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We all ask which tyres to get but which ones wouldn't you touch.
spare tyres
Continental Gravitys - the only tyre I have actually given up on. Fine in a straight line but bank them into a corner or hit something off camber and it's goodbye grip.
I'm not that fussy about my rubber and rarely worry 'what tyre?', but I did have a a pair of crossmarks which I actually thought were trying to kill me 🙁 just total rubbish
Any conti tyre! - make good road tyres though.
Also a Fire FR - 2.4??? more like 3.0 - rubbed crown on a dirtjump fork and weighed same as a car tyre.
Finally an IRC XC tyre (model?) I had 10 years back - weighed nothing but had major wear after a 10 mile ride!!!
Continental Vertical Pro UST. I think they have shares in the NHS.
Specialized Enduro 2.25. Even drift at low speed on dry tarmac. Sidewalls as thick as a Durex Gossamer and probably harder to fit on the rim.
Not keen on the Eskars I've got on one bike at the moment. Only had one ride on them so far so it could just be I'm too used to my other tyres. Time will tell.
maxpro high rollers. i got bitten by a pair of them a couple of weeks back on a demo bike.
maxpro high rollers. i got bitten by a pair of them a couple of weeks back on a demo bike.
How so?
got wtb enduroraptors fitted front and rear on my jamis which was purchased in the states, were absolutely hopeless on anythiong other than hardpack, gave them about 2 months and then went mack to the old panaracers.
nokia nbx on my coiler were a bit porky and crap in the loose too.
Anything by Tioga.
I'm thinking the same as the boatman.
crossmarks seem good on natural stuff, but i find them bloody lethal on man made wet ST.
ironic as MBR rate them for man made stuff.
might be going back to RR/NN combo for summer
High Roller 2.35 Double ply super tacky - do not XC with them, DH only - they weigh a kilo each and drag like your towing a buggy
**** all grip. at least not when you normally run super tackys.
its was on an alpine 160, a bike that encourages you to hoon it, and then the shite tyres fail to deliver any kind of grip in corners. I was taking it easy as i'd already had a few moments on them and they just let go in a corner i've ridden a hundred times and about twice as fast.
it hurt.
Love conti's especially the gravities.
Most tyres are fine, wrong tyres for the riding is bad. Slicks on mud are fun as are mahoosive tyres in winter when everything get's clogged up.
High Roller 2.35 Double ply super tacky - do not XC with them, DH only
That's not really surprising is it, as they are meant as DH tyres.
Panaracer Cinders, managed 2 rides before I threw them in the back of the shed
Cinder on the front. Lethal when turning.
Continental Vapours awful awful tyres
slim tubing - I'd be interested in the enduroraptors if they're in decent nick and reasonably wide 🙂
Tioga Factory Dh ... I chipped both front teeth as soon as it started raining lol. Plastic tyres are not good!
i was reminiscing about tioga Factory DH's with some mates today. they were awful but they were cheap.
if you got the team issue ones made with proper rubber they were actually pretty good tyres.
+1 for conti vapours. Don't seem to grip on anything
[i]as they are meant as DH tyres[/i].
aye, my HT was in DH mode when a mate said "lets do the big skyline route" and I didn't have time to change them - God it hurt and was even slow going downhill. In fact they're completely unsuitable for even the knarlyiest stuff I ride. You live and learn (sometimes).
Ideal for an Alpine holiday, barely used - going cheap, make me an offer, want 'em?
another vote for Conti's never got on with them when I've tried them.
admission time...i've only run Tioga Factory DH tires since I got my Stinky in '02.
I love 'em in all conditions, i've got 2.1 and 2.3 variations and they suit me greatly.
I went through a phase in 93 or 94 of running Panaracer Darts on front and rear for some reason...made even slow pootling a life threatening rush 🙂
Specialized Enduro 2.25. Even drift at low speed on dry tarmac. Sidewalls as thick as a Durex Gossamer and probably harder to fit on the rim.
I used one of those on the front for almost a year, and really liked the grip, volume, and almost never punctured. Only problems I had were mud clearance (bit too much volume when it got really muddy) and that they werent the fastest tyre.
Using conti mountain kings ust at the moment. Heard quite a few things about the drift, and its true, they do drift. But once you get the hang of it, you go round corners like a missile (if a missile could go round corners..)
However, I wouldnt use conti mountain kings supersonic. Far too many punctures.
Continental Gravitys - the only tyre I have actually given up on. Fine in a straight line but bank them into a corner or hit something off camber and it's goodbye grip.
At least you know you're getting no grip! After you get used to the drift style cornering they're alright!
The worst I have used are Tioga Factory XC. Draggy as hell in a straight line. Feel like you're towing an anchor. Also super grippy until you lean a certain amount into a corner when without warning they spit you on your arse.
I used a NOS 7 year old set of Michelin Wildgrippers in the recent SSUK. They were definitely the worst tyres I've ever used.
In their favour, they are a fetching green colour.
