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. They are bulletproof but heavy. The DHR II has great braking traction, and it works very well for climbing in loose conditions. Thanks for the detail. 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. 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. 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. Seat bag: Revelate Viscacha 14L. A tire's performance is the corners is one of its most important attributes. While the rubber doesn't have the tackiest feel, its dampening properties give it an especially smooth, glued-to-the-ground ride quality. In essence, we describe the behaviors of the various front tires as they navigate the terrain. Some first aid items I do find useful for urgent situations: Tums, Imodium, New Skin Liquid Bandage (great for keeping small cuts and scrapes from getting infected when youre out in the dirt all day), a few gauze pads, Celox clotting powder (never needed, but seems useful in case of crash). It was tirelessly mapped over a 4 year span, and published in 1998 by Adventure Cycling Association, North America's premiere bicycle travel organization. Satellite Messenger: Garmin InReach Mini, for communication and emergencies in areas without phone service. Great Continental Divide Motorcycle Route - gpsKevin Adventure Rides Summaries by section: New Mexico | Colorado | Wyoming & Idaho | Montana | Canada. 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. It pairs nicely as a rear tire with the Specialized Butcher in the front. As a northbound rider who had already been through New Mexico, I didn't find it particularly challenging. tires fitted to 50mm wide rims. Has a good low-light mode and red night-vision setting for camp. 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. The biggest issue: with the dry bags on the front fork, the load is very front-heavy. The center tread has a well-designed pattern of medium-height knobs with sharp, unramped front edges that provide ample bite and traction with surprisingly low rolling resistance. Often, the more durable and supportive a casing is, the heavier the tire becomes. It is a 1X12 / 10-52 and the front chagrin is a 32T. Afternoon thunderstorms are common throughout the Rockies and temperatures can drop quite low, so a good rain setup and warm layers are critical. T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon all cover slightly different areas, and all have large dead zones in rural parts of the US. No ads. This may not always be the ideal tire for your riding style, your trails, or the conditions you encounter most frequently. I mostly used it on rest days for taking notes and answering messages, and found it totally worth the weight. From a casing standpoint, we were impressed by the TCS Light SG2 casings on the WTB Vigilante and Trail Boss. Long sleeve midlayer:Icebreaker Merino 260 Half Zip. The Vittoria Mazza is an excellent, aggressive tire that rivals the performance of the most popular models on the market. stunning mountain lakes and great views of the divide, High Rock Range, and Beehive Mountain. Start at our worldwide routes map to dig into our detailed guides with GPS maps and inspiring photography. I roll up the hand portion around my wrist when wearing bike gloves. Never needed, but good to have. Sign up here for occasional emails full of inspiration and information about bikepacking and bicycle touring. So useful for so many things: sun coverage, hair band, neck gaiter, towel, face covering, pillow case, etc. Just 5% of the route is on more difficult terrain such as unpaved four-wheel drive tracks and single tracks. For more help with your Great Divide food strategy, see my bikepacking food guide. Read more: Specialized Ground Control Grid T7 review. . Great Divide Mountain Bike Route - Riding Canada to Mexico This tire rewards good technique with predictable and confidence-inspiring cornering traction. Due to the Mazza's tread design, it has a bit more rolling resistance than tires with a less aggressive tread. Headlight: NiteRider Lumina 900 Boost with helmet mount: Rarely (never?) Based on that experience, we feel that the performance of a tire between different wheel sizes will be roughly the same. Mine was threadbare by the time I finished, and I sometimes got sunburnt through it. My Great Divide Bikepacking Gear List: What Worked & What Didn't