[Closed] Faster rolling tyres

Specialized Purgatory rear and Butcher up front - waaaay faster than the HR II's I've just taken off and my year round choice of tyre - might try a Slaughter out back when it's really dry

Any particular flavour they come in?

They're all 2Bliss (tubeless) but different carcasses available, control or grid on those mentioned above normally, neither are stupid heavy, grid is stronger, I prefer it on the front as found the control was prone to burp/roll/pinch at 30psi ish, but I'm fairly heavy and that's on a hardtail, 521 rims.

I use Control casing 25psi front, 27psi rear, sometimes a bit softer but I use tubes - very rarely get a pinch and they don't roll. Cheap, hard wearing, grippy and fast - what's not to like?

Rock razor front and rear 🙂

I'm liking the semi-slick thing. Had a Slaughter, now got a Minion SS, they're pretty much the same tbh but the Minion is lighter, skinier, seems a little softer rubber. Fast but has grip. Sometimes. Does not have grip in a straight line on hard stuff.

Not sure about fronts. Trying a DHR2 3C just now, it's working pretty well.

Minion up front ardent on the back. Top combo

Northwind

Slaughter is like a rock razor yeah?
How do you find it on loose surfaces or even after a downpour?

I always rated racing Ralph's, was tempted to put them on, but as my mate says there a bit betamax now..

Do Schwalbe still do Trailstar front/Pacestar rear, and does it make a difference?

I use the butcher/purgatory set up. Best I've ever had.

I use Purgatory/Ground Control combo from Autumn through to Spring, and Ground Control / Fast Trak LK in the Summer

I've recently switched to an XR3 on the front and an XR2 on the rear...impressed so far and a noticeably quicker combo than I had before ...and I predominantly ride in the Peaks (since context is everything).

Ground Control / Fast Trak LK in the Summer

What is this 'summer' of which you speak?

What's am XR2, XR3 apart from a ford? Maxxis?

Another vote for the Mionion SS.

I run a DHF on the front and the SS is much quicker in the dry than the DHR II that it replaced. Seems to do OK is the summer damp too.

@ Goldigger, models of Bontrager tyres.

Bontranger.... There's an XR4, XR3, XR2 and an XR1...XR4 is the fatest and grippiest and it goes down to XR1 which is your skinny XC racer one i.e..death slides everywhere...For the past year I ran XR4 upfront and XR3 out back...great (grippy and confidence inspiring) combo but not particularly fast rolling..

Ooh i could do with some recommendations - will be doing the tuscany trail on my stooge (very soon) and I really should have considered what tyres I'll be using.

Will be putting my 29er wheels on but think I need some faster tyres as there is a lot of gravel and quite a bit of tarmac. Apparently there is some single track but not a tremendous amount. . . .any suggestions would be great

We're using Teravail Sparwood for TT,

@ratherbeintobago.. Schwalbe do both, pace star being faster rolling and trail star more grip.

[url= http://www.schwalbetires.com/triple_star_compound_page ]http://www.schwalbetires.com/triple_star_compound_page[/url]

Should make a difference f/r in theory.. But i just run both ends pace star with a slightly wider slightly knobbier tyre up front.

I've got some Kenda K-Rads on my hardtail now, they're brilliant for dry hardpacked stuff like BMX tracks and rocks/tarmac/concrete but (obviously) bobbins anywhere remotely muddy.

Completely unscientific but testament to the versatility of a rear semi-slick tyre; I raced Eastridge yesterday with a Rock Razor (pacestar) on the rear in what was the muddiest I've ridden there. I didn't die.

As they have such small centre tread blocks, they don't tend to fare any worse than something bigger but with poor mud clearance as the low tread doesn't let too much mud gather anyway. Yes, they slide but you do get used to them (I've done about 200 miles on mine).

I think a Supergravity version with super low pressures would be a step up in terms of grip. The (initial) learning curve in terms of how they perform if vastly offset by the benefit of how fast they roll.

