disctrucker

My hope is to cycle the Great Divide Ride with a friend next summer. I've done plenty of cross-country touring, but this is a new form to me. I'm looking for knowledge in what I should be looking for in a mountain bike.

Thanks in advance.

jmiked

Something rugged, using parts that be obtained at your normal bike shop. I'd opt for full-suspension, but many go for hard-tail. It's my impression that most of the riders were using 29ers this year. Quite a few of the racers were using aerobars to vary hand position. Consider a wheel hub generator for lighting power.

Take a SPOT tracker. And bear spray. Read a few books by people that have done the race. There is some discussion of bike selection in several of them. Get the official route documentation, it's invaluable, even if you aren't competing.

And read this thread, paying attention to the equipment pictures:

Tour Divide 2015 - race discussion thread

osco53

Rocky Mountain Sherpa:



Check Out the paint jog on this beauty !

FrozenK

Most people will do it on 29r hardtails or even cross bikes. I think Petervary was on a Fargo or similar bar this year. And Lael Wilcox was on a carbon 29r, rigid fork as well. I have never done it, but it doesn't seem like a full suspension bike is needed.

And full suspension just complicates things for bikepacking. Less room for a frame bag -if you can fit one at all; seat bags rubbing on the tire under full compression. And you add more parts that can fail. The main reason to take a full suspension bike would be to have fun riding after you set camp, IMO.

+1 on the generator hub if you can get one.

Leebo

Look at something with plus sized tires. 29er with 3" tires, front sus and a little cush with the bigger tires.

FrozenK

Why plus sized tires? I know they are all the rage these days, but what would be the advantage on this particular route?

A guy used a Fatback with 27.5+ wheels on the Kenai 250 this year. I can tell you that setup didn't help on the road sections, and the same will hold true on gravel roads. I may be wrong, but it seems like gravel roads comprise a significant portion of the Divide route.

bruised

This years' winner (Kato) rode a Salsa Fargo and the second place finisher (JayP) a Salsa Cutthroat. Both bikes are quite similar, neither have sus, both are basically mountain bike Geo with drop bars, though the Cutthroat leans a little more towards a CX setup. The Fargo seems to be a popular choice for this type of course.

If I were doing it I'd pick something with suspension both ends and probably 3" knards, just to ease the pain to the bones.

Darth Lefty 

I'd love to try this someday... I suspect my health will prevent it.