I don't suppose that baking in the North Queensland heat for a few years before I brought them here helped 🙂
Back in about 96-97 I bought a bike which came with a load of Ritchey finishing kit, 99% of which was utter pants. Pedals came straight off and were replaced by SPDs, saddle was replaced by a Flite but I made the mistake of leaving the AlphaBite and OmegaBite tyres on. Dear God they were dreadful. Punctured at the first hint of off-road, the front refused to go round corners and the back spun out as soon as the trail went uphill.
Replaced them with Specialized Team Control/Team Master combination and suddenly the bike actually rode like it was meant to!
Buzz Lightyear
How much do you want for the Maxxis tires?
Ta
What, ever? It would have to be Tioga Farmer John's Nephew, like riding on bad slicks offroad or worn out knobblies on. Those and anything made by Chen Chin.
fire xc's. Squirmy, sidewall colapses when soft, pings off stuff when hard. Thorn puncture to easily, pinch too easily. High roller does everything, except the pinch puncture thing so much better.
Fire XCs - Don't clear quickly.
Conti Explorers - Don't grip. Anything.
another here that won't touch conti's, front just washes out too easily, ST maxxis for me.
Conti Vertical Pros thought they were out to get me.Never really liked anything from Conti, all kind of average.Some of the race tyres around also have to b treated with respect but i guess they r very specific in there intended use.
I once did a 2hr XC ride on dual ply ST swampthings - THAT is a shit XC tyre 😳
what were those off-white ones, ages ago? - seem to remember they gripped like warm butter
Another vote for the Specialized Enduro. I had it in either 2.0 or 2.1, the bead was made of cheese, sidewalls stupidly thin, and it slid at inopportune moments. Crapola.
Dragged a High Roller 2.5 ST round Laggan 3 times yesterday. Think of it as resistance training, like Rocky dragging a tyre around on a rope.
Well worth it for the downs on wet rock.
Worst tyres - can't think of any really bad ones really but I don't think nobby nics are up to much considering the price.
Onza Porcupines. Lasted all of 10 minutes.
Wow. You all hate Contis?! I love em.
To answer the question though, I really don't like: WTB Velociraptors. Maybe good on dry Californian dust, but rubbish in the real world.
Contis then:
1. The first tyre I tried that transformed my ride (for the better) was Conti Vapors at SITS in about 2002. Whatever I had on was spinning in the mud. A stall had Vapors cheap and voila! I could ride again! So I rode Vapors for years.
2. Then I got a bit better and kept washing out on Vapors. Went to Vertical Pros, tubelessed : [url] http://www.tubelesswheels.com [/url] - like that. Still using them. All-round brilliance.
3. Then I started riding in winter night-time mud (ie Strathpuffer). And Maxxis Medusas (tubelessed, as above) are the dog's. So, I kept them on for the remainder or Winter. And Spring. And Summer. And they turn out to be a bit skittery on wet roots, so not in Autumn.
I ride Conti on the road bikes.
The only Conti tyre I HATE is the Leader. Rubbish!
al.
Conti Explorer - never had more punctures than when it was on, only good traction on light mud, it was clogging/puncturing/sliding on anything else. I thought that if I get the folding version it will be ok. Wrong 😉
IRC Mythos XC - I got 3 punctures on the rear on the same day, front had zero grip when wet, not too quick or light or puncture proof or good at climbing. Totally crap to be honest.
Panaracer Fire XC Pro - they are not too bad, but it was meant to be a universal tyre, and isn't that good on anything, just average at everything, plus clogs up with mud. Had the sidewall cut once.
Specialized Enduro - never had one, but the friend we rode with couldn`t clear a slightly wet climb, that my mate on quite worn Fast Tracks did without a problem, also slow, heavy and got a puncture. Not really impressed.
Vittoria Randonneur 700x28 - heavy, very very crap in corners as it was sliding like mad, especially when wet. Only upside is I never had a puncture, not like on the Gatorskins.
Conti Gatorskin - 700x23 Maybe I was unlucky or something, but I did stop using it after the sixth puncture. Good grip and quite quick but crap with puncture proofness.
Kenda Kharisma - heavy sticky non-rolling non-gripping shite.
Maxxis Workdrive - only if you like punctures.
I like Conti Explorer Protection, very supple tire, never had troubles with punctures (why would I?). not a fast roller but good when wet or on snow.
Hutchison Pythons, nasty tyre on HT Cannondale. Binned ASAP
Michelin Wildgripper hardpack tyre 3 months and the sidewalls were perished to danger levels.
"I did have a a pair of crossmarks which I actually thought were trying to kill me"
I like mine, even in the harder 70a compound
"find them bloody lethal on man made wet ST"
Though I haven't ridden them anywhere like that yet
"maxpro high rollers"
Also like these in 2.35" or 2.5"(in the alps), admitedly on a 120mm bike, not a 160mm one
I didn't get on with 2.4" Conti Mountain Kings in mud. They seem to turn very well. The 'random' triangular tread with no 'directionality' to them probably has something to do with it