Bikeanalytics: Evaluation bikes Atlas Mountain Race 2025

Yesterday at 6 pm it was that time again and more than 250 participants started the Atlas Mountain Race 2025 in Marrakesh. The race has become one of the most popular in the ‘scene’, which has led to a real rush of registrations. As a result, many applicants received cancellations or were only able to get one of the coveted starting places as a latecomer.

According to the organisers, 266 people registered in the end and with a no-show, around 250 should have started. Unfortunately, I can’t research the exact number right now because Maprogress crashed and no rider data is available.

And like every year, I took a look at the bikes and equipment of the participants and used the popular ‘Rigs of Atlas Mountain Race 2025’ overview from Bikepacking.com as a basis.

127 rigs are listed there. That meant quite a lot of work for me, as I had to look at and analyse each bike individually. But it’s also fun.

And before you ask: maybe I’ll analyse the finishers’ bikes again after the race (even if last year showed that it doesn’t provide any additional insight).

Compared to 2024, there have been no dramatic changes, but certain trends have solidified:

• Carbon is the dominant frame material and also the first choice for rims
• Apart from 29 inches, there is almost nothing else
• Almost everyone is travelling with suspension
• More and more people are bringing a Fully to Morocco
• Electronic drivetrains are an integral part and the Sram Transmission is finding more and more fans
• The Vittoria Mezcal is still the preferred tyre, but Conti is catching up
• New this year: the most popular suspension fork is the Rockshox SID
• Also new: Garmin leads ahead of Wahoo in navigation
• As last year, the average age is 39 years old

But now to the details…

This year, for the first time, I also analysed the type of bike. Unsurprisingly, the MTB is the favoured bike for Morocco’s trails with more than 80%. But the monster gravel, a kind of drop bar MTB, is also represented, alongside the brave 9% who continue to favour a gravel bike.

There are no major changes to the frame material: carbon has established itself as the material of choice at the top, followed by steel and titanium. However, the proportion of aluminium has risen by one percentage point, which is due to such great bikes as the Specialized Chisel or models from Mason (Macro).

Almost everyone now knows that you shouldn’t ride in the Atlas Mountains without suspension: 92% have a suspension fork and 23% use a Fully.

This time I also tried to determine the brands and models of suspension forks: the Rockshox SID is very popular, followed by the Fox 32.

And I was only able to access a few figures for suspension travel, which is why this should always be treated with caution. But the majority are obviously travelling with 100 and 120mm travel – which makes sense, given the many XC hardtails.

In terms of handlebars, the flat bar has further extended its lead and the good old drop bar is being used less: down 4 percentage points on a year ago.

76% have installed a handlebar attachment aka aerobar, 5 percentage points more than in 2024.

When it comes to power supply, this time 50% rely on a hub dynamo (+5 percentage points) and 50% on rechargeable batteries (-5 percentage points).

But now to the gears: Sram is clearly favoured as a brand with 56%. That is 3 percentage points more than last year.

This year, 36% are focussing on electronic shifting, 18% on the new Sram Transmission. According to my research, only Sram AXS models are favoured for electronic shifting, not Shimano Di2.

The most popular gearstick model is the Sram GX, followed by the Shimano XT.

The vast majority of over 80% use 12-speed drivetrains (+4 percentage points) and work with the 10-52 cassette at the rear (39%) – classic for Sram.

At the front it’s simple, and it really is: 98% only ride a single chainring. This year it has 32 teeth, followed by 30, which is not surprising given the terrain.

The situation with wheel sizes is just as clear as the 1x drivetrain: 94% ride 29-inch wheels. 78% rely on carbon rims – a whopping 15 percentage points more than in 2024.

Vittoria and its flagship model Vittoria Mezcal also defended their leading positions in the tyre category with confidence and even extended them further.

What is interesting this time, however, is that the Continental Race King was chosen very often.

In terms of tyre width, the majority opted for 2.25 inches, followed by 2.2 inches.

This year, for the first time, I also looked at which navigation system is used. Here, too, the data is rather thin on the ground, but I found Garmin most often used, followed by Wahoo. However, I found it interesting how often the Coros Dura was mentioned – Sofiane also relies on the energy miracle.

Nothing has changed in the top 3 most ridden bike brands, only the order is now different: this year Specialized is in the lead, followed by Trek and Canyon. However, Cube is new in the Relevant Set of the top 6 brands.

And there were no major changes in the bikepacking bag brands either: as expected, Tailfin took the lead among the most frequently used bags, overtaking Apidura. And at 30%, even more participants are travelling with the British company’s bag system (Aeropack) in Morocco. That is 7 percentage points more than a year ago. The increase for Cyclite is also clear. At 7%, the Germans are now also among the most popular brands in this type of Bikepacking race.

And finally, some demographics. This time I particularly noticed that the field of participants has become even more international, with people from Namibia, Serbia, Malawi and India taking part alongside the usual countries of origin. I think that’s great, as it shows how much our passion unites people.

In terms of age, I have only noticed that there are more older riders. This year alone, there are 13 people aged 50+ in the starting field.

However, the average age of 39 has not changed compared to 2024.

Want more bike analytics?

Here you can find the bike analytics of the last years of the AMR, SRMR, HMR and Tour Divide.