HD trailstar front
RR Pacestar rear

aP - those look interesting but can't see anywhere in the UK that sells them (or my Google powers are failing me)

Goldigger - Member

Slaughter is like a rock razor yeah?
How do you find it on loose surfaces or even after a downpour?

Yeah, similar. It's way better than you'd think in mud because of the big edge knobs. But some stuff, it does suck at. Wet grass aaargh. Wet rock in general, if it can't dig in it just doesn't grip much. This is usually ok but drove me nuts at kirroughtree as I just couldn't get power down on the rocky climbs, I've never spun out so much. But obviously speed like this will have a sacrifice.

I phoned up CharlieTheBikeMonger and asked him to order us a pair each, so he did. It was in February though...
We used them on the Dorset Gravel Dash and they're ok - if a bit sketchy on really steep, loose stuff, and I've been riding them round the Surrey Hills since before Easter.
We're making the assumption that the maybe 10 or 20km of more difficult technical riding where we may "dab" or walk (here and there) will be more than compensated by the 500km of gravel roads where having a fast rolling tyre will make life easier 😉

Tempted with a rock razor, that will also suit the local riding I do..

What do o pair it with on the front? Rocket Ron?

pretty crap in the corners on any loose gravel.

Yeah... not sure why you'd expect anything to grip in loose gravel on top of hardpack.

Tempted with a rock razor, that will also suit the local riding I do..

I run a 2.5 Minion DHF on the front and a Rock Razor 2.35 out back, ride mostly in the Peak. Bear in mind the 2.35 Rock Razor is a pretty big tyre.

2.35in Rock Razor here too (supergravity trailstar) and it's great so far.

Got a Hans Dampf SG trailstar on the front at the mo, swapping to a Chunky Monkey 2.4 soon and keeping the Hans fresh for Italy.

The Rock Razor has a good size carcass but doesn't seem massive overall as the knobs are so low profile.

Any bigger than the 2.35 Hans dampfs I've got on at the moment?

Ardent front, Crosstrail rear.

Any bigger than the 2.35 Hans dampfs I've got on at the moment?

Carcass the same, knobs less sticky-outy.

Rock Razor rear and Magic Mary front for me right now. There is some additional steering from the rear when the bike isn't banked over, but get it leant over and there's tonnes of grip. The extra speed of the Rock Razor over a much knobblier tyre is addictive though! The Mary up front seems to grip whatever the conditions. Was riding some proper steep natural stuff at Afan at the weekend with some locals, my first time riding it, and well... I didn't die! Rock Razor on the back might not have been ideal but it was far better than you'd imagine in the soft dirt, and everywhere else it's ace.

I've just replaced both HR2's MAX TERRA 3C etc etc etc with Spesh Butcher / Slaughter combo.......

The HR's for all their liveried sidewalls were about as robust as toilet roll, didn't last too well in the Alps last year and also cut a sidewall in the Peaks, this and the fact that they seemed to be dragging like buggery meant I had to change them for something a bit faster rolling, which I seem to have done in the Spesh duo, the back slaughter rolls like a marble so much so that I've over shot my usual braking points and bits where I usually get to just hang on have needed scrubbing off a bit, it seems fine now as it's fairly dry but wouldn't like to test it on wet roots or mud, looking at the butcher and the way it digs in I'd imagine that it would grip well on the back or just go for the purgatory which I think is a rear specific, but overall these tyres roll considerably better than the HR2's.

Love Butchers in the dry.

The Butcher Grid is a complete nightmare on wet roots though, a tiny 2.3 Minion gives more grip!

And by nightmare, I really do mean that they are utterly god awful on wet roots.

2.35in Rock Razor here too (supergravity trailstar) and it's great so far.
Got a Hans Dampf SG trailstar on the front at the mo

So on the back you've got a tyre with relatively little grip until it's leant over, and on the front a tyre with an abundance of straight line grip that falls off the edges too easily when cornering and washes out like a bastard!

Must be fun! 😯

I know there's people out there better riders than me running Hans Dampf's and riding them fast, but by god I find it a hateful hateful tyre! Even more so than Nobby Nic's (which again have loads of grip in the centre, but none on the edges), yet I quite like the Racing Ralph.

