ANOTHER tyre combo thread…Schwalbe fan boi content…genuine apologies…

I’ll keep this brief as I can

Time has come for a mass tyre change on bikes, I’m not a serial tyre changer so have been running a 2.35 Magic Mary up front and 2.35 Hans Dampf on the rear for (give or take) 4-5 years, changing probably once a year or when they’re worn with very little to no issues, used all year round on whatever ground, in whatever conditions I find myself on, default mode is to go with the same setup again

but….

Budget being a bit tight at the minute, sticking with MM up front I’ve a chance to save myself best part of £100 by changing the rear to a nobby nic

never ridden this combo before and I’m not a tyre aficionado so looking for any real world (or other) opinions

should I make the change or stick with the usual?

what (if any) difference can I expect from changing to a NN on the rear

any input would be greatly appreciated

https://www.instagram.com/p/C7_q9oFBwKh/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Schwalbe’s own take on the best combos

Schwalbe’s own take on the best combos

That’s really good.

I would be interested to try the Will/Nic combo on my tour/light trail bike.

Wonder why they have different tyres for eebs though.

Personally I prefer the Nobby Nic on the rear over the Hans Dampf in combo with a Mary up front. It’s faster rolling for a similar level of grip I find, and equally as predictable if not as outright grippy as the likes of a Mary/Betty etc…

It’s a good combo for general trail riding to be honest. Nobby Nic only really gets out of its depth in loamier off piste stuff when it’s pretty steep and techy. Firmer conditions and/or trail centre type riding, it’s superb. If you’re regularly riding super technical off piste then I’d recommend either the Big Betty or the Tacky Chan (depending on preference of braking/climbing or outright cornering grip and rolling speed preferences) on the rear instead of the Nobby Nic. But if that’s not you, then I think you’ll be happy with a Mary up front and Nobby Nic rear.

Ironically just called in to Drover Cycles in Hay on Wye, whose MTB hire fleet is all now Mary front and Nic rear after a similar conversation I had with the owner last year about MTB tyre combos.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C7_q9oFBwKh/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Schwalbe’s own take on the best combos

Fiddlesticks! Was quite looking forward to flicking looking ant that and then, second slide in….

don’t have an instagram account so a bit stuffed, cant seem to find it anywhere else either

@mboy quite helpful, that, definitely something to chew on, thankyou

@mboy

Probably a stupid tyre question – but is a Super Trail or Super Gravity casing the same, whichever tyre it’s on?

I’d assume yes?

Trail = as the name suggests, general trail riding tyre. But fairly strong these days. Good for most general riding.

Gravity = enduro casing. Stiffer, more hardy, heavier.

https://www.schwalbe.com/en/blog/news/innovation/decade-of-super/

Schwalbe explaining their own casings etc

I was the same as you and ran MM/HD for years. When they last needed replacing I went for a Nobby Nick on the back following STW advice and have been very impressed. Drags much less than the Dampf with no obvious loss of grip. Think my Mary is an orange one, Nick a blue.

As a slight aside, I run Nobby Nics F&R in 27.5”x3” on my Stooge all year round. Rolling is compromised because they are wide, but I’m happy with that for the extra grip in everything except sloppy mud, then the fact it’s sloppy mud is the reason I’m going knowhere, not the tyres I’m running.

I’m debating whether to go slightly more aggressive on the front and slightly narrower on the rear for next winter, but I’m enjoying the dusty trails at the moment so…..

@charlie.farley thankyou for that, as @chakaping said, that’s quite good, some interesting reading / viewing

I think STW hive wins again, some pretty solid arguments for changing, might plump for the nic at the back after all  and see what happens

Think my Mary is an orange one, Nick a blue.

that’s pretty much the path I was thinking

I still don’t know what down country is…and based on the tyre tread, it doesn’t require much grip – is it a new name for bike parks?

Don’t suppose anyone with some insider knowledge knows if a Tacky Chan Soft, Super Gravity might ever appear?

I used to run either MM/NN or NN/NN on my Mega and liked both combinations for pretty much everything except winter slop. Never really got on with the HDs though.

Don’t suppose anyone with some insider knowledge knows if a Tacky Chan Soft, Super Gravity might ever appear?

