Bike Check: Lachlan Morton’s Tour Divide Bike Setup

Plan / Bikepacking Gear Lists

In Tailfin’s latest video, Lachlan Morton walks through his gear list and the rationale behind the bike and setup he chose for his incredible sub-13-day ride down the Tour Divide route from Banff, Canada, to Antelope Wells, New Mexico. Watch it and find a kit list here…

compose Logan Watts
time Sep 21, 2023
comment 19

For those unaware, Lachlan Morton recently rode the Tour Divide route in a mind-bogglingly fast 12 days, 12 hours, and 21 minutes. Despite this blistering time, he didn’t skimp on packing space, perhaps proving that panniers can be just as fast as other bags. As you’ll see in this bike check video from Tailfin, he wanted room to pack plenty of food and supplies on his Cannondale Scalpel hardtail. This would ensure that he could remain completely self-sufficient and well-nourished during the more remote sections of the route when he needed to carry 30 hours’ worth of food and water. Dig into the details and the reasons behind the bike and kit setup in the video below and find the kit list further down.

  • Lachlan Morton Tour Divide
  • Lachlan Morton Tour Divide
  • Lachlan Morton Tour Divide

As a sponsored rider and part of Tailfin’s R&D Division, Lachlan used a prototype frame bag and a unique new AeroPack top bag design to provide Tailfin with feedback for future product development. He also opted to use a set of standard production 10L Mini Panniers, a 1.1L Top Tube Pack (in prototype material), a 3L Downtube Pack, and a 3L Downtube Pack under his aerobars. Here’s his bike kit list:

  • Frame: Cannondale Scalpel Hi-Mod Ultimate hardtail
  • Fork: Cannondale Lefty Ocho, 100mm travel
  • Drivetrain: SRAM XX1 AXS, 38T chainring, 10-52t cassette
  • Brakes: SRAM Level Ultimate
  • Wheels: FSA Gradient Off-road i29
  • Tyres: Vittoria Mezcal Graphene 2.0 29×2.35” with Airliner Light XC inserts
  • Handlebar: FSA KFX Carbon flat bar cut 64cm with FSA TT extensions
  • Stem: FSA adjustable
  • Seatpost: FSA Flowtron XC dropper
  • Saddle: Prologo Scratch M5 Space
  • GPS: Wahoo Elemnt Bolt
  • Under bar: 1.7L Cage Pack + Cargo Straps
  • Top tube: 1.1L zipped Top Tube Pack (prototype form)
  • Frame: Prototype full frame bag
  • Downtube: 1.7L Downtube pack
  • Rear: Prototype Carbon AeroPack with 2x production 10L Mini Panniers

Further Reading

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