29er trail tyres

So, I need new tyres for my 29HT. For the big bike, it’s easy, just find the grippiest, sling them on. But the 29er I need trail-ish, lightweight-ish, fast-ish tyres. It’s never going to be faced with anything more than “riding around in a big circle in the woods” or “along to canal to see how far I can get” In days of yore the all rounder tyre of choice was easy, what’s the modern equivalent of that?

Bontrager Xr3-XR4 combo

Wicked Wills. Ridiculously low rolling resistance, acceptable grip, low weight.

I’ve been using Schwalbe Nobby Nics on my Scalpel SE. They’re fantastic at a trail centre. Not bad everywhere else. Also reasonably quick.

I always used to read how good these were but never believed the hype, I bought mine cheap off XC racer Isla Short, in hindsight I wish I’d bought all the tyres she had.

I’ve a 2.4″ on the front and a 2.25″ on the back. But if I was buying again, I’d go 2.4″ front and back as they’re almost a different tyre and the side lugs are quite a bit bigger and the overall volume is also fairly bigger.

Edit:- sorry, they’re Nobby Nics not Nevagals as previously mentioned that I have 🤦🏻‍♂️

2.6″ Rekons for me

@didnthurt don’t you mean Kenda Nevegal?

@ alan1977, you’re right, I made an arse of the tyre name. Sorted it now though (I have Nobby Nics).

@alan1977 any point in going down to the Bontranger XR2 in your view? I do a couple of day of commuting and it would be good to have a bit of free speed.

Vittoria Barzo/Mezcal TNT.

I’m a big fan of the Vittoria Barzo. Huge amount of grip ime and very fast rolling.  Nice feel to them too and so far quite impressive wear resistance.

You might recognise this…

I’ve heard the Barzo is a bit prone to punctures? That true at all?

@cp, what a great taste in bikes you have.

I’ve heard the Barzo is a bit prone to punctures? That true at all?

I’ve run them tubeless for 6 months and no known punctures.

The sidewalls are holding up really well from laps of Lady Cannings which has destroyed many a tyre on the rocky berms.

They are however LETHAL on wet tarmac when new.  I think it’s the release agent from the tyre mould as after a couple of rides they are fine.

I’ve heard the Barzo is a bit prone to punctures? That true at all?

Not in TNT casing – very good puncture resistance in my experience. TLR casing is designed for racing so is lighter and more puncture prone.

@nickc ive got the 2 and 3 on a set of wheels, was actually surprisingly good for me in all dry conditions, even fairly steep loose stuff, but it became a one trick pony when it got damp so i prefer a 4 up front for all round conditions, if you definitely arent ever going to hit anything particularly steep where you need to drag  back brake on loose or wet stuff, then yer you can probably drop down to the 2/3 combo i would say

I also agree with either Wicked Wills or Rekons. Ideally 2.6 F and 2.4 R.

My French curveball of an offering is the Hutchinson Wyrm front and Kraken rear (both 2.4, both Racing Lab/Hardskin) I have on my lighter duties hardtail. Probably not quite as light and fast as some suggestions, but still pretty nippy IMO and I rate the grip, puncture resistance and volume for hardtail comfort.

What about Maxxis Aspen? It’s an old design, but is it still any good?

Depends what you’re doing with them. I’ve got a Mountain King front/Cross King rear but a) they’re 2.2” and b) this is mostly for bridleway riding. They’re surprisingly good on mud.

Thinking about a Pirelli Scorpion for the back when the next X-King dies though.

I go with stupid-fast on the back and that allows a bit more grip on the front. Sadly semislicks have gone right out of fashion but if you can find a rockrazor they are awesome imo. Fast in a straight line but still have corner grip and can even grip a bit in mud once they sink in and the sideknobs come into play. And even when they’re totally out of their depth they still at least slide predictably so you can convince yourself it’s fun.

Downside is muddy pedalling of course, they are not good at powering through swamps

Sadly semislicks have gone right out of fashion

They seem to have haven’t they. What about the Thunder Burt it’s very slick, not normally a fan of Schwalbe – for no good reason it has to be said, maybe just bad memories of the old Nobby Nic

@ratherbeintobago, Yeah I had a pair of Conti X-race X-king last year, they were a bit too puncture prone and I couldn’t for the life of me get the X-race to stay up tubeless, don’t need that level of hassle in my life, although they are stupid light for a 29 tyre.

I’ve had a Thunder Burt on the back of my bike (with a Racing Ray up front), it was rapid and surprisingly ok off road. I rode the Badger Divide with these fitted. I pinch flatted it though on a local ride, this just so happened to coincide with the weather changing last so fitted the Nobb Nics.

Before the Thunder Burts/Racing Ray combo, I had the classic Racing Ralph/Rocket Rons. I really liked this combo. I rode the Lomond Trossachs Loop with these fitted.

I might put them back on, except the Nobby Nics aren’t all that much slower but have substantially more grip.

