Got some i23s. Need some tires to put on em.
I’m in New England.
HT trail riding, no racing.
29"
I can shop bro Spec and Q.
Go.
[quote=Mr. Bear][quote=deadforkinglast]Crossmarks are semi-slicks, basically. You’re a faster rider than me, but I had a hard time feeling very confident with a Crossmark in the front just because I felt like I couldn’t get it to hook up for any reliable front braking at all once shit got steep. My old coworker ran Crossmarks F/R at the Downieville classic a few years ago and it sounded like the sketchiest thing ever. 35+ mph on dirt and rocks with no real way to even slow down.
I liked running the crossmark on the rear and a super grippy front, like a Minion.
Probably my favorite XC/trail combination for when shit was soft and a little muddy was a WTB Wolverine in the back and a Bronson in the front. Acceptably fast-rolling, but lots of confidence-inspiring grip going up and down.
Best tire I’ve ever been on for really muddy days was a Kenda Blue Groove. Similar to a Nevegal, but the knobs are larger, taller and further apart, so they don’t prevent each other from working. That thing was sloooooow, though. Which was fine in the mud, but pretty shitty on the fire road climb.
I have some conti Trail Kings on my hardtail that seemed pretty good at hooking up on the front or the rear and made me feel pretty confident. Not the fastest, but if you’re just getting started, I’d much rather have some grippier tires that gave a bit more confidence and rolled a bit slower than be out there on fast-rolling tires that sketched me out going down.[/quote]
The fastest dude I know who races DVille (won expert, 5th overall in pro) did so on a Weirwolf front and rear combo. Second fastest was Weirwolf front and Wolverine rear. Once these Hans Dampfs die (they are getting close) I am going Weirwolf front and Wolverine rear.[/quote]
Racing Ralphs
Or Nobby Nic front, RR rear
ladyfriend getting lust 2 fs 27.5.
PA rocks and such.
I’ve enjoyed my Ardent 2.4 in front, 2.25 in the rear. Looks like they only have 2.25 in 650b.
Ugh, why can’t her bike come with the tlr racing ralphs?
Conti Mtn kings. If it gets dry/packed up there you can maybe substitute a Conti x-king in the rear. Also, the only thing I know about trail conditions up there I learned at Highland in NH. I actually have no idea what it’s like outside the parks.
Two things about conti tires I have experienced…
the non tubeless jawns used to work well but starting mid last year everything we started seeing had SUPER porous sidewalls. so bad they would just keep weeping fluid and often took days to finally set up.
the tubeless ones setup hella good but for some reason the rubber wears on the sidewalls pretty fast and they are pretty stiff compared to some of the other tubeless specific tires we have been dealing with.
[quote=DDYTDY]Racing Ralphs
Or Nobby Nic front, RR rear[/quote]
and in NE rocks you prob want snakeskin
the current version of the Ralph SS is still fairly flexible
You have to use the protection casings if you want to go tubeless. You aren’t lying about the stiffness though.
No mention on hans dampf? wtf
it’s really terrific, a tire you can ride uphill and mini-DH on
but pretty overkill on a hardtail, esp on the rear
[quote=Endpoint]Two things about conti tires I have experienced…
the non tubeless jawns used to work well but starting mid last year everything we started seeing had SUPER porous sidewalls. so bad they would just keep weeping fluid and often took days to finally set up.[/quote]
godfuckingdamnit, but thanks for saving me from buying some for the elephant
do they eventually seal up well enough to be removed and reinstalled with less drama?
so fucking stiff
Braden, any of the Specialized tires you like for front/rear?
[quote=match avatar][quote=Endpoint]Two things about conti tires I have experienced…
the non tubeless jawns used to work well but starting mid last year everything we started seeing had SUPER porous sidewalls. so bad they would just keep weeping fluid and often took days to finally set up.[/quote]
godfuckingdamnit, but thanks for saving me from buying some for the elephant
do they eventually seal up well enough to be removed and reinstalled with less drama[/quote]
Sometimes maybe. I set up and re-stansed several times a few dozen that came specced on our lower end salsas with mostly negative results before I stopped trying.
I have a personal vendetta against specialized 2bliss stuff ever since the bead separated from the casing on my ride at downieville. smooth section where I pumped through a dip. Luckily my friend gave me a wtb moto at the beginning of the ride and said “specialized tubeless? you’ll want to carry a spare tire today”. His experience was that they’re built too lightweight and thought they got easy sidewall tears. The separated bead was probably an isolated incident.
that said, only other actual tubeless tires I’ve used have been mostly wtb, and one michelin. the michelin wild grip’r is great on front, but doesn’t roll the quickest and is best suited to the mini-dh/all mtn life. I’ve been using a 2.5 weirwolf lt front/prowler mx rear on my 29er and love it, but wtb no longer makes those tires. I fully support the weirwolf up front, wolverine looks like a great back tire. I’d be interested in the nine line as a rear as well.
no experience with the schwalbe stuff. Honestly I’m too cheap to drop money on them when wtb is giving me most of it and is priced so well for the american market (plus they’ll bro deal out any shop person).
and the tcs tire and rim combo with a little sealant will inflate with a hand pump. I’ve gotten the wire bead wtb tires to set up tubeless fine, but you need a compressor to get them to seat.
American MSRP on the Schwalbe stuff is fucking TRIPLE the euro retail
we just buy em from overseas
audible lulz
I’ve been liking my captain after my conti exploded and they refused to warranty it despite that it was so out of round it was unrideable.
fucking conti.
What’s the turdliness level of the current Maxxis EXO casing?
Anyone fondled or ridden the new Ardent Race? http://www.maxxis.com/catalog/tire-465-121-ardent-race
Just mounted up the specialized tracer pro 2bliss without much trouble on the 29xc enve wheel set.
did the ghetto way with cut valve from a tube and shaved it down to fit in there perfectly.
The HD is the best gripping tire I have ever ridden but they are overkill unless you are quite fast downhill and riding a 5"+ travel bike. They also don’t last for shit.