i want to try and have a good Dyfi enduro this year so am looking to put a really fast pair on ,so i was wondering what was the best rolling tyres people had used regardless of weight and size? Mine upto now is the panaracer cg xc 2.1 which roll really well even though weigh 650g
Probably a Larsen TT, I would reckon. I used to use 1.9 Mach SKs and they were fast, if a touch sketchy in the wet.
WTB Nanoraptors fly but not so grippy on rocks and roots.
Specialized Fast Trak tyres are very fast rolling.
Unfortunately, they offset this by having absolutely bugger all grip...
So they're fast rolling until you attempt to go round a corner. Then you fall off.
😉
conti race kings are light fast and have a decent amount of grip
seems like it's grip OR fast rolling.
I've just put a set of Bontrager Jones XR's 2.25 on. They were great yesterday in the dry. Unfortunately utter crap on wet pavements as I've just found out nearly losing it twice. Stark contrast to the Mud X's I previously had. No wonder they were a bargain price.
Ardent front and Crossmark rear.
Continentals in Black Chili as Supersonics have a fair reputation, but avoid all without the BC compound. Lasts the life of the rider...
I have had good low rolling resistance with Kenda 1.95" Klimax-Lites but they are narrow, very fragile and an accident waiting to happen in the wet.
I tried a Maxxis Flyweight 330 but it lasted two rides before the kevlar bead split whilst dismounting with a Park nylon tyre lever!
I currently have Schwalbe Fast Freds 2.0" at 360g with good volume and reasonable grip but again fragile. Available at On-One.
I also have some Furious Freds 2.0" at 305g with less tread than a rough inner tube. As above only worse in the wet. Still available but expensive.
Consider the Schwalbe Rocket Ron EVOs 2.25" at £20 each at On One for a good compromise at 440g.
PaulD
i've just bought a pair of Michelin Race'R Advanced tyres through CRC... they are pretty light and look like they should spin fast.
The fastest rolling MTB tyre would be:
Maxxis Maxxlite 280
Schwalbe Furious Fred
Continental Twister Supersonic
They're also all made of tissue paper, but really really light!
Good rolling tyres that are reasonably reliable would be Schwalbe Racing Ralphs, Maxxis Ardent or Crossmark, or Kenda Small Block 8s.
racing ralph front, wtb vulpine rear.
although i'm sure there are much faster combos.
Consider the Schwalbe Rocket Ron EVOs 2.25" at £20 each at On One for a good compromise at 440g.
A number of people bought these but they were OEM compounds and weighed 550g+
Pukka RoRos is a good shout though, buy from Germany for sensible prices. Alternatively Racing Ralphs, or a Ralph or Ron/Furious Fred combo!
njee20,
On One were very clever...they offered the 440g EVOs at £15 then changed the advert to the 510g Performance ORC version at the same price...hmmm.
Now they offer both at a higher price.
PaulD
Whyte1, seriously consider Maxxis Aspens. Rolls FAST with good grip to boot.[IMG] 
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Schwalbe Rocket Ron front, Racing Ralph rear.
+1 Sputnik Maxxis Aspen very under rated tyre. On paper it seems quite weighty but trust me it rolls nicely and grips surprisingly well in comparison to how it looks.
Came as standard on my Whyte 19.
I have a Conti RaceKing on my trail bike and really like it. Not bad grip, very light and it rolls very well.
conti race kings are crazy fast in the dry, bit sketchy on damp mornings though, used with mt king up front. Fancy trying the kenda block 8s or slant six this spring/summer.
I find Conti black chilli flavours to feel faster rolling than just about anything. Supersonic speed kings in 2.3 are very fast, not used race kings but would imagine they’re same.
I don’t think top of the range racinging ralphs and maxi's crossmarks / aspens are even close. They felt rather dragy in 2.1's back to back with the speed kings, bc rubber queens feel as fast to me as the maxis / ralphs! Small block 8's 2.1s aren’t a bad compromise if you want something you can run a bit softer.
Or if you want to go huge (but fairly heavy) WTB weirwolf LT’s are great
I have a Aspen on the rear and a Rocket Ron on the front.
Very fast.
Dugast Rhino XL
In a clincher, another vote for Maxxis Aspens.
If you want some cheap RaceKings find a LaPierre dealer. LaP specced RaceKings on some trail bikes in 2011 and my 2 local dealers said a lot of people were asking for a tyre change when they bought them meaning the shop ended up with the RaceKings.
Race Co in Stourbridge still had a few when I was last in there, Supersonic with kevlar beads as well.
Don't forget that if you use tyres with really thin side walls then you run the risk of putting a rock through them on the dyfi! I put one through the sidewall of a Larsen a few weeks back there.
