Tyre to go with Butcher front (sorry)

My cheap eliminator grid has a terminal sidewall slash after only 50 miles (two mushrooms and it’s still leaking). I could get another one but looks like the the sidewalls aren’t up to it. So what else would work well with a butcher? 650b, front is 2.6″ but back will need to be 2.3″.

If you are happy with the grip they do a grid trail which has a tougher sidewall or the Blck Dmnd which has a very tough sidewall.

Grip seemed good to me. Hadn’t twigged the difference in the casings. Will look at those.

A Purgatory for the rear I’ve found works well with a Butcher front.

I use a Butcher F&R on both my bikes now. Seems to work ok for me. Much better than the (old) purgatory in mud. Purgatory decent enough for less muddy stuff though.

Depends on how tail happy you are. When I had a Butcher up front I used a Slaughter on the rear all year round.

If you can stand different brands front to back I always run a 2.3” Maxxis dhr2 exo on both bikes during the winter. Never had an issue.

Up front I’m running a Magic Mary on one bike and just stuck on a Spec Hillbilly 2.6” grid on the other. Side walls seem really thick and robust on that – maybe you were just unlucky with a side wall slash?

I use a purgatory rear all year round, but then I simply can’t be assessed changing tubeless tyres all the time depending what season Britain has decided for us that weekend.

Works well, but is more on the summer side I suppose.

A tougher casing might help, but it depends on how/what you slashed the sidewall on.

I’m with @joebristol a Maxxis Dhr2 exo is a great rear (and front to)

@lardman – I’m less keen on the dhr2 on the front – it grips and grips then suddenly washes out in my experience at the front – I prefer a more rounded tyre there generally. But as a rear tyre I find it perfect – gets good forward drive, brakes well and doesn’t drag much in the 2.3” version (hate the 2.4” version though!)

Quite a big slash. Was on the last corner of the climachx trail (or perhaps the fire