What does a truly fast Atlas Mountain Race bike look like, and where are riders still leaving speed on the table?
Each year, around 300 competitors line up for the 1,432 km Atlas Mountain Race. The off-road route winds through Morocco’s Atlas and Anti-Atlas ranges, with more than 25,000 metres (82,000 feet) of climbing, making it one of the most demanding bikepacking events in the world.
The fastest riders reach the line in about four days, averaging roughly 350 km (217 miles) per day.
From a gear-optimisation standpoint, the race is especially fascinating. Small adjustments to a bike setup can translate into time savings measured in hours rather than minutes. And as the data shows, a handful of equipment choices consistently separate the fastest riders from the rest.
My analysis today will draw on data from previous winners, and we’ll also look at 117 bike setups from the 2026 edition.
A big thank you to Martin from Biketour-Global for collecting the data, and to BIKEPACKING.com for publishing the AMR bike checks, available HERE and HERE.
Historically Fast Atlas Mountain Race Bikes
Over the previous four editions, the race has been won twice on hardtails with front suspension and twice on full-suspension bikes. Every winning bike featured flat handlebars, and all but one were equipped with aero bars.
Carbon frames have dominated, with just a single exception, and the fastest setups rolled on 29″ carbon wheels. Vittoria, Continental, and Maxxis tyres have all claimed victories, and roughly two-thirds of winning bikes relied on a dynamo hub to power electronics.
Atlas Mountain Race Top-5 Bikes
The 2026 results largely reinforced historical trends – with one notable shift.
Victor Bozoni took the win on a carbon Factor full-suspension bike, running flat bars, aero bars, and 29″ carbon wheels. A new tyre brand joined the winners’ circle this year – Hutchinson – and notably, Bozoni raced without a dynamo setup.
Second place went to Ole Bjørn Smisethjell on a Trek full-suspension bike loaded with carbon components, this time paired with drop bars and no dynamo. Third place was claimed by Radek Gołębiewski on a Factor carbon mountain bike, featuring flat bars, aero bars, and again, no dynamo system.
With that context, it’s interesting to compare how the fastest riders set up their bikes versus the rest of the field – and to see whether there are opportunities to optimise those choices even further.
Handlebars
- Flat Bars – 83%
- Drop Bars – 17%
Most riders opted for flat handlebars. This is a sensible choice given the rough and variable conditions of the Atlas Mountain Race, which can include snow, mud, water, and ice.
Flat bars provide greater steering leverage than drop bars, making it easier to handle technical terrain. They also allow riders to extract more braking power, a crucial advantage when hands are fatigued after 20-hour days in the saddle.
Drop bars can be faster at higher speeds thanks to a more aerodynamic riding position, but riders who choose them are often prioritising comfort over speed.
Aero Bars
- Aero Bars – 71%
- No Aero Bars – 29%
In reality, aero bars are the key tool for riding faster over long distances, and we saw them on the top-3 bikes this year. They allow you to alter your body position and reduce frontal area, improving aerodynamics, and letting riders maintain higher speeds with less effort.
Just as importantly, aero bars provide an alternative riding position, giving the body a much-needed reprieve during ultra-distance racing. The aero position shifts pressure away from the arms, wrists, hands, and saddle, while allowing riders to stretch their backs and recruit different muscle groups.
Over consecutive 20-hour days in the saddle, those small changes in load and posture can make a substantial difference.
If you want to go further down the aero bar rabbit hole, I have a detailed article HERE.
Atlas Mountain Race Suspension
- Suspension Fork – 93%
- Rigid Fork – 7%
A major change in recent years has been the rise of suspension forks, which have increased from 22% to 93% of riders over just five years.
Suspension forks significantly improve control and reduce fatigue on the rougher sections of the course. With modern forks offering effective lockouts for smoother terrain, the primary drawback is simply the added weight.