You can’t really go wrong  with most makes, as long as you buy their ‘trail’ type tyres with their decent carcus and decent compound (normally their most expensive option).

@nickc There are many flavours of X-King though. I think I’ve got ProTection ones; there’s certainly a known issue with some Conti tyres needing a couple of doses of sealant before they hold air, and I had a previous one that wept sealant through the sidewalls.

Yeah I recognise those issue for sure! They were the super-duper Black Chilli tubeless ready version as well. All the bells all the whistles. Fast as fudge, but for racing only I reckon.

I tried the thunder burt as a pure xc tyre, it’s fast but it doesn’t have the magic of “fast in the middle, grippy on the side” like the #enduro semi slicks, it’s just “fast all over”. I don’t really know anything about xc tyres, it didn’t seem worth the trade to me, tbf losing the side knobs just felt like one way badness, like they didn’t really quite understand what made the semislicks so great or maybe that they didn’t think an xc race variant would sell because it’d be heavier and look a bit knobbly?

Depends how muddy your woods and canal towpaths get…..

But I’d be going Spesh Fasttrak or mezcal on the back and ground control or barzo on the front. Specially with warmer weather and trails drying out.

Nobby Nic is good but a winter gloop XC option I reckon

Sadly semislicks have gone right out of fashion but if you can find a rockrazor they are awesome imo

Discontinued, but there’s one in the classifieds.

Yeah I had a pair of Conti X-race X-king last year, they were a bit too puncture prone and I couldn’t for the life of me get the X-race to stay up tubeless, don’t need that level of hassle in my life, although they are stupid light for a 29 tyre.

Presume you mean Race King and Cross King. Stupid fast (check out bicyclerollingresistance.com), I have them on my rigid. No problems with punctures running tubeless, although my use will be less demanding as hand comfort keeps my speed down on rocky tracks.

I used Nobby Nics for years before switching to Specialized Ground Control which seem almost identical but are a lot cheaper. I use them front and rear for local trails.

Vittoria Mezcal

Presume you mean Race King and Cross King. Stupid fast

Yes, thanks, and yes! I’ve pretty much discounted the ‘race’ tyres I reckon, the likes of Race/Cross kings, Fast tracks as I commute a couple of times a week, and in summer that’s off road and in winter that’s bike lanes and back roads, I can’t be doing with mending fragile (but fast) tyres at 6.00am on a rainy morning.

I really liked the 2.25″ Barzo on my Yeti ARC, I replaced with 2.6″ Barzo just because I was bored/curious and found them super cheap but the jury is out a bit on that one as they seem to float a bit too much on muddy trails where the 2.25’s cut in  better.

I think now it’s drying up they’ll be ace, as they’re light, fast, grippy (outside of proper mud) and comfortable. Bontrager XR4’s were also good but probably more trail than XC end of things but still light and fast.

@bol

I used Nobby Nics for years before switching to Specialized Ground Control which seem almost identical but are a lot cheaper. I use them front and rear for local trails.

I’ve Ground Controls (in 3.0″ / 27.5″) on my Stooge and are great but the knobs are a lot less aggressive (aggressive knobs 😂) than my 2.25″/29″ Nobby Nics, and the 2.4″ Nobby Nics are more aggressive again. I think Nobby Nics had a biggish redesign a few years ago though.

Wolfpack Speeds were the lightest 29er 2.4″ tyre I’ve used at 640gm.

Currently using Bontrager XR4/3 combo with another XR3 to use on the front as the trails dry out.

I’m hedging towards the Barzo, if nothing else than a bit of curiosity. Vittoria are a bit of an unknown to me, it’d be fun to try something new

2.6 Mezcals front and back are my go to HT tyres. Light and fast with a good bit of cushioning. Awful in the mud though, so drier conditions only.

I’m often found spinning around on 4.4” Jumbo Jims so maybe not the best person to talk, but I’m still surprised at the recommendations for 2.6″ tyres given what the OP has outlined as their requirements

The 2.6 mezcal is awesoem though- still super fast, only 150g heavier than the 2.25 IIRC, and you gain a whole lot of comfort. Plus, the speed thing is complicated, there’s definitely times when the 2.6 is faster than the smaller one just because of soaking trail chatter up better. If it’s smooth then it’s noticably a little slower, but still really fast. I kept forgetting it was only an xc tyre and putting holes in mine, mind you.

Never been a fan of Vittoria’s burlier tyres, but their XC rubber is like voodoo.

I do very similar riding. XR4/XR3 2.4 combo works for me.

Previous set up for Barzo/Mezcal 2.3. Think I have brand new set at home.

I do very similar riding. XR4/XR3 2.4 combo works for me.

Previous set up for Barzo/Mezcal 2.3. Think I have brand new set at home.

Which combo do you prefer? I’m currently choosing between these…(well, 2.4 XR3 rear / new Bontrager Sainte Anne rear vs Barzo/Mezcal 2.35.