I’m after some tyre advice please. Used to run 2.35″ High Roller 1’s on my Rotec for DH. Perfect all rounder, performed predictably and even worked well with a DIY tubeless setup. Moved on and had LUST High Rollers on my TR250, again predictable and reliable. Now I have a Meta SX1 set up for everything I can throw at it, uplifts, long all day rides, trail centres etc. Originally I had 2.25″ Onza Ibex and Canis on it, the Canis wearing out on the rear far too quickly so replaced with another Ibex which is basically a High Roller copy. Went to BPW and pop, Rim Dinger ate both tubes in a blink. 2.4″ High Roller 2s are fitted now and I love the performance and confidence of piling through anything and knowing it’s all going to be fine, but damn are they a dead weight on there and certainly overkill for long all day rides.

Can anyone recommend a decent performing 2.3″ ish sized tyres that don’t weigh a ton but will be suitable for most conditions and perform along the lines of the High Roller? I’m off to Canada later in the year and will be road tripping all over so don’t really want to have to lug loads of different tyres around with me.

Cheers
Veero

I’m in a similiar position and getting high roller 2 2.3 😆 not a huge change, but hell, if you like them and just want them a bit smaller/lighter.. get the same ones just smaller/lighter! Orrr grin and bear it, it’s all extra training 😈

Ardent.

Have to say I’m finding 2.3 spesh ground controls in grid 2br absolutely fantastic. Running them tubeless and they are very fast rolling and very grippy! So far so good!

2.3 butcher

Hans Dampf

Rubber Queen.

Check out the GEAX Goma’s. Bit like a faster rolling, lighter version of a single ply minion, and by god they grip too! Also seem to be very durable too. Been running them for months now, not found another tyre that has impressed me so much in many years!

Really impressed with my tubeless-ready Ardent.

Chunky Monkey £19 has to be the best VFM..

Took my Butcher off after two rides…lost the front-end twice, found the tyre dangerous..

How can you hate a Butcher but be impressed with an Ardent? Ardent’s fast for its grip but it’s got a fraction the overall grip of the Butcher, except in the bone dry…

I’d go for Hans Dampfs
Trailstar evo front
Pacestar super gravity rear
Only cos I seem to puncture everything
Had this combo on since march , no punctures, work brilliantly on everything except the stickiest of mud

kiwijohn – Member
Rubber Queen.

Excellent tyre in most conditions but absolutely useless in the mud. Hans dampfs better all rounder ime although noticeably heavier

Got a Geax Goma based on mboy’s recommendation for £19. Only a few rides on it but so far it’s good. Grippy, fast and puncture free (so far).

@ Northwind….

2 rides on the Butcher was enough to know it’s not for me…I couldn’t trust the front-end at all.

I swapped it out for a 29 x 2.4 dual-compound Ardent and was impressed from the start…
In 1 week I rode Penmachno, Cwmcarn, 1 day at BPW, Cwm Rhaeader. Nant Y Arian, llandegla and then the wet ‘ardrock Enduro in the Dales at no point did I regret putting the Ardent on…that’s a lot of rock ridden, no cuts, flats, fast rolling and thrown into corners without worry…that’s a 10 if you ask me..

Where from? Looking around and they seem to have a really good durability rating and at that price!! Also, 2.2 or 2.4?

Excellent tyre in most conditions but absolutely useless in the mud. Hans dampfs better all rounder ime although noticeably heavier

& noticeably more expensive. My Rubber Queens have been fine all winter here, though the mud we do have, nothing will work in it.

@ thegnarlycenturion… if it’s the Chunky Monkey your asking about y’at that price’ ..On-One do them. Click here
It’s a very good front tyre. Can’t vouch for them as a rear. As a rear I had the Smorgasbord tyre ( £19 ) from On-One & also an excellent tyre.

I’d go for a pair of 2.3 exo minions, dhf up front and a dhr2 on the rear. Job done.

thanks tymbian! I actually meant the Geax Goma (cheapest I’ve found is £26 for the tnt version). I would have gone straight to the on-one but they’re not doig 650b versions yet – when they do 😀

Geax Goma on sportpursuit £19. Click here

Cool, thank you! Fatbirds does the tnt versions for £26 – reckon its worth it for the extra protection 😀 hope the 2.25 is wide enough 😆

Let us know how you get on..

Fyi..I got the TR Ardent from my lbs for £33

Ended up with a Specialized Butcher 2.3 up front and a Ground Control 2.3 rear. Were a smidgen lighter than the High Roller 2s and so far so good. Despite comments above the Butcher seems fairly predictable and confidence inspiring leant over. After all it practically looks identical to a Minion DHF.

Done some crazy rocky DH sections and a couple of longer less challenging rides and they’ve proven to be not too heavy to pedal around longer distances.

Main advantage is they were £54 for the pair as opposed to nearly £50 per tyre as per most of the Schwalbe offerings.

Despite comments above the Butcher seems fairly predictable and confidence inspiring leant over. After all it practically looks identical to a Minion DHF

They are quite good and as you say they look virtually identical to a Minion.

But as they wear out they wash out in corners more easily than Minions. There is still some bite left in a Minion’s shoulder lugs even when worn but the Butcher’s give up earlier. But for the price they’re a great tyre