...until today.
Quick blast round whinlatter with a mate, who has a new GF Roscoe. It was like he'd put rings of ice on his rims, as the 2.4 things it comes with slithered and slipped at every opportunity. Now, the trail is on slate bedrock, and can be slippy, but today was one of the less slippy days and he was all over the place. Following him and seeing him wheelspin whenever he pedalled, even on gentle climbs, and both wheels going sideways in the corners, certainly opened my eyes!
So, moral of the story- there actually are unsuitable tyres available that don't work on some surfaces, it's not all just hot air spouted by folks looking to be suckered in to spending more to skill compensate. (my mates a bit handy on a bike!)
Sounds like they were over-inflated to me
Know what you mean TomB, I was up there just a couple of weeks ago with a new set of Kenda UST's, Nev & BG combo, absolute garbage on the top section of the south bit, no grip at all, but I think anything would have struggled. It looked like the flat bits of slate had a thin layer of clayey mud on it. I shouldn't knock the place, it is my local trail centre, but I can't believe they would build a surface with so little grip. I would like to try it with super tacky swampthings, see if they would work.
BTW, I had about 30-35 psi, even managed to burp the rear.
My Maxxis advantages have been fine in all weathers there, notwithsatnding the odd slip or two. Over-inflation may be an issue, when I tried his bike they felt pretty bouncy!
I rode it in the wet on my Specialized Eskar's and it was bloody lethal - it does seem to get very greasy at Whinlatter. The High Rollers I've got now are much better though.
Grumm - That's just eskars 😆
I do like my HR's but I wouldn;t mind something a bit faster esp on hardpack trail centre type stuff
for those of you who dound understand that PSI stands for pounds per square inch...
If you have a wider tyre then the contact patch will be larger, therefore to support the same weight you need less pressure than a thinner tyre.
Hence why roadies use 100psi and downhillers use 18 psi.
Drop your huge pressure down to about 25-28 and you will have a much better time!
NIp
I was up there yesterday too, I was using Conti verticals and the missus using Kenda nevgals, She was sliding allover the place as was I. I thought i was doing well to get round the north side without falling off though 😀
After that i went over to the south side on my todd as she'd had enough by this time, I'd got up to the top of the hill on the final switchback and slid on a root, Tried unclipping and the front whel slipped 😳 and tumbled down the hill, Today i'm sat with bruises and cuts on my RHS boohoo boring weekend for me. Need a new helmet and mech as a result
Sounds like too much tyre pressure, the new bonty tyres I've been using seem to 'need' a lower PSI than expected and I'm used to using a variety of setups tubeless xc/dh etc.
Try lower psi.
But however, tyres make a huge difference but technique far bigger. Some of the best designs out there will provide less grip if you don't know how to corner properly. Hence alot of the confusion with tyres and opinions.
So skill has nothing to do with it either 🙂
It's just that i was staying in Thornthwaite for a week last september and rode Whinlatter everyday and didn't find it especially slippery and it rained everyday!
I was using Kenda Nevegals 2.1 (DTC Rear/Stick-e Front) FWIW. My girlfriend had no problems with Panacer Cinders either.
I ride Whinlatter regularly and I agree that it can be greasy at times, but has actually bedded in really nicely now and is moch more fun (IMHO). My Kenda Nevegal/Blue Groove combination are not so good in mud / loose surfaces, but ace on rocky stuff. Mud-x's are fab in mud and loose, and actually not all that bad on rocks as long as they are not worn! They are prone to snakebites though when run at anything less than 30psi!!
So really, we need a combination of them all 🙂
whats not to believe? your only contact point with the ground can have a major affect on the handling of a bike?
what next, the colour doesn't make a difference to how fast it is?
Rode there yesterday and my [realitively worn]Panracer Cinders were also leathal on the north side (my mate rode behind to laugh) and were sliding two feet sideways on all roots and had limited grip if I pedalled hard as well ...changed my mind a bit on the issue
Nice route though especially the jumpy bits
There is a sign on the very top bit of the south loop which iirc says they are going to rebuild the track by inlaying rock like how they build footpaths in the lakes, but this involves a helicopter lifting the rock up there. Sounds like they have given up on it's current state, unless someone knows better. They could build it like the techy descent down Styhead.
My Eskars were a bit sketchy on the wet rocks today but letting out some air soon solved that.
[o level physics pedant mode]
For those that don't understand pressure, turnip, tyres of all widths will have the same contact area when inflated to the same pressure and supporting the same weight (as long as they are not bottoming out on the rim)
[i]For those that don't understand pressure, turnip, tyres of all widths will have the same contact area when inflated to the same pressure and supporting the same weight (as long as they are not bottoming out on the rim)[/i]
Eh?
So my car tyre at 30 psi has the same contact area as my bike tyre at 30 psi?
Dunno where you did your O levels, but I'd be asking for my money back.
cynic-al: [i]tyres of all widths will have the same contact area when inflated to the same pressure [b]and supporting the same weight[/b][/i]
crikey: [i]So my car tyre at 30 psi has the same contact area as my bike tyre at 30 psi?[/i]
So your car weighs the same as your bike??
Dunno where you got the bike from, but I'd be asking for my money back...
