If I Rode The Tour Divide Again

The Tour Divide was my first big bikepacking adventure. Going into it I based most of my gear choices on what I use hiking making small adjustments here and there. Since then I have learned a lot and I wrote this post, If I Rode The Tour Divide Again, to show others what changes I would make to my set up and explain why.

To better understand the changes I would make to my set up, one should know a little about what my approach would be for my next try. My main goal would be to better my previous finishing time. To do this I would eliminate weight and bulk from all areas of my kit.

Next, I would ride more and sleep less. To do this I would need a more efficient lighting system and would spend less nights in hotels.

I would also eliminate bulk and unused gear, which would go a long way at making room to carry more food between stops. A less bulky and simpler set up should mean less weight, and hopefully equal less energy expenditure on my part. A simpler set up, hopefully would translate into less chance of things failing as well.

Hopefully this, If I Rode The Tour Divide Again post will help others with their own gear selection process and better their chances at a successful Tour Divide.

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BIKE

Item

Brand

Reason

What I Used Last Time

Bike

Giant XTC Advanced Plus (Set up 29er)

No Change.

If I did I would still use a 29er, and maybe switch to titanium (less creaking).

Giant XTC Advanced Plus (Set up 29er)

Fork

Carver Trail 490 Carbon Rigid

No Change.

If I did I would get a fork with bottle mounts on the legs like the Salsa offers.

Carver Trail 490 Carbon Rigid

Handlebars

Spank Oozy Trail Vibrocore

No Change.

Spank Oozy Trail Vibrocore

No Change.

Profile Designs T3+ Aluminum Clip-on

No Change but I would wrap them to help with the cold.

Profile Designs T3+ Aluminum Clip-on

Saddle

Brooks C17

Due to the weather on the Tour Divide a C17 would hold up better. You cannot adjust a B17 when wet and mine was wet a lot. The result was, it lost its shape.

Brooks B17 Special

Wheels

DT Swiss XM1501 Spline One Wheelset – 29er

No Change.

DT Swiss XM1501 Spline One Wheelset – 29er

Generator Hub

SON 28 15 110 Generator Hub (boost)

No Change.

SON 28 15 110 Generator Hub (boost)

Tires

Maxxis Ikons 2.25″ 3C/EXO/TR (set up tubeless)

No Change.

Maxxis Ikons 2.25″ 3C/EXO/TR (set up tubeless)

Gearing

42×32 Shimano

No Change.

42×32 Shimano

I felt my bike, who I call Phillip (the Trail Donkey), performed great on the Divide. Due to Giant going with a wedge style seat clamp Phillip does suffer from a creaky seat post. If I had the chance I would use a titanium or carbon bike with a standard seat collar clamp.

My body position on Phillip was great and I only had numbness in the tip of one finger during the last few days. I would wrap my aero bars so they wouldn’t be so cold in the morning.

As far as Phillip’s set up is concerned I would only change one thing. I would change the seat out for an all weather C17 by Brooks but that’s it.

Above, I mention getting a Salsa fork with bottle cage mounts, but that would simply be a convenience thing. Currently I attach my bottle cages with Velcro straps which works but is a pain to do and undo, and they are not as strong as directly mounting them to the fork.

Bags

Item

Brand

Reason

What I Used Last Time

Gas Tank

JPaks Gas Tank

The double zipper was hard to open with one hand and if you forgot to close it, things fell out easily.

Revelate Gas Tank

Jerrycan

Defiant Jerrycan

I broke the zipper on the Revelate and had to replace it.

Revelate Jerrycan

Handlebar Bag

Nothing or I’d use the same one.

If I could trim down my gear and eliminate it I would. The goal being to lighten the front end.

Revelate Handlebar Bag

No Change.

Something smaller

The goal would be to force myself to carry less with a smaller seat bag.

Revelate Terrapin

Frame Bag

JPaks

I would have the pack made slightly wider than my original to increase its volume.

Custom by Defiant Pack

Under Downtube

Something custom or buy

I would move my tools from the Jerrycan to this to get some weight lower.

N/A

When it comes to bags, my overall goal would be to cut weight and to get some of the weight lower on the bike. I almost never used the tools in my Jerrycan, so a tool wrap mounted to the down tube makes a ton of sense. I could then use the jerrycan for food.

My current frame bag isn’t very wide, so my next one would be slightly wider. The goal to be able to get a few items out of the seat bag and use a smaller one. A smaller seat bag would save weight and force me to move some weight lower into the frame bag. I must say I love the removable bag on my Terrapin Seat Bag. It makes camp life so much easier than trying to load a stationary bag attached to the bike.

My currently handlebar bag is large and I found it to be a pit some times, where things got lost. It also rubs my front tire when I have a suspension fork on Phillip. A single feed bag might be a better choice to carry less and stop the rubbing.

