[Closed] Sorry - What rear tyre for XC in the Alps?

it could be very wet. You might also want some grip on the downhills

Is it a race?

I think that the 2.35 High Roller is the perfect Alps rear tyre. Definitely not as DH grippy as some, but light enough to pedal up. A great all rounder in my opinion.

Not a race, but a fairly tough ride every day for 5 days. Mainly road climbs I think, so a lack of rolling resistance would be good.

What is more important to you, up or down?

I am still in the process of being constantly impressed by the new Kenda Slant 6... Looks like it should be horrible on anything but hardpack but it works astonishingly well, and is fast as a fast thing. Standard kenda sidewalls so clumsy people might find them delicate though. And not that impressive on wet rock.

But tbh it's too early- for an event like that I'd be tailoring it to conditions.

Chamonix in summer can be VERY wet at times. If you worry about tyres this much TBH I'd go with something already known to you rather than a new type that you are not used to riding.

Maxxis Chairlift and Maxxis Swamp Things or Minions (2.5 Dual Ply Super Tacky)
🙂 🙂 🙂

The high roller semi slick isn't much less grip than the standard one, you just have to be really confident banking it into corners until the knobles dig in, a bit lie an extreme version of the HR which doesn't like being minced (you either have to be upright or right on it's side) the SS is even more all or nothing, if you approach a loose corner at walking pace it'll throw you in the nearest hedge, hit it faster than you think sensible on a slick tyre and there's as much grip as you could even need.

I've got a DMR MotoR on my pitch at the moment which is really good in the dry too (but hopeless in anything even remotely moist).

Schwalbe Big Betty or Fat Albert?

Used a Big Betty in the Alps myself last summer, really impressed by how fast it felt considering the size.
Very grippy too, but I expected that. Get the single ply trailstar compound and not the very tacky one.

Fat Alberts are similar, but lighter and slightly less grippy.

I might end up keeping my Advantage or getting a new one, just wondered if there was anything a bit faster but still as grippy. Shame Maxxis don't import an Exo Advantage 🙁 Ardent EXO maybe?

I would probably go for a Larsen 2.35, they roll very well on tarmac climbs and have a decent amount of grip on trails. You probably won't run into loads of slick mud like you get in PdS after a downpour. On the Chamonix side the trails have a fair bit of gravel, grit and babyhead rocks, like most hiking routes. The EXO casing might be a good idea, although I rode a standard 2.35 Ignitor all round Chamonix last year and it held up fine.

Which way are you going, guided or have you organised it yourself?

I did the TMB last year. If you do the same route as us then there is only one day with a significant road climb from memory, the rest,(and there is a lot of the rest) is fire road and singletrack with varying degrees of technicality. Also don't forget there are a lot of technical downs, and I'm taling 10+ km losing 1500m of non-stop single track in at least one case. Others on potentially boggy terrain if it rains, and it rained torentially on us one day after two days of 30C heat.

So it is trade off between rolling efficiency and grip and you need to make your own call, I fitted XR2 TLR nice and light in the ups, but possibly not enough on the wet downs. Also soft compound meant there were trashed by end of ride. But you pays your money and makes your choice. To be honest, in retrospect I would pick some sort of do everything compromise tyre.

There are a couple of good articles on the TMB to be found online and if you are being guided I would speak to the guide, they will know the route you are taking and be able to provide specific advice.

It is a fantastic ride, beautiful terrain and real challenge.

... we did the route reverse in respect to normal hiking route, ie we went anticlockwise around Mount Blanc france, switzerland, italy, france. My understanding is that the route works better this way.

2.2 Ardent with EXO side walls would be a good choice. 2.2 Rubber Queen is ok too but side walls are a bit fragile IMHO

Going France, Switzerland, Italy, France. Doing it in a group of about 20 with MBMB.

sambob - Member
how wet can it be?

You're right. There's no chance of the alps getting wet in summer.

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it was a question, rather than me trying to be funny. But that wasn't part of the deal 🙁