My last road ride on the Zaskar was 50 miles from one end of the South Rim of the Grand Canyon to the other and back. My buddy who always packs like he's driving an RV had to bring a road bike because one of the six rides we were planning happened to be on pavement. He got beat. If I had been riding my full suspension bike, and it's not a cheap one, that extra 1-2 mph would not have been there. I guess that means I'll stick to my original assertion, hardtail all the way, especially if you're looking at 50% road.