righty, ive decided im going to get a butcher control (running tubeless for the front) to replace my rubber queen 2.2

but im unsure of what to put out back? ive currently got a conti x king for summer duties, but its worn really bad in 6 months use so i wont be sticking with it (needs replacing) and buying another!

i was gonna have the purgatory up front, but ive just been the lbs and the butcher control seems similar, doesnt look to have much difference rolling resistance wise and looks a bit better grip wise for AM duties…

so the big quesiton is the rear, i still want it to be fast in the summer months but still have good level of grip when the undoubted english summer turns to shite!

so purg out back or ground control out back? (it seems a bit of an allround according to the packaging)

Personally not that impressed with Spesh tyres. Just ripped the sidewall on a Ground Countrol after 2 rides over my regular trails, where my usual Maxxis tyres have been fine.

Personally i would run a Maxxis Ardent on the back. They roll fairly fast and have great grip and work well tubeless.

hmmm i just cant make my mind up, ive just felt the tyres at the lbs, the sidewalls do feel really really really really thin compared to that of full UST tyres 🙁

not sure what to do now, i do love the RQ up front i must say, but i dunno what else i could run out back by conti as the X king has no longevity what so ever

decisions decisions

and ps, i wont use different branded tyres so cant use the conti rq up front with a maxxis rear 😆

Get the Control Ones, not the S-Works ones. The S-Works sidewalls are thinner.
I’ve used Specialized tyres for a few yrs now and have had one of them split on the sidewall; others have all been fine;
Specialized Enduro, Purgatory, Captain (that split the sidewall), Sauserwind and Fast Trak.

I’d go for Ground Control on the rear, myself,

Still got quite a few new 2.3 Specialized Enduro tyres in the garage. Fitted to all our other bikes exept my Enduro. Used them since 2005 and still think they are as good as anything else out there.

Running a Purgatory up front and a The Captain out back, both the Control versions. Pretty happy with the combo so far (switched a couple of months back from a RQ/X King pairing.

Captain or ground control out back, the Purg is a bit draggy for a rear tyre IMO