29er Tyres – what's good?

I’m getting a 29er and I’m completley clueless about 29er tyres. I’ll be using stans arch ex tubeless and it’s a Ti hardtail with 100mm forks. I’m not a big rocks and drops guy so the most extreme I’d expect to do would be a chain reaction 50k/75k marathon in Builth or Ruthin or screaming down South Downs or Isle of Wight stony bridleways as fast as I can.

Your Reccommendations Please.

rocket ron 2.25 fantastic rubber for big hoops

My current faves are:

Ignitors 2.1: all rounders
Stouts 2.3ish : wet rocks, mud, roots. Front only (unless SS on really soft loam in which case they are ace on the back, like a steamer paddle, but roll like a square wheel on the road)
SB8s: hard-packed summer trails
Racing ralph 2.4 – on the rigid, front only, anything but in the wet.

I havent felt the need to get a specific set of muds yet, but the Bonty Mud Xs seem to get the nod in the forum I think

Aren’t the Rocket Rons supposed to be a bit delicate Tazzy?

I use Racing Ralph’s 2.25’s. Best tyre I’ve had to now!

Racing Ralphs here 2.25 on the back 2.4 on the front on a rigid. never had any problems! originally tried some bonty 29-3’s they were good too but a bit skinny at the back for me.

+1 for 2.4 Ralph, love it… Mudx good but low volume, love the new beaver on the back, also crossmark in the summer on the back

Going to try some 2.4 ardents

Hijack
Tazzymtb, do your wobbly rings go on middle burns?

Specialized The Captain’s have been good for me, and the WTB prowlers I’m currently running are also pretty decent so far, lovely on the singletrack.

I’ve ridden them all over peak district and north wales, plus 2-3 times a week xc style riding and they’re fine for me. (i’m a fairly light rider who floats like a ghost rather than smashes stuff like a poltergeist though, so heavy, clumsy riders may be better with something else)

nobby nic 2.35 and the hans dampf are bloody ace too.

bonty 29-3 work well

WTB dissents are great for aggro but weigh the same as a small car

Bonty xr3 , bit flakey

maxxis ignitor, (not for me as they don’t like low pressure on a stans rim)

maxxis ardent are good, but heavy
beavers are great as long as you meet the rider weight requirements

kenda karmas are foul

ralphs are ok, but rons are better

furious freds are great as long as it’s drier than a nuns chuff

SB8’s are ok but rather have a bit more edge on my tyres

stans RAvens are really good, but blinkin expensive

hate specialised tyres, the spawn of the devil, really don’t get on with them!

all based on my ridin, I’m sure other riders will have a completely different take on it

Tazzy,

I thought you new a thing or two about tyres! 😉

Tazzymtb, do your wobbly rings go on middle burns?

the goldtec wonkeys go on a middle burn with a normal spider (that’s how I run my 2), there is a proto direct mount uno ( sitting on my selma), that is great but as a 35t only works with EBB’s at the moment as it can foul the chainstay with a normal BB (would’t be an issue with a wussies 33t though) Not sure when/if they’ll be made though you’ll have to talk to kev at Goldtec

Tazzy,

I thought you new a thing or two about tyres!

I am a rubber Queen 😀

clobber, yes they do, BUT if you want them in the outer position (as I do on all mine, just aesthetics) then you need to file it down to allow the arm to clear

I like Specialised tyres personally – Ground Controls for me, but Purgatory probably chunkier and grippier – use one on the front of my 26″ SS

Bonty Mud-X’s in the winter
Bonty 29-3’s in the height of summer
Ardents the rest of the time although i have a crossmark out back on my hardtail with an Ardent upfront at the moment. I’ve not been able to get out on it yet so not able to comment on it.

+ 1 for Specialized tyres. Ground Controls are like a cheaper, tougher Nobby Nic, and Purgatories are grippier than a grippy thing and still roll fairly well. I’ve heard good things about Renegades too, for fast and summery. I’ve got Ground Controls front and rear on my Solaris and Purgatories front and rear on my RIP9. For summer one of the Controls will go on the bouncer and a Renegade on the back of the hardtail. If I can be arsed with all the swapping about.

Swapping tyres is easier said than done if you have those Crests! 😆

Yeh, and they’re full of splaff too. Might just stick with what I’ve got an go a bit slower. 😀

tk46hal- you’re going to have down this neck o the woods, get slappy by the scruff of his neck and drag him out, as he’s being the biggest girly wusspants in Christendom (something to do with conti mk’s in 29 er guise being cack and hitting a tree)

Yeh, and they’re full of splaff too.

was sir excited by his tyres? It won’t swim around and seal the punctures you know! 😀

How do I get one of those rings, tazzy/stoner???

Love my Geax AKAs

clobber, I’m seeing how many interested folks there are to see if I can get you a bit of group buy discount as I did with the first batch for various singlespeedy types. there’s and elliptical ring thread from a few days ago or drop me an email (I’d recommend going up 2T compared to your normal ring)

I know Goldtec have fairly limited stock from the production run, 34’s and 35’s are in short supply they have a few more 33’s and 36’s

Tazzy,

I keep trying to arrange a day in the week to visit you guys down there, but saying that, the last time I spoke to Slapper he had been beaten up by those new Crests he bought and was crying because he couldn’t get the tyres on the rims! 😆

he just needs to come to the workshop of tazzy and i’ll have him mounted and full of white stuff in no time.

I may even do his tyres for him

Clobber/stoner other middleburn types

proto direct mount.

back to 29er tyres, rampage 29er grippy, but slow as slow thing
bonty FR3 really good gnar tyre for the more “robust” riders out there
WTB Stouts ace in loose sloppy stuff (unicycle.com has some in the sales recently)

looks a bit industrial. More machining. Integrated corkscrew would be nice. Maybe USB compatible?
Id defo go a 36er one of those tazz. The SS has a cassette rear so I can move the chainline. The rohloff one though has to stay at 54mm and Im damned if im buying a 130mm wanger axle of a BB for it 🙂

it’s their first play, the final one if it ever sees the light of day will be all drilled out and slinky ( I want a Ti one, with a built in bottle opener)

hmmm, reversible Ti. £80 max though! 😉

How do I mail you tazzy?

Loads of 29er tyres

Racing Ralph’s work well in pubeck… Or go for the rapid rob if you are a budget… Same tread in a basic construction.

Using SB8s at the moment here, on 19mm rims, finding them a bit narrow and brutal to be honest. Had big Nevegals on there before but they weighed the earth, and held mud so badly they scratched my frame to bits at SITS last year (Scandal). Loved the size though.

I’m looking for something high volume, quick clearing, and lightish here too. Ralphs a good bet? 2.25 Ralph would be wider than my 2.1 SB8s? How are 2.4 Ralphs/Nics on 19mm rims?

Did look at Maxxis Ikons, but there seem to be lots of reports of the tread bubbling and falling to bits.

Rode Maxxis Ikon this weekend, for me round here they were mint