Pro(moter) bike: The Mid South founder Bobby Wintle’s Moots Routt 45
The Mid South founder Bobby Wintle says the best gear for his race depends on the weather. His own bike, a Moots Routt 45, features prototype tires and Shimano components.
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
What is the best bike and tire set-up for The Mid South, the Oklahoma gravel race formerly known as Land Run 100, where the red clay can turn to Quikrete-like mud? Well, ask the founder, Bobby Wintle, who co-owns District Bicycles with his wife Crystal.
Wintle’s titanium Moots Routt 45 features a mix of Shimano Ultegra Di2 shifters with XTR cranks, pedals, and derailleur.
Related:
- Gallery: Gravel, mud, and hugs at Land Run 100
- Running on empty at Land Run 100
- Q&A: How Payson McElveen won Land Run with boredom and a track-stand sprint
The key question for any gravel race is, what is the best tire? At The Mid South, the answer depends tremendously on the weather.
“If it’s wet, you want clearance between your tires and your frame and fork, so a 35mm is best,” Wintle said. “If it’s dry, put in the fattest, funnest thing you want!”
Wintle is currently testing prototype Vittoria Mezcal Graphene 2.0 tires, which have a healthy tread pattern. He’d recommend that or a Vittoria Wet for muddy conditions.
For dry conditions, Wintle recommends a 40mm Vittoria Dry or Zero, which have file-tread and completely smooth center strips, respectively.
Wintle is far too busy working at The Mid South to get to race. He is at the start / finish line from before dawn to 16 hours after the start. And, every year, he hugs each and every person who comes across the line.
For his own racing adventures, the longer the better for Wintle. Dirty Kanza 200? Of course, but that’s child’s play. How about the DKXL, the 350-mile odyssey he was happy to do. Or the Tour Divide, from Canada to Mexico?
“I love to compete, but I’m not fast,” Wintle said. “So I compete against the course.”
Scroll through the pictures below for a closer look at Wintle’s set-up. And no, he doesn’t use a computer of any sort. For rides or races that require navigation, he’ll use his phone on airplane mode with RideWithGPS.
