Another Tyre Thread – Wide Trail Tyres

Looking for some do-it-all trail tyres to replace the 29×2.6 XR4s on my Trek Roscoe 9 in the not so distant future.

Not sure if what I’m looking for even exists but here’s some criteria I’d like:

-I’d prefer to stay wide(ish) so 2.4 to 2.6″

-Not too draggy as I have to ride 4-5 miles on road to/from my local woods.

-A middle ground casing between DH and XC, hard wearing but not too heavy.

-The trails are mix of hardpack, slop, roots, rocks and pine needles… lots of pine needles.

-They don’t necessarily have to be good in winter as I’ll likely be riding my gravel bike then, although reasonable grip in the wet would still be good as the trails around Aberdeen City are very rarely fully dry.

-My OCD dictates that I can’t mix brands.

-Tan walls would be nice but certainly not essential.

I appreciate there will be trade-offs!

FFIW I used to run Magic Mary(F)/Nobby Nic(R) and NN/NN on my Mega and liked those combos, they were the old models however. I’ve tried Hans Dampfs too but never really liked them, although I can’t remember why (again, these were the old ones).

Before my head started to hurt from trying to decipher all the different compounds and casings these are what I was looking at…

New versions of MM/NN

-DHF WT / DHR WT, or two DHRs

-Vittoria Mazza Trail

-Specialized Butcher Grid Trail (F) / Eliminator Grid Trail (R) or Purgatory Grid Trail (R)

-WTB Vigilante (F) / Trail Boss (R)

-Conti Kryptotal (F) / Kryptotal (R)

All thoughts, feedback and suggestions welcome!

So I guess the problem is that the Mary is a really wide-ranging tyre, it can do wet, it can do hardpack, so it depends what parts of that you were using. It’s ended up being more of an allrounder than it was probably designed to be, partly because it’s just a really good tyre and better than the more trailey Schwalbes.

The Argotal is straight up just a Magic Mary but better at everything, I’m pretty sure that was the design brief. TBF though I think at the wet/ugly end that’s just something that a lot of Mary likers weren’t necessarily doing a huge amount of, so some of that extra capability might be wasted? (Argotal is better at hardpack too but it’s a shitload better at Orrible Enduro Wet Mush) Whereas the Kryptotal is a bit less Mary-ish in intent but if you were using the Mary as more an allrounder and not so much using the wet weather capability then it’ll do that job maybe better than an Argotal.

DHR2 is IMO just better than DHF. Again a wee bit different to a Mary, not as good in mud and better on hardpack. “allrounder” covers a lot of ground!

NorthwindFull Member
So I guess the problem is that the Mary is a really wide-ranging tyre, it can do wet, it can do hardpack, so it depends what parts of that you were using. It’s ended up being more of an allrounder than it was probably designed to be, partly because it’s just a really good tyre and better than the more trailey Schwalbes.

The Argotal is straight up just a Magic Mary but better at everything, I’m pretty sure that was the design brief. TBF though I think at the wet/ugly end that’s just something that a lot of Mary likers weren’t necessarily doing a huge amount of, so some of that extra capability might be wasted? (Argotal is better at hardpack too but it’s a shitload better at Orrible Enduro Wet Mush) Whereas the Kryptotal is a bit less Mary-ish in intent but if you were using the Mary as more an allrounder and not so much using the wet weather capability then it’ll do that job maybe better than an Argotal.

DHR2 is IMO just better than DHF. Again a wee bit different to a Mary, not as good in mud and better on hardpack. “allrounder” covers a lot of ground!

Appreciate the info, very useful! So the Contis are looking like the better option than Schwalbe then?

x2 DHR2 will remain a contender.

Any thoughts on the Specialized tyres?

Schwalbe Nobby Nic – Super Trail 2.35inch

I have a WTB Vigilante / Ranger combo on two bikes and really like them. Running 2.8s but they’re both available in 2.6 I think.

Specialized Butcher Grid Trail (F) / Eliminator Grid Trail (R)

This with T9 up front T7 rear in 29 x 2.6

Everything up to proper mud it’s a great combo

Best of all can be found for £50 a pair if you look around

I have 2.8 Vigilante on the front and a 2.6 Trail Boss on the back. 27.5 though. When I had 2.6 Vigilantes I ran them on the rear. They were noticably more grippy then the Trail Bosses.

I tend to bulk buy when I see them cheap.

I am Magic Mary curious…

citizenlee
Free Member

Appreciate the info, very useful! So the Contis are looking like the better option than Schwalbe then?

I wouldn’t quite say that. I think for sure they’re better tyres, this new generation of Contis is awesome, and to be fair they’re years newer. But they’re not necessarily right for you. In particular there’s a shortage of choices of carcass right now, which supposedly is going to improve soon but right now if you want sticky you can only choose the #enduro tyre, if you want faster rubber you can only choose the trail tyre, which does kinda suck. Schwalbe (and maxxis) have a fuller range. And they’re expensive to boot.

