Bikeanalytics Silk Road Mountain Race 2026: Bikes, Tech, and a Look Back
At 2,050km and 35,500 meters of elevation gain, the Silk Road Mountain Race is this year’s longest edition and also has the most elevation gain. A total of 229 participants lined up at the start, which was once again in Talas this year.
Talas and My SRMR
And this starting location brings back a lot of memories for me, because in 2021 Tobias and I finished the SRMR, and the start was also in Talas. Back then, though, the adventure began in Bishkek, with a 300km transport of bikes and riders to the west.
That didn’t quite go as planned, and we initially ended up without bikes or gear at a wedding celebration, were then relocated to a kind of hotel – more of a lost place, really – before the bikes arrived at 3am, and we then started shortly after 4am.
As in previous years, I’ve once again put together an analysis of bikes and gear, based on the two extensive articles from Bikepacking.com, “Rigs of SRMR 2026 – Part 1” and “Rigs of SRMR 2026 – Part 2”.
This time I needed a bit more time for the analysis, partly because I was out riding my bike. In return, though, you’ll not only get the usual deep insights into bike tech and gear, but also historical context and references.
Distance and Elevation Gain Compared
The Silk Road Mountain Race is synonymous with hardship, challenges, suffering, and joy, and stands for one of the most demanding bikepacking ultra races in the world.
If you look at the SRMR editions since 2018 (2020 was cancelled due to Corona), you can clearly see the development in distance and elevation gain:
What once started at 1,700km and just 26,000 meters of elevation gain is now a real beast, at over 2,000km and more than 35,000 meters of elevation gain. Nelson Trees (the race director) also does his part to open up new corners and keep the track varied. In a country like Kyrgyzstan, that quickly adds up to more kilometers and elevation gain.
Participants and Scratch Rate
The development of participant numbers and scratch rates is also interesting: the inaugural edition in 2018 attracted 93 people, 68% of whom had to scratch. Many had underestimated the race and the conditions, and the weather also gave it everything it had.
Many will surely still remember the snowstorm on the Kegeti Pass, which was so wonderfully documented in the film “Wild Horses.”
After a brief drop, the scratch rate has settled at around 45%, and the number of participants rose significantly to over 200 last year and this year.
By the way, I pulled the data from Dotwatcher.cc – you can also find the historical records and rider lists there.
The Bikes and the Gear
But now to the bikes of the Silk Road Mountain Race and their setups. Here too, wherever it made sense, I was able to draw historical comparisons that nicely illustrate the development.
Bike Type and Suspension
When it comes to bike type, the majority naturally choose the MTB. This year, though, there are also more monster gravel bikes at the start again – which are essentially MTBs at their core, just with drop bars.
However, the share of full-suspension bikes has risen further, now at 31%. 96% are riding with suspension.
Looking at the historical development, you can see how quickly it became clear that you don’t get far in Kyrgyzstan without suspension, or rather, how much more comfortable it is with it.
In 2019, only 47% had suspension; today it’s almost 50 percentage points more. And since 2024, full-suspension bikes have also been growing steadily in popularity. That said, I’ve only been tracking this category since 2024.
Frame Material
When it comes to frame material, the majority still relies on carbon. This time, though, it’s followed by titanium, which managed to push steel down to third place.
Historically, carbon has always been in the lead and has further extended its dominance. Steel and titanium frames have consistently traded places in popularity.
Suspension Fork and Travel
Back to suspension: the majority go for Rockshox models when it comes to the fork, specifically the Rockshox SID. Fox comes in behind that. And since last year, you also keep seeing forks from Manitou, which make up 3% this year.
In terms of travel, the field is mainly split between 100mm and 120mm, with 29% opting for the latter.
Cockpit: Handlebars and Aero Bars
The high share of MTBs is of course also reflected in the 85% share of flat bars. Drop bars appear on monster gravel bikes, but 78% ride with aero bars/extensions.
Historically, aero bars have been enjoying growing popularity, and they also make sense in terms of relieving pressure and offering extra mounting options for luggage. Drop bars have declined further, though that’s down to the nature of the race. Monster gravel bikes – the combination of MTB and drop bar – will, in my view, gain a bit more ground though, since they’re often more comfortable on long distances.
Power Supply: Hub Dynamo vs. Power Bank
An important topic, of course, is power supply on the road. Here, 47% rely on a hub dynamo – the rest ride with power banks. 88% of the hub dynamos fitted are from SON. This year I spotted a sidewall dynamo from Pedalcell. Very interesting.
Historically, the share of hub dynamos has continued to decline. That may also be because battery-powered lights offer more brightness and also provide steady light while stationary.
That issue, though, has been addressed not least by the SON Ladelux light, which, as a dynamo-powered light, also has a very good standlight. But it’s probably also always a question of the effort involved in converting a front wheel to a dynamo, not to mention the cost and possible added risk of mechanical failure. Currently it’s roughly 50/50 in terms of hub dynamo vs. power bank usage.
