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Same as the end of summer, on both the KSL and the 916 - 2.4 Argotal Enduro Soft front and rear
I've got Kryptotals on my new bike and it sounds like they'll be ok in the mud, so I'm gong to stick with them.
I've got the new Eliminator on my the back of Levo and I'm really liking it. It's almost nothing like the old one in tread pattern or how it behaves - old on the left, new on the right:
(the old one was like a Dissector with very ramped centre tread whilst the new one is more like a DHR2 with squarer blocks that brake well)
I've got the T9/T7 dual compound Grid Gravity (dual ply) version and it seems pretty ideal as an year-round ebike rear tyre - rolls faster than you'd think too. Worth trying if you like DHR2's but not their price nowadays!
Aggressor is meh for winter. I used one on the rear of my big bike last winter (was too lazy to swap it off) and it coped, but much better options out there.
I'm enjoying Specialized tyres at the moment. Pissed off with a couple of Maxxis with mega wobbles so stopped buying them.
Big bike: Assegai 2.5 3C + DHR2 2.4 3C
E-bike: Hillbilly T9 Grid Trail + Eliminator T7 Grid Trail
Tallboy: Hillbilly T9 Grid Trail + Purgatory T9 Grid (not ideal compound or sidewall combos but its what I have)
For big bike and all the grip in slop but still ok for pedalling it’s Hillbiilly Grid Trail T9 on the front and Kryptotal enduro soft on the rear for me. Both 29x2.4.
For new “downcountry” bike I’m trying new Forekaster / Rekon…..not going to try that in off piste slop I don’t think!
Whatever is lying around. If it get that sloppy then I will go and do something else for the day rather than get cold, wet and destroy the trails.
For me on my ebike it's Hillbilly T9 gravity front and Cannibal T9 gravity rear.
Still debating and not decided on this yet, i've been sticking with the Bontrager XR5 for now, but i don't think they're the greatest ever, however they seem OK for me.
The Merlin Krypto endurance trail are tempting but a 2.6 and some very debatable reviews on that compound.
I bought a pair of them in the end. They'll get tested at Climachx and FoD this weekend.
Fitted the Krypto trail endurance, they seem to size up nicely... Lets see what they feel like at the weekend.
The big ebike has an Assegai/DHR combo, th hardtail has a DHF and I think either a Minion Semi slick or WTB Trailboss, I’ll probably put the Trailboss on if it isn’t already. The jump/Dadcountry bike has a Kenda Small Block 8 and DTH which is interesting when riding with the kids at trail centres (rock hard forks and 65psi and wet roots keep you on your toes)
I can’t be bothered with changing tyres all the time not they’re tubeless, I’m not racing and rarely ride in total muddy slop these days so CBA
@theartist, a bit slow this but Conti are still filling out the new range, the original launch was very limited in compounds and carcasses and then they couldn't keep up with orders, some of the gaps like the argotal enduro ultrasoft are filled now and I'm pretty sure there's more to come. But they're definitely prioritising the biggest sellers and most obvious gaps
That new Eliminator looks relevant to my interests, the old one was a classic spesh "nearly good if they changed one thing" I reckon but I've been hoping for a "slightly faster dhr2" for ages, and never found one, maybe this is it?
@theartist, a bit slow this but Conti are still filling out the new range,
Ended up 29 x 2.4 DH Supersoft front, 27.5 x 2.6 DH Soft rear.
They won't go on the rim, but they look alright in the shed...
My favourite combo is a super trail Magic Mary and Hans Dampf rear. My ebike came with Butcher T9’s front and rear. I really like them but probably ott for what I’m doing 99% of the time.
Any recommendations for ebike tyres? I’m radial curious and a schwalbe fan boy. I would certainly try more from Specialized. Think I may get away with a lighter tyre than a T9. Mainly tame long distance trail riding with a few trips to FOD and Bike park Wales thrown in.
“That new Eliminator looks relevant to my interests, the old one was a classic spesh "nearly good if they changed one thing" I reckon but I've been hoping for a "slightly faster dhr2" for ages, and never found one, maybe this is it?”
I found some numbers from ze Germans:
(these lab tests are constant tyre pressure so tyres with bigger contact patches and stiffer cases score a bit higher than they would in reality when you’d run lower pressures)
DHR 2 MAXX-TERRA DH 29 X 2.5
34.3W
MAXX-TERRA DOUBLE-DOWN 29 X 2.4
36.5W
MAXX-GRIP DOUBLEDOWN 29 X 2.5
50.1W
MAXX-GRIP DH 29 X 2.4
52.2W
ELIMINATOR T7/T9 GRID GRAVITY 29x2.4
38.8W
Also, according to their puncture resistance tests that version of the Eliminator scores higher than all the version of the DHR2.
I don’t think it’s anything magic, I think it’s mostly from having a bigger different in speed/stick from centre to side knobs. Doesn’t feel unpredictable though!
I need winter tyres for the Levo, any love for the Shredda or is it overkill? I've got a spare front wheel it can go on.
