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So my Stumpjumper Evo still has the full blown DH casing super soft Continental Krypotals from last year's holiday on it, with inserts as well.
Kept them on for the winter (as I tend to hit the gym rather than go out on bike in the winter so it sufficed for the occasional venture out). But now the weather is picking up, the trails are drying out and I'm getting out on the bike more I'm realising the drag and rolling weight of these tires is biblical and also completely killing the feel of the bike (and me on the climbs!).
So I'm looking to replace these with something lighter and faster rolling but still with good grip. I tend to ride places with natural trails like golfie/dunkeld/pitmedden etc so needing something that still has good grip in mixed conditions but lighter and faster rolling.
I like the continentals so thought I'd just get a lighter casing but looking online, the lighter casings only come with the hard compound and the soft compound is reserved for the heavier enduro/dh casings, which isn't ideal.
I suppose the default answer will be maxxis as that's what most people use but my previous experience with them hasn't been brilliant with poor QC meaning several warped or buckled tires. Is that still an issue.
What else are people using and can recommend for these sort of trails on analogue bikes? Open to suggestions.
I've put Schwalbe radials on the HT in Trail spec - soft Albert out back and supersoft Mary up front - run a few more PSI as recommended and they don't seem bad rolling wise and decent grip levels - no inserts and haven't dinged a rim yet. Verdict is out as to whether they are as good as the DH Kryptotals on my Levo, but....
I’m a bit of a fan of vittoria tyres their 4c compound seems to be very grippy whilst rolling well
+1 Vittoria tyres here, I run them all year in various guises from Mota (winter), Mazza (inbetweeny) and Agarro summer
James
I have been running Maxxis Forekaster all winter and am really impressed with them. Not sure weather I will change to my summer set up which is Vittoria Mezcal and Barzo front.
Another one I always recommend is Hutchinson Griffus Racing Lab - have to have the 2.4 rear, 2.5 front though, they are specific even though they look similar.
No good in proper slop (they aren't low profile/close spaced knobs, but they just don't have forward traction in mud), but roll really well in dry/loose/loam, grip well and have decent sidewalls - they feel really compliant without letting everything through to the rim. A very good 2-3 season tyre IMO.
Mine are all tan wall (and I have a few sets), but they are available in black
The Kryptotal comes in Trail casing and soft compound now.
Biketart have them in stock at the mo
I ride all the same places that you mentioned. Maxxis DHR2 on the rear, Magic Mary on the front. Best combo I have used
6 replies and no mention of tyre……..?
This place ain’t what it used to be!
My thoughts exactly!
The enduro casing contis are decent for general trail riding IME. I also think the general consensus is that the trail casing tyres aren’t that much lighter so you may as well go with the enduro casing for extra support and protection.
6 replies and no mention of tyre……..?
This place ain’t what it used to be!
You can blame the autocorrect on my phones default US English keyboard for that one!
Some good suggestions here. Have been curious about the vittorias and it seems to be a popular choice.
Tacky Chan Trail Ultra Soft?
Ran these on a trail bike last year F&R and they are very fast rolling for the grip levels. Big shoulder lugs hook into looser stuff well too.
Assegai front / Minion rear. Can't remember the compounds etc but its what I'm used to and know the limits of.
I’ve become a convert to running a soft high-damping compound on the front and a harder compound at the back. Wear rate ends up similar, the front feels calm and controlled and stuck-down, the back rolls fast and drifts easier for tight turns.
And I like a cut spike for the front because it works wherever I ride, all year round, and something roughly DHR2 shaped for the back for similar reasons.
And middling toughness casing for the front and the same plus an insert or a DH casing without for the rear.
So that’s ended up being a Hillbilly T9 Grid Trail front on both bikes and an old Butcher T7 or new Eliminator T7/T9 rear.
So that’s ended up being a Hillbilly T9 Grid Trail front on both bikes and an old Butcher T7 or new Eliminator T7/T9 rear.
Agree with this, Hillbilly T9 Grid Trail with Purgatory T7 here. My winter Hillbilly has nicely worn down in the middle for summer use now.