Well you're gonna hate me then! Got HD front and NN rear on that Ritchey I bought off you. It is fun! Fast and grippy for round here. I was slicing through the mud long after my mates and come to a halt. No idea what tyres they had though?
Had the HD for over a year 2 rides a week on flint, chalk, mud and everything else the South Downs throws and it has hans down beaten every other tyre I've tried.

For me i have just found tyre nirvana. Aggressor rear with Minion DHF 3C up front.

Maxxis just seem to be winning in every category at the moment IMO.

So on the back you've got a tyre with relatively little grip until it's leant over, and on the front a tyre with an abundance of straight line grip that falls off the edges too easily when cornering and washes out like a bastard!

Not been using the HD on the front very long but so far it seems very predictable and consistent. Using it specifically for dry-ish/rocky trails though.

Just took a Magic Mary off as it was way too draggy once the trails dried out.

Currently riding Magic Mary up front and DHR2 on the rear

Love the MM (great volume and grip wet or dry) and yes it is a bit draggy.

Think i may change to a Rock Razor out back to speed things up a bit - would love to try the aggressor but no 29er

Is there anything else that grips as well as the Magic Mary up front that's faster rolling that i could use?

Was thinking a DHF but in 29er format can only get 2.3 (to skinny) and 2.5 (bloody heavy)

olibluegoat - I'm happy with a HR2 in 2.3 on the front of my 29er, but if you like something a bit wider maybe check out the On One Chunky Monkey?

That's a 2.4in Exo carcass and comes in a nice dual compound version. Seems a similar girth to modern Maxxis 2.4 tyres too (made by them I think).

Wow. Chunky Monkey looks great - pretty good weight as well. Which one are people riding - dual compound or single

How does it roll compared to a Magic Mary?

I come to the conclusion there's to many ruddy choices for tyres...

Which one are people riding - dual compound or single

How does it roll compared to a Magic Mary?

Dual for the front.

Much better, more like a Minion. Handles like a Minion too, but not quite so good in intermediate conditions due to shallower knobs I think.

Using one on front of my enduro biek for summer, Mary going back on for winter.

 

I have been using a hans dampf on the front and a specialised slaughter grid on the rear, and found it a nice combination.

The hans dampf has just given up the ghost (side knobs have started to fall off), so have ordered a butcher control to go on the front.

I really liked the hans dampf on the front, and the slaughter on the rear is excellent, I've been using it all winter with no problems.

I had previously tried a maxxis ardent race (exo 3c etc etc) on the rear, but found it way too fragile.

Do you go for the grippier one up front or on the rear? I've heard people debate both in the past.
Any suggestion to go with a 2.2 Conti Trail King for a bit less drag?

Butcher up front, bags of grip and rock razor rear ..... soooooo fast

Kenda Juggernaut up front, Geax Saguaro at the rear.
Fast and grippy combo

Not been using the HD on the front very long but so far it seems very predictable and consistent. Using it specifically for dry-ish/rocky trails though.

Predictable? I'll give you that... Predictably it would try to have me off every ride!

Consistent? Yup the side knobs kept consistently ripping apart or even off, leaving me with a tyre that consistently tried to spit me onto the floor every time I rode it (see above for predictability!).

Just took a Magic Mary off as it was way too draggy once the trails dried out.

I'll give you that it's draggy, fortunately on my bike this doesn't seem to make too much difference as it's pretty raked out. Most of my local trails are still a bit damp though sadly, which is where the Mary comes into its own.

Is there anything else that grips as well as the Magic Mary up front that's faster rolling that i could use?

Was thinking a DHF but in 29er format can only get 2.3 (to skinny) and 2.5 (bloody heavy)

Maxxis Shorty rolls a bit faster. Same skinnier carcass as the 2.3DHF though (albeit it's not that skinny, just not as wide as a Mary). The 2.5 DHF comes in a folding 3C as well as a Dual Ply version. I've been running one for ages, only took off recently to try the Mary out. It's still not light at 1kg, but that's a lot better than the 1350g or so of the dual ply version. If you want one, let me know, have a new one kicking about at work.