You spotted the obvious mistake in the tyre recommendations linked to above then, much as I did when it was released! 😂

Yes… Not 100% sure when but they’re coming. 👍🏻

@mboy

Probably a stupid tyre question – but is a Super Trail or Super Gravity casing the same, whichever tyre it’s on?

I’d assume yes?

Not a stupid question. But yes, they are the same regardless of tread pattern… Any weight differences will come down to the amount of rubber in the tread pattern, hence why you’ll see a Betty is heavier than a Mary like for like, which is in turn heavier than a Tacky Chan…

@mboy hadn’t spotted it to be honest, I just think it’s a big hole in the available options, which looks like being rectified. Thanks for confirming 😁

29×2.3″ NN Front and rear on my stumpy here, had no idea they were supposed to be front specific, I find they roll well and hook up well enough unless it’s pissing down, but I do maybe have trouble predicting when they’re going to break away on really loose stuff (probably true of most tyres TBF).

Rigid bike is now on 2.1″ Vittoria Peyote F+R which roll even better but have appreciably less cornering grip…

NNs are still probably better tyres than my riding justifies I reckon…

Another for preferring NN over hans for rear tyre, better all rounder IME. Hardtail runs NN front and rear with the front being the soft. I like it as an all round fit and forget. Rolls better than HD or MM

29×2.3″ NN Front and rear on my stumpy here, had no idea they were supposed to be front specific

It’s not. Not by any stretch of the imagination. Remember that these are just someone’s recommendations… They are not absolutes.

Personally, the Nobby Nic was ok on the front of my XC bike but didn’t really offer significantly more grip than a Racing Ray (to me) to justify the extra weight or drag, and on a trail bike it doesn’t have the same edge bite that I like that tyres like the Mary and Tacky Chan have, and given that the Tacky Chan is probably no slower or heavier than the Nobby Nic like for like, I’d choose it up front over the Nic every time myself. But I still quite like the Nic out back.

You pays your money and takes your choice as they say… Far better riders than me have won races on tyres I actively dislike in the past! Everything is subjective…

Anyone know the true weight of the Racing Racing Speed grip 2.35?

Im losing faith in my Barzo after it’s skipped out a few times on corners and then I noticed the centre tread pattern is uneven, like I don’t have a complete half of the tyre on the left hand side, so maybe a faulty tyre.  I ntrigued to try the Ray as I value confidence up front.

It’s not. Not by any stretch of the imagination. Remember that these are just someone’s recommendations… They are not absolutes.

Well the manufacturers recommendations TBF not “just someone” and I wasn’t aware of their “touring/Light trail”  designation but was still happy to use them for everything.

As a non-serial tyre swapper NNs fit the role of general MTB tyres for me, certainly better than the Butchers tyres they replaced (but most things are better than those).

I might try something with more bite up front, if I can be arsed… Which I can’t.

I was running a HD/HD on my 27.5 and moved to a MM/HD and found it had more predictable outcomes…got a new bike and it is a 29er and I’m running MM/MM and it seems to be working well (although not got the wet weather yet).

Definitely lighter combinations and it is probably way more tyre than my riding needs, but it seems to work well and the MM seems to be a wider HD so feels predictable. Also, since moving to the MM on the rear, I’m getting far less debris stuck in the side knobs so less stone chips on the seatstays.

I wasn’t aware of their “touring/Light trail”  designation

German terminology innit. I had a 170mm enduro bike with a “tour” geometry setting a few years ago.

fathomerFull Member
Don’t suppose anyone with some insider knowledge knows if a Tacky Chan Soft, Super Gravity might ever appear?

It does exist, if you’re a fan of the mullet. Oddly no 29er option that i can find though.

https://r2-bike.com/SCHWALBE-Tire-Tacky-Chan-275-x-240-Super-Gravity-ADDIX-Soft-EVO-SnakeSkin-TLE

Think my Mary is an orange one, Nick a blue.

I’ve recently bought new tyres, MM front and TC rear, both orange. Not fitted them yet.

However I’ve been thinking that this is probably way more than I realistically need and a blue NN on the back is probably ideal.

Hmm… what to do now 🤔

Stick with it? Replace the TC? Get a NN but keep the TC and try it on the front? Bother my stupid over-thinking brain.

I haven’t ridden the Big Betty or Tacky Chan, but knowing the Magic Mary well it seems these three tyres are very similar in cornering ability in similar conditions (all decent at mud, firm and loose) but the BB rolls slowest and brakes best, the TC rolls fastest and brakes worst, and the MM is in the middle.

