Bear spray: picked up at Brush Mountain Lodge for the northern section (theres a box where southbounders leave their bear spray and northbounders pick it up). Small knife: Kershaw Scallion, useful for cooking on trail and in town. The center tread has a well-designed pattern of medium-height knobs with sharp, unramped front edges that provide ample bite and traction with surprisingly low rolling resistance. Yup, I carried a Kindle! Rawlins to Pinedale (Great Basin) The Great Basin (the area starting north of Rawlins and ending south of Atlantic City) is often spoken about with reverence as the most remote and dry section of the entire Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. what do you think? The flip-up cover was essential for protecting the spout from mud, and it was one of few 1 liter bottles I found thats skinny enough to fit in a standard water bottle cage (with extra strap for support). Despite its somewhat aggressive appearance, the Specialized Ground Control is a very fast-rolling tire. I saw everything out there, from How on earth are you surviving with so little? to How on earth are you hefting all that gear up these climbs?. Some are much more expensive than others, so we do our best to identify which models represent the best value. There are countless options to choose from, and we know that finding the right tires for the conditions, terrain, and your riding style can be a challenge. Lots of lengthwise siping on all of the knobs allow them to really conform to the trail surface, and it holds well on firm surfaces, off-camber terrain, and rock slabs. The Maxxis Minion DHF is arguably the most popular tire ever thanks mostly to its cornering prowess. Extra bottles: I carried two 1L Platypus SoftBottles for extra capacity. The biggest issue: with the dry bags on the front fork, the load is very front-heavy. Braking traction is another highlight, and the large knobs with open spacing grab well on most surfaces when it comes time to slow things down. Shoe covers: Not used, even though my feet did sometimes get cold in the rain. Never used, sent it home when my husband arrived (his phone would serve as our backup).
