[Closed] Ralphs or Nics for general xc type riding?

It'd be fine until you found some mud, or really, really needed traction in a sketchy descent. That said, I do swap onto a pair for the dryest buts of summer. They are quicker but obviously compromised, Nics are better all round for where I ride (bridal ways etc, but some very steep, loose climbs and descents)

So would you say they are really best on hardpack that kind of thing rather than a mix.

I had Raplhs for summer use but if you get some rain on hard pack they can be very sketchy so I now use Ron's most of the year round - fast but a bit of grip when you need it.
Running Ron's on 3 bikes but when the time comes for new tyres I might try Conti X-Kings to see if their any better.

Rocket Rons here as well, got them last summer, used them right through the winter made for some interesting riding...

NN front, RR rear?

Nic front, Ralph rear serves me fine in the South Dowms and on trail centre trips. I've been brave & got them on this week instead of the winter Trailrakers.

Bigbloke, stick to the Aspens, don't let the weight worry you. Excellent grip and fast, what more could you ask for? Oh yes, lighter weight 🙂 Sell the Aspens and buy new ones in eXeption flavour?
I have been running Nobbies mostly for couple of years now myself and they are very light for what they are, even in UST. So get them a NN and RR combo and you will be pleased I'm sure.

But if you are riding the tracks as described in your post above and you if you are not racing, then personally I would have been more than happy with using the Aspens - best tyre for summer IMO.

Ralphs clog really easily in the higher plastic clays, the Nobby Nic I found cut through it more and the mud came off when riding rather than becoming an entire wheel made from mud.

I prefer Ralphs, they have exactly the same tread on the shoulders as a Nic, and neither are much cop in the mud. Good '3 season' tyres.

Rons have bit more tread in the middle, but less on the shoulders. I think they're better in loamy conditions, but if it's hard then Ralphs (combined with a Fred on the back for a speed injection) are excellent.

I run a 2.25 Rocket Rons (front) and Racing Ralphs (rear) combo in summer.

Fantastically light, low rolling resistance tyres for dry conditions however they really struggle in the wet. Pretty useless in mud and scary over wet roots and rocks.

Never used Nobbly Nics; in winter I change over to Dirty Dans. Again very light with relatively low rolling resistance (as a mud tyre) but good bite in the soft stuff.

I've had a pair of Nics on standby all winter but it's never really got too sloppy for the Rons that I've been using so they've stayed on. Of course it depends on local conditions, but for my local riding Rons are fine at least 90% of the time, and the other 10% of the time is mostly sticky clay which no tyre can tame.

Ron on the front, ralph on the back come summer for general singletrack riding. I think the ron is actually lighter as it does not have the reinforced sidewalls.

NN 2.25 front, Rocket Ron rear. Perfect.

I think the ron is actually lighter as it does not have the reinforced sidewalls.

Yep, not about reinforced sidewalls per se, just a lighter carcass. The Fred/Ron/Dan are lighter than the Nic/Ralph.

I've had a pair of Nics on standby all winter

Lucky you didn't need them, they're a crap mud tyre! Dans are good.

I really like Rons, I'm Rocking a pair atm. They could be a little more defined in the shoulder, but they perform well in the gloop (chalk, clay, roots) around these parts.

Hi I've got a pair of 2.25 rocket rons in the garage.

Im thinking of using them as my general XC tyres this summer. How strong are they ?

I've got some 2.1 racing ralphs on my "racing wheels" and think there pretty good, the amount of grip on them is fine for me.

So 2.25 Rockets should be a bit beefer and good for general riding for me but Im a bit scared they will easily be punctured. (plan to use them tubeless)

Ralph's are the perfect tyre for all conditions.

I've ridden them on a Yeti ASR and Ti hardtail all winter through snow, shine and some bad Warwickshire mud and been fine.
Descents can be interesting, Mud requires momentum and power, but it would have been the same on any tyre.

onewheelgood has ridden Nic's on the same rides and he equally had no problems.

From this scientific experiment we can conclude that if you are a riding God then it doesn't matter so buy the cheapest.

nobby nic front and rear.

rear gets a hard life so is generally semi slick esque after about the first month.

LOVE these tyres, just a shame i wear them out so fast, and keep ripping the crap out of the sidewalls on rocks.

ho hum.

So 2.25 Rockets should be a bit beefer and good for general riding for me but Im a bit scared they will easily be punctured.

I've had 2 flats on them, on exactly the same corner, 2 months apart. I'd wager I hit the same object as both times it tore a triangular hole in the carcass in the middle of the tread and ruined the tyre. Otherwise they've been fine, been using them for several years.

Just realised I have Ralphs, not Rons for the summer.
Dry today (almost) and still very happy to have the Nics on over the back of Bristol Leigh Woods (first time I've ridden there) I like tyres that brake and grip hard!
Don't think I'll get anything slippier than Ralphs for a general tyres, but might try Ron's for a short, completly dry and not too technical race (that'd be never for me then!)

scary over wet roots and rocks.

That's what made my winter interesting. I quite enjoyed the sliding around in the mud

2.25 Ralph has pritty much been my staple rear tyre throughout most seasons - Paired with a fat albert 2.4 at the moment and i love it , dont mid a bit of rear slipage . love em

That's what made my winter interesting. I quite enjoyed the sliding around in the mud

Me too! The moors I ride on get very boggy so even with the mud tyre I have both front and back sliding about. Really good for balance.

Simply wouldn't get around with the racing tyres.

The moors I ride on get very boggy so even with the mud tyre I have both front and back sliding about. Really good for balance.

Mud tyres are less useful in boggy conditions. I've used Rons in some horrifically wet conditions, and found them fine. It's only when it's stickier that mud tyres really come into their own IMO.

Not sure on that, I think my mud x's are better when it's wet across rocks and roots as well as boggy mud (compared to a Nobby Nic, Bonty Jones Original and Racing Ralfs), or maybe it's all in my head... (seriously, it could be a placebo effect)

Nic Front / Ralph rear here, use snakeskin for trailcentres.

Found Nics and Ralphs suit my riding style, have them on the FS and the HT, can't see me bothering to "test" others at current prices.

Well got Ralphs in the end and took them out for a ride today at Chicksands, very pleased, roll very quick. Only one weird issue i had was on tarmac section the front felt weird a bit sketchy, maybe i had the pressures too high on it, but otherwise all felt good going up/down and along.

Cheers for the info guys.

I found the edge grip on nics to be a bit flaky for me and they clogged mercilessly on Mendip.

I put a Fat Albert on the front and a racing ralph on the the rear. The Albert looks clogged but still grips in all but ride stallingly bad mud, and the ralph is fast, light and pretty grippy, although a bit squirmy in thick mud, its edge grip is good enough for a rear tyre, and because it has a low tread, it doesn't really clog.

I'd rather suffer a bit of squirm and slide for the easy speed and good clearing it gives on the firmer bits of the trail.

Nic - pants in mud, decent rest of the year on range of surfaces.

General xc/ trail centre riding.

NN front, RR rear as said earlier I had this set up on my P7 was great 2.25 in both.