My calculations suggest that for elite riders, the weight penalty equates to about 10 minutes per day (assuming a 90kg bike and gear, 150w power output), which is more than offset by gains in comfort and control.
- Full-Suspension – 27%
- Hardtail or Gravel – 73%
The use of full-suspension bikes is also increasing. By delivering additional traction and comfort, they can be a smart choice on a course as relentlessly rough and demanding as the Atlas Mountain Race.
Many riders also run dropper posts, which are known to transmit more trail chatter than rigid seatposts. Pairing a stiff dropper with rear suspension helps offset that harshness, effectively restoring comfort and making long days in the saddle far more manageable.
Tyres
- Vittoria – 44%
- Maxxis – 18%
- Continental – 15%
- Schwalbe – 13%
If suspension determines comfort and control, tyres determine rolling speed. Tyres are a critical component to optimise over a 1,400 km ride, as they need to strike the right balance between durability and rolling efficiency.
The most widely used tyre this year is the Vittoria Mezcal, fitted to 42% of bikes. In second place is the Continental Dubnital, which appears on 9% of setups. While Vittoria tyres have maintained their popularity year-on-year, Continental tyres are probably the fastest pick.
According to John Karrasch’s gravel tyre rolling resistance tests, the Continental Dubnital appears to roll marginally faster than similar Vittoria tyres – likely in the range of one to five watts per pair, thanks to their advanced rubber compound and sidewall design. If it were 5 watts, that’s 30 minutes of time savings per day for an elite rider.
This speed isn’t just theoretical: the Tour Divide record in the USA has been broken three times on Continental tyres.
However, that speed comes at a cost: Dubnitals offer about 25% less puncture resistance through the tread compared to Mezcals. Riders will need to decide whether the reduced durability is worth the gain in efficiency, instead of relying on the best tubeless sealants to fix any holes.
Atlas Mountain Race Wheel Diameter
- 29″ Wheels – 92%
- 27.5″ Wheels – 8%
Beyond tyres, wheel size plays an equally decisive role. Two wheel sizes are in use at this year’s Atlas Mountain Race: 27.5″ and 29″.
Of the two, 29″ wheels are the clear favourite. Their larger diameter reduces the “angle of attack” when rolling over obstacles, resulting in smoother progress and higher average speeds. It’s no coincidence that all of the fastest riders are on 29ers.
It will be interesting to see whether 32″ wheels appear in future editions of the race. The physics behind larger wheel diameters is sound (my analysis of 32″ wheels is HERE), and this terrain is close to ideal for exploiting their advantages.
Rim material choices are even more one-sided. An eye-catching 93% of riders are running carbon rims, despite the cost, while just 7% have opted for aluminium.
Carbon rims generally offer a superior strength-to-weight ratio, making them an attractive upgrade for riders looking to reduce weight without compromising durability – budget permitting.
Dynamo Hubs
- Dynamo Hub – 44%
- Regular Front Hub – 56%
Dynamo hubs have long been popular at ultra-endurance events like the Atlas Mountain Race, providing a self-sufficient power source with relatively low drag – typically around 5 to 10 watts when actively charging lights or devices, and almost negligible when not in use.
That said, dynamo systems are gradually falling out of favour in ultra-distance racing as battery and lighting technology continue to advance rapidly.
Modern GPS devices now offer extremely long battery life, often supplemented by integrated solar charging. Battery-powered lights deliver longer runtimes and far higher peak brightness than dynamo systems, making it easier to ride fast and safely through technical terrain at night.
Power banks have also improved dramatically. Many now support fast charging at 60 to 140 watts, allowing riders to gain multiple days’ worth of power from a short stop at a wall socket. You can now buy a compact battery pack that fully recharges in under an hour – enough for two full smartphone charges plus up to 19 hours of lighting at 600 lumens.
