The Fastest Bikes of the 2022 Tour Divide (4,400KM Non-Stop)

Like my videos? Patreon supporters get early access to my films and exclusive access to my Q&As:

0:00 - Intro
1:40 - Handlebars
2:47 - Aero Bars
4:10 - Saddles
4:47 - Seatposts
5:09 - Tyres
7:06 - Wheel Diameters
7:50 - Frame Material
8:35 - Drivetrains
9:36 - Low Climbing Gears
10:54 - Pedals
11:17 - Brakes
11:34 - Suspension
12:05 - Popular Bike Brands & Models
12:53 - Summary

[sdilizio]

Commenting as somebody who rode the TD this year:

Yes, drop bars were noticeably faster on the smooth gravel and pavement. Yet, I was pretty grateful to have flat bars for some of the rougher terrain, especially when it was raining and muddy. There were a few riders on rigid drop-bar bikes without great bike handling skills who struggled at times on the rough stuff. So, I wouldn't choose drop bars unless I were confident in my bike handling skills. And worth remembering that both this year's winner, Sofiane Sehili, and record holder Mike Hall (in 2016) chose flat bars.

Also, given that 2/3 of the starters either didn't finish, alternated from the route, or didn't ride fast enough to not be relegated to the 'touring' category, I'd be highly interested in what bikes the race finishers rode, rather than what the starters rode.

If I had chosen a drop-bar bike, I absolutely wouldn't have chosen any other model than the Salsa Cutthroat. It's popular with very good reason. Try riding some of these rigid drop-bar bikes over rough gravel back-to-back and you'll notice how beautifully the Cutthroat handles the rough stuff compared to most. It's an incredibly compliant design and also has so many wonderful design touches, such as the abrasion plates inside the front fork.

As for tyres, I personally saw a lot more of the Rene Herse Fleecer Ridge tyres out there than Ikons, but that's anecdotal. I'd have been happy with Mezcals, Fleecer Ridge, or Ikons/Rekons. Mezcals were the quickest but also get pretty worn out by the end. Ikons were the toughest and most durable but slowest and heaviest. Fleecer Ridge sits in the middle as an all-rounder, and are what I used and winner Sofiane Sehili used.

I went with the new Silca Ultimate Tubeless sealant and was one of the few who never flatted nor needed to even use a tyre plug. So, this was a very solid combination of tyre and sealant for me.

The Conti Race Kings that I saw others using wore out the very limited centre tread by the end more extensively than any other tyre. Yes, Mike Hall used them to set the record and they're undoubtedly a fast tyre, but he was also a light rider on a light bike who would have worn out his tyres more slowly. And 2016 saw very good conditions. I personally was glad not to have chosen them given the snowy and muddy conditions we had this year. (Also, I've personally used Conti Cross Kings with the same compound before and found them to be a fast-wearing tyre, too.)

With regards to forks, I heard more than a few people complain about their rigid setups being too rough (usually not on Cutthroats). You can ride rigid but you need to make sure the bike has some seriously decent compliance built in. I know of one rigid titanium fork that broke, one Lauf fork that broke, and one suspension fork that broke. However, I also know of a few other people on suspension forks whose forks had issues and wound up either stuck in open or locked-out mode. I used a Lauf fork, which definitely helped to take the edge off the rough stuff and was maintenance-free, but certainly came with both an aero and an efficiency penalty in certain conditions. I'd possibly consider a rigid fork with a suspension stem next time.

Not sure a full-suspension seat post is necessary when there are some tough and compliant carbon seat posts that really do smooth out the bumps pretty well. But perhaps it was more necessary for the full-rigid setups. (Some people were also afraid of using carbon for seat posts and handlebars given concerns about how tough they are. However, I personally only heard of one carbon component that broke--a front wheel.)

An additional comment about bags: You can take a reasonably aero bike (for an MTB) like a Cutthroat and slow it down immensely with a poor bag setup. It's been said that nobody has set a record on the Divide with anything attached to their fork legs for this reason. Minimising the frontal area of the bike with a good bag setup is part and parcel of any bikepacking rig.

[TheGentilea]

I so love they way that you systematically analyze these bicycle related questions instead of just speculating wildly like most other bike "experts". Thanks for what you do, you hold a really unique and important space in this bike media landscape! :)

[ElectricGhostOpera]

Mate, your channel is absolute gold. I got so excited when you said how many bikes you were gonna compare and all the stats you were breaking down. Love the bike nerdery ❤️

[amitkumar-wjgn]

The most important thing I learnt from this video? Alee has a lot of napkins and is bloody good at doing math on them!

[yumyumhungry]

On the Clip in Pedals: As someone who attempted to ride the divide this year (and had to scratch); I use clip ins to keep my feet in the correct spot and keep my knees tracking correctly to prevent injury over those 12 hour days.

[sixty]

You did exactly what I was hoping you’d do at the end with the “average” bike. Do you think you would/could do an analysis of the same bikes but focusing on their bag setups and what everyone is carrying?