I guess another way to look at it is that if the nobby nic might be the right tyre then almost certainly the argotal is the wrong tyre

Maxxis Forkasters, WT EXO.

Thumbs up from me for Specialized.

No concerns here about mixing brands so 2.4 Hillbilly Grid Trail  T9 front and DHR2 2.3 rear (MaxTerra Exo at the moment, equally happy with dual compound).

Hillbilly probably OTT for your use (I got it for this…https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/winter-front-tyre-25mm-rim-calderdale/), but I’ve been really happy with it; works a treat in the grot, has been fine as things have dried out and has also worn really well. I’ve just bought two more of the same for £54 delivered from Specialized website with view to just running the same tyre year round.

I had older versions of the butcher and purgatory years ago and they weren’t anywhere near as good, but I’d say the new Hillbilly is easily equal in quality to the Maxxis I’ve tried.

At RRP I’d give the Butcher and Eliminator a go (T7 if you’re not fussed about max grip in winter). If they’ve still got the BOGOF deal on I’d get them ordered ASAP!

Edit…  if price not a concern or you’re unsure about Specialized then 2x DHR2 also a good option, I’ve liked 2.3 both ends (MaxTerra front, dual compound rear) for all my riding except steep slop; haven’t tried the 2.4s, apoarently they have bigger grippier tread but slower

Lining up at Boltby I looked across the 6 riders I was inline with and everyone had a Agassi front and DHR2 rear. For those in front and behind it was also the most common. It’s clearly had good marketing but they work. For your application I’d pick an exo max terra front and an exo dual rear. If you’re heavy then add inserts.

I run the Vigilante/Trail Boss combo in 2.8/2.6 on my hardtail

Front is tough/high grip, rear is tough/fast rolling.

Excellent all round grip, and the TB rolls really well on road and gravel too.

On another bike I run a Vigilante front, and a Spec Purgatory on the rear – excellent tyre, but mixing brands ?

“If they’ve still got the BOGOF deal on I’d get them ordered ASAP!”

Thanks, two more Hillbilly Trail T9 ordered – amazing front tyre at any price, even better for the money, even better with a BOGOF! Sadly no Butchers or Eliminators on sale / in stock for the back.

“Thanks, two more Hillbilly Trail T9 ordered – amazing front tyre at any price, even better for the money, even better with a BOGOF!”

Yeah, having been so impressed with it I thought I’d get another at bargain price of £40, so couldn’t believe it when I found them at £27 each. Slightly puzzled as to why Specialized are doing thus, makes me wonder if planning to bin 27.5 front wheels/tyres completely. I hope not.

I look at the title and thought XR4s!

I run an XR4 rear and DHF on the front on one bike.

Decent in the corners and quick.

That’s my full suss.

Could run SE4 if want tougher.

My quick 29er runs nobby nic / magic Mary. Also a good mix.

Am going to run rekon on the rear for KAW and put the NN upfront.

I’m running Hutchinson Griffus 2.5f, 2.4r

They roll well enough (as long as you don’t put a 2.5 on the back) and have taken some big knocks on my HT with no damage to my NP Horizon rims. No punctures and no pinch flats (running tubes at around 20psi). I’ll change them in winter though as forward traction from the rear is rubbish in mud

They are the best looking tan walls IMO

How the hell do we post pictures now? ?

“Slightly puzzled as to why Specialized are doing thus, makes me wonder if planning to bin 27.5 front wheels/tyres completely. I hope not.”

The pair I got are 29”!

Lots of helpful replies so far, thanks everyone! I’ll read some reviews of everything suggested.

Shame the Specialized BOGOF offer doesn’t have any Butchers, Eliminators or Purgatories or I’d have been all over those!

“Sadly no Butchers or Eliminators on sale / in stock for the back.”

Eliminators cheap at Leisure Lakes.

I was almost away to pull the trigger on a pair of Vitorria Mazza 2.4s from Lordgun just to try something different but ended up ordering a pair of brand new 2.6″ tan wall Schwalbe Hans Dampfs from eBay for 60 notes. One in Addix Soft Super Trail for the front and the other in Addix SpeedGrip Super Trail for the rear.

I know I said I wasn’t a fan of them previously but that was over 10 years ago and completely different bike so I’ll see how I get on with these. Thinking I may possibly pair them with a Mary or Nic.

Came to say Butcher Eliminator combo works great for the riding you describe.

They were high on the list and something I’ll most likely try out in the future.

I think there is a glitch in the matrix RE the Specialized Tyres offer.

I just got 1x Hillbilly Grid Trail and 2x Purgs (T9 & T7 Grid Trails) for 45quid….

The purgs are on sale at 22.50 anyway for that model, but when i added the hillbilly and used the code i knocked my basket down to 45quid!