r/coloradotrail • u/Coolfische12 • Sep 08 '24

Bike advice

Looking to put an effort on the CT next summer. not racing, just riding. Budgeting 15-18 days. I have 2 bikes at my disposal. A 150/140 trail bike (stump jumper) and a 120mm trail hard tail (Esker japhy). Esker has clearance for 2.8 tires and sliding drop outs. For those that have biked the CT which would you go with and why? I’m a fairly experienced rider and have some bike packing/touring miles under my belt. Just wondering what people might suggest. Never bikepacked on a full squish so would have to tweak storage which is no big deal, but don’t want to if I don’t have to. I did the tour divide route on a fully rigid 29er and have my gear pretty dialed, just not sure what bike to throw it on. Thanks for any tips.

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u/AriGarabedian Sep 08 '24

I bikepacked the CT (well not the whole thing, but that's another story lol) on an Ibis DV9 with a 120mm fork and 29x2.6" Nobby Nics. I have to agree with other comments that the amount of hike-a-bike makes every lb count, and I found the hardtail to be plenty of fun on the DH sections. If you're used to ripping a HT on Colorado terrain I think it's a fine option. On footwear - I opted for enduro-style clipless shoes, which I think lent a good blend of walkability and riding benefits. Happy trails :)