I've run WTB Nanos, Michelin Wild Rac'r, and Maxxis Ikon tires on that route now. After WTB moved production of the Nanos to China, the durability went way down, and I haven't used them since. Michelin dramatically changed the tread pattern on their tire, so it's nowhere nearly as well-suited for dirt roads any more. The Ikon is great, but Maxxis still seems to be struggling with problems related to sealant degrading the inside of the tire. Small Block 8s have been used on the route without problems, but I just don't trust the tire's paper thin sidewalls. If I was going to ride it again, I'd use Ikons with the EXO sidewall and plan on replacing the tires mid-way through.

Racing Ralphs last about 500 miles for me on the front before the side knobs are about to tear off. On the rear, they last ~250 miles. And that's on an unloaded bike. You could get the "performance" model that supposedly uses a harder rubber compound, but in reality, that tire is far knobbier than you need for the GDMBR.

My suggestion would be Shimano XT. They've proven themselves in my book...I've got 5 pairs of them and have yet to have a single issue with one of them. I switched to XTs after riding Crank Bros Egg Beaters and Candys for years. They seemed to have an average life span of roughly 6 months for me, and then they'd get replaced under warranty. That was fine for 'cross, but not acceptable for anything remote. From what I hear, their reliability has not improved in the past couple years.

1. Possible, but you might have to skip some of the AZT up in the Snowbowl area above Flagstaff depending on snow conditions. Mingus Mtn. Also could be snowy in April.

2. Very unlikely. The Kaibab Plateau usually gets a lot of snow.

3. You might have to skip the AZT section around Snowbowl and the section from the North Rim of the GC to Jacob Lake. I'm not sure if your support car will be able to get through past Jacob Lake. The highway is gated at the south end of Jacob Lake, but locals can get through, so perhaps all it takes is opening the gate.

Awesome. You're going to have some great times with that Spearfish, Mike!

You forgot the added durability of a single-cog setup. In the clay mud, you'd potentially be able to ride much more than anyone with a derailleur without risking having the derailleur sucked into the spokes for whatever mysterious reason that happens in bad mud. That was one of the main reasons we went with a single cog on the tandem this past year.

Also, you technically can't change cog/chainring sizes during the race if you want to be considered as a true SS finisher. That's apparently how the original GDR interpretation was, and it has set the precedent.

Personally, I think SS on that route would be pure hell.

Keep me in the loop Kurt, my only planned rides are AES related. Just need to clear time with the training coordinator.

Will do. See ya Saturday at Black Canyon?

krefs, did you take any picts? I've never seen the     
Prescott area. Would love to get a peak of what's out there.

Check out my last blog post - krefs.blogspot.com. The area we went is not stereotypical Prescott riding - it was lower elevation and more rugged than most of the local trails.

Thanks to the 3 brave participants from down in the Valley that joined us for a short trip. The route ended up being a bit steeper (up and down) than planned, but who can beat camping a mile up a wash from a diner that opens at 7 am on their first bikepacking trip? I'll try to organize another one of these sometime over the winter or in early Spring. Let me know if you want me to keep you in the loop.

Cool! That's a fun loop, although bikepacking kits in the Dells would be a bit of a struggle. Aside from that, you should have a relaxing couple days. Enjoy!

Aslan, like you say, I thought this would be a great way to try to get some more people out bikepacking. I know a lot of folks who want to get out there, but just haven't pulled the trigger on multi-day rides quite yet. We'll how many of them show up!

Owtdorz, I'm not sure what group you're speaking of. I haven't posted on MTBR in years, so I doubt there's been any mention of this ride there.

We're going bikepacking next weekend. And since I say "we," that means you're invited. Yipee! If you live in Arizona and want ride some dirt roads, ATV trails, and a bit of singletrack on Sat-Sun Oct 27-28, read on. There's a small group (5 right now?) that will be leaving Prescott mid-morning Saturday, riding over through Skull Valley, and camping in the no-man's land beyond to the west. It'll be low key with <40 miles per day. And we'll have a big fire. You'll also get to drink tasty cattle tank water! So you should come, even if you've never been bikepacking before. I think 3 of the 5 we currently have going will be on their first overnight bike trip.

PM me if you're interested and I'll keep you in the loop.

Bummer...it looks like Paul may have thrown in the towel. I hope he gets a good night's rest and instead continues on in the morning. I hate to see people bail from great adventures just because they're not on record pace. That's the perfect opportunity to just slow down and savor it.

The snow detours are a frustrating thing. I really didn't want to have to do the series of short ones south of the Grand Canyon in 2010, but there was an amazing amount of snow that spring, even in the end of May. I ended up doing some hiking through mud and snow even with the detours I took. And the N Rim singletrack is simply out of the question with a bike almost any spring.

It looks like Paul has really been suffering the past couple days as his pace slowed down considerably. I just check the tracker, and it looks like he's been hanging out in a neighborhood east of downtown Flag for the past few hours. With such a long stop, he's now a full day off record pace. I hope he keeps pushing, though...that landscape north of the Peaks is such a neat area to experience.

Paul's definitely having a solid ride. It looked like the Highline Trail really slowed him down yesterday. The snow detours I took around the Mormon Lake area definitely saved a bit of time, as did the one around the Snowbowl area. I still dealt with a lot of mud and snow even on that detour up there. I'd say 2-3 hours of saved time in all for those detours compared to riding the true AZT. The North Rim would be tougher to estimate. It'll be tough for Paul to make up the 12-15 hours he's behind at this point. I pushed pretty steadily all the way to the end, but if he has some energy left and can pick up his pace, it still might be possible!

Ugh, Highline in the dark wouldn't be any fun. At least it's not Highline in the rainy dark! Either way, it looks like he's made it about 10-12 miles in 7 hours. Ouch!

Aaron's got a Saguaro on the front and had a Specialized Captain in the rear. I guess the Captain couldn't handle the AZT. Hopefully he's got a Rampage on there now and can tear town Oracle Ridge without having to worry about his tires! I was surprised to see Paul Romero hung out while Aaron waited for the bike shop to open. Aaron didn't look too happy this morning in a pic taken by their shuttle guy who seems to be following them along the route. We'll see how many more days Aaron and Paul continue to get along with one another ;-)

I raced a full 'cross season (~20 races in the fall) the year before my first TD. You've still got 5-6 months post-cross season to let your body adjust to longer distance and a slower burn. It might not be ideal, but "ideal" training for ultras rarely keeps your mind fresh and you having as much fun as possible on the bike. I also have done more intensity in the past two years of training, and I've been stronger in the ultras. Enjoy the 'cross and just ride your bike and have fun. Big miles can wait a few more months.

Pretty much every trail in AZ is rough! Coco is more or less par for the course, and definitely a far cry from Midwestern trails.

I rode at Blue Mound a fair bit when I was living in Madison. Living so close to there puts you in some dang nice countryside. Enjoy it!

kurt

Ha, Blue Mound for smooth trails? I suppose Coco is pretty dang rough in places, isn't it? Welcome to Arizona. You need to come to Prescott for the smooth trails ;-) I do miss riding at the Mound, though.

I'm glad you guys had a mostly enjoyable time out here. It isn't the most enjoyable loop in my mind, either, but it's about the best that could be done in that part of the state. At least the scenery is incredible, no?