Love my Kenda small block 8's. Find them very grippy as well.
Specialized Fast Trak tyres are very fast rolling.
Unfortunately, they offset this by having absolutely bugger all grip...So they're fast rolling until you attempt to go round a corner. Then you fall off.
^^This. The most terrifying tyres ever
I really, really like Conti race kings, ride them pretty much all year round (quite infamous for my use of semi slick tyres no matter what) but the conti's are a lot better in various conditions than most I have tried. Surprisingly grippy and very fast although rather sensitive to pressure set up, at lowish (28-34ish psi) they feel great but too high and they are not so great. And definitely go with the Black chili compound, hand made in Germany ones.
Also if you go with the race kings, go with the 2.2 (if they fit your frame)so much better than the 2.0 in fact I wouldn't bother with the 2.0 and would say if the 2.2 doesn't fit look else where, they are strangely very different tyres.
Racing ralphs are good too in my experience.
If you want to be "all German" about it (god that sounds horribly Clarkson-esq) rolling tests published in German magazines suggest that the UST racing ralph 2.25 and furious Fred roll best with conti race kings 2.2 supersonic and racing ralph 2.1 evo are just behind. But many will argue that these results are a little open to interpenetration and don't mean a huge amount, as conducted on a smooth roller not a trail. Not really sure what to read into them, I guess a guide, not gospel.
p.s this is all in reference to 26 tyres if that makes any difference.
I used Black Chilli MK 2' protection last year in a 2.2, but although they were fast rolling due to the high thread count lost a few side Knobs as there seems to be no rubber between the thread , so i'm a little worried of the reliability of conti tyres .
Also everybody i know that's used Schwalbe have split them , the Aspen look good and i've got a unused Monorail ust that i could pair it with .
I used Nobby Nic Double Defence last year, at the Dyfi and had a nightmare 🙁 I run them tubeless and they got cut to pieces, ended up going through three tubes in total to get me to the end 😡 I wasn’t messing about on the descents though 😀
I was going to go for single ply Maxxis High Rollers or maybe Minion, this year, i can't decide 😕
You want 2.5 Kenda Nevegals in Stickee compound. Run at 20psi.
🙂
Seriously though, SmallBlock8's. Even the 29er ones are only 500g. Not as fragile as folk think. On the flat they roll like a commuter tyre. Can't wait to get mine back on.
Fastest rolling + best handling + robust = best race tyre I have ever used is the Hutchinson Piranha. In Tubless Light form.
I really, really like Conti race kings, ride them pretty much all year round
Really? There is no way I'd use race kings all year round, it'd be like having a turbo trainer on the North Downs.
What about the x king front and race king rear win win combo in terms of speed and grip
Whyte1 - Member
I used Black Chilli MK 2' protection last year in a 2.2, but although they were fast rolling due to the high thread count lost a few side Knobs as there seems to be no rubber between the thread , so i'm a little worried of the reliability of conti tyres .
I have had no issues with the race kings, I have one that's still looks good (and performs well) that's two and a half years old and has been on the bike most of that time. The knobs are small so don't think you would have the same issues.
But the Aspen/monorail combo is one I am also temped by, tyre choice of champions! Jose Antonio Hermida uses that combo 99% of the time.
For a race tyre, especially for endurance racing, I think it's a huge advantage to have a tyre that you feel confident on no matter what the conditions, not just fast rolling. I used a set of Bontranger tyres about 5 years ago that were very fast rolling but inspired almost no confidence on anything wet or in corners e.c.t, was a lot slower on them because of that and as I said before I am used to riding low tread tyres most of the time.
Stans 'The Crow'. But you'll have to take 3 or 4 with on the dyfi as they are basically innertubes with some dots on. I wouldn't bother 'racing' the dyfi ,it's a crap race course. Much better off actually enjoying it for what it is.... A great do out with some mad downhills.
rewski - Member
I really, really like Conti race kings, ride them pretty much all year roundReally? There is no way I'd use race kings all year round, it'd be like having a turbo trainer on the North Downs.
Just noticed this, yes, really, they are surprisingly ok in most conditions they only slightly struggle on muddy off camber sections. I have ridden with a few people for the 1st time, who have laughed at my tyre choice, "you will never get anywhere on those" and then I have spent the whole ride waiting for them. I used to run a conti twister on the rear as my winter tyre, there was a great moment when riding in a group and someone moaning about their tyres mud performance, then the guy they were moaning to, pointed out my rear tyre!
I am certainly no riding god and never going to say that semi slick tyres are ideal mud tyres (if it was a traditional lap style race and muddy, I would use a more treaded tyre) but if you ride 95% of the time on them you get used to it and learn to ride with them. Personally I think knowing how to handle a semi slick style tyre in all conditions is advantage in endurance racing.
