Bikeanalytics: Evaluation Bikes Silk Road Mountain Race 2023

Since this morning they are on the road again: 115 solo riders and 16 pairs have set out to cover 1,879km and 31,690m in Kyrgyzstan at the Silk Road Mountain Race. This time the start is in Karakul, in the east of the country and takes them over 14 passes, higher than 3,000m.

I have been watching the race since 2019, also participated successfully in 2021 and am trying to analyse and prepare more information on the bikes, equipment and gear for you based on the comprehensive presentation of the bikes “Rigs of Silk Road Mountain Race 2023” by Bikepacking.com.

From this, some developments can be read and what exists and is used here on the slopes of Kyrgyzstan is certainly interesting for you and your bikes – even if it’s not going to the Tien-Shan.

Inside SRMR Bikes 2023 – The Highlights

This time I would like to describe five highlights that caught my eye.

This year, for the first time, I have surveyed the types of bikes. Unsurprisingly, 76% are on an MTB and only 23% are on a gravel bike. For races like the SRMR, an MTB is the right (and only logical) choice. And this often includes a suspension fork: 82% are riding with one, which is more than 16 percentage points more than last year.

Carbon is obviously the material of choice when it comes to frames. 37% of riders are on carbon bikes, 20% choose titanium and 19% steel. Titanium gained 2 percentage points, steel lost 8 percentage points compared to 2022.

Simple makes it easy: 85% are riding with 1x gears, 4 percentage points more than last year. And 63% rely on 12 gears (+17PP compared to 2021), dominated by SRAM as the gear brand of choice (44%/+2PP compared to 2022). And by the way, electronic shifting is also gaining more and more fans (Sram AXS), as 24% ride with it and thus 8 percentage points more, whereas mechanical shifting is still in the majority with 70%, but has lost 14 percentage points compared to last year.

In terms of tyres, after a short phase of Maxxis Ikon, Vittoria Mezcal has regained the podium as the most used tyre. Also on the rise are the René Herse Fleecer Ridge, which gained 3 percentage points.

In terms of tyre widths, the most used are the 2.25 inch, which gained another 9 percentage points this year.

Among the bikepacking bag brands, Aidura defends its leading position, followed by Revelate Designs, which gained slightly, and Tailfin. Ortlieb is celebrating a revival with 24% and thus 9 percentage points more than last year. Speaking of Tailfin: last year 20% were using this system, this year it is already 22%.

And before you can study all the details and data in more depth, let’s take a quick look at the age of the participants: with 38.8 years, the average age has dropped slightly, with more riders aged 60 and over taking part this year.