Ok so i'm rather loving xc riding after becoming a convert from DH recently i'm going to Afan on thursday and just wondered what its like there. I currently have 2.0 mountain kings and love how they let the bike move about but also roll well. I have only ever xc'd the Quantocks.
Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

Kenda SB8's if its dry

Just about anything works IMO as it doesn't get muddy or loose.

It's funny how some people like MKs for exactly the reasons I don't! I'm just not a drifty rider I guess.

We have found most tyres work well there, i'm running high rollers and swear by them! (2.35 single ply kevlar).
The 2.35 high rollers are more like a 2.10 so just right for trail/am type stuff. I've found they grip well on the rocky/rooty climbs and are even better on the downhill!

MK's are good tyres but afan requires something else all together like SB8s or HRs.

Seriously if you ride teh MKs there you will come a cropper and maybe even DIE

Anything that works in the Quantocks will be fine at Afan.

High Roller 2.35 single ply on the front, cheeky "can't be bothered to change tubeless set up" of Swalbe Nobbly Nic on the back for less rolling resistance- worked brilliantly on Saturday.
Did W2 and Penhydd in just on 4hrs, and enjoyed ever second of the descents with the HR up front. So much more positive than other tyres I've used there ( Kendas, Nobbly Nics, Panracers etc)

Here's my 10 yr old daughter on Joyrider section of Skyline earlier this year. I think she's running Conti Explorer 2.1s on her rigid 1*8 Islabike…but I'll check when she gets home from Brownies if you like.

Thanks very much guys, i think i might stick with what I have as they arent ruled out by everyone and in my head high rollers on a hardtail with flat bars doesnt work.

"in my head high rollers on a hardtail with flat bars doesnt work."

😯

gwaelod wins by a country mile.

Sorry to repeat JoB but is anyone else thinking "are you sh*tting us?"

rob1984p – Member

in my head high rollers on a hardtail with flat bars doesnt work.

cynic-al – Member

gwaelod wins by a country mile.

Sorry to repeat JoB but is anyone else thinking "are you sh*tting us?"

Yes I'm thinking that too.

I get where he's coming from. I've only ever used HR on my DH bike, so the thought of putting them on my trail bike, let alone a flat barred hardtail seems alien to me. Just one of those things in your head, like bar ends and flat bars.

tree-magnet – Member

I get where he's coming from. I've only ever used HR on my DH bike, so the thought of putting them on my trail bike, let alone a flat barred hardtail seems alien to me. Just one of those things in your head, like bar ends and flat bars.

But tyres have no bearing on bar shape and vice versa.

I didn't say they did. I said it was a pschological thing. I associate HR's with my DH bike, so wouldn't put them on my hardtail with flat bars, as IMO that's where my trailblasters/advantages go. If they made a 2.5 DH kenda small block 8, I wouldn't put it on my DH bike as I think of it as an XC tyre. I'm blinkered like that.

and in my head high rollers on a hardtail with flat bars doesnt work.

Clearly you haven't seen the 2.1 high rollers!

To all who think im mad; I am, but I dont remember ever having had maxxis tyres other than dual ply 2.5's on my DH bike. Indeed I have never seen 2.1 high rollers; surely heavy even as single ply?

They come up pretty skinny.

Are you the guy from SJS who I was riding with at Gawton earlier this year, with the Warwick boys? In which case, I don't think you'll have any trouble with Afan, even on a set of bald Panaracer Darts.

2.1 HRs are more like 1.75s and about 490g

Anything round and rubbery will be fine at Afan (as gwaelod's daughter has proved – top marks for her, by the way). Nice grippy, well-drained surface for 95% of the trails at Afan. Take whatever happens to be on your bike so long as it isn't dual-ply.

surely the fact you use them on your DH bike means they are good tyres, no?

for the record I ride the same tyres on my trail bike as I do on my DH bike (minion F, High Roller R), just skinner versions.

you don't need other tyres than that (oh OK the odd crossmark on the back now and again)

Maxxis ADvantage?

Mr Agreeable, I was indeed their with Dan and the boys; I love that place. I'll take your comment about bold tyres as a compliment 😀 were you one of the Warwick lot, if so was your girlfriend the cake godess?

I will have to pay more attention to rubber, dasnut i think i may have been unclear about my misconceptions anything i consider a dh tyre regardless of dual or single ply is going to be heavy; apparently not!

So my half worn mountain kings worked briliantly which is great as I didn't spend a penny on new kit and had a pretty cool although a bit manufactured feeling days riding. Ground was a bit damp with a few puddles.

I'm running semi slicks there this weekend, it must be dry as a bone.

EDIT or maybe not.

I rode Whites Level with Schwalbe Racing Ralphs yesterday, and then 2.35 High Rollers today. High Rollers were much better on the downs, but more draggy than the RRs.

Kind of what you'd expect really, but I certainly had more fun with the HRs

[thread hijack]

What bike for a weekend at afan and 'the gap' ?

Ibis mojo or Cotic simple singlespeed?

was your girlfriend the cake godess?

That's her. 🙂

Maxxis Minions all the way mate.
If wet you could put a 42a sticky on the front and 60a on the rear.

But if you like more speed put a front 60a on the rear.

Mr Agreeable if you fancy xc on the Quantocks let me know and i'll be well up for it; email in profile.