And the less good the tyre is at braking, the better the cornering is once you’ve got it leant over because the side knobs have more room to work, less centre knobs getting in the way.

So on trails where I’m not struggling with slowing down on steep stuff I’d try a TC up front but if I needed braking confidence I’d go with the MM at the front.

Lots of folks on here say the TC rolls fantastically well, so maybe  worth persisting with it on the rear

Waiting on Ultrasoft front/Soft rear TCs to arrive for my trail bike, if its not great as a rear it’ll go on the front of the hardtail.  And then I ‘ll need rear Schwalbes for two bikes because OCD, gah

I thought the different colours were based on the type of tyre i.e. Soft was orange and something else was blue, etc.?

Yes, that’s right

Blue = Speedgrip

Orange = Soft

Purple = Ultra Soft

DickBartonFull Member
I thought the different colours were based on the type of tyre i.e. Soft was orange and something else was blue, etc.?

Colours are for compound, purple – ultrasoft, orange – soft, blue – fast rolling harder compound, red – certain death

Then there are different varieties of superness, depending on your terrain, super ground, super trail, super gravity, super downhill

Nope, you have just muddied the unclear water in my head now…so I’ll go back to not really knowing!

chiefgrooveguruFull Member
I haven’t ridden the Big Betty or Tacky Chan, but knowing the Magic Mary well it seems these three tyres are very similar in cornering ability in similar conditions (all decent at mud, firm and loose) but the BB rolls slowest and brakes best, the TC rolls fastest and brakes worst, and the MM is in the middle.

Close but no cigar… The Magic Mary is the slowest of the trio, and by a noticeable amount… Big Betty has the best climbing and braking traction, is in the middle for rolling speed, super dependable rear tyre for trail and ebikes but not quite the level of cornering grip as the other two. Magic Mary is in the middle for climbing and braking traction, is the slowest rolling, arguably works best out of the 3 into the softest conditions, super predictable grip everywhere but can get a little floaty on hard ground. Tacky Chan is the fastest rolling, the least climbing/braking traction, designed pretty much as a DH race tyre but gaining favour as a fast rolling yet grippy trail tyre too, edge bite like nothing else (easily the best tyre I’ve ever ridden in this respect) but does favour a more positive/aggressive riding style.

Lots of folks on here say the TC rolls fantastically well, so maybe  worth persisting with it on the rear

It does… It’s a superb rear tyre as long as you don’t expect Big Betty levels of braking or climbing traction. Surprisingly fast rolling given how grippy it is.

@honourablegeorge I’d seen the 27.5″ but I’m full 29″ and want a fast ish, tough tyre for this time of year. The Tacky Chan seems to fit that bill as and when a SG Soft appears like mboy suggests.

In time honoured STW fashion I’ll recommend what I ride.

Trek Procaliber 9.6

Nobby Nic front & Wicked Will rear

Fuel Ex 9.8

Mary Mary 2.6 front & Nobby Nic 2.4 rear

I’ve ran various combos of NN, HD and MM.

Currently on MM/NN and as others have said prefer it over the HD.

Can’t really tell much difference between braking and climbing traction. But rolling the NN feels much better.

I run Soft (orange front and rear). I think it lasts well enough that the Speedgrip (blue) is pointless.

I suppose if you need a heavier casing than Super Trail then you’d have to look at something else.

I also don’t like the HD on the front, had a little wash out on it, so stuck the NN on the front and it felt better. The HD has a bit of drift.

I want to try the TC, either TC/NN, MM/TC or TC/TC.

On my ebike…. Cube Stereo Hybrid 160 HPC SLX 750….  I’m currently running the original Assegai on the front DHR11 on the back.    They need changing and I’ve got an unused MM 2.6/27.5 which I was thinking of putting on the front. I’ve also just been give another brand new MM 2.6/27.5 and was wondering if it was worth putting on the back… with it being a full fat ebike I’m not really worried about rolling resistance. Thoughts appreciated.

Just been out on the hardtail which runs NN front(soft) and rear (pace). Its got me wondering why I bothered with a HD soft on the front of full suss. The NN is a far more usable tyre for my riding, fit and forget. I do have fond memories of a MM on the front, but overkill for a lot of my riding.