[SquareJerHertz]

This was the video I didn't know I needed to watch until I watched it! I had seen those two articles and wanted to do some sort of analysis on the whole set of bikes. Yours was excellent and saved me hours!

[StanEby]

As usual, your presentation was brilliant and full of sound judgment.
In previous comparisons between derailleur drivetrains and internal gear hubs, like Rohloff, you and many others have pointed out that internal gear hubs perform to their full efficiency regardless of their environment whereas exposed mech does not. On the Tour Divide dirt, grime, mud etc. are constant companions and lower the top efficiency drivetrains are known for.
I had no idea of the products Ratio Technology offers. I checked out their website and found items innovative and useful. Thanks for blazing the information trail here.
When you mentioned hydraulic brakes, I assume that is disc, not rim?
Suspension forks: the benefits will vary with terrain. When things are rough, grateful they’re there, going up hill, wish were elsewhere. One has to decide over the course of the course, whether the challenge of hills or the paths that are coarse, cause the greatest fatigue and the most use of force. My guess is that comparing results over time may be indicative. Inductive over deductive methodology.
Your final conflation of a prototypical Tour Divide bike was another typical and ingenious Dehham moment. What a great capstone. Bravo.

[novacolonel]

Spot-on, as always. Your content really shines!
I use the Conti Race King in 27.5", 2.2" wide on my electric commuter hardtail, with the prevalant surface being road and some forest.
While they are very quite, with low rolling resistance and very good grip for their profile, they have two setbacks.
First, I have never ever encountered a tire so reluctant to get on the rim. It took over half an hour per tire to fit, using several vices, lots of soap and a small injury.
Second, to my surprise, they wear out rather quickly. I was surprised to hear that someone got TWO tour divides out of a set. Mine have lost quite a bit of profile and are becoming slightly porous on the walls, after about three years and 6, 000 km.

[markowsley]

Nice breakdown of the various types of bikes being used. After the extreme weather conditions encountered so far this year by a large portion of the pack I hope the riders and organizers have a serious after action critique. There seems there could be lots of lessons learned by everyone.

[lewisciddor]

Who’s that handsome bearded fella that keeps popping up?! 😉

Great video though Alee! Sorry to have not caught you in Melb while you’re back.

Interesting note: Josh Kato (2015) is the only rider to win the TD on drop bars. Although Jay P did set an course record (2014 or 13 I think) on drops too. But all other wins and notable times including the women’s record and SS record have been on flat bars.

[nickridesbikes]

I raced on the Specialized Epic Hardtail S-Works shown at 12:00 with a Rockshox SID SL Ultimate Brain fork and slightly wider than average 2.3" tires. There were plenty of rough sections on the route where I was super happy to have suspension, and the carbon rims and lightweight frame easily made up for the weight penalty of the fork. I was definitely less fatigued than I would have been with a rigid fork, as there were times when the suspension stopped working when the stanchions got caked with mud and my upper body got significantly more tired.

[lindamarchlewski]

I tried to get the Race Kings, but they were completely out of stock for me, so I went with the Ikons. It may just simply be a supply chain issue. Love the analysis!

[blue_beephang-glider]

I am new to your channel and am totally in awe of the trips you do. I just watched “Cycling Southern Patagonia” My own experience on bikes is riding 17km each way to work and back which I have done for 12 years. This is just enough to comprehend the daunting conditions you overcome. Seeing what you do prompted me to buy an 11-speed hub gear. If it handles what you do? I will be using it when I retire! Fantastic 🍺🙂👍

[Yoitsseb]

Masterful analysis..

I'd like to go on some long bike packing trips one day and these videos will surely help me setup my rig.

Bookmarked!

Thanks!

[marianocelentano]

You have done another huge research that will help a lot of riders. Thanks for all the effort and wishing you happy rides! Greetings from Ireland!!! : )

[RedWingsninetyone]

There's something to be said about practicality over weight. GMBN demonstrated this by running a dropper post on an XC bike. Despite the extra weight, he was able to ride over rough terrain and down hills faster because of the way he could shift his weight and achieved a faster time.

[jhartman]

This absolutely answered my questions about what people run. Thanks for going through all of them and laying the facts out. Well done!

[bpindermoss]

Absolutely fascinating. I love biking but know very little about such races, or even long rides, although to be honest, I use my dept. store bikes as ATV's, so your video is superb. My road bike is a Browning that I bought in the 70's and used as a camping bike. My mountain bikes are bigbox store bought. One weighs 45 lbs with a steel frame and has never busted over 30 years of riding it, with no suspension. The other is Al framed with dual suspension, but was a gift, and is actually too small for me but I keep it anyways. The optimum bike for a race like this, as you described, would be hellish expensive I surmise, but I could trade all of my bikes in on just one, I suppose. Your video conjured up some pleasant dreams.

[levonbullard]

Great video. I'm planning out a build to take on the divide in '23. One thing I'll be doing you didn't discuss is a suspension stem, likely a redshift. Also will be running a dynamo like most on the tour