Here’s a gear list deep dive for what I used on the Triple Crown Challenge this year. Most of my gear was the same for these races, but they each have unique characteristics that warranted changes.
*These are the setups that worked for me. You may want more or less gear depending on how cold you sleep or how uncomfortable you’re willing to be.
The do-it-all trail bike. Big mud clearance was great for TD and I love the way it rides on singletrack.
Fork
Niner rigid carbon
Fox 34 Factory
Fox 34 Factory
TD is fine rigid. Might be faster with suspension.
Handlebars
Salsa Salt Flat carbon
Salsa Salt Flat carbon
Salsa Salt Flat carbon
Wide 31.8 section is nice for aerobar mounting.
Brakes
Shimano XT 4 piston
Shimano XT 4 piston
Shimano XT 4 piston
Grips
Wolftooth Mega Fatpaw
Wolftooth Mega Fatpaw
Wolftooth Mega Fatpaw
I think I prefer the regular Fatpaw instead.
Bar ends
Cane Creek
Cane Creek
Cane Creek
Aerobars
Profile Designs hardware, ebay carbon extensions
N/A
N/A
I wouldn’t do TD without aerobars.
Stem
Enve 35mm
Enve 35mm
Enve 35mm
Seatpost
PNW Loam Dropper
PNW Loam Dropper
PNW Loam Dropper
Not interested in riding without a dropper.
Saddle
Ergon SMC Core
Ergon SMC Core
Ergon SMC Core
Kept my butt pretty happy on a lot of really rough miles.
Bottom Bracket
Cane Creek Hellbender
Cane Creek Hellbender
Cane Creek Hellbender
Replaced bb mid TD. Swapped bearings between races.
Crank
Cane Creek eeWings
Cane Creek eeWings
Cane Creek eeWings
Fancy
Pedals
Shimano XT Trail
Shimano XT Trail
Shimano XT Trail
Pedal body came off the spindle on AZT due to my rebuild a week prior. Torque those nuts! Replaced with new XT pedals at Lemmon8 in Summerhaven.
Chainring
Wolftooth 32t stainless
Wolftooth 32t stainless
Wolftooth 32t stainless
Cog
Boone Ti 16t
Surly 22t
Surly 22t
16t cog is worn out after TD. I’ll stick with steel cogs.
Chain
Sram 10 speed
Sram 10 speed
Sram 10 speed
Never had an issue with these.
Rims
Nox Teocalli 29
Nox Teocalli 29
Nox Teocalli 29
Front hub
SON28 dynamo
SON28 dynamo
SON28 dynamo
Great for charging on TD. Nice to have full brightness on all descents on CTR and AZTR, plus a little charging on pedaly sections.
Rear hub
DT Swiss 240
DT Swiss 240
DT Swiss 240
Star ratchet is where it’s at.
Tires
Vittoria Mezcal 2.25″
Maxxis Rekon 2.4″
Maxxis Rekon 2.4″
No issues during these races. A few small punctures that sealant fixed. Mezcals roll so fast. Rekons are tough to beat for long distance singletrack.
Downtube storage
King Cage mount
N/A
King Cage mount
No need for extra capacity on CTR.
Sleep kit
Tour Divide
Colorado Trail
Arizona Trail
Notes
Sleeping bag
Western Mountaineering Highlite 35F
Western Mountaineering Highlite 35F
Western Mountaineering Highlite 35F
1lb bag. I only wished I had a warmer bag on the last couple nights of the AZT, but I would bring this again.
Sleeping pad
Klymit X-frame
Klymit X-frame
Thermarest Z-lite
Foam pad is nice for AZT, lots of sharp things around. The x-frame is kinda silly, but works for me.
Bivy
DIY
DIY
DIY
6oz wind and bug bivy. Water resistant bottom half.
Tarp
6”x9” Silpoly
6”x9” Silpoly
6”x9” Silpoly
9oz 1 person tarp
Pillow
Klymit
Klymit
Sea to Summit
I upgraded to a thicker inflatable pillow for AZT. I sleep much better with a dedicated pillow.
Extras
Down booties
Down booties
Down booties
My toes are the first thing to get cold, these help me sleep in cold temps.
