RaceDaySetup tools
Race smarter.
Ride faster.
Tire picks by race, gear reviews, and tools to dial in your setup.
- Built for XC & endurance racing
- Gear that performs and lasts
- Efficiency when it counts
Stage 01 · Tires
Tire Picks by Race
Event-specific recommendations for XC & marathon courses.
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2026 Moab Rocks Tire Picks
What I ran for the 2025 Moab Rocks stage race, how it held up on Porcupine Rim, and the tire setups I'd recommend for speed, control, and durability in Moab.
Read the picks → -
2026 Sea Otter Fuego XL — Time to Break Out the Fast Rubber
Tire recommendations for the Sea Otter Fuego XL based on two years of racing: a fast course with fireroads, smooth singletrack, sandy corners, and very low flat risk.
Read the picks → -
2026 El Paso Puzzler Tire Picks — Traction in the Franklin Mountains
Best MTB tire setups for the El Paso Puzzler in the Franklin Mountains of El Paso. Tire recommendations for loose desert trail, technical climbing, and flat risk.
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2025 Austin Rattler Tire Picks — Best XC Setups for Reveille Peak Ranch
Best MTB tire setups for the Austin Rattler at Reveille Peak Ranch — fast granite slabs, loose fire roads, and caliche drags. Roll quick, stay upright through the creek-bed rock garden, and keep those thorns sealed.
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2025 Little Sugar MTB Tire Picks — The Tire That Survived
Best MTB tire setups for the Little Sugar 100K in Bentonville, AR — a dry, loose, and brutally sharp course that destroyed countless tires. See what actually made it to the finish line (and what to run if it rains).
Read the picks → -
2025 Chequamegon 40 Tire Picks – Firetower Grip, Birkie Speed
Tire advice for the Chequamegon MTB Festival (Cheq 40) — fast Birkie ski trail, grassy rollers, and the infamous Firetower climb.
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Stage 02 · Tool
Tire Selector
Find the best mountain bike tires for your conditions in under a minute. Answer a few questions about terrain, weather, and priorities—get instant tire recommendations plus pressure guidance.
Real output · typical dry XC race
- Terrain hardpack + loose
- Conditions dry
- Priority balanced
- System 82 kg / 181 lb
Generated live from the same Tire Selector logic. Your inputs will change the picks and pressures.
Stage 03 · Deal Finder
Gear Deals
A powerful search across trusted bike retailers with no promotional nonsense to wade through, just clean results, fast price comparison, and price alerts when you want them.
Stage 04 · Gear
Featured Gear
Ridden hard and tested — gear that performs when it counts.
Dynaplug Racer Pro Review – Fast, Lightweight Tubeless Tire Plug Kit
Why I trust the Dynaplug Racer Pro to save races: lightweight, fast to deploy, and incredibly reliable. Full review + real race experience.
Maxxis Rekon Race 2.4 MaxxSpeed
Review – fast rolling XC tire for dry trails. The Maxxis Rekon Race is my go-to front tire for dry, rough XC courses. See how it performs and why it’s in my rotation.
Air-Liner Light XC Tire Insert
Insert system for rim protection and lower pressure confidence.
Precision Hydration PH 1500 Tablets
A no-nonsense sodium boost that pairs perfectly with high-carb mixes. Easy to travel with, race-tested, and essential for hydration strategy.
Topeak SmartGauge D2 Tire Pressure Gauge
A pocket-sized digital gauge that nails MTB pressures with 1psi precision.
Maxxis Aspen ST 2.4 MaxxSpeed
Semi-slick version of the Aspen. Ideal for hardpack and short track.
FR-C Pro Cargo Bib Short
A game-changing bib for long days in the saddle — breathable, secure, and zero chafing.
Schwalbe Rick XC Pro SpeedGrip 2.4
A very fast XC tire that runs closer to a 2.3 or 2.35, but delivers predictable braking, confident cornering, and surprising capability in rough terrain.
Continental Dubnital 2.4 Race Rapid
An extremely light and fast-rolling XC tire with outstanding grip for its category, but a very narrow use case in the ultra-light Race Rapid casing.
Stage 05 · Guides
Guides
Bike setup, pressures, inserts, waxing, and race-day strategy.
XC Bike Pre-Race Inspection Guide
A practical pre-race XC mountain bike inspection guide for A races and stage events: what to check on bearings, suspension, tires, drivetrain, brakes, and wear items before Breck Epic, Moab Rocks, and other big XC races.
Nutrition Product Comparison
Find the best-value cycling fuel for race day with sortable stats for gels, chews, bars, and carb drink mixes.
Hydration Product Comparison
Compare cycling electrolyte mixes, tablets, and hydration powders by sodium, carbs, caffeine, and cost per 1000mg sodium to dial in sweat replacement.
Gear Index
Everything tested and recommended — filter, search, compare.
See all gear →
Checklists
Pre-race, travel, tools, and spares — so nothing gets missed.
Open checklists →
Deal Finder
Search trusted bike retailers, compare prices quickly, and set alerts for the gear you want.
Find deals →
Course Profile Stickers
Donned by riders at Breck Epic 2026 — custom elevation profiles from your GPX.
For event organizers →
Ben Steger
XC & endurance
Finish line
About Me
I'm Ben — a full-time XC and endurance mountain bike racer with a deep obsession for optimizing race-day setups. Every recommendation you find here comes straight from real-world experience racing across some of the toughest XC courses in North America.
Follow more of the racing at BSracing.us.
Whether you're chasing your first finish or a new PR, my goal is to help riders choose gear that maximizes confidence on race day.
— Ben