Was running a set of Nobby NICs and they’re pretty good fast, light, grippy too, this is someone coming from high rollers/minions/barons. The NICs, particularly the front was a bit flimsy when used hard on dh tracks so would swap three for such days.

Thought I’d try a Hans dampf on the front to negate tyre swaps, but its a bit rubbish really. No grippier than the nic but heavier and far more clumbsy.

They seem a bit pointless. I played with pressures too. Are they just a bit rubbish?

Which compound?

I have the evo trail/pacestar combo.
They’re not the brilliant all rounder that some claim.
“A bit meh” is a good description.

The performance version is only fit for the bin, it’s hard rubber that just will not grip on any rocky surface, the Trailstar/Pacestar compounds are great however.

WRONG.. COMPLETELY.

I have been running the pacestar (non grippy) on the front for everything from big mountain days to all day xc rides and they have been faultless. grippy, roll well. What more could you want.

Ace on hardpack and loose scree. 🙂

A mate just bust his ribs in a slow- mo incident that he attributes to the lack of traction in the wet from Hams Dampf tyres.

Never used them myself

I had a wee go, definitely found them better than Nics in wet conditions but still not great. That was evo/pacestar, though I didn’t have time to mess with pressures so maybe I could get them better. Barely any faster than my butchers, faster wearing, and a fair bit less grippy (and the wetter it gets the bigger the difference). Not a bad effort but no idea where the excitement comes from.

Maybe it’s a bit like rubber queens- conti fans all raved about rqs because they were so used to contis being rubbish, so the fact that the rq was pretty decent knocked their socks off. Same with NN fans and HDs?

RQs completely outclass them in every department, particularly cornering.
Interested in the butchers, how do they compare to BC RQs northwind?

A bit meh would be a too positive experience, based on my opinion.

I found them pretty much gash for everything. I lent them out to the group I ride with to try, because everything I had read suggested they were amazing.

No-one had anything positive to say about them…

Butcher is a good trail tyre in its 2Bliss setup, light, decent volume & predictable good grip on the front. Sidewalls are a bit fragile, but not outrageously so.

They are noticably less grippy than a Minion DHF, but then they roll faster.

I had trailstar one on the front of a bike with a fox 32 140mm fork and thought it was heavy and clumsy. Put it on my bigger bike with a fox 36 160mm fork and thought it was excellent on dry hardpack / trail centre and natural rooty stuff. Run it at 26 psi.

Bonty XR4’s (TLR version) fab on everything except mud where they drag big time.

Wrecker- it’s ages since I’ve used proper RQs so not sure. RQ a bit stickier on hard/dry stuff, and a bit faster, and I did love the volume… But Butcher Controls lighter, and tubeless ready, and a lot better in mud (more grip outright, but also far less cloggy).

I prefer how the butchers corner but then, I never really got on with RQs when leaned over, they always felt a wee bit unstable and crabby to me… So ymmv there, I found it hard to really trust them and o’course no tyre can work right when the rider doesn’t push them right, maybe they had more to give.

I found an HD pacestar on the front better than nobby nics, but still a bit unpredictable in the wet, roots etc, ok on the back but draggy and heavy

stuck a chunky monkey on the front and its waaay better (and half the price!)

What sort of pressures are you all running?, what width of rim?, what tyre size?, what’s your riding style as that will make a difference?.

I run 26psi rear Pacestar 2.35 and 24psi front Trailstar 2.35, fitted to crest rims and run tubeless, i weight the front end and where that goes the rear will follow on a cove hummer hardtail with 140/110mm talas fork.

I’m very happy with them on the front when it’s damp, wet or muddy. I’m planning to try one on the back shortly.

Pacestar front 26psi and trailstar rear 28psi on a HT…no issues in the loose and wet roots. I did find they needed quite a bit of bedding in though, but once scuffed up they gripped really well…albeit a bit draggy.

Far better than the Purgs I was running.

Think a 2.2 option would be better for all round use which is why I ended up with a set of RQs too.

I used them with inner tubes and was mighty underwhelmed – took them off and sold them on within a few weeks. Now have another bike which came with them ready fitted with Stan’s tubeless ~ they feel great and are still happily on the bike months later. No idea what type or compound they are, I’ve never checked; I just ride them and don’t worry.