Bikeanalytics Trans Balkan Race 2026

Since Friday, May 29, they’re on the road again: 170 participants are fighting their way through the Balkans over 1,400 km and more than 30,000 meters of elevation gain. And I use the word fighting deliberately, because for me the Trans Balkan Race is one of the hardest and most demanding bikepacking ultras in Europe.

And therefore everyone who lines up at the start and completes even just 100 km of the route from Italy through Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro has my deepest respect.

By the way, you can follow the race here at Dotwatcher.cc.

Already last year I analyzed the bikes and equipment of the participants. This year it’s 70 bikes based on the Dotwatcher.cc feature “Bikes of Trans Balkan Race 2026” that I took a closer look at.

Analysis of the bikes at the Trans Balkan Race 2026

A quick note on the charts: The percentages in the infographics don’t always add up to 100%. I often only show the relevant Top 3 or Top 5 entries to keep the charts clean and readable. Plus, for the remaining bikes, the data is sometimes just too vague or scattered. My analysis focuses on showing you the clear majorities and trends in the field without cluttering things up with the minor details.

Frame & Suspension: Without suspension it gets uncomfortable

Anyone who takes a closer look at this race knows that there’s no way around an MTB or at least a Monster Gravel bike. Of course the majority is riding accordingly, even though I did spot a gravel bike and a touring bike.

At events of this kind, carbon is the first choice for frame material. However, steel also has some fans, followed by titanium and aluminium.

Cobblestone-sized rocks – that’s the gravel of the Trans Balkan. And that calls for good suspension. 91% have a suspension fork and 29% show up with a full suspension bike.

When it comes to suspension fork brands, RockShox is preferred – especially the SID.

120 mm of travel is preferred, followed by 100 mm.

Cockpit & Power Supply: Aero and self-sufficient

Flat bars are of course found on most bikes, but drop bars also exist – primarily on the Monster Gravel bikes. 61% ride with aerobars.

Power is of course an important topic in the Balkans too. 41% rely on a hub dynamo – the majority on SON.

Drivetrain: SRAM dominates with wireless and 12 speeds

Let’s move on to the drivetrain: SRAM is the groupset brand of choice. With a 41% share, electronic shifting is very common.

Primarily the SRAM AXS models, but there were also new Shimano Di2 models. 19% ride with the SRAM Transmission – the preferred model being the SRAM GX.

In the field I also spotted a Rohloff and a single speed.

As expected, 12-speed drivetrains dominate. Cassettes in use are primarily 10-52 and 10-51. That makes sense given the gradients.

Which is why many also opt for small chainrings up front: 32t or 30t. And the dominance of 1x drivetrains is by now standard practice.

Wheels & Tires: A new heir to the throne on 29 inches?

Similarly dominant are 29er wheels. Carbon has now become the leading rim material. This is also a trend seen at the other ultra races I analyze at Bikeanalytics.

Looking at the tires: models from Vittoria, Continental and Schwalbe are the most commonly used.

Alongside the classic Vittoria Mezcal, the Continental Dubnital is now embarking on its triumphal march as the successor to the Race King. The well-known Schwalbe ultra combo of Racing Ralph and Ray was also frequently used.

In terms of tire widths, 2.25 and 2.4 inches are tied. I would probably also opt for 2.4 inches there.

Bags & Setup: The comeback of the rack

I also attempted to analyze the navigation devices. There weren’t many entries, but primarily the Garmin 1040/Solar and Coros Dura are in use.

Things get interesting with the bag brands: Tailfin leads the way and 23% ride with the Tailfin Rack. This time however I looked more closely and recorded independently of manufacturer who is generally riding with a rack (whether Tailfin, Ortlieb or others). That’s quite a lot at 41%.

It seems as though the rack, once so frowned upon in the bikepacking scene, is slowly coming back into vogue – and simply makes sense in hard, performance-oriented use.

Finally, a look at bike brands. The data here was rather limited, but most bikes in the field come from Specialized, followed by Salsa and Canyon.

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