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29 X 2.3
Reasonably low rolling resistance
For summer / dry use
Main riding is South Downs / Queen Elizabeth CP / Hants/Sussex border so a bit of sidewall strength would be handy.
When I swap over the rear at the weekend there will be a Conti Cross King out back.
Front is currently a Spesh Butcher, which is great but feels a bit like it's overkill on longer more pedally rides.
New Nobby Nic or Racing Ray... 👍🏻
I use spec ground control for summer, dhf/dissector for winter.
Ardent. Ardent race if your feeling brave.
Vittoria barzo or peyote?
Vee Rail Escape.
Barzo
Bonty XR3
Ground Control
Barzo/Peyote - there was a PSA on Peyotes recently, might be some left.
Maxxis Ikon. Great xc tyre for dry and damp conditions.
^^
on the rear. No chance I’d have one on the front.
Cool thanks saves me a lot of guessing when scrolling through 20 pages of tyres.
Now just need to find something in stock 😂😂😂😂
Barzo
I've got a Specialized slaughter 29x2.3 on the back of my carbon hardtail. It's perfect for the South Downs (where I live). They're usually pretty cheap as well and if you get the grid casing they're resistant to punctures too. Also, they may look like they don't have much tread but they're surprisingly grippy.
I've a Rekon on the rear of another bike and I've found that to be pretty good so far.
WTB Raddler. Rolling efficiency with grippy side knobs.
Running a spesh ground control up front which works ok for summer and winter, but is perhaps not ideal for either. If I was going to change I'd put a spesh fast trak or racing ray/Ralph on the front. Am running a fasttrak on the back for summer. Am also riding South Downs, but North of Brighton
North of Brighton
Good to have that cleared up then 😉
For the front how about a Forekaster? I’ve been using one on the back for a few months and it seems to roll alright and has done surprisingly well even in mud. Definitely quicker than a Maxxis DHF which is very similar to a Butcher.
joebristol that's an interesting idea there's a forekaster on the back at the moment which has been my winter tyre, I found it ok in the slop after a suggestion on here. Hadn't occured to me it might work up front. Will have a look tomorrow other than that the Ray or Barzo are looking good options as are a few others now I know what reviews etc to be checking out.
I rate the specialized with the grid casing. Think I have a butcher up front but can't remember. Slaughter out back.
If you’ve got a Forekaster ‘spare’ already as it’s being replaced by the Conti at the back then it doesn’t cost anything to give it a go upfront then. I’m toying with the idea of sticking one on the front to try. I’ve got a slaughter 2.6 sat in a box that I’ve not tried yet - could stick that on the back and the Forekaster on the front to see how that works. Imagine it would toll well but perhaps not brake that well on steep stuff. Only thing is I’ve got a Rimpact on the back and it was an absolute sod to get on the rim with the Forekaster and I don’t know if I can bring myself to take on the fight to swap a tyre!
@garage-dweller I am planning on the same (Forekaster from rear to front, faster tyre on rear) so post up how it works out if you do try!
I’ve got Vittoria barzo front and rear - ridden them over the last month - very impressive. Give confidence off road (only found a little bit of mud so far) and really not sluggish on road. Thumbs up here.
Surely racing Ralph’s is where it’s at? for dry summer use, or a nobby up front and a Ralph out back?
Barzo.
Grey sidewalls are the new brown.
Barzo and Forekaster are both good but seem impossible to get hold of in 29 2
35 and decent rubber.
@ferrals I've gone Forekaster up front and the Conti out back - first ride out tomorrow night so I'll report back then.
The Cross King seems to have come up a bit small for a 2.2 / doesn't have a lot on the shoulders when across the fairly wide Roval rims so could be interesting keeping the rear in line.
I always think the Roval rims are great (rear hub bearings less so) but they made the chainstays on the Camber too narrow for the monster rim width. The rims would work great at 2.4 but you'd rub through the blasted stays at the first whiff of mud.
Sympathise with @merk getting hold of stuff generally, I snapped these two tyres up in December after ripping a tyre riding uphill and glad I did. This week I needed an 8 speed cassette and chain for my eldest's bike as he's snapped the chain twice (goodness knows WHAT the little darling is doing to his bike) - that was an unexpected PITA but nothing like finding good 26x2 rubber!
Two rides in on the forekaster up front and seems to be working ok for me.
I'm mostly riding rolling stuff in the South Downs at the moment so it's not had a full on steep/sketchy/fast corner ride but it definitely rolls better than the Butcher (albeit I know it's lacking a bit of its bite).
Nice one @garage-dweller
Think I’ll give it a crack too. I had an ardent on the front a few years ago and didn’t like that so a bit wary as it’s kind of similar but nothing ventured...
Forekaster front and Ardent Race rear on my XC hard tail here. Works well.
Forekaster front and Ardent Race rear on my XC hard tail here. Works well.
I’d second that.
Barzo front Mezcal rear, incredibly fast and plenty of grip! I run these on my Hardtail.
Ardent on the rear is good - but on the front it almost takes the crown from Kenda's old line-up of tyres that got nicknamed Kenda Surprise.
One thing to bear in mind - the front wheel is undriven, so you don't need to worry too much about drag, although you should give a thought to weight. I haven't thought about weight too much, which is why I'm happily running Conti Trail Kings on the front of both my bikes, and they both ride like cheerful steamrollers.