But then they are guys that are just as fast or faster than me that ride big grippy tyres, so just what your used to really.
I think the first half of this thread had on single tire mentioned more than once!
Has any poster ridden a significant number of the candidates?
The last couple of years at the dyfi I've been very happy with my Kenda Nevegal/bluegroove combo.
Then again i am a bit stuck in my ways. 😀
I also like crossmarks - for quickness - but for the dyfi I'll stick with sensible.
After trying most of the Schwalbe and Maxxis tyres I found the best for me was the Bontrager XR1team issue.
It's 445 grams for 26/2.0 rolls very quickly , IMHO quicker than a racing ralph but with more grip.
They don't get cut up on rock and inflate really well on stans rims.
Oh, they are usually £22 each which is pretty reasonable /cheap.
Cows in cars, the Monorail/Aspen combo, is it Monorail front and Aspen rear?
On One were very clever...they offered the 440g EVOs at £15 then changed the advert to the 510g Performance ORC version at the same price...hmmm.
Quite possibly, but they were also selling Cube (IIRC) OEM stock branded and marketed as Evo Triple Nano versions and they were way way heavier than they should have been.
After trying most of the Schwalbe and Maxxis tyres I found the best for me was the Bontrager XR1team issue.
I've got a pair of XR0s I've never quite been brave enough to try! They're heavier than Rocket Rons with a tread pattern to rival a Furious Fred 😕
For racing this year I will be running Continental X-King Supersonic. As already said all the supersonic range are good.
The other tyre I am using for racing this year is the Geax Barromud 1.7" light and fast but little stetchy over wet rock/wet roots e.t.c. Fine in mud as it does not stick to the tyre and on hard parked or damp surface. Not very good on very loose surfaces. They feel fast around Thetford forest which is where I ride.
RJ Chickens are not getting any more of these but they have 29 left in stock. I think they weight 430g as well.
Here's a review. http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/components/tyres/product/barro-mud-17in-9219
I quite like them.
Dunno why you are asking on here...you must have tried more tyres than all the testers in MBUK yourself 😆 OP is THE worlds biggest tyre tart, he had 3 different combinations in the last 3 rides I've done with him, and 20 tyres in his garage 😯
The Ardent/advantage combo you sold me were great for the Dyfi winter warmer by the way!...went round faster than you did! I'll probably use the Ardent/Aspen combo for the Dyfi tho....or 2x aspens if its bone dry
ps shifting that wok you are smuggling would make more difference to your time 😉
I've got a pair of XR0s I've never quite been brave enough to try! They're heavier than Rocket Rons with a tread pattern to rival a Furious Fred
The XROs aren't good 🙂 less grip than a Maxxis 330 but do have a slightly tougher carcas.
The XR1s are seriously worth a try - Evans have them for £20 at the moment.
and 20 tyres in his garage
What's wrong with that!
Quick mental tot up:
2 pairs of Racing Ralphs
2 pairs of Rocket Rons
pair of Furious Freds
pair of Dirty Dans
pair of Nobby Nic
pair of 1.5" Black Shark Muds
pair of Mud Xs
pair of S-Works Sauserwinds
pair of XR0s
I make that 22 tyres, with the exception of the Black Sharks all between 2" and 2.1" as well!
The XR1s are seriously worth a try - Evans have them for £20 at the moment.
Because of the above, I'll pass 🙂
njee.... looking at that lot I guess you race?
OP tends not to 😉
I also know the OP, and can confirm that all that whytetrash says is sadly true 🙂 He has a rubber fetish and a half !
*just bookmarks thread*
njee.... looking at that lot I guess you race?OP tends not to
Fair enough! Yes I do, must admit that I tend to just ride whatever's on the bike if it's not a race. Can be fun if conditions have changed markedly!
Used a speedking once... never again on the Dyfi! very fast but also made of paper!
shifting that wok you are smuggling
Wok smuggler 🙂 Harsh
Isnt the Dyfi really about getting as p***d up as possible on the Saturday night, passing out in a tent, being physically threatened if you dont shut your face at 2am.. and just about surviving on the Sunday, rather than actually racing against other people who arent actually racing you ?
Yep we do all that, OP is teetotal however and we still wave at him from the van on the way home as he rolls in on the last road section 😉
New tyres bound to sort that!
sputnik - Member
Cows in cars, the Monorail/Aspen combo, is it Monorail front and Aspen rear?
Yes!
Wok smuggler 🙂 Harsh - i'll say - who needs mates 😥
Monorail combo looks good think i'll try that while i'm not racing others just trying a PB 😉