[Closed] High Rollers - what am I doing wrong??

They are draggy but I don't agree with the rest of it. I am 16 stone too - ran them at about 35 psi.

Too draggy for the rear IMO

Great front tyre if run at low pressure [tubeless <30psi]

If you don't like them then change them, but I have used them for a while now, albeit a Super Tacky upfront, and love them.

If your not getting enough traction try the rear the wrong way around.

what were you running before then Votchy?!

i do find that the front corners better when you get the bike lent over - you need to be riding on the side knobs for them to grip.

Great front tyre if run at low pressure

I hate them on the front as they don't track straight under hard braking. Much prefer a minion up front.

I found that at 30psi the front was rubbish.

at 5psi less it rocked!

I've got it paired up with a hollyroller at the back. Gives very little grip, but makes the whole thing handle like a big BMX which suits me as thats all i got to ride over the winter.

Although saying that the BMX runs almost complete slicks (although quite sticky) at 60psi.

I hate Highrollers but...

The 60as don't really drag any more than any other soft compound 2.35 tyre - if you want faster rolling either try higher pressure (rear) a narrower tyre or a harder compound
if you think they grip less than riding on ice you could probably do with gaining some skills afterall grip isn't just about your tyre choice, this seems to be highlighted in your next two comments. they are perfectly alright in mud upto the point where only a proper spike will cope (if you know how to ride mud) and they are fine on roots too.

I hate them on the front as they don't track straight under hard braking.

Shouldn't be using the front brake hard anyway!

I agree they are good on the front, prefer something faster rolling for the back.

After really liking 2.35" SP Minions on 2 bikes I gave the Highrollers a go. I am now using them up as a rear only tyre as I also found them unpredictable on the front?
Still think the Minions are a better tyre & I'm loving the 2.25" Advantages as long as its not Clwyds mud!

I agree that I need to gain skills (although 90% of my riding is in the wyre forest which everyone local knows is a mudfest for 363 days a year), however, I am the same person that found the Kenda Blue Groove front and Nevegal rear to be very good, never found them draggy even when riding tarmac at 30psi, found they gripped well in mud up to the point where I genuinely needed swampthings or similar. I have tried to like these tyres but just don't seem to get on with them.

I like constructive criticism but was wondering if there was a set up secret, as after all, the only thing that I have changed and found not to my liking is the tyres, ability and how I ride is kind of irrelevant as I am doing a direct like for like comparison. If you get on with them then that's fine, I don't so it must be the tyre not suiting my riding style (jey core mince lite) then

grumm,

out of interest, why shouldn't you be using the front brake hard? Most effective way of stopping quickly or scrubbing off a lot of speed in my experience.

apperently they come into their own when they are half worn.

North west mountain bikes used to offer a cut-down service where they used cutters to trim half the height off the central knobs.

Ive been personally loving swampthings but BOY do they grip on earth/warmer weather!!!!!!!!!!!!!

on the contrary, how you ride can actually make a considerable difference to whether you get on with a certain tyre or not.
for mincing in soft conditions, even at your weight I'd have thought you'd be able to run them pretty soft, just make sure they're not so soft that the sidewalls start to fold over on hard cornering and you're not contantly dinging your rim.. fnaarr :wink:. they will obviously drag more though.

@ votchy, thats what i thought too.
having re-read grumms comment perhaps he was referring to not braking hard on the front while cornering?

I really like them on the front. Run with a tube at just over 30psi. Not too draggy, corners well, stops well, grips in everything unless its proper mud tyre territory.

Felt very draggy on the rear though so I run a 2.1 advantage on the back. Not a fast combination but it rolls well enough if you aint racing and stays on the bike all year. Last time I put the advantage on the front and a crossmark on the rear it was fast but i really missed the bite of the HR in corners so changed back again.

what frame and fork do you have,how old is it,when were the fork and shock last serviced?

I run Highrollers and find them ok. A supertacky up front may aid grip at the front.

