Tour Divide/GDMBR - tires

[DenisVTT]

How about a Saguaro or a Racing Ralph in the front, and a Nano in the back?

You get the grip in the front where it matters, and the rolling in the back where it probably helps most.

Comments?

[phil_rad]

I wouldn't use a racing ralph to ride to the store. Go with a saguaro, way more durable and that's what it's all about on the divide.

[wookieone]

I realize that the Nano has won and placed in most GDR/TDR attempts, but I prefer a bit more rubber, both in size and sidewall. I know tons of folks who run Nano's all over and have no issues, but on the rear tire, especially, I want more durability. I tend to err on the side of durable vs light weight, but then again I never have a light bike or kit. Oh yeah the crossmark I am running is a UST, very thick sidewall, fast tread. But if you are smooth and lucky light is right! Jefe

[SimonK]

I've been using the Racing Ralphs a lot over the last year - great tires. Love 'em, but they are tread overkill for the GDMBR. You really want something that is going to roll fast on the majority of the course (which is on-road). The Racing Ralphs would be the ultimate tire for about 2% of the course.

The Nano's are a safe bet. Don't get obsessed with durability over 2700 miles - there are bike shops along the route. Carry a tire boot, just in case.

I used Stans Crows and had no punctures. Had to replace the rear tire twice (which I expected and had posted out tires for). It was a 26 inch  - a 29er would have been more durable. I'd use Raven's if doing it again.

[DenisVTT]

.

The Nano's are a safe bet. Don't get obsessed with durability over 2700 miles - there are bike shops along the route.

To your knowledge, what do they usually carry? The usual Bontrager/Specialized/Kenda stuff or some nice choices like WTB?

I buy most of my tires online so I'm kind of clueless of what they have in bike shops.

[SimonK]

Absolute Bikes in Salida has a good range. Orange Peel Bicycles in Steamboat also impressed me. The big bike shop in Butte is meant to be very good (and comes soon after the gnarly Lava Mtn section). Not sure about the others, but you should be able to get something to keep you rolling from a few of the bigger bike shops en route. If you have a specific tire you like a lot, post a spare to Salida (and maybe also Pinedale, if you are nervous about its wear rate).

[DenisVTT]

FWIW, there's an excellent thread on MTBR about tires and "rollability" tests (among other factors) conducted by a German bike magazine.

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=419392

The Racing Ralph gets very good rollability scores, and overall excellent marks.

[phil_rad]

It probably all boils down to personal preference;use what works best for you. If you don't have a favorite tire or are unsure, then go with the  WTB Nano, it has the best track record on the divide. 

[Martin W]

“If you have a specific tire you like a lot, post a spare to Salida (and maybe also Pinedale, if you are nervous about its wear rate).”

Be careful chaps - best check out the rules (namely rule 2) if you are doing the TD.
You wouldn’t want to make it all the way to AW and not be eligible for the GC.

[BigPoppa]

“If you have a specific tire you like a lot, post a spare to Salida (and maybe also Pinedale, if you are nervous about its wear rate).”

Be careful chaps - best check out the rules (namely rule 2) if you are doing the TD.
You wouldn’t want to make it all the way to AW and not be eligible for the GC.

See rule #5. Posting prearranged resupply packages are ok for racers, so long as they are sent to a post office general delivery.

[woody]

I know this is a little older thread, but do you TDR's go with tubes or tubeless?
I'm sure it's a mixed bag out there, but tubeless really seems the way to go along with carrying a couple of extra tubes.
Then if you are running a lightweight tire, but adding a tube and then a Slime tube it seems to me you wouldn't be saving any weight or ease for rolling.

Thanks,
Woody

[SimonK]

I ran Stans sealant and tires - very light and no punctures.

[JF-mtnbiker]

FYI. The WTB Nano will have the UST version available soon. I saw it at Interbike last week. My issue with the tire has always been the weak sidewalls. (I've had a few failures.Mostly singletrack riding but one on the TD.) The UST version will have stronger sidewalls with a non issue weight increase. I have never had an issue with the tread area of the tire so this improvement, for me, is certainly a welcome one.

[DocTrike]

Ok lets here the ups and downs of these new Fat Bike Tires from QBP brands (surley/salsa/45N).

[THE LONG RANGER]

In general, I think the downside to having specific gear for very small parts of the course is that you'll have a speed penalty for the rest of the course. A 2.1 race tire, with minimal tread like the WTB Nano is going to roll so much faster than any Fat Bike Tire for the great majority of this course, which includes a fair amount of just paved *road*. Fleecer Ridge isn't much more than a mile of walking, the tricky part of Indiana Pass is less than 1/2 mile. If it's a "regular" or drought year, snow will be of little concern. There's going to be parts of the course that everyone is going to have to walk, be it pitch, mud, snow, sand, fatigue.

A few people have thought the opposite direction - using a cyclocross setup, with thinner tires - say <1.9", in an attempt to roll faster. The problem seems to be pinch flats - perhaps less now, that there are tubeless CX-specific tires, but there may still be a problem with those tires being specific to a <1hr race and not a >2weeks go for broke race. Something like the Nano seems to be a nice sweet spot.

I'm certainly not an expert of tricycles, but I'm mentally riding up a snowy pass in June at 2:00pm, in Montana in my mind and, while perhaps doable, the exertion is going to be much more than simply pushing the damn thing. While walking in the snow, there's usually a part of the course that's firmer than the rest, for whatever reason - say it's where the tires of a 4x4 vehicle roll over it. That's going to be hard to match with a tricycle. Perhaps better luck with a snowmobile track ?

Walking is the ultimate bailout gear

[SimonK]

I think a trike (especially a recumbent trike) is a really bad idea for technical riding where you want to pick a line and do dynamic moves over obstacles, but there is very little of that type of ride on the GDMBR, so you might finish in less than a month.

I'm a fan of Stans Ravens for this type of riding.

[DocTrike]

@Simon_K thanks for your comments and opinions, these trike designs we are developing are unlike anything you have seen before.

Ok since it was brought up what about 622x33mm and 622x34mm cross tires? I have been doing more testing and training on a couple trikes (no weight on rear wheel) waiting for the factory to send me the next pre-production sample and I was loosing traction spinning the rear wheel in terrain I knew I would have to climb on the TDR.

I went and got some CX tires a few different well accepted brands and tread designs to test and my current rides won't take anything in a 700c larger than 34mm so that is what I had to work with. I have no idea about the durability in rocks and goat heads by they can be run tubeless are very fast and light with strong but subtle 120tpi sidewalls.

So what is your opinion of a CX tire, I can't run a 2.1 on my trike with out design changes in 29", I could if I went down to 26" though. So forget this is a trike and lets hear about tires.  

[SimonK]

Depends a bit on how well suspended you are. I rode on a fully rigid bike and was very glad to be running reasonably fat tyres at very low pressures.

I run a 1100km event down under called the Kiwi Brevet and the general consensus is that cyclocross tyres don't make for an enjoyable experience overall.

Could you run 2.1 by 650B tyres?

[DocTrike]

@simon_k

I would need actual diameter of that tire to test I am not familiar with the 650c size. I have 50-80mm front suspension, rebound dampening adjust only. I could see on a rigid diamond frame CX tires getting old and painful fast.

[SimonK]

http://sheldonbrown.com/650b.html