Recommended Equipment

WHAT BIKE SHOULD I BRING?

Aero Bars are not allowed on any course (you will need to use your brakes on our courses). Bar ends on flat bar bikes are acceptable.

E-bikes are only allowed for individuals who have registered in the E-bike category on the Green Course.

SBT GRVL GREEN Course

This is an all inclusive course and can be ridden on all types of bikes (we do recommend a minimum 30mm tire for added rider comfort). The course will take you on great packed gravel roads with the potential for some washboard sections.

SBT GRVL BLUE & BLACK Courses

A Specialized Crux or Diverge with 33–38c tires are ideal for this course. Which tire tread option is up to your personal preferences. If pure speed is your priority, the Panaracer Semi Slick Plus 35mm is a great choice. It will float you through the softer sections of the course adequately and excel on the hard pack and road. If comfort, stability, durability and cornering grip are your priority, the 38mm GravelKing SK is hard to beat.

A road bike with 28mm tires will be able to complete this event but be at a significant disadvantage on certain sections of the course (i.e. Fly Gulch, Salt Creek, Mystic descent & County Road 29 to name a few). If you decide to take on this adventure with a road bike, be sure to pack a few extra tubes as walking isn’t fun.

Gearing: Low gears are your friend. At some point during the day, you will wish you had 1–2 easier ones. For 1x, a 40t front ring paired with SRAM’s 10-44 cassette is a great option. For 2x you have lots of options, and SRAM has a handy gearing selector below to find what’s right for you.

 Gravel Components

 
 

SRAM Gearing Recommendation

By virtually any standard, even the shortest SBT GRVL route options are challenging. With lots of climbing at altitude over gravel roads, extra low gears are your friend here. They can really help you avoid going too hard during the first half of the ride and sabotaging your experience during the second half. Perhaps more importantly, it’s always great to have a bailout gear option to help to get you to the finish line when there’s no gas left in the tank.

A drop bar bike with at least a 1:1 gear ratio is just the ticket.

Want more range? Electronic shifting? Enter the XPLR Groupset, available in RED, Force, and Rival.

For 1x, pair a 10-44 cassette with a front chainring in the 38-42T range to best suit your personal needs.

Even on the most demanding Black Course option, XPLR gets you in a gearing sweet spot that can tackle the toughest climbs while maintaining tight jumps for the fast paved sectors.

Whatever gearing setup you are considering, just be honest with yourself and your abilities, and if you are in doubt, go lower. Having the option to ride a little easier always increases the fun factor on a social ride like SBT GRVL.

 

Gravel Wheels and Tires

 
 

303 for SBT GRVL

The SBT GRVL throws everything at you, and that is why it’s so much fun. Speedy descents and tactics in the pack. Tricky corners where loose gravel awaits. Hours in the saddle where you’re in search of nothing more than comfort and efficiency (and a Coke). All of this makes wheel choice crucial, and all the demands of SBT GRVL point to the Zipp 303. Zipp’s 303, Firecrest or NSW models, is engineered for everything: aero efficiency, durability, light weight, and all-day comfort. Ted King, who won the 2019 SBT GRVL aboard Zipp 303 Firecrest Tubeless wheels, proved that.

The 303 NSW and Firecrest —with its 45mm depth and wide rim/tire bed—is Zipp’s most popular rim-depth model, and that in part is driven by the growth in gravel. The Zipp 303 features a wide max, 28.9, and internal width, 21mm, to provide sure handling and comfort when paired with gravel tires. The 303 Firecrest 650b Tubeless Disc-brake’s smaller rim size provides the option to run a larger tire.

The Zipp 303 originally was engineered to be the go-to wheel for the Spring Classics, light and responsive for climbs, aero for flats and descents, and durable to absorbed cobbles. The wheelset now has been ridden to victory in multiple editions of Paris-Roubaix and also has been the winning wheelset at cyclocross worlds. Gravel is next.