So in the past my go-to tyre combo was a spesh butcher control on the front and purgatory control on the rear.

My epic which is have had back off my dad has had 29 x 2.1 ground controls on it while he had it as never did much more than fire roads. I plan of using it for some trail centres and hopefully a few bigger Welsh xc routes.

Now I want something a bit wider and more grippy (only about 29x 2.3 as frame doesn’t have a lot of clearance) only spare tyre I have is a brand new 650×2.6 purg that obviously won’t fit (need to sell that tbf)

I’m a big fan of the specialized tyres but there are a few new ones the slaughter I never got around to trying and there is now the “eliminator” where does that fit in to the line up? Does it make the trails come alive?

Do I go butcher F slaughter rear? Eliminator?

2.3 ground controls?

Perfect for xc and trail centers.

Always run Butcher on the front, Got a mixture of Butchers or Eliminators on the back, prefer the Butcher but wanted to see what the difference was.
The Slaughter is a fast rolling with minimum middle tread. Great in the dry but you need to be able to crank the back of the bike over to get the side nobbles working.
Use grid, grid trail or blck dmnd for sidewall durability

I quite like butcher on the front and slaughter on the rear.

My op was supposed to say purg grid on the rear, always went for a tougher one for the rear.
Also should of added I don’t particularly want the ground controls in 2.3″ as I like them for most of the stuff I’ll be doing but just not quite grippy enough, maybe be ok for the rear but not front.

I was thinking the slaughter could be a good compromise.

Is the eliminator faster or slower rolling than the butcher would you say Tracey?

It rolls faster but doesn’t feel as grippy on steep rocky stuff as a Butcher.

The slaughter is strictly a dry conditions, fast but not grippy. I still like the Butcher/ Purgatory combination as a good compromise between grip and speed.

Currently running (on a 160mm travel bike) Eliminator front, slaughter rear in 2.6 guise. Only time I’ve felt short on grip was wet roots and the rear stepping out. They are quite pressure sensitive in that size with the Grid casing but feel nice and fast.

Obviously this is based on current dry conditions.

When things get soggy the Eliminator goes on the back and something like a Magic Mary or Hillbilly go on the front.

I’m running Hillbilly 2.6 front, Eliminator 2.3 rear on my full-sus. I have a Magic Mary 2.35 and DHR2 2.3 on my hardtail and they feel pretty similar.

More tyre than most would want to pedal around but I like them all year because the steep stuff here gets very loose when it’s been dry for a while.

I think the Eliminator corners as well or better than the Butcher, rolls faster, maybe doesn’t brake quite as well. The Hillbilly is great but I wouldn’t want one on the back!

The Grid casing is a bit bouncy in the bigger tyres, noticed it most with the Butcher 2.6 – Rimpact foam inserts solved that and are nice in other ways too.

Cheers for the info guys, this is only a 100mm travel XC bike but more likely to be on easier trail centre stuff rather than big marathon xc rides for now.

So want to keep it on the faster rolling side but I always lack confidence without a nice grippy front tyre are least…

So probably stick with a tried and tested butcher for the front as not sure about the eliminator then maybe a slaughter rear while it’s dry…

The Eliminator 2.3 will be more than enough tyre on the front of a 100mm XC bike – I’ve got it on the back of a 150mm 29” monster-truck! Judging by the Minion SS I had the Slaughter will be a great trail centre rear.

Tubeless or no?

If no, I could offer some decent 29er tyres around that width for cheapness.

I have accumulated a few nearly new ones which won’t seal.

Been testing slaughter on the rear in both 2.6 and 2.3 sizing. Will definitely keep them on for the summer as their extra speed is lovely.

+1 for pressure sensitivity. 2 PSI is the difference between draggy and speedy. Same with ground controls actually.

Chapaking, what tyres do you have? Looking for fast rolling 2.3s

but I always lack confidence without a nice grippy front tyre are least…

Then, whatever you do, don’t put a Butcher on the front. They are (not to put too fine a point on it) shit. Along with the frankly dangerous Continental Vector, I think the only tyre that I honestly though was actively trying to kill me.  Trouble with the Butcher is that it looks the part, but the knobs are too shallow, so it fills with mud surprisingly easily, the sidewalls are made of tissue paper, it has a goldilocks-a-like range of tyre pressure where it will actually work. It’s horrid, and there are any number of tyres that will do a better job on the front.

butcher/slaughter here.

tried a eliminator but took that off as the 2.6 grid casing was too squidgy for my liking and i cut it. It was fine at BPW/FOD when pumped up fairly hard though. It’ll go on the front at some point.

the slaughter is a great tyre. I use a 2.3 DH version as i like decent side wall support for rear tyres on a HT.

butchers are a great tyre. i have used all versions and at no point have i felt it try and kill me as per the post above? its a re-badged DHF minion – whats not to love!

Chapaking, what tyres do you have? Looking for fast rolling 2.3s

On One Smorg 2.25 & Chunky Monkey 2.4, Mavic Quest Pro 2.3

Possibly a Bonty XR4

Mavic is pretty fast-rolling, others more trail tyres.

I found the Slaughter quite unpredictable given its shallow centre and high edge knobs. Rolled fast though. My Purgatory grid rear is great but it’s proving very susceptible to rock slashes that don’t get plugged with Stan’s fluid and need an anchovy- three in a month, might be a duff batch. Butcher 2.6″ up front is spot on.