Clothing
Tour Divide
Colorado Trail
Arizona Trail
Notes
Shirt
Short sleeve snap button
Short sleeve snap button
Long sleeve snap button
Long sleeve is nice for overgrowth and sun protection on AZT.
Shorts
Patagonia mtb shorts
Patagonia mtb shorts
Lightweight REI zip-offs
Zip-off pants are nice to have for overgrowth on the AZT, plus cold temps up north.
Underwear
Vuori compression shorts
Vuori compression shorts
Vuori compression shorts
No chamois here.
Socks
2 lightweight wool, 1 thick wool
2 lightweight wool, 1 thick wool
2 lightweight wool, 1 thick wool
If anything I’d bring another pair for each race.
Shoes
Pearl Izumi X-Alp Elevate
Pearl Izumi X-Alp Elevate
Pearl Izumi X-Alp Elevate
These held up pretty well. I used one pair for TD and CTR and had a fresh pair for AZT. I’ve since moved to Shimano GE9 shoes that are more durable, I get a whole season out of these compared to 1/2 a season with the X-Alps.
Gloves
Summer mtb gloves, Defeet wool gloves
Summer mtb gloves, Defeet wool gloves
Summer mtb gloves, Defeet wool gloves
I bought leather work gloves in Flagstaff on the AZT to stay warm
Extras
Cycling cap, thin beanie, buff
Cycling cap, thin beanie, buff
Cycling cap, thin beanie, buff
Puffy
Patagonia Nanopuff
Patagonia Nanopuff
Patagonia Nanopuff
Synthetic insulation works when wet
Top layer
Wool arm warmers
Wool long sleeve shirt
Wool long sleeve shirt
Arm warmers are fast to change. Wool shirt is so nice to have under a rain jacket when cold and wet.
Bottom layer
Knee warmers
Knee warmers
N/A
Zip-offs cover the knees on AZT
Rain jacket
Montbell Versalite
Montbell Versalite
Montbell Versalite
Light, big pit zips
Rain pants
Marmot Precip
Marmot Precip
Marmot Precip
Rain gloves
CG Habitats mitts
CG Habitats mitts
CG Habitats mitts
I bought these because of the trigger finger design. They are not waterproof anymore, material worn away at high stress areas.
Rain socks
Rocky Goretex socks
Rocky Goretex socks
N/A
Kept my feet dry in lots of wet weather.
Water
Tour Divide
Colorado Trail
Arizona Trail
Notes
Purification
Aquatabs, used once
BeFree filter, used daily
BeFree filter, used frequently
Always carried Aquatabs as a backup.
Frame bag
3L bladder
1L Befree
3L bladder
Downtube
1.5L Nalgene
N/A
1.5L Nalgene
Feed bag
1 standard bottle
N/A
N/A
On my back
N/A
2L bladder in hip pack
3L bladder in backpack, 0.6L BeFree
Keeping weight off the back was a priority for TD.
I used a 24L Osprey Stratos backpack during the AZT. I wanted a substantial pack with a frame for the hike through the Grand Canyon. I carried my hiking poles in the backpack.
I liked storing my rain gear in my hip pack for quick layer changes during Tour Divide
Electronics:
Garmin Edge 1030 Plus (switched to Edge 1040 Solar on AZT)
Garmin inReach Mini
Sinewave Beacon dynamo light
Fenix PD35 helmet light
Nitecore F2 18650 cache battery and spare batteries for helmet light
2x USB wall outlet adapters plus assorted cables
Toiletries:
Sunscreen
Lip balm
Toothbrush and toothpaste
A&D ointment. For chafing.
Benzoyl Peroxide cream. To dry any sores out overnight.
First Aid Kit:
KT tape. Pro or extreme is worth the premium.
Bandaids
Gauze pads
Neosporin cream
Aleve pills
Benadryl pills
Repair Kit:
Tire plug tool and bacon strips. Stored on handlebars for quick access. Strips of tshirt material work just as well, sometimes even better when it comes to a big hole.
Thanks for the peek into your setups, it’s really helpful. For the CTR, besides you not needing the extra water capacity you get from a downtube Nalgene, do you ever find yourself shouldering your bike for any of the hike-a-bikes on the CT and need that downtube real-estate to carry your bike on your shoulder?
