That's awesome! Great community supporting this event out there.

Should I value the thicker Bontreger XR4 tires with thicker sidewalls but much slower rolling resistance, or the fast rolling Maxxis Ardent Race EXO for the rear and Minion DHF up front of my original setup?  I mounted up a pair of Bontreger XR4 Team tires that I got on a pretty good deal and filled them up with a healthy amount of Stans and took them for a couple test rides.  First thing I noticed was the width, I was worried at first that the 2.4 XR4s would be too big on paper for the rear triangle on my v3 Tallboy but surprisingly they were smaller than the 2.35 Maxxis on the bike.  The trails here have been kinda wet so I have doing mostly road/gravel roads but the XR4s seem to have a lot of rolling resistance especially on hills. The Ardent and Minion seemed extremely fast rolling, the only thing I'm worried about is if the Maxxis sidewalls and tires in general will hold up to 300 miles of the AZT. So far I have had zero problems with the Maxxis setup on the broken granite here on the front range in CO, but I haven't done any trails in AZ yet but they seem similar. The XR4 seems tougher and has ticker sidewalls, and the taller lugs gripped so much they were spitting gravel all over the place. But they were also so slow compared to the Ardent Race and Minion DHF it was annoying, and I'm not sure if that's going to drive me crazy or if i'll wish I had better sidewall protection than the EXO can provide. Any help is appreciated, Thanks.

Is the 2011 waypoint file the latest AZT 300 file, or is there a more updated version? I'm looking on the new site directory here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1aYMHVytNK6H_qJqqmIcGKaigrGDsLsCW

I'm throwing my hat in the ring! Count me in on April 18th 2019 for the 300!! I've been dreaming of doing it for some time but never committed to it until this year, and I'm super stoked to line up at the start in Parker Canyon Lake April 18th! Thanks to everyone that helps organize this event especially, Scott Morris, John Schilingsworth, and for the wealth of information on the oneofsevenproject.com site by Craig Fowler and the many other like minds on this forum.

That’s awesome! Real world experience was what I was looking for. The Spearfish is 24lbs and the Horse is 29lbs according to Salsas website. Did you ever think it was too heavy or that the Spearfish would have been better because of its weight? And over long rides day after day was  the extra suspension adding to your comfort and soeed or taking away?  Or is the suspension and weight differences between the two negligible?

I posted this in another forum and thought I might post it here to get a few more responses.
For events like the AZTR and the CTR, what would be a better choice in bikes, the Salsa Spearfish or the Horsethief? I am looking at racing them not this year but soon and just want to make a good decision that I won't regret later on. I have ridden them both for a few hours on a demo before and really liked both of them. I have never raced a route before but am really looking forward to it, I have just toured a few and never for as long as the AZT300 or the 750. How are these bikes going to feel day after day. Is there even a clear winner or is more of your personal choice. I can see that the trend of longer travel bikes is becoming a thing with Jesse Jakomait setting the CTR record on a GT sensor which is not an ultralight rig which says that these races can be done many different ways still be very competitive.

Which one would be better for events like the AZT/CTR. I have decided that I want the full squish on these rough trails.  Also what size tires and with 27.5(650b) becoming a thing again, would any of you choose that size over a 29er rim? I have ridden both bikes and both feel great, the Spearfish is lighter and a little more precise, and the Horsethief seemed bigger and heavier but also more forgiving on the the trail with picking your lines.  However I don't have enough experience on these two bikes to know how they are on multiday events. I am 6 foot tall and around 200 lbs and wanting to get down to 190 185 if that helps. And if not these two, what would you recommend?

I will be in Flagstaff this summer for a week or two and am considering giving the Coconino a try either in August or I could take the trip in June and do it then. My guess is that August would be pretty hot and dry making it harder to find water and also necessitate carrying more water between stops. Any thoughts or opinions on August or June will help.