to RideWithGPS. Sunglasses: Im currently liking these affordableCastKing Hiwasseepolarized sunglasses. Our experts test thousands of products each year using thoughtful test plans that bring out key performance differences between competing products. But it delivers excellent pedaling traction. 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. Down jacket:Arcteryx Cerium LT. I've been writing and sharing stories of my bicycle travel adventures since 2011 through Swallow Bicycle Works which is where you will find a whole slew of fun things to read, look at, and be inspired by pre-2017. RumbleRoller Beastie massage ball: I struggle with tight IT bands and this little guy was 100% worth the weight and space. But its always a good idea to have a headlight in case youre stuck riding in dusk or dark for some unforeseen reason. Theres more where this came from! That said, it's no worse than most similar tires, and a trade-off for its otherwise excellent traction and super smooth feel. Thanks for taking the time. We found performance to be right there with the Minion DHF and the Wild Enduro Front. Racers usually prioritize speed and a lightweight kit at the expense of some comfort, so keep this in mind if youre looking at other gear lists. Thanks for reading! Held 3 liter water bladder, some tools, spare tube. On the GDMBR food is available multiple times per day in some places, and once every 3-4 days in others, depending on the section and your pace. Help sustain this resource by joining the Bikepacking Collective: https://bikepacking.com/join/?utm_source=youtube-------------Hosted by Neil BeltchenkoSpecial thanks to Mike Dion / RTD10.com for the photo of Matthew LeeMusic by Ben Weaver (https://benweaver.net)More at https://bikepacking.com I would suggest trying the smaller Sporty version if youre on the fence. We selected tires in the 2.3 to 2.6-inch width range. 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. 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. The bike has a Sram Eagle X01 ASX drivetrain, Sram Force brake lever shifters with Sram guide dual piston brakes. It worked great for the GDMBR: super quick to set up, good in the rain, and freestanding so it can be pitched on pavement, rock, or anywhere else. Side knob designs vary, with slightly less emphasis typically placed on the rear tire's ability to corner. Crisscrossing the Continental Divide from alberta through the Canadian and American Rockies to its southern terminus at the mexican border, brian kesselman completed the 2784 mile route solo and self-supported with 161,563 feet of climbing, averaging 92.8 miles a day over 30 days. Obligatory disclaimer: I dont use my earbud in areas with high risk of encountering bears, or on roads where traffic demands attention. The Great Divide Mountain Bike Route is a long journey through varied terrain and you WILL be camping at least some of the time, so a solid 3-season shelter and sleep system is a must. That said, this tire is meant to be pointed down the hill, and it rewards the rider with outrageous levels of grip. Continental has several new models in their lineup, with the Kryptotal intended as the all-arounder for aggressive riding in mixed terrain and conditions. The stock build alone is excellent for immediately hitting a trail such as The Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. NOBO start date depends on snowpack in the San Juans and how long it takes you to get there. They inflated and seated easily, but it required two tire levers just to pull the tire into position. We believe travel by bicycle has the power to encourage conservation, inclusivity, and respect for all people and cultures. 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. This includes tires, and a resurgence in semi-slick tire designs has occurred in recent years. Those concerns aside, we feel this is a great, well-rounded rear tire for aggressive trail riding. Only downsides: they wear out quickly and are not especially sun-protective. Disposable ear plugsfor noisy campgrounds or motels. It varies with the conditions, but more often than not, a tire with a more aggressive tread design is going to brake better. The Copper Spur is functional, roomy, pretty lightweight, and mostly freestanding (except the vestibules). We suggest getting a tire that matches your terrain and riding style. Got feedback? Continental's new tires can compete with the best in the business. The Surly Krampus, released in 2012, established the plus bike genre with its massive 29 x 3.0in. With a tread design that looks strikingly similar to the Minion DHF, the Vittoria Mazza also boasts impressive cornering traction. There are several outdoor sports stores for camping supplies and clothing, and Glacier . The Great Continental Divide Adventure Route is a motorized route that follows closely along the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail. Note about toiletries: In the US its common for hotels, and even most budget motels, to provide small amounts of basic soap and shampoo. My feet search for stability in the snow . As with front tire braking traction, rear tire braking traction is also dependent on the size, shape, and orientation of the tread knobs. The flip-up cover was essential for protecting the spout from mud, and it was one of few 1 liter bottles I found thats skinny enough to fit in a standard water bottle cage (with extra strap for support). i can't attest to their load handling stregnth,as i just got my 1st 29er last week.i'm kinda a big fat n beefy tire kinda guy,so when i saw the nanorapters,i. A tire's performance is the corners is one of its most important attributes. Tights:Columbia OmniHeat. My only complaint: the bottoms arent very durable. Bikepacking & TouringRides and RoutesTips and SkillsBikes and PartsGear and Reviews, Hiking & BackpackingTrails and TripsGear and ClothingTips and AdviceTrip Planning Workbook, Adventure TravelExplore by RegionCamping and OutdoorsMindful Travel. Heavier tires with thicker sidewalls can be a little tougher with less pliable casings, while lighter and more flexible tires are slightly easier to handle. For this reason, the tires with the lowest profile center treads and the semi-slicks garnered top honors in rolling resistance or lack thereof. Just real, honest, side-by-side testing and comparison. Those who want a relatively fast-rolling rear tire that maintains good cornering abilities might consider the Specialized Eliminator T7. Never had to use it for anything else. Our Editors independently research, test, and rate the best products. When you consider all the towns, campgrounds, pit toilets, etc. For highly skilled riders that can push the pace while maintaining some semblance of control, these tires are a fast option. The Assegai hooks up in corners no matter the conditions. It sacrifices some rolling speed in exchange for boatloads of braking traction and cornering prowess. Semi-slick tires have lower profile treads in the center to decrease rolling resistance with sturdy side knobs for confident cornering. Rarely used, but again, I had the luxury of mostly hunkering down in bad weather. 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. The Maxx Terra compound on the Minion DHF is an excellent balance of grip, rolling resistance, and longevity. 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.

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