Magic mary up front, chunky monkey rear. Works
For me.

Magic mary up front, chunky monkey rear. Works
For me.

Well I’ve run similar (and beefier) tyres on a short-travel bike myself, but the OP is looking more for the XC/trail end of things.

Bonty XR for me. XR4 front, XR3 rear if you want reasonable rolling and masses of grip; XR3/2 if you want fast rolling but still decent grip; XR2/1 if speed on low technical ground is what you are after. All do tubeless really easily.

i wouldnt say the eliminator is a xc type tire if your looking at slaughters. Its a bit better cornering than a butcher imo.

A purg / slaughter combo would be fast xc ish while a butcher eliminator would be more trail. the black diamond carcasses are really heavy so stick to grid.

Definitely tubeless, wheels are ready for it just need to get some valves.

I’ve extensively used the butcher in the past and never had a problem apart from mega muddy conditions, but always on longer travel bikes.

I think I’m over thinking it a bit much to be honest. I haven’t had a MTB for the last few years and I’m lacking a lot of confidence and a new grippy tyre does help but I also don’t want to ruin how little effort it takes to pedal this thing around compared to all my old bikes…

I think I’m over thinking it a bit much to be honest.

3 tyres @£17 = free postage…
Something fast, something grippy and something in the middle.
Come winter rotate front to back

and this season I’m mostly running a butcher/slaughter on my XC HT that is used more for trail and 10mi each way road

the black diamond carcasses are really heavy so stick to grid.

I did a big ride in the Lakes yesterday with a 2.6 Black Diamond Butcher on the rear of my bike. All 1.3kg of it.

I’m still alive, but only just.

Amazing grip as a rear though and gives my BB a much-needed lift.

Especially for trail center on an XC bike, absolutely put a Slaughter on the rear. Yes you lose braking and climbing traction on wet roots and loose soils, but on rock and hardpack it does fine. Purpose built trail centers won’t have super steep climbs or descents where you need that traction anyway. And you still get the same cornering knobs as the Butcher.

On the front, the Eliminator could be an interesting option instead of a Butcher. It has intermediate knobs, so you get cornering traction at all lean angles, not just when well over on it’s side. This does mean you give up ultimate grip in softer soils, but as you mention a focus on trail center riding, that won’t be as big a deal. Still, if you have gotten on well with the Butcher up front before, probably best to stick with it.

Hardtail
2.3 butcher front
2.3 purgatory in winteror 2.3 slaughter in “summer”.

Full suss
2.6 butcher front
2.3 purgatory winter or 2.3 slaughter summer.

All in grid

In the bike park 2.6 butcher black diamond front and rear

I have butcher/slaughter on my FS and purg on rear in winter. On my hardtail I have DHF/minion ss so like a setup similar to you. Both are as good as each other IMO, I think the Slaughter is better than the SS when not leaning the bike. Also I think a 2.6 butcher is a massively better tyre than the 2.3 version if it fits your bike.

think I’m over thinking it a bit much to be honest.

This – size choices at the sale prices are a bit thin on the ground, so go with whatever is under £20 in the size you want. Can bet, in the current conditions, it won’t make a jot of difference what tread you have. (Grid 2Bliss)

I did a big ride in the Lakes yesterday with a 2.6 Black Diamond Butcher on the rear of my bike. All 1.3kg of it.

I’m still alive, but only just.

Amazing grip as a rear though and gives my BB a much-needed lift.

thats what ive got as well. I would like exactly the same but 400g lighter…..

I tried wider/heavier tyres on my Epic and it never really suited it IMHO. In fact looking at those 2.1″ Ground Controls I’d have thought they’d be fine for trail centre use etc.

I left it to long for the specialized sale, nothing useful left for me all 27.5″ or super heavy stuff left.

Asked my mate at the bike shop I used to work to see what he can find in stock for me at the decent price, so a bit of a lucky dip really I’ll find out tomorrow.

Let me know what you are after and size and I will check in the garage to see what we have, I think there may be new Butcher, Purgatory and Slaughter in there.

I picked up a 29 2.3 Slaughter Grid for £17.50 just a couple of weeks back from Spesh. Running them on all of my bikes at the moment. I didn’t even bother to take them off for winter! Surprised at how good they were for a semi slick. Guess the side lugs give them a bit more bite than you would expect.

29 2.3 Slaughter Grid for £17.50

I got one for the back (Mary on front) and it is superb. Considering one for the front for less resistance.
Daymn! Soldout

That’s my usual pairing Dez, brilliant. I’ve just taken the Mary off the front and popped a 2.6 Butcher black diamond on, pretty impressed so far, local trails are drier than a witches tit mind, I’ll see what it’s like when we get some mud.

Is the Black Diamond heavier or lighter than the GRID? Can’t work it out from their description

I think it’s heavier, no sure though, as it’s a 2.6 chunky front versus a 2.3 ss. I don’t mind heavy tyres these days, rather have the protection. To be fair I’ve no had much if any punctures etc with the slaughter.

Blck Dmnd is heavier than the Grid. It was designed to be an alternative to the DD in Maxxis range.
They now do a Grid Trail which fits between them. It has a more durable side wall than the Grid and an updated tread pattern.
With the amount of discounted Grids that Specialized have been selling is probably not going to be an option in the future.