I am looking for a new front tyre to go with my old 2.1 Nobby Nic in the rear (//and eventually its successor).
Tyre should provide positive feedback and good grip on twisty compact forest trails.
Weight should be not more than 700gr, rolling resistance should be not much worse than Nobby Nic, some comfort appreciated. Durability, protection and – to a degree – price are less important.
Details on why, where and what I want it for further down.

Thought about the following:
– Specialized Purgatory 2.2 (580gr as S-Works (available in €land only?!)
– Maxxis Ardent 2.25 (705gr, are they rather wide for 2.25?)
– Schwalbe Fat Albert Front 2.25 (655gr in evo/TLR/SS version)

Currently considering to take Purgatory and then eventually get one Fast Track and Renegade each to have a set to mix and play with for different conditions/places/bikes.

Any (experience-based) addition and advise very welcome! 🙂

Many thanks
hock

FULL DETAILS BELOW

Terrain:

Flat, tight, twisty singletracks. Surface mostly fairly compacted forest trails, partly covered in leaves and fir trees, sometimes a little loose and sandy. Can be greasy when wet but not really muddy (not when I ride anyway). No rocks, no jumps, nothing actually burly or gnarly or whatever.

Riding style/requirements:
Throw into the bends fun and flic-flac through the trees. Positive front-end turn-in with predictable grip required. Surprise wash-outs tend to end bang on next tree, you know. Thus predictability more important than ultimate grip levels. Driftability and a little more grip on the front than the rear would add to my idea of fun.

Did like aggressive dig-in traction of 2.0 Specialized The Captains on other bike, but hate their tendency of flapping shoulder knobbies breaking away on hard pack/low tyre pressure (less of a problem and actually a good tyre in 29 guise though).

Never got on well with Schwalbes. Neither 2.1 Nobby Nics nor 2.25 demo-Rocket Rons. Both objectively deliver good levels of grip but feel vague and will smear away eventually without any sort of feedback. Not inspiring!

Bike and tyre clearance:
Trusty old steel hardtail with older (i.e. narrower) Kona Project2 fork build as singlespeed for 2h in the woods fun.
Tyre clearance Front: 7cm/2.8inches
Rear: 6cm/2.4inches (2.1 Nobby Nic OK but spacenot generous)

You want a Panaracer Rampage SC.

Perfect for what you describe.

Driftability and a little more grip on the front than the rear would add to my idea of fun.

Of the Purgs and Ardents, I find the Ardents (EXO and LUST) are great on forest trails until it gets wet. They’re fast enough, grippy but not too much so, they break traction really nicely in the dry to rained-the-other-day kind of wet but that makes them a bit random in the mud / grease where they don’t hold a cornering line well. Purgatorys are grippier all-round, a bit slower rolling and better in wet / mixed conditions but almost too grippy in the dry to be fun (unless you’re going very fast on a FS for ex). Also, the Ardent 2.25 is not as grippy as the 2.4, sounds obvious but the cornering traction’s not as good even considering the size.

For a rigid fork bike, I’d go for the 2.4 Ardent, weight isn’t worth worrying about but the cush+grip is better.

I’d go for the Purgatory as an all rounder, they are very grippy but also plenty fast enough.

Don’t think I’d run one as a rear tyre though.

I’ve had mine on for about 5 months and it’s taken everything in its stride from dry single track to trail centres, peaks slop ‘n rock and slick welsh rock and grassy moores.

Way better than the Nobby Nic it replaced for my riding style on my 150/130mm FS.

Also very cheap compared to many others and hard wearing too, as a bonus they’re proper tubeless and go up with ease on tubeless rims

I use purgatorys over the winter on my SS and eskars in the summer on the Pitch (unless its’s bone dry in which case, HR frotn MotoR rear).

Driftability and a little more grip on the front than the rear would add to my idea of fun.

Folding 60a Advantage 2.25 front, CrossMark rear

Advantage is very similar to Ardent apart from a lower profile carcass (combined with deeper tread) and slightly more gnar shoulders. Ardents look big because they have big carcasses and shallow tread in terms of width they are what they say they are.

😡 Oh no! It was meant to get easier not more confusing! 🙂

But I guess it’s in the nature of this kind of question that there is more than one answer.
So I will do some more research on the Panaracer and the Advantage which I didn’t have on my list yet.

More voices still appreciated!

Many thanks!

hock

Ignitors!
Fast, grippy, predictable & more consistant than an Advantage on the front, which can tramline a little.

My Mrs uses a Purgatory on the back – high volume, good grip, similar feel to an Advantage but cheaper and longer lasting. Wish it fitted into my frame. Not tried on the front.

Another vote for ADvantages. Pretty large volume for size, I’m running 2.1 lust versions on my Soul (regular versions are lighter) and are 90% perfect 90% of the time for me.

I used to use NN / RR and they were ace once the pressures were right but too fragile

Now on both my bikes I use Purgatory front and Captain rear ace combo I prefer them to the Schwables

Cheap, inflate easily tubeless and they work realy well

Just to throw a spanner in the works, Im currently running a Schwalbe Hansf Dampf 2.35 on the front. Bought it for a mud front tyre, but its bloody good in the dry too! Its yet to scare me, or give me any iffy moments. Its staying on until its properly dry.

Bonty XR4 tlr 2.2

A friend who knows my riding style and the terrain seconded the Rampage so I guess it will be that one.

Many thanks for all the good advise! One should have a library of tyres in the shed to choose from. 🙂

Cheers!

hock