SLEEP SYSTEM

Item

Brand

Reason

What I Used Last Time

Shelter

Outdoor Research Helium Bivy

No Change.

Outdoor Research Helium Bivy

Sleeping Bag

Big Agnes Flume 30

A full sleeping bag is warmer.

Enlightened Equipment Enigma 30 Degree Quilt

Sleeping Pad

Thermarest 3/4 NeoAir Xlite

No Change, unless I found a good way to carry my Z-Lite pad instead.

Thermarest 3/4 NeoAir Xlite

Pillow

Big Agnes AXL Air Pillow

With less clothes its hard to fill a stuff sack to make a makeshift pillow. This might not make the cut, but I wanted to listed it to show I would consider it.

N/A

As you can see above I wouldn’t change much. The reason for this is because my first step up worked well. I had a few cold nights but not enough to warrant a colder temperature bag.

If I rode the Tour Divide again I would attempt to sleep less and stay in less hotels. Hotels cost a lot and they are a time suck.

Clothing Worn

Item

Brand

Reason

What I Used Last Time

Helmet

IXS Sport Trail EVO

Simply wanted the newest.

IXS Sports Trail RS EVO

Sunglasses

Julbo Aerospeed Segment

The photochromic lenses would be perfect for the variable lighting conditions on the Tour Divide. Also I wouldn’t waste time switching my lenses all the time.

Julbo Aero (Two lenses, Clear and Tinted)

Jersey

A light colored cycling jersey.

A lighter color will hopefully help with heat, in terms of the suns effects.

Aspen Cycling Tours S/S

Shorts/Bibs

I wouldn’t use bibs or shorts.

Better for avoiding saddle sores and easier day to day.

Aspen Cycling Tours Bibs

Boxers

Ibex Woolies Boxer Balance Briefs

Better to keep things cool downstairs, and easier to go the bathroom.

N/A

Shorts

Outdoor Research Ferrosi Shorts

Tough, durable, and are made of stretchable frabic.

N/A

Socks

FITS Light or Medium Hiker Cut

Fit great and durable.

Ibex Hiker Crew

Shoes

Pearl Izumi X-alps???

I have not figure out my next shoes yet.

Giro Empire VR90

No Change.

No Change.

Transition Pieces

Item

Brand

Reason

What I Used Last Time

Rain Jacket

Undecided

I’ve had 2-3 (only one during the Tour Divide) zippers fail on the Helium so I might look for something more durable.

Outdoor Research Helium II

Rain Pants

Undecided

The Heliums lasted through the Tour but I ripped the crotch on them during the Colorado Trail Race. They don’t have a lot of extra room so they don’t allow the user much movement (like throwing a leg over a seat or stepping over a top tube).

Outdoor Research Helium

Rain Gloves

GoreTex Mittens

I lost one of my OR mittens so I have to find replacements. The search is ongoing.

Outdoor Research GoreTex Mittens

Warm Gloves

Outdoor Research Stormtracker Sensor

No Change.

Outdoor Research Stormtracker Sensor

Base Layer

Ibex Balance Sleeveless

No Change.

Ibex Balance Sleeveless

Buff

Probably whatever I have at the time.

No Change.

Goal Zero

Arm Warmers/Sun Sleeves

Outdoor Research Activeice Sun Sleeves

No Change.

Outdoor Research Activeice Sun Sleeves

Knee Warmers

uBRDO by Capo

No Change.

uBRDO by Capo

Vest

Generic Cycling Vest

I’m still on the fence if I would continue to use my rain jacket or bring an additional wind vest.

N/A

Camp Clothes

Item

Brand

Reason

What I Used Last Time

Jacket

Mirco Puff Synthetic

I would bring a synthetic over a down jacket so I could wear it under my rain jacket, without fear of it getting wet.

Outdoor Research Verismo Hooded Down

Hat

Outdoor Research Beanie

No Change.

Outdoor Research Beanie

Socks

FITS Light or Medium Hiker Cut

Fit great and durable.

Ibex Light Hiker

Sleep Top

Ibex Woolies 1 L/S or Ibex Indy Hoodie

Wool, less odor. The hoody is great to sleep in. With the hood you don’t have to worry about your beanie falling off during the night.

Ibex Woolies 1 L/S Striped

Sleep Bottoms

Ibex Woolies Boxer Balance Briefs

Wool, less odor.

Ibex Woolies Boxer Brief

My clothing is where I’d make the most changes. Not all of my choices were bad the first time. There’s just some clothes I think would work better.

I didn’t start with a warm pair of gloves, which was a mistake. I would also use my buff in the mornings more to avoid getting that dreaded cough everyone gets (warms the air).

A vest or wind jacket would have gone a long way the first time around for those chilly mornings and nights. A rain jacket works to and that is what I did.