I've not used it but I've seen a bunch of people speak highly of the Shredda rear as a front, looks pretty sensible to me and I've been trying to find a cheap one to try. Basically looks like they put a Mary on steroids (which imo is exactly what the Mary needs)
The front shredda looks an absolute beast tbh, it'll be amazing in deep slop I'm sure but also probably has the downsides of a full on spike- not as good on hard stuff, not much contact patch for rocks and such in the mud. Maybe back when I was racing a bunch I'd have had a use for that but even then the conditions where it'd really pay off would be pretty rare I think, most tracks still have enough hard stuff and rocks and such. For casual riding I just can't see it, unless you're somewhere that everything is bottomless mud and no better options of trails.
The radial carcass should absolutely shine for low grip riding, though, especially if you're a "low pressure" person- I liked it with higher pressure, giving that little bit of low pressure feel but allowing more stability and speed... but I loved it at my normal pressures, giving sort of Super Mega Soft feels without being too splodgy. Especially when riding speeds drop. It's almost fatbikey in how it finds little bits of grip that other tyres just don't see by glomming around stuff better, genuinely a unique advantage that tread and compound can't do, it is awesome.
My Bontager Muds are going on tomorrow.
Without bankrupting yoursefl, Spesh Hillbilly. T9 front, T7 rear.
Sometimes Michelin Mud Enduro 2.25 front.
On that subject, if anyone wants a Hillbilly 29x2.6 Grid Trail T7 (now discontinued) I have an unused one spare now I've mulleted my ebike.
For a minor update, i ran the Conti Krypto Trail Endurance at ClimachX at the weekend and they worked perfectly well. I've not used them in an XCish context in terms of pedalling/rolling, but ClimachX as anyone knows who's ridden it is pretty climby. But yeah i was happy. It was wet, but not necessarily that muddy. Worked nicely... They were cheap at Merlin at £66 for a pair posted, which i can't argue with.
First ride on the Kryptotals today and suitably impressed.
Sure-footed and well damped down a wet leaf covered fluffy kittens. And dealt with a good dose of mud elsewhere
Seem to roll well enough, but I'm on an ebike
Front - 18psi, 2.4 DH casing, Supersoft, 29"
Rear - 20psi, 2.5 DH casing, soft, 27.5"
Would prefer a 2.6 up front though but couldn't get one in that flavour, the 2.4 comes up a bit skinny
Keep thinking i might need to swap from my summer set-up, but it's not yet minging enough to do different. Getting a bit claggy on the SD, but i find that running my rear fasttrak at a slightly lower pressure gives me great grip on damp chalk, and the mud is (it'll catch me out tomorrow now...) not yet too unpleasant to make grip there unmanageable. Running a groundcontrol on the front and that is doing ok too
Hillbilly T9 grid gravity is amazing on the front t of the HT around the Wye valley. I'm unconvinced on the Eliminator T9/7 gravity on the back. Rolls ok and has good edge grip but not a lot of bite in a straight line
Schwalbe winter marathon 2.0
(I’m not overly enamoured with the prospect of a fractured collarbone 😫)
though, Schwalbe could manufacture something with fewer studs and a higher volume that would perform just as well?
“I'm unconvinced on the Eliminator T9/7 gravity on the back. Rolls ok and has good edge grip but not a lot of bite in a straight line”
Is that the old or the new one? They’re such different tyres that them having the same name (and compounds and casings) is massively confusing.
Enduro
Magic Mary 2.6 f&r. Ultra soft up front and soft at the back. Stays like that all year works on everything and I don't find it that draggy.
Trail/xc
I swap the front wheel depending on conditions. DHF 2.5 or shorty 2.4.
I've got a dissector on the back at the moment but might swap a hans dampf on.
Michelin Wild Enduro on the front for me as of a couple of weeks ago. Last one was faultless, less than £30 if you shop around. Rear this winter will be the Teravail Kessel I put 1000km on last winter, once I've scrubbed the last few 100km out of my current Hans Dampf. I'd buy another if the price was right.
“I'm unconvinced on the Eliminator T9/7 gravity on the back. Rolls ok and has good edge grip but not a lot of bite in a straight line”
Is that the old or the new one? They’re such different tyres that them having the same name (and compounds and casings) is massively confusing.
It's the new one. At the moment the local trails are covered in so many leaves it's difficult to tell if the tyre is clogging with dirt or just sliding on leaves. Or both!
Front winter tyre went on this week… High Roller 3 MaxxGrip. It works. Very well. Leaves on rocks on Blue Big nearly had me off still! Time to slow down and stop riding like it’s still summer?
Oh, I put a new Dissector G2 MaxxGrip on the front of my other half’s bike as well… that’s going to be a great all year round tyre with extra winter capability I think.
Rear tyres next week… standard fare… DR2 MaxxTerra on mine, old Dissector G1 MaxTerra on hers.
Probably just keep the same Magic Mary/Nobby Nic combo it's had on since I bought it! I've been thinking about swapping at least the NN for something a bit faster rolling but might leave it til spring now. It was pretty interesting over wet roots and leaves at Wharncliffe last week so probably don't want to be going less knobbly at the minute. Kinda interested in trying a Tacky Chan either at the back, or both ends.
“It's the new one. At the moment the local trails are covered in so many leaves it's difficult to tell if the tyre is clogging with dirt or just sliding on leaves. Or both!”
Until it went all greasy and leafy I found it was gripping well on the steep stuff - right now I’m not sure anything grips either!