I come to the conclusion there's to many ruddy choices for tyres...

Quite... You wanna see my shed! More rubber than a fetish club on a Saturday Night, and that's after a big cull... 😳

Do you go for the grippier one up front or on the rear? I've heard people debate both in the past.

For me?

Always grippier up front, and faster rolling the in the rear

front tire to really stick the corner, rear tire to slide the corner if required

effective braking through the front wheel, so grippier front tire has big benefit

For summer I use Nobby Nic or Trail King front and Rocket Ron on the rear. For scary fast Rocket Ron front and rear and you'd be surprised how well they grip until things get really gnarly.

So the general consensus is that HR2's arent particularly good all-rounders? Perhaps I'll go with the Nobby Nic Evo Snakeskins then.

So reading through this page keeping my Hans dampfs pace star on the front and putting on a rock razor trail star on the rear should be an improvement...

If I don't like that combo I can then change out the Hans dampfs on the front for something less aggressive..

Watches with interest..
I'm running hd on front and rear (29er) and though it's grippy, it's soooo slow!
Great tyres, but I feel they lose a bike it's spark a bit..

On my ss race bike I've saguro which roll super fast, but not ideal for tech dh/am stuff...

Might look into the specialized combos discussed here...

DrP

So the general consensus is that HR2's arent particularly good all-rounders?

Excellent all rounder as a front tyre I think.

I like my HR2/Ardent combo but going to move the ardent to the front and get something else for the rear for when its proper dry. Like the look of the Maxxis Ikon 2.2

Interested to hear peoples views on semi slicks on the rear in the Alps etc on steep loose tracks. Do they offer enough breaking grip?

About to run a set of Thunder Burt's down to Mexico. Loads faster than the SB 8's I used last time. They don't hold mud, I just wonder how long the tread will last.
Lets find out.

@paul123 I ran a Rock Razor during Trans Savoie a couple of years ago... a couple of others did the same. Coped pretty well TBH, obviously comes un-stuck on the steep slidy stuff so depends how much confidence you have in riding the front of the bike... I ran a nobby nic rear in 2015 and got away without any punctures, rolled well and had better braking grip (I have subsequently had mixed luck puncture wise with the NN though, possibly just got lucky with that particular tyre?)

So after a few more rides I have to agree the Hans Dampf is not for me as a front tyre either. Back to rear winter duties for that one.

But I've replaced it with an On One Chunky Monkey trail extreme on the front - which seems the perfect foil for the Rock Razor. Rolls better than a Mary, great cornering grip, good width and a pretty tough carcass.

Shame they don't do a Supergravity-style version for my holibobs.

paulneenan76 - Member

So the general consensus is that HR2's arent particularly good all-rounders?

I really rated it in 26, so I got a 29er but just didn't get on with it. Not sure why, angle of approach or something or maybe just all in my head, it does happen...

paul123 - Member

Interested to hear peoples views on semi slicks on the rear in the Alps etc on steep loose tracks. Do they offer enough breaking grip?

It's not the alps but I've used my Minion SS and Slaughter on some steep and loose, they work way better than you'd think but obviously they do have definite limits. One thing, they both slide well- it's not like, say, an original minion dhf where if it slides it's orrible, loss of grip is more managable. And also they don't rip the up trail as badly.

I'm still on the fence; I like these tyres, they make climbing easier and they're fun to ride on. But I'm still definitely slower on the way down, and it's mostly because I just carry less speed- I brake earlier and more often.

Cha****ng
I've just gone to your old setup, Hans dampfs on the front still and changed the rear to a rock razor.

Rock razor isn't as wide as the Hans dampfs (2.35)
Goes up tubeless easily on a flow ex rim..

What pressure are you running In the rock razor?

I don't really know TBH, mid-high 20s PSI probably.

Had to let a bit out yesterday as the rear was bouncing about too much in the dry.

[url= http://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/mtb-reviews ]rollingnresistance testing[/url]
Worth a read through some reviews from the independent test site.