The biggest change would be ditching my bibs for boxers and a pair of baggies. The ventilation and breathability is so much better than with a pair of bibs. Putting on my dirty bibs each morning felt like they made me dirtier then I already was. It was nasty.

My feet did swell by the third week of the race. I would consider get at least a half size bigger shoes next time, to allow for some wiggle room.

The last change would be to switch out my down jacket for a synthetic one. There were a few days where it rain all day and I was cold at my core. Even being this cold I wouldn’t even consider putting on my down puffy under my rain jacket. I would put on a synthetic puffy though, as if it got wet it would still offer warmth.

Hydration

Item

Brand

Reason

What I Used Last Time

Dromedary Bladder

MSR Dromlite 4L

The dromedary bag fits in a frame bag much better and shape better molds around things.

Platypus Big Zip 3 Liter Bladder

No Change.

(2) Tall Cycling Bottles

No Change.

(2) Tall Cycling Bottles

Filter

Sawyer Micro or MSR Trailshot

Simple to use and clean, and small and compact.

MSR Trailshot

Drops

None

Extra weight I never used.

Aquamira

I’d make very few changes to my hydration set up. I learned on the AZTR that a dromedary bag works best in your frame bag. The big plastic clip on the Big Zip made it hard to fit in between the top tube and down tube. A dromedary also molds around things more easily than a typical hydration pack bladder.

I might switch out my MSR Trailshot for a Swayer Squeeze as I’ve had less issues with the Swayer. I’d also drop the Aquamira, as I never used it once the first time.

Health/First Aid

Item

Brand

Reason

What I Used Last Time

First Aid

A few bandaids.

Outside of crashing most all ailments can be remedy with my other items.

A few bandaids.

Pain Relief

Advil

No change.

Advil

Medicine

Imodium AD

No change.

Imodium AD

Tape

K-tape

Good for taping joints or to help prevent hot spots.

N/A

Sun Screen

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer

No Change.

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer

Tweezers

One blunt end and one pointy.

No Change.

One blunt end and one pointy.

Lip Balm

Cherry flavored

No Change.

Cherry flavored

Oral Care

Tooth brush, flosser & paste

No change but adding a flosser.

Tooth brush & paste

Toiletries

Dude Wipes & hand sanitizer

No Change.

Dude Wipes & hand sanitizer

Vision

Disposable Contacts or get Lasik

Lasik would be the best option, but the daily wears are much better for my eyes than wearing normal contact for days on end like I did the first time.

Contact case / contact fluid

As you can see I wouldn’t change my health/first aid very much. I’ve added K-tape for sore joints/muscles. As mentioned above Lasik would be great but I’m in no rush to spend the money.

TOOLS/REPAIR

Item

Brand

Reason

What I Used Last Time

Tubes

Super Light Latex Tubes

Save weight and space in frame pack.

Standard Tubes (2)

Patch Kit

Park Tool GP-2 glueless

No Change.

Park Tool GP-2 glueless

Tire Boots

Park Tool TB-2 (2)

Bring 2 instead of 4, to cut down on extra unneeded bulk and weight.

Park Tool TB-2 (4)

Tire Plug

Innovations Tubeless Tire Repair Kit

No Change.

Innovations Tubeless Tire Repair Kit

Pump

Lezyne Pressure Drive (w/ Duck Tape)

No Change.

Lezyne Pressure Drive (w/ Duck Tape)

Co2

Innovations Airchuck Elite

No Change.

Innovations Airchuck Elite

Tire Sealant

3oz bottle of Orange Seal

No Change.

3oz bottle of Orange Seal

No Change.

Shimano 11 Spd (2)

No Change.

Shimano 11 Spd (2)

No Change.

The Park Tool is crap and not worth its weight to carry.

Park Tools IB-3

Multi Tool

Leatherman Micra

Just a better quality tool. I only have this for the knife. A single razor blade might be a simpler option as well.

Gerber Dime

Spare Derailleur Hanger

OEM Giant

No Change.

OEM Giant

Cleats

Shimano SPD (1)

Two is over kill. If I lose one, I’ll be sure to double check the other.

Shimano SPD (2)

Cleat bolts

Shimano SPD (1 set)

Two sets are over kill. If I lose one, I’ll be sure to double check the other.

Shimano SPD (2 sets)

Seat Bolts

Thompson Seat Bolts w/Nuts & washer (1)

Two is over kill.

Thompson Seat Bolts w/Nuts & washer (2)

Tire Repair

Needle & Floss

No Change.

Needle & Floss

Wrench for Brooks B17

N/A

No need for one with the all weather saddle.

OEM Brooks

Brake Pads

Shimano XT JA02 (1 sets)

Two sets are over kill. If I use one I’ll pick another set up at the next bike shop.