I can personally recommend the Anker 737 power bank with 140-watt fast charging HERE. I’ve measured it to fill its entire 24000 mAh in just 48 minutes! Alternatively, a thinner, lighter and cheaper battery with 60-watt fast charging is the Baseus Blade HERE. I’ve measured it to fill its 20000 mAh in 1 hour and 45 minutes.
For riders chasing outright speed, eliminating the 5 to 10 watts of drag associated with a dynamo could realistically translate into time savings of 30 minutes per day for an elite rider.
Frame Materials
- Carbon – 62%
- Steel – 15%
- Aluminium – 13%
- Titanium – 9%
Carbon is the most popular frame material at the Atlas Mountain Race, chosen by roughly two-thirds of riders. Steel follows at 15%, aluminium at 13%, and titanium at just 5%.
Among the front of the field, carbon dominates even more strongly. The reason is straightforward: most carbon frames weigh around 1.0 kg, while titanium frames are closer to 2.0 kg, and steel frames typically land between 2.5 and 3.0 kg. Saving the full two kilograms from a bike could save 15 minutes per day (70kg rider, 150W output), given the amount of climbing.
Interestingly, titanium frames are around three times less common at the Atlas Mountain Race than at the Tour Divide. The most plausible explanation may simply be regional preference – North American riders seem to have a particular fondness for shiny titanium bikes.
Atlas Mountain Race Bike Brands
- Specialized – 13%
- Canyon – 9%
- Trek – 6%
- Scott – 6%
- Cannondale – 5%
- Santa Cruz – 5%
- Orbea – 5%
Unlike tyres, suspension, or dynamo choice, brand choice appears to have minimal correlation with finishing position.
Specialized is the most popular brand at the Atlas Mountain Race, accounting for 13% of all bikes. Given the brand’s long track record of producing highly capable cross-country race bikes, this result is unsurprising.
Canyon ranks second, with its direct-to-consumer business model offering excellent value for money. The remainder of the field is made up of a broad mix of other major brands.
Drivetrain Choice
- 1X – 94%
- 2X – 3%
- Singlespeed – 2%
- IGH – 1%
Among derailleur-equipped bikes, 1X drivetrains are overwhelmingly dominant, appearing on 94% of setups. That’s to be expected given the Atlas Mountain Race’s rugged terrain, which favours modern mountain bikes that can accommodate wide tyres and very low gearing.
SRAM is the most common drivetrain brand, used by 62% of riders, and SRAM GX is the single most popular model at 36%.
Mechanical shifting remains the majority choice, but electronic shifting continues to gain ground and now appears on 38% of bikes.
Internal gear hub bikes are extremely rare at the AMR, largely due to their additional weight and higher drivetrain drag. This year, just one rider opted for a Rohloff 14-speed hub.
Luggage
- Tailfin – 41%
- Apidura – 26%
- Revelate – 12%
- Ortlieb – 12%
When it comes to luggage, Tailfin is by far the dominant brand in the field.
The reasons are easy to see. Tailfin’s systems are exceptionally well engineered: the seat packs are rack-supported to eliminate sway, open from the top rather than the end for easier access, and can be used on full-suspension bikes thanks to a built-in pivot. Once installed, Tailfin’s accessory bags also lock securely into place, further improving stability and reliability.
Apidura, the long-time leader in bikepacking luggage, remains very popular, with around a quarter of riders using its bags.
Where the Biggest Time Gains Are For Elite Riders
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Tyre rolling resistance (up to 30 min per day)
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Dynamo drag (up to 30 min per day)
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Weight savings (10-15 min per day, depending on the component)
Summary
The Atlas Mountain Race rewards efficiency, durability, and comfort. Today’s fastest bikes are lightweight carbon full-suspension rigs with flat bars, aero extensions, carbon wheels, and fast-rolling tyres – increasingly without dynamos.
For elite riders, the biggest time gains come from tyre choice, shedding dynamo drag, and saving weight.
Will 32″ wheels or full suspension become the default in future editions? And will dynamo hubs continue to fade? We’ll find out soon enough.