Drivetrain: SRAM vs. Shimano
When it comes to drivetrains, there are really only two brands left slugging it out: SRAM and Shimano. I found only very few alternative brands – this year also no Pinion or Rohloff (which, in my view, don’t really make sense here anyway).
SRAM dominates with 56%, ahead of Shimano at 36%. Historically, though, things have been more volatile, since SRAM and Shimano were nearly neck and neck in 2024 and 2025, before SRAM again pulled ahead by +20 percentage points this year.
In my view, that’s down to SRAM’s simply very strong technical offering, including when it comes to electronic drivetrains.
The share of these electronic drivetrains is at a record high this year at 41%. Among them are also the new electronic drivetrains from Shimano. The majority, though, are from SRAM, and in particular the very robust SRAM Transmission has a 28% share of the field. Among the individual models, SRAM GX and Shimano XT are especially popular.
Historically, the share of electronic drivetrains has been steadily increasing. That has a lot to do with the reliability of these models and their compatibility with one another.
12-Speed, 1x: The Drivetrain Setup
The drivetrain question is now clearly decided: 85% ride 12-speed and only 5% still use 11-speed cassettes. The high share of 10-52 cassettes reflects SRAM’s dominance, followed by Shimano’s 10-51 cassettes.
Historically, 12-speed established itself very quickly. By 2022 at the latest, it had become the new standard in the Tian Shan.
Chainring Sizes
Where things get mountainous, you’re well advised to adjust your chainring accordingly. In the early days of the Mountain Races, there were still participants running gravel gearing with 40-tooth chainrings. Fortunately, word has gotten around almost everywhere by now that this is nonsense. The majority start with a 30-tooth ring up front, followed by 32t.
This year I was also able to note something special: for the first time, 100% of the bikes I recorded had a 1x drivetrain at the start. Historically, there were participants running a 2x setup up front for quite a long time. But as you can see, this share has steadily decreased in recent years, and this year we’re at 100% 1x.
Looking at the development of chainring sizes over the years, you see a fairly mixed picture. At its core, though, the sweet spot remains 30-32t.
Wheels
For wheels, the share of 29-inch sizes has risen to 98%. I only found one bike with 700c and one with 27.5 inches.
Viewed historically, this development is impressive too. I’m curious, though, when we’ll see the first 32-inch bikes at the SRMR.
Rim Material
When it comes to rim material, the majority go with carbon. This year, 13% were riding with aluminum rims.
And here too, you can see very clearly over time how aluminum rims have been overtaken by carbon models.
Tires: Brands and Models
An interesting development in tires: Vittoria defends its lead, but Conti is now slowly closing in as a challenger, having made a strong impression this year especially with the new Dubnital.
15% of participants had this tire fitted. Also interesting is the Vittoria Barzo, which was also fitted frequently.
Historically, you can see very clearly how Vittoria has been climbing (thanks to the Mezcal) and how Maxxis has been losing significance. Since 2024, I’ve also been recording more Conti tires again, and as I said, they’re showing good growth with the Dubnital. It wouldn’t surprise me if we see further growth here.
Tire Width
For tire width, the majority chose 2.4 inches. 20 percentage points behind are the 2.2/2.25-inch and 2.3/2.35-inch widths.
Here too, you can clearly see historically how 2.4 inches has become dominant, while the narrower widths lose relevance in the Tian Shan.
Navigation
This year I was especially pleased that Bikepacking.com explicitly asked about navigation devices too. In the past, I could only piece this together laboriously and incompletely from the write-ups or photos.
What stands out especially this time is that the Coros Dura is the GPS device of choice: 41% of participants use it. Just as many rely on Garmin devices, with 18% on the Garmin 1040 (Solar). Wahoo is in third place with a total of 14% – Hammerhead has only 3%.
Bags and Racks
A particular kind of dominance can be seen with bikepacking bags: Tailfin has left the competition far behind this year: 75% ride with bags from the British brand, and 51% of all participants are running Tailfin racks.
Speaking of racks: I now record these separately: a total of 70% of participants are riding with racks. A surprisingly high share.
Historically, the development in bikepacking bags is quite interesting: I first recorded Tailfin in 2022, when they started out at 20%. From there you can see how they’ve steadily expanded their share over the years. Over the same period, Apidura, Revelate, and Ortlieb have been losing ground. Only Restrap is currently gaining a bit.
Bike Brands
When it comes to bike brands, there are few surprises: the big manufacturers of carbon MTBs and full-suspension bikes dominate here.
Average Age
And finally, a look at the average age: this year it stands at 40.6 years. This means the field of riders has gotten somewhat older again this year and last.
That’s it for the analysis. If you spot any mistakes, please let me know. There’s a huge amount of data here, and inaccuracies can slip in. In any case, I hope you found it interesting, and that it might even help you prepare for the SRMR or your next bikepacking trip.
