Are semi-slicks a dying breed?

I wasn’t referring to XC tyres like a Racing Ralph, more the ones that have big side knobs like Minion but with lots of small low profile centre knobs instead of the much larger taller centre knobs you’d get on Minion-alikes.

That’s not what semi slick means.

This is a semi slick

That’s a gravel semi slick.

In Maxxis’ own words: “The Minion SS has a semi-slick tread with…”, “The all-new Maxxis Receptor is a semi-slick gravel tyre”

That’s not what semi slick means.

This is a semi slick

That’s a gravel semi slick.

That’s my thoughts too. Much of the market for those has been taken over by the gravel bikes, though they used to be fitted to lots of MTBs too. There’s also the option of something like a Maxxis Crossmark, which has an almost continuous centre tread.

As official an answer as you’ll probably get, given that I asked this sae question of our MTB tyre product manager last time I saw him…

Put simply, the Rock Razor got rave reviews that never transferred through into sales figures. Ironically, given our wet and muddy trails, the UK was the only market where the Rock Razor ever really sold in any meaningful numbers, but even then, its performance promise was never fulfilled by actual sales numbers…

I’m more gutted than anyone that it has been axed I can tell you… I will be sure to enjoy my last one to the fullest as and when I can! 👍🏻

Looked like this

Put simply, the Rock Razor got rave reviews that never transferred through into sales figures. Ironically, given our wet and muddy trails, the UK was the only market where the Rock Razor ever really sold in any meaningful numbers, but even then, its performance promise was never fulfilled by actual sales numbers…

I’ve got one, soft supergravity 650b, run it for two summers (so maybe 6-8 months total) on my “fun” bike. Maybe I’m misremembering what it looked like fresh but it still looks newish!

Without the tall centre knobs to be worn out maybe it has a longer practical life. Combined with our short summers, and the fact that its a rear only tyre, maybe everyone that wants one has one, and there is just no demand for replacing them.

Rock Razor in the old supergravity is the best tyre Schwalbe have ever made tbh. I’ve stockpiled the things 🙂 Just a damn nearly perfect tyre.

But yep for sure those burlier #enduro semislicks are a dying breed, and it’s not like they’ve been supplanted or the niche has gone or anything, nothing else does the job. It’s just, not enough people bought ’em. And fair enough, on paper they’re a terrible idea, you can see why most people just never gave them a shot.

So having torn a hole in my Rock Razor a few weeks ago I switched to a Specialized Eliminator, which definitely isn’t a semi-slick but rolls faster than you’d expect. Maybe this illustrates why the semi-slick is dying out? I don’t seem to be any slower at pedalling, it brakes way better and there’s no drift before the side knobs grip which seems to improve how I attack corners.

Sorry semi-slick fans, it must be people like me who’ve killed them off.

On another note entirely, out on an XC ride last night and I can’t get over how much faster my bike rolled downhill vs everyone else. I’m probably one of the heavier ones of the group but I’m not that big, bang on 13 stone. Magic Mary front, Eliminator rear. 20/22 psi F/R with inserts. 29” singlespeed hardtail (but a 160mm Moxie, not an XC bike). Every time we were coasting downhill I was overtaking or braking.

Have I got the perfect marginal gains combo of tyres that roll faster than they should at the exact right pressure and hubs (DT Swiss 350) that spin fast? I’m baffled but thankful because I was the only idiot without gears and my legs feel v strange this morning…

I love these, but I ride just gravel roads (+ pavement) and very easy dry trails with them – no risk of slashing sidewalls –

Terreno XC Race

Definitely semi-slick, very light, supple and rolls supremely well. Got the 2.25 in version on a fully rigid mtb.

I had assumed that https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/mtb-reviews had debunked our old slick=faster beliefs? Just get a Race King Protection.

I’ve got 2x 27.5 Rock Razors one used once, one brand new if anyone is interested.

I’ve just done a 6 day epic offroad from Plymouth to London on a Mezcal front and Terreno rear (which is surprisingly slick) and found it worked all really well.

No punctures, no drama, but did have to think about heavy rear braking as it certainly doesn’t brake as well as others.

I have a lot of love for the Vittoria tyres.

James

“Just get a Race King Protection.”

The semi-slicks I was referring to are not fast XC tyres, they’re burlier knobblier tyres for going downhill fast, but with the middle tread replaced with small low knobs. Made for shredding corners!

@chiefgrooveguru which version Eliminator have you got, I decided I wanted to buy one but can’t find a 29″ Gravity Grid in the UK!

I actually quite liked the 2.6” x 27.5” Slaughter on the back of my full suspension bike for summer. I liked it less in my hardtail as it’s nowhere near 2.6” volume and I get a sore back from time to time. Now got a 2.6” Rock Razor on the back of the hardtail and that’s not bad either. Fast rolling and corners ok – just makes steep tech stuff interesting getting slowed down for corners.

On the full suss bike I experimented with a Maxxis Rekon a couple of summers ago and that wasn’t bad actually as a compromise between dhr2 for winter and a full semi slick. I started riding more steep tech so for now I’ve settled on a Conti Xynotal instead.

The one on my hardtail is just the old Grid version but I’ve got a Rimpact Pro in it and it’s not very rocky around here. I’ll have a look in my LBS to see if they’ve got some Gravity ones, as they’re a Specialized dealer.

Thanks chief, it’s pretty rocky round here so doubt I’d get away with the Grid Trail.

Strange about the flats. I would think a Rockrazor or similar would have a bit more puncture protection in the center, because almost the einterie source is covered by knobs. In a aggressive tire, like a DHR, there are large open spaces between each knob.

I used to love riding them, since most of our trails are not that steep climbing or descending, and no loose dirt, so cling was fine, and so was braking.

then I started riding a lot of the black and double black trails, and wanted more grip on the steeps.

I just ended up with another week, so bought a Wicked Will to put on there. Would have Considered. Rockrazor as well.

My Slaughter’s are T7, which doesn’t roll very fast, so I stopped using them. Not sure on the rolling resistance of the older, ‘gripton’ branded Slaughters.

tjaard
Full Member

Strange about the flats. I would think a Rockrazor or similar would have a bit more puncture protection in the center, because almost the einterie source is covered by knobs. In a aggressive tire, like a DHR, there are large open spaces between each knob.

This is complicated, I think. I reckon semislicks can just roll over things without disturbing them as much while knobblies are more likely to flick stuff up, on edge, etc, and can trap stones and such. Like, with fallen thorns or flints I’d be pretty confident that semislicks are better just by rolling right over the “flat” and not getting the points and edges as bad. But stuff that’s naturally spiky, like a thorn branch or a broken off rock, yeah you’d expect that to give a semislick a harder time.

The other thing is, with stronger carcasses centre tread punctures are just really rare. Even XC tyres are tougher than they used to be for comparable weights, but average trail tyres these days are far beefier than we used to think was reasonable.

“Strange about the flats. I would think a Rockrazor or similar would have a bit more puncture protection in the center, because almost the einterie source is covered by knobs. In a aggressive tire, like a DHR, there are large open spaces between each knob.”

When I look at the knobs on my knobblier tyres they have cuts through them, like deep extra sipes, made by the local flints. So I think it’s a case of the tyre grabbing flint and cutting through itself with the flint acting as a knife. But with the semi-slicks, that type of cut goes through the casing as well as the knob. That’s my best hypothesis!

Other option to think about is the Kenda Helldiver – they tend to weigh up pretty light as a brand so probably worth going to the AGC version (that’s the one I use). Been really impressed so far.