Butcher T9 is nice up front in anything up to proper mud. Very DHF like but better than it in softer conditions.
So that’s ended up being a Hillbilly T9 Grid Trail front on both bikes and an old Butcher T7 or new Eliminator T7/T9 rear.
Agree with this, Hillbilly T9 Grid Trail with Purgatory T7 here. My winter Hillbilly has nicely worn down in the middle for summer use now.
Was thinking about the specialized tires actually. Seem to get a good write up. Is the trail casing strong enough on the rear or does it need to be the T9 gravity?
I've become a very big fan of the Highroller 3 (or just renamed Highroller now, I think), in maxxgrip. It's slow, but the tradeoff is huge capability, it just... kinda works all the time. Not as good as a full spike in mud, not as good as a hard surface specialist on trail centres or really rocky stuff, but I've never once gone for a ride and thought "this is completely wrong". It doesn't do anything clever, it just grips well and generally is predictable and confidence inspiring and doesn't **** up or do anything weird and it turns out that's just what I want.
(I think basically this is more about the actual tradeoff for drag. You're not going to get a big speed kick over a dh krypto I think but you will get a ton of useful capability. If you absolutely want more zip you'd need to look elsewhere or match it with a faster rear, but if you want to get more for your sweat this'll do it)
Argotal is similiar I think (but I've only got a dh argo so that's not a fair comparison). The enduro casing is a pretty sensible allround carcass I reckon, the dh does pedal like a brick.
So that’s ended up being a Hillbilly T9 Grid Trail front on both bikes and an old Butcher T7 or new Eliminator T7/T9 rear.
Agree with this, Hillbilly T9 Grid Trail with Purgatory T7 here. My winter Hillbilly has nicely worn down in the middle for summer use now.
Was thinking about the specialized tires actually. Seem to get a good write up. Is the trail casing strong enough on the rear or does it need to be the T9 gravity?
I've used both Grid and Grid Trail casings on the rear of my Geometron. Grid Trail initially but then swapped to a Grid with tyre insert to use up a spare I had. Now back on Grid Trail with Cushcore insert.
Butcher or Hillbilly T9 T9 front with an Eliminator or Purgatory T7 rear are great combos. Ground Control rear for a bit more speed in drier conditions, but they're only in Grid casing so I always stick an insert in one of those.
Enduro Magazine, did quite a thorough test of rolling resistance and on their rig found that Grid Gravity rolled slightly better than Grid Trail in the same compound. I've got loads of 29" T7 Grid Trail tyres to use up on the hardtail but I got a 27.5" T7/T9 Grid Gravity Eliminator for the ebike and its great!
I wouldn't put a T9 on the back, you'll wear out the centre knobs so fast and I'm sure it would be horribly draggy. But T7 down the middle and Grid Gravity is fine when I've forgotten to charge my ebike...
Was just thinking more about this. I'm quite fussy about tyre pressure but I've noticed that with a front tyre that's one of the softest and slowest rebound compounds I can be pretty lax about the tyre pressure (like pump it up higher than ideal) but it doesn't matter because it glues itself to the ground better. And likewise, with either an insert or a DH casing on the back I don't have to fuss about rear psi much because it has to get really low before I spank a rim or get a pinch flat.
If you're looking at Specialized tyres the Butcher changed a bit and and Eliminator changed a lot last year - new Eliminator is like a DHR2, old one is like an Aggressor or old Dissector.
170/170mm bike has hillbilly t9 grid gravity on the front. butcher t9 grid gravity for uplifts / t7 grid trail for pedaling up.
160/135mm bike has butcher t9 trail front. Butcher t7 grid trail but will be moving to a t7 purgatory front now it's drier.
160mm hardtail has Vittoria Martello front and purgatory rear.
The Vittoria was £25 on banana industries and seems absolutely fine so far.
If I was off to the Golfie I'd be on hillbilie/ butcher. Trail if a ride was 20 miles+ gravity if it's sub 20 miles winch and plummet