Getting to the point where I need to swap out tyres now that gloop is easing.

Been on Schwalbe for ages, but tempted to look at a Maxis setup – thinking aybe a Minion up front with something faster rolling rear.

Questions – Maxterra – yay or nay? And rear tyre – High Roller II, DHR, or Ardent? I’ll still need grip on roots, etc, and climbing traction’s important too, but I want to roll faster than the Mary/HD setup I have now. (I know, moon on a stick, etc)

If you’re talking 2.4 then I find the Ardent way more capable from a grip perspective than I was expecting, to the point where I have left it on the rear all winter. Rolls quickly, has a nice big profile and when it does let go it slides nice and predictably. Cracking rear tyre in my opinion.

I’m thinking of putting a minion 2.5 29″ to replace my ageing hans dampf with an ardent on the rear for the summer.

Looking at either ardent or ardent race myself to go with my minion up front.

High Roller is a funny one, some folk love it but some, me included, find it a difficult tyre to ride well with due to a complete lack of support between the centre knobs and the side lugs, you really need to get the bike over to find the grip.

I’d probably go Minion front, Ardent rear, If I were to go Maxxis. Maybe a Crossmark rear if your local stuff is trail centre-esque.

Not really trail centres apart from the odd day, it would be mostly very much natural trails, roots, rocks, soft ground, never entirely mud free.

I run Ardent/Crossmark for all the natural stuff round here (well, anywhere really). Trails are generally on good draining soils with the occasional swamp.

Hmm. Ardent comes in 2.4, versus Minion in 2. OCD breakdown here.

My Ardent is a 2.25 (but the Crossmark is a 2.1). Settle down, don’t worry. A wider front tyre is useful 🙂

Tried an Ardent, HR2 and DHR2 on the back of mine and found the DHR2 to be the best by a long way. HR2 had a tendency to slip around on hard climbs if it was wet. Ardent was Ok, fast rolling but not as much grip.
Currently on a Shorty on the front, jees that thing grips. Don’t find it too slow rolling either.
The DHF will be going back on the front soon as the local stuff is drying out a bit now and might look at something faster rolling for the back.
Ikon looks interesting..
I’ve got 3C front and back because they were very cheap from acycles.

Minion front and and a minion 2 rear both 2.3 . Not that draggy, tons of grip

Minion DHF/Shorty out front, DHR2 on the back.

Also loving the Minion DHR2 on the rear. Best rear tyre I’ve used I reckon, especially for all mountain (or even enduro) style riding.

Got a HR2 on the front and it seems to have improved on the old HR – but I’m not sure if I wouldn’t prefer a Minion DHF.

Sounds like a DHR/DHF combo is the way to go them.

Maxxpro rear, 3C Maxterra front?

DHR2 front AND rear works really well for me. I also struggle to get on with the HR2 personally, probably because if the vagueness between inner and outer bite.

Shorty front for when its loamy/muddy to give that extra bite.

(coming from a Hans rear and Magic front here too)

Not really trail centres apart from the odd day, it would be mostly very much natural trails, roots, rocks, soft ground, never entirely mud free.

Shorty up front, Unbelievably good tyre.

Maxxpro rear, 3C Maxterra front?

Yep.

They might be right about the Shorty being better in front for you though. Would love to try one myself.

I swapped from Schwalbe to Maxxis and found that they pinched at the bead a lot, which wouldn’t reseal. If you can handle the weight then the tougher casing would be advised.

I then swapped back to Schwalbe as while the Maxxis gripped better they were too expensive for something that kept pinching. The new Schwalbes don’t pinch at the bead but the side knobs seem to just fall off. Currently on WTB and they seem fine.

Pinch at the bead? You running tubeless?

I’m a big fan of both brands – love the original High Roller which was my default tyre choice for a long time. I like the DHF but hate the DHR – a pair of DHF’s is a pretty good combo.

Personally, I can’t fault my Magic Mary up front (it’s used in all condtions, all year round) and Hans Dampf / Rock Razor combo. I do experience some cracking around the nobs but to date none have been ripped off.

My main issues with Maxxis is that they tend to be a fair bit heavier and they’re not so cheap from Germany!

I’m running black chilli Conti’s on my hardtail and have been impressed with them so far although the sidewalls were a bit porous judging by the amount of sealant that leaked at first.

I’ve been riding HD/HD both Snake Skin 3C TrailStar 2.35 all winter tubeless on Flow EX. Coming from Maxxis HR2 Dual Exo front / Advantage LUST rear most of last year which I loved as a combo. The HR2 started sliding around on ice/snow. The Advantage wasn’t gripping anything wet / muddy up hill once winter came and I slit a sidewall on some rocks so a chance to try something new. The HD all round just grips everything (including doing a lot better on Ice/Snow than the HR2 did) and in all the winter conditions so far has given me lots of confidence to ride aggressively. It will cling to sticky mud though on the rear but it does still dig in and grip and so you make it up stuff which is the main aim for me rather than spinning out.

HD rear is a bit draggy on wet sludgy gravel fire roads but on the couple of occasions I’ve seen some harder drier bits so far it seems to roll remarkably well for it’s size. It feels like it might be quite fast come summer especially as I’ll have worn it down a bit by then. Hope so anyway.

I’m going to stick with HD/HD and see what happens. May try a DHR2 rear if the HD rear doesn’t pick up enough speed when things dry out a bit more. Hope to keep the HD on the front all year though.

I’m really happy with the Hans Dampfs. £28 each from Germany too.

After loosing some knobbles I’ve just switched from Hans Dampfs to 2.5 EXO Minion DHF’s on the front and rear

A bit draggy on the flat and on the climbs now the trails have dried out, but this is all forgotten once pointed downhill towards something twisty. They offer inhuman amounts of grip.

Should be a good combination for the “mostly very much natural trails, roots, rocks, soft ground, never entirely mud free” riding you describe.

My main issues with Maxxis is that they tend to be a fair bit heavier and they’re not so cheap from Germany!

DHR2’s are about £27 – 30 from acycles.

I’ve been running MM upfront and a HR2 out back over the winter and I’m really impressed with the combo, although will probably go DHF upfront once it’s drier and keep the HR2 out back. Got the HR2 in 3c MaxTerra I think it is, although feels like a plough on soft fireroad type surfaces (particularly when wet) it’s been fantastic for traction in all but the really sloppy stuff but given how cheap it was of Acycles I’m not that bothered although once the trails dry up it won’t last long since it’s a pretty soft tyre.