Shimano XT JA02 (2 sets)

Rag / Brush

Larger rag / brush

I went through three chains and two cassettes, so I would clean my drivetrain better and more often.

Small scrap of rag / no brush.

Most of the changes I would make to my tools/repair kit would be to eliminate extra items and bulk. The overall goal being to reduce weight and gain space. On my first go of the Tour Divide I almost didn’t use any of my tools. I used two tubes, my pump, a CO2, and my multitool.

I did go through three chains and two cassettes, so I would bring a bigger rag and a brush to clean my chain more often. Besides eliminating extra unused tools I would move my tools to a tool wrap, that I would mount to the underside of my down tube. The goal being to lower the bikes center of gravity.

Electronics

Brand

Reason

Item

What I Used Last Time

GPS

Oregon 600

No Change or possibly get a Etrex 20x (better battery life).

Oregon 600

Personal Tracker

SPOT Gen3

Better battery life and they had a amazing deal to upgrade.

Spot Gen 2

Lighting System

KLite Bikepacker Ultra V2

Klite DUAL USB charger
KLite Bar switch / wire loom V2 smaller XT30 plugs
Generator Hub – SON 28 15 110 Generator Hub (boost)

More powerful, cleaner set up, and versatile.

KLite Bikepacker Pro 1200/1700lm w/ Standlite

Sinewave Cycles Revolution USB
Simple BAR Switch (KLite)
Generator Hub – SON 28 15 110 Generator Hub (boost)

Headlamp

Latest Petzl

They make the best lights and they’re rechargeable.

Petzl Reactive +

AAA Battery Pack

N/A

I probably wouldn’t bring one next time.

AAA battery pack for Reactive +

External Battery

Ravpower battery

Has quick charge and quick output.

Goal Zero Flip 24

Phone/Camera/Navigation/Journal

Latest iPhone

One item to do multiple things. Great camera and battery, runs apps and easy to journal with.

Phone – iPhone 7 Plus

Charging Cord

Apple

No Change.

Apple

USB Block

Qualcomm QC 3.0 Wall Charger

Has multiple ports and allows for quick charging.

Apple

Ear Buds

Apple wireless

One extra thing to charge which is a negative but an advantage not having to deal with a cord.

Apple

Cords

One to fit both external battery and Petzl.

No Change.

One to fit both external battery and Petzl.

Most of the changes I would make to my electronics have to do with efficiency and battery life. A more efficient system just makes sense. Faster charging times means you can charge more quicker. Also an external battery and wall block that both have quick charge and output will help me get the maximum charge while in town.

I would also not rely on Zip Locks to protect my electronics, as they don’t work. I would use a SealLine ECase. Another thing I would do that is related to my electronics, is to better understand the system. My knowledge of my previous system and how to trouble shoot it was very limited and I did run into some issues. I relied on the fact that it just worked and then forgot about it. Then when it had issues I was lost on what my options were.

Be sure to know your set up in and out. Know how to trouble shoot it and don’t be left in the dark.

Conclusion

At the beginning of this article I stated my goal was to eliminate weight and excess bulk. I think my changes to my kit definitely address both. I feel with the above kit I can definitely cut time off my race without compromising too much comfort or my safety.

Just like with my hiking my gear, how much gear I need to bikepack has decreased with each mile I’ve traveled. The efficiency of that gear has increased as well. This is a result of getting to know myself and what I can and can’t deal with, and what does and doesn’t work, while on the bike. Without all the miles I’ve done I wouldn’t have the confidence I have now.

Lastly, be sure your gear reflects your personal needs and style. Do your own research, do shakedown rides, and build your trail confidence before hitting the trail. Good luck!

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If I Rode The Tour Divide Again

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BIKE

Item

Brand

Reason

What I Used Last Time

Bags

Item

Brand

Reason

What I Used Last Time

SLEEP SYSTEM

Item

Brand

Reason

What I Used Last Time

Clothing Worn

Item

Brand

Reason

What I Used Last Time

Transition Pieces

Item

Brand

Reason

What I Used Last Time

Camp Clothes

Item

Brand

Reason

What I Used Last Time

Hydration

Item

Brand

Reason

What I Used Last Time

Health/First Aid

Item

Brand

Reason

What I Used Last Time

TOOLS/REPAIR

Item

Brand

Reason

What I Used Last Time

Electronics

Brand

Reason

Item

What I Used Last Time

Conclusion

More Helpful TD Resources

Slide Title

MY PROVEN GEAR LISTS FROM THE TRIPLE CROWN

TOUR DIVIDE

“IF I RODE…” SERIES

TOUR DIVIDE

Checkout our bikepacking resource page for more planning help.

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OB Sucks

Class of ____

R.E.S.R AZTR

Support the Project