I don’t think I shouldered my bike during CTR, I usually find it easier to push the bike next to me while hiking. I’ve carried a small tool bag on the down tube previously on CTR, but I avoid strapping things there so I don’t have to be as careful when lifting my bike over downed trees.
Yep if I had the right trees I would do that, but I’ve also tied one end to my handlebar (bike laid down) and staked the other end to the ground when I didn’t have trees around.
Thanks, Andrew for the reply on front suspension. how did your rain gear fair the first week on the divide? That’s what I’m most perplexed about for my kit.
Great article and gear list. I really liked to read details about your bike and each piece of gear. It would be nice to write something about nutrition on the triple crown in the future. Thanks again. Great website as well.
cheers
s
Hi Andrew – can you tell us a little about your lights please? I had 2x Exposure Joysticks on TD 2022 (and TD2018) but am just moving to a SON28 and Beacon. How good are they for low speed, especially downhills? I seemed to get caught on a lot of those this year! (into Whitefish, into Basin, into Lima, into Warm River, from Togwottee, over after BML, over after Boreas, after Marshall Pass, into Del Norte, over into Mogolon and more!)
The Beacon definitely flickers at low speed, but the Fenix light on my helmet mostly washes out the flicker so it doesn’t really bother me. Above 7-8mph the light is steady and bright, so I thought it was great for descents. Full brightness while descending without worrying about managing battery is why I brought it on the singletrack races as well.
I like the Fenix for a helmet light because it uses replaceable, rechargeable batteries and I can take it off for day riding. Battery life is really good too. I think the main disadvantage is the beam is just a round spot.
I’ve only ridden the route rigid, but I know I would go faster on some of the descents with a suspension fork. Is it worth the weight penalty on all the climbs? Who knows.
Thanks for the peek into your setups, it’s really helpful. For the CTR, besides you not needing the extra water capacity you get from a downtube Nalgene, do you ever find yourself shouldering your bike for any of the hike-a-bikes on the CT and need that downtube real-estate to carry your bike on your shoulder?
Thanks!
Jake
I don’t think I shouldered my bike during CTR, I usually find it easier to push the bike next to me while hiking. I’ve carried a small tool bag on the down tube previously on CTR, but I avoid strapping things there so I don’t have to be as careful when lifting my bike over downed trees.
Andrew, thanks for taking the time to share such a comprehensive list and your expertise.
Thanks for sharing your gear lists. I assume you tied your tarp between trees in an A frame as I didn’t see any tarp poles.
Yep if I had the right trees I would do that, but I’ve also tied one end to my handlebar (bike laid down) and staked the other end to the ground when I didn’t have trees around.
Thanks, Andrew for the reply on front suspension. how did your rain gear fair the first week on the divide? That’s what I’m most perplexed about for my kit.
This rain gear was good for me. I had rain almost every day of TD this year.
Dispersed bags are the greatest!
Great article and gear list. I really liked to read details about your bike and each piece of gear. It would be nice to write something about nutrition on the triple crown in the future. Thanks again. Great website as well.
cheers
s
Nutrition is mostly whatever sounds good at the gas station, and lots of it.
Andrew, thanks for sharing your expertise and experience! A great resource here!
Hi Andrew – can you tell us a little about your lights please? I had 2x Exposure Joysticks on TD 2022 (and TD2018) but am just moving to a SON28 and Beacon. How good are they for low speed, especially downhills? I seemed to get caught on a lot of those this year! (into Whitefish, into Basin, into Lima, into Warm River, from Togwottee, over after BML, over after Boreas, after Marshall Pass, into Del Norte, over into Mogolon and more!)
The Beacon definitely flickers at low speed, but the Fenix light on my helmet mostly washes out the flicker so it doesn’t really bother me. Above 7-8mph the light is steady and bright, so I thought it was great for descents. Full brightness while descending without worrying about managing battery is why I brought it on the singletrack races as well.
I like the Fenix for a helmet light because it uses replaceable, rechargeable batteries and I can take it off for day riding. Battery life is really good too. I think the main disadvantage is the beam is just a round spot.
what makes you say “suspension might be faster” on the TD?
I’ve only ridden the route rigid, but I know I would go faster on some of the descents with a suspension fork. Is it worth the weight penalty on all the climbs? Who knows.
Amazing! Thanks for the breakdown! Bravo agin on your stellar race season!
Thanks Nick!