I’m in need of some new tyres for my Meta AM and I’d like to go tubeless on Arch Ex rims. Most my riding is trail centres, peaks and week in Switzerland riding trails (not dh) The Maxxis UST tyres all seem a bit weighty so I’ve been looking at alternatives…
Currently riding
FRONT- 2.35 60a Maxxis Highroller Kevlar
REAR – 2.1 62a Maxxis Crossmark Kevlar

I’d like to hear some opions about grip and rolling resistance on the 2.3 Specialized Butcher Control (front) and 2.3 Purgatory Control (rear). Will I be disappointed and is the bike going to be much more draggy?

Thanks!

Butcher Control is grippier and bigger than a 60a Highroller… Though it’s ages since I used highrollers, I remember them as fairly draggy but that might not be right so I’ll not comment on speed. Still, they give me no bother pedalling up hills.

Haven’t used a Purg but it looks slower than a crossmark.

Are you happy with your current tyres? All Maxxis non-ust tyres can be used with sealant, all you need is some stans sealant, 25mm Stans yellow tape and a pair of Stans tubeless valves.

Been running a Purgatory Control front and The Captain Control rear – both tubeless on Flow Ex rims. So far pretty impressed – for all my general riding muddy forest non trail centre stuff mostly.
Usually run with tubes HR back, Minion Front – fancied a change and a little less drag – defo less drag and saved a little weight also.

I’ve got a paid of the Sam Hill compound butchers that I thought were awesome on the DH bike in Spain and France. Tread is a copy of a minion really so slightly faster in a straight line than a high roller. The DH versions are a bit big and heavy though, I’ve never used them on my trail bike.

I’ve got a pair of purgatorys that came fitted to my stumpjumper and I find them so good that I don’t bother swapping tyres about anymore and when I need some new ones I’d definitely have another pair. Light, fast and enough grip to really lean on them. You tend not to get ‘proper mud’ in trail centres but the storm tyre is also damn good.

In fact I’ve liked all the Specialized tyres I’ve tried. I used to just switch to Maxxis every time because I knew they worked but having a mate who works at a Specialized dealer I’ve got to try loads of them. When I get my new DH bike in April I won’t bother high high rollers anymore I’ll have butchers and hillbillys to cover everything.

I don’t think you can go wrong to be fair.

The control version uses a harder rubber than the DH one fwiw- though it’s still sensibly sticky. Feels sort of midway between supertacky and maxxpro to me but that’s so subjective.

Just put a pair of Purgatory 2.3s on my enduro. (Shop didn’t have any butchers on the shelf). Went onto my ust easton wheels easily with with a bit of stans. Knocked 1/2 a pound off my wheels compared to the ardent lusts I had on before. Only done one ride so far, but very pleased with them. Look like being a good year round tyre.
Always used Maxxis before, but moving away from them due to high cost and weight. On the plus side maxxis lusts are full ust, so the sidewalks are a bit thicker and fully airtight without sealant.

I’ve not ridden them yet, but I’ve gone for a Maxxis Ardent LUST rear and a Specalized Butcher front. The Butcher is a very similar tread to the Minion and the control casing seems lightweight and flexible. I’m quite heavy on the rear so I thought I’d go for a LUST rear, which is far more built up and sturdy than the Spec tyre.

I’ve been quite impressed by the look of a few of the Specalized tyres so I’m eager to ride them and see how they work out. They’re sensible prices as well, in an age when tyres seem to be getting silly prices for something which only lasts a few months.

I have been running 2.3 purg rear 2.3 butcher control front for 5 rides now and can safely say its one of the best combos I have tried.
The butcher is better than a minion DHF imo because its a softer compound and as good as a RQBC and at nearly half the price.
You can hear it gripping .( if that make sense )
The perg is tried and tested.
Both super easy to inflate tubeless

Thanks for all the feedback so far!

As another combo to add to the mix… Does anyone have experience of
2.3 Butcher front
2.3 Ground control rear

I currently like how low the rolling resistance is on my current combo and having a slightly drifty back end, but I do feel the rear could do with a bit more grip and volume in some situations. I’ve also noticed that the 2013 Purgatory has been resigned for slightly lower rolling resistance too.

I’ve been using 2.2 Purgatorys on my SS for the last 18 months with few complaints. Certainly not too draggy, but then I do seem to gravitate towards grippier rather than fast rolling tyres.

Have you considdered Eskars? Lowe profile knobs and closer spaced might make them faster rolling than the purgatory? I’ve got them on my Pitch and view them as

Eskar – dry to medium
Purgatory – medium to mud

But in truth the Purgatorys are pretty good in the dry too, just not brilliant.

Cheers SOAP, Purg has been on my list for a while but I think it’s definitely one to try on the back.

I’d totally agree with TINAS on the Eskar- a good 3/4s of the year tyre but they don’t like the wet much.

I like this thread as it validates everything I’ve been telling anyone who will listen! Specialized have started taking their tyres very seriously and created a full range of brilliant tyres with no duds. Everything I’ve tried has outperformed my old favourites.

High margin item as well so lots of room for negotiation if you’re friendly with your local dealer!

I think Eskars have been discontinued now.
It’s worth keeping an eye on ebay – a lot of people seem to buy Specialized bikes and swap the perfectly good tyres that came on it for whatever they usually ride.

Been running Eskar rear 2.3 Purgatory front for a few months now, feels good.

Agreed, spesh tyres are exceptional, I’ve used storm, Eskars and purgs, all very good at their own thing. The purgatory is a great winter tyre, pretty good on everything.

Thanks for the replies! After chatting to a mate who’s tried a few, I’m now thinking of pairing the butcher control with a specialized captain control for a sticky front/drifty rear fast rolling combo

I use a Butcher control up front and a purgatory control on the rear and find them a great combo over the wide variety of trail conditions i tend to encounter, easy to set up tubeless, love the butcher up front and the purgatory is fast enough rolling on the rear without sacrificing too much on the grip front.

Purgatory are good, I’m trying an sworks ground control on the rear at the moment and its great. Grippy and fast rolling.

S works casing is too flimsy for use on the rear IMO unless your are xc racing with them at high pressures. Control casing seems sturdier but having killed the sidewalls on both of my conti barons (since going tubeless) I’m thinking the sx casing may be a better option on the rear for days on rockier trails.

Well I did say I’d do this 🙂 Control casing in action:

He does tear it mind, but then he’s riding it harder than most people will ever ride a dualply. The Clutch and Butcher have thicker sidewalls than the Captain he’s using too.

I use the SX on the downhill bike, just seems to make sense but yet to have any bother with the Control on the am bike. Certainly seems tougher than the Barons, they’re fantastic but mine have gone threadbare (and even loose-thready) very quickly.

It’s quality that vid, watched it a few times this week, he’s some rider and absolutely wrings the neck of that stumpy evo, northwind – same as yourself with the barons, one went threadbare very quickly and then I slashed the sidewall which was game over with loads of tread left and the other was literally about 10 rides old before I cut the sidewall, luckily I paid German prices rather than uk ones but still gutted as the tread and compound is pretty much perfect.

Yeah, no chance I’m going to get to wear out the tread on mine, they’ll be dead before that. Still happy with the performance I think, they feel a bit like cheating compared to older mud tyres…

Yep there’s nothing like them for grip/rolling resistance/mud clearing abilities, would love that tread on a spesh control casing!

Update! tore the sidewall out of my sworks ground control at Afan today and its pretty new just a few rides old!