I tend to run my back tire hard since I ride a hardtail and dont like getting punctures. Grip isnt great but if you run the single ply ones at low pressures they feel all flexy and horrible if you go round a corner fast.

GW - glad you posted like that, having read other threads I thought we might get in to an argument over nothing, a bit of normality and understanding on here at last!

I do agree that technique can have a major effect on the way you judge things, and hence am agreeing that my not liking them is down to my riding style as my last tyres I found to be very good, the old adage horses for courses

Anyone want a pair of single ply wire bead 60a maxxpro 2.35's? Approx 500 miles use but not showing signs of wear.

Yup I meant use the front brake hard while cornering. A good way I had it described to me is 'back brake to slow you down, front brake to stop'. Using the front brake too much on anything steep or really technical, or when cornering hard, is a recipe for disaster imo, as you lose your steering.

I found the grip on high rollers didn't live up to the hype neither.Had a 60a on the back.Dissappointed with the grip, especially when climbing, spun out way too much.
I've put a minion 60a on the rear and tons better for grip and don't notice any difference in drag.

'They grip less than riding on ice
They are rubbish in mud
They are rubbish on roots'

I suspect it might be you who is rubbish at those things. What are you expecting from them? Its only a 60a, you are running them 'hardish' and you want fast rolling.

Pity you dont get on with them, they are some of the most predictable (if draggy) tyres around. I run tubeless with supertacky on the front and a LUST (60a i think) on the back, considering the amount of DH racers that use high rollers they must work 😉

RHSno2

of course, it's bound to be me because I don't agree with the stw massive, sorry for asking a constructive question, I will not question the ability of the equipment I ride, only my own

martinxyz - 2 year old Orange 5, RP23 shock serviced every 12 months and Float 140 RLC serviced every 10 minutes as per Mojo/Fox advice (every 6 months, oil and seals changed actually)

As posted above, I don't get on with them, my technique/style/ability isn't a good match for them, however, I do match other tyres so will go back to those, incidentally I tried going back to Cinders from the Kendas earlier this year and having ridden them successfully 3 years ago I also found the Cinders lacking compared to the Kendas.

Maybe kendas are good for cr4p riders and Maxxis suit good riders, seems to be the case with some of the above posts 😉

Nah I'm crap and I have Maxxis on both my bikes

whooooooooooooooo there, no need to get aggressive (seems to be the default in STW for the minority oppinions at the moment).

They'r not a mud tyre, get swampthigns or wet screams for that.

Run them softer, no 60a tyre pumped up past 30psi is going to be grippy.

I'm 14st and run my front SPC one at 25-27psi, and could go lower without pinching or folding in the corners.

I'm running a hollyroller at 27-30psi out back, if your spinning highrollers then you need to pedal smoother rather than standing up and hammering up and down!

of course, it's bound to be me because I don't agree with the stw massive, sorry for asking a constructive question

Meh, I personally don't think they're as good as claimed, I'm luke warm about them at best.

I think there's some truth in "how you ride relates to how you get on with a tyre" - I can go much faster and harder with a Kenda Blue Groove up front than just about any other tyre on the market - I've clearly just clicked with it and I now have a few in 2.1 and 2.35 sizes so I can run it on all bikes, it works most of the season for me (frankly if it's so horrible that they won't work, I'll be at a trail centre anyway).

I must ride the fork hard because I can also run a Small Block 8 on the back for most of the year too and I find most other tyres on the front cause me to wash out... bad technique? Possibly, but the Blue Groove works and doesn't seem to slow me down.

They come alive in the corners. If you are staying upright and are riding nervously or tentatively (sounds like it) then the grip will be very poor pretty irrespective of what pressure you run.

When you lean a bike into a corner at speed on HRs you are cornering on the side lugs. These give tons of lovely predictable grip and when they do break traction theres no fuss or drama and you still feel in control. On any surface. In virtually all conditions.

I run them (60a) front and rear on my hardtail at pretty high pressure and I don't really struggle to keep up with most folk. First time I rode them (many years ago) I thought they were awful tyres and that the bloke in the shop had ripped me off so I replaced them with another set of tioga fatory dh. Looking back on it, I realise that I just couldn't for toffee back then.

Minion, Nevegal upfront, except on south downs where Dry2 is fine,

Out back I use small block 8, razors or mountain kings (and mud x in winter).

No point putting a chunky tyre on the rear, unless you are on an uplift day. They just slow you down.
Run lower pressures upfront to aid grip and keep the rear quite firm, so it slides predictably rather than letting go before the apex of a turn.

I also agree that leaning the bike and not yourself will really help to use the bigger knobbly bits on the edge of a chunky tyre. Try it, it's fun and really gets you out of the mire if you have over-cooked a corner.

Oh, and I hate tubeless, as I always end up in a heap on the floor looking like I just escaped from an industrial accident at a tippex factory, or Simon King after filming for the next riveting BBC-bird-poo-island-watch-VII

The choice of correct tyre totally confuses me.

I'm running 2.35" Rampage SC's front and rear. No idea what pressures, i'll guess around 35psi each. They were recommended so I bought them.

i get on pretty well with high rollers, i dont find them draggy and think they are a good fit and forget tyre.

i run 60a kevlar single plys with a stans rimstrip on flow rims and my only gripe is i flat them quite regularly. im not sure if i pinch them, or burp some air out then pinch them but whenever i cane them through some rocks or whatever i seem to get a flat. i dont think im being to clumsy or whacking them, just getting a bit lairy maybe. i seem to either be tearing the knobbles or causing a small split by pinching but its hard to tell, does anyone else do this? i used to do it loads when i ran them sub 30 psi, now i do it less often at 35 psi. im 13st BTW.

Went from Ignitors which i hated to high rollers 2.5 which i love, just dont try doing a 26 mile charity ride on them cos on the tarmac its like someones pulling you backward. I run the rear slightly softer than front cos i find you get more bite in the corners that way. They only feel sketchy on loose dusty/gravel downhills. Which, lets face it, aren't conditions you get for very long in Calderdale!!

thisisnotaspoon - apologies

Slowrider - whenever I run single plys on the rear of the hardtail I need to keep them at about 45 psi or more to avoid pinching on rock gardens. I weigh about the same as you and ride pretty much without finesse shall we say.

If you are pinch flatting HR single plys then any other single ply tire will be much much worse. Maxxis single ply tires are just about the only tires I've tried where the sidewalls dont flex like a flexy thing through tight steep tech sections. Well except for intense tires but they are total cack.

For big dh session days I'll swap it over to a 2 ply in the rear, then I can pretty much forget about flats.

Just had a few months riding on some 60a compound and in my opinion they're fantastic in the dry on all surfaces, but pretty poor when its wet, especially if you're trying to ride anything technical/rooty. They're also rubbish grip wise when climbing. Ive put the Nevegals back on for a bit and am enjoying the confidence they give on technical stuff even when its damp/wet. I'd use some high rollers again but probably buy a 42a single ply for the front.

I had a 42a on the front and a 60a on the back - found the grip fantastic in all weathers (great on wet lake district rocks), not too bad in mud, but they were pretty draggy. I also got quite a few punctures, especially when the tyres wore down a bit.

i'm sticking with my Highroller 2.35 60a up front and ADvantage 2.4 60a on the rear.

after one year both are wearing well despite being ridden on tarmac more than i would like. the front tyre comes in at 685gr.

they do me well in all conditions. wet roots and rocks are always a little more problematic but with these i find them to be less so.

same as grumm here

42a front and 60a rear both single ply and tubeless. 28 front and 30 rear.

I find the great, but i also loved my blue groove sticke front and nevegal DTC rear combo.

The only reason I havn't used them is because I was led to believe they had very thin sidewalls and are no good for tubeless.

Try dropping the pressures a bit and see what they are like then.

Hi Votchy.
Must say my experience of 2.35 Highrollers was the same as yours.
I bought them thinking I'd be happy to sacrifice a bit of easy rolling ability for extra grip on nadgery trails, but found them both painfully slow and poor gripping front and rear in a range of conditions.
I've ridden them at Afan in the bone-dry, The Dark Peak in mud and ice, Cannock (not tried them over the Wyre,)in all weathers and just don't get on with them at all.

Got some 2.1 ADvantages on now and they wipe the floor with the Highrollers in all conditions, as far as I'm concerned.

Compared to the 2.7 dual ply slowreezy minions on my DH bike, my 2.35 LUST high rollers roll very quickly, but grip like they're on ice. Compared to other AM tyres they roll reasonably well, and grip better, IME.

I guess that's not helped much though...

To the OP,

I'd say that they just don't suit your riding style. I love 'em and run a supertacky up front and regular out back. They are - imo - leagues ahead of the XC Pros I used to use.

No great shakes if you don't like them. A new member (to here) used to complain that they never had any grip and things were really slippy. I never had the issues over the same trails so told them to try a set of HR's. They don't like them either saying the same as you.

Maybe some Cinders would suit you better?

IMHO you can try all the tyres on the market but if you have one bad experience on a tyre its psychologically never gonna be good enough from then on really!!! Be honest with yourselves now cos i'm sure this is the case for alot of us!!!

[i]What are you expecting from them? Its only a 60a, you are running them 'hardish' and you want fast rolling.[/i]

Is what I was asking.

I run lust's on the rear and normally a Minion on the front. Its a dry set up. Tyres will slip on roots. Even if its a super tacky and below. Just depends on how you apply weight/brakes etc.

If you ride at the Wyre (which I have ridden quite a lot) I'd go for a Maxxis Swampthing 2.35 (60a)for winter, spring and Autumn. Minions (front) front and rear (2.35) would be great when its dry as they roll quicker and corner very well.

Hows that?

RHSno2

thanks for clearing that up

I've not actually said anywhere that I want fast rolling, just that I have found the HR's to be more draggy than anything else I've used

Used Swampthings last winter and really like them, more versatile than the trailrakers I usually use in the wyre mud

As also mentioned above once you've had a bad experience with something you never really trust it again.

Think I will go back to the Kendas purely as I know they work well and because trying different tyres can be a big drain on the wallet if you find they don't work for you.

Will drop the HR's to 25'ish front and 30'ish rear tonight to see how they grip then, remembering to get the bike well over on the bends to make best use of the side knobs

IMHO you can try all the tyres on the market but if you have one bad experience on a tyre its psychologically never gonna be good enough from then on really!!! Be honest with yourselves now cos i'm sure this is the case for alot of us!!!

I think that's a good point. I had a horrible experience with my Eskars at Whinlatter once in the wet, they felt lethal and hated using them after that. Put them on again recently though and they seem to be fine.

You've gotta trust your tyres, if you dont then you'll always be taking it easy! And its so easy to have that trust knocked, when in all fairness if something goes wrong its easier to blame the tyres than yourself. If you think your tyres are awesome you'll ride better regardless. Simple psychology i reckon. But thats not to say there aren't some awful tyres out there......

I have High Rollers 2.35 60a back and front on my Enduro
+ I run them at about 35 psi for faster rolling; I like that bit of extra pressure to make them a bit looser on the corners - you get better feedback from the bike that way
+ the rear seems to be better now it's about half worn down the centre tread
+ you NEED to lean over on corners to get onto the side-tread and get the most out of them, so that means taking corners at more than a bimble

- only misgiving is on hardpack cambered corners with loose dirt where the front slips and washes out because you're riding on the centre tread (which runs perpendicular to the direction of travel) and not on the side knobs - but if you know to expect it, it's fine

the point which needs to be made is that you need to get to know a tyre before you can be comfortable riding it, it should match your riding style, not dictate it - if you've already found one you like then stick with it

Votchy, If you don't want then I may be interested in taking them off your hands!

Drop me a mail if you want, sp coldicott at hotmail .com (no spaces)

it should match your riding style, not dictate it - if you've already found one you like then stick with it

I'd agree with that.
Highrollers seem to suit people who ride and especially corner like a DHer.
I seem to get on much better with rounder profile tyres that allow a progressive lean, rather than encouraging you to dive into bends.
I'm more of a finesse type rider than aggro /shredder and they don't work for me.

I'm more of a mincer rider than aggro /shredder and they don't work for me.

😛

What compound were the BG/Nevegals?

Might be that you like the dual compound (the centre compound, I think, is the same 60, sides are 42 or something, so obviously cornering grip will be better.).

Not sure about the slow rolling, I've got a pair of super tacky dual ply ones that roll incredibly slow, but I kind of assumed it was cos they've got thick sidewalls and are soft and sticky... Great grip though.

Anyway, point is if you don't like them go back to what you do like! I use BG on both ends for most stuff, which I like, and whilst there's probably a better tyre out there somewhere I don't want to blow £50 on something I don't end up preferring!

It sounds like you're riding in muddy forests. Nothing except a mud tyre will grip really well in mud, and wet roots are wet roots - slippy for most tyres. I've ridden a swampthing before and compared to that they're not as good in mud but theyre still pretty good.

They grip better on corners if you lean in. Where they excell is on the loose mixed stuff. little twigs and leaves etc.

I've had a high roller maxxpro 60a on the front all winter and its been fine - tried a super tacky version which i found way too draggy. I ran mine at 35-38psi. compared to the super tacky i found it to be pretty fast but now the weathers come dry again i'm onto a kenda small block 8 which is the fastest tyre i've ever ridden. All depends on how and where you ride and what tyres you had on before.

If you like the kendas just sell the high rollers and get some more? not the end of the world is it 🙂

I deliberately avoided the term "mincer", Grumm! 👿 😉

Maybe kendas are good for cr4p riders and Maxxis suit good riders

err, I like both!

Update from last nights ride in a dry and dusty Wyre forest, dropped the pressures down to 28 front 30 rear and following the advice above tried to ride more aggressively and really lean the bike over in the corners, must say I found them to be much better so thanks for the advice, will continue to experiment with the pressures and try and develop my riding more towards a 'Knights of gnarl' stylee 😀

Did find them able to cope very well with the devestation that the forestry has created over the kinlet side in the forest, negotiating what used to be a nice downhill section through the trees to the stream is now a pick your way across the logpiles techy section.

I rode mine (maxpro 60a 2.35 but on a not very glamorous hard tail) last night after reading this thread. I've always liked them....

But I think that I could detect a sort of ucertainty as the bike starts to lean over for a corner. With a bit of extra crank the tyres suddenly grip. But if you weren't use to the feeling and didn't feel the urge to push the bike over I can see that they would feel a bit sketchy and crap

Yeah they do start to slide a bit when cornering sometimes, before the side knobs dig in, but generally in a nice controlled fashion so if you don't panic it's not a problem. Supertacky one on the front never really did this for me though.

Completely agree that tyres suit riding styles. I was (am?) a bit tentative on steep slippery techy sections. Had some 2.25 Advantages on a new bike and just wiped out every time on stuff that was fine on my Cinders. I couldn't get rid of them fast enough, but many on here really rate them. It seems a common fault/benefit (depending on riding style) of Maxxis tyres that they only really bite when you lean them hard. Fine, but what if you are on slow straight sections where you are relying on the centre of the tread?

[i]Fine, but what if you are on slow straight sections where you are relying on the centre of the tread?[/i]

Well, if you're on a slow straight section then you're not cornering...

Votchy, does this sound familiar?:
Pump them up hard enough to not bang the rims and there's no grip at all, but let them down a bit to try to find grip and they feel squidgy and your rims take a pounding. Can't find a surface they work well on other than good dry roads which is pretty pointless for a mountain bike.
This was my exact experience of Fire XC Pros and from your comments it sounds like High Rollers would give me a similar nightmare.
It's basically due to the tyre needing to be run at low pressure to get the grip but this only works if you are light enough, either in weight or riding style - & I'm neither!
I ended up going old school and running a Conti Vertical up front with a Vapor on the rear. I find I can run the front at around 30 psi with no rim problems and predictable grip and a bit more in the rear to stop the pinch flats. This set-up also means the rear will just about always slide before the front which boosts confidence no end and they roll quickly too.

how big does a 2.35 minion front compare against a 2.35 highroler??

Roughly the same size. My last bike came with a set of 2.35 60A highrollers and I took them off after one ride and swapped to 2.35 Minion fronts (42A front/60A rear) which are a much easier tire to control for the less gnar. I too am clearly rubbish at getting the bike on it's side enough to go round corners.

I've found the 2.35 high rollers work much better on a wider rim. Narrow-ish rims cause the tyre to take a more rounded profile, and you get a strange transition between upright and leant over (that others above have described well) much better on wide rims where the profile is more square, and you hit the side nobbles sooner. You can also run the tyres softer and they dont squirm around or fold over.

On wide rims - ace tyres! (but not for racing)

The Badger - Member
I've found the 2.35 high rollers work much better on a wider rim. Narrow-ish rims cause the tyre to take a more rounded profile, and you get a strange transition between upright and leant over (that others above have described well) much better on wide rims where the profile is more square, and you hit the side nobbles sooner.

That, Badger, is probably an excellent point. So guys, who is running a wide rim and really likes Highrollers, and who is running narrow and hates them. My rubbish experience with Advantages was on DT 4.2's which are quite narrow

I run highrollers, super tacky front and normal 60a on the back, the only tyres I can compare them to are Hollyrollers which roll much much faster (obviously) and against some Intense 909's (i think) and if you think highrollers drag then you really should try some 909's man they drag something rotten, but boy do they grip.

What would you folks class as a wide rim? My highrollers are mounted to some sun mtx 29 rims, bit of a bugger to get on and off due to the having the wire bead version.

Mine were on Mavic 321 rims, kind of medium width. And i'm in the no camp.

Mine are on Stans Flow rims so quite wide and I'm in the not sure camp now

Mine were on a DT Swiss 445D OEM rim for Specialized - not sure how wide but reasonably narrow I think.

I run them on 321s and 823s and a better all round tyre I cannot find. Nearly everybody in our club is on them now too. They really suit our local conditions as well as the likes of Golspie and Laggan, with the odd big hill day thrown in.

I run the 42a front 60 rear combo on one bike and rampage on another, both seem to roll plenty quick enough (i tend to freewheel and pump rather spin and keep up with the guy in front) both run around 30-35lbs with tubes, the only difference is the rampage tend to start to drift / slide sooner, and I've had more rear pinches with the HR, although they are on a HT in the lakes...................

mavic ex729 rear with 2.35 DP 60a highroller at 25psi, run stans notubes, and think it's a very good tyre.

Same tyre on front on a mavic xm321 with an xc tube, run at 22psi, is great with loads of grip.

not so good in wet mud though. great on wet / dry rocky stuff

I run both HR's & Fire XC pros's..HR's are on my AM/FS bike & they work fine for that kind of riding. My XC's are on my XC/HT bike & I cant ride them the same way I ride my HR's but I expect that - my point is you have to get the tyres that suit what yr riding style.

I find the HR's are great on cornering regardless of conditions whereas my Pro's have no where near the same level of grip but they do light up better in sprints..I tend to be hanging on a bit with the Pro's in the corners whereas the HR's just bite & any slide (if any) is very progressive & easy to control.

Having said all that I am tempted to switch to HR's on my XC/HT to get better cornering..

you'll no doubt be wanting a minion on the front
less of a platform between the centre and side knobs, so a more predictable slide motion

been caught quite a few times with high rollers suddenly losing grip on the front, only to grab on the side knobs. Not a good look.
Minion on the front everytime.

you'll find most downhillers use minions not highrollers on the front

I don't rate the highroller as a front tyre at all

most downhillers don't include all the ones down this way then.

very litte use of minions, tends to be rollers or cut down spikes.

rollers were awesome at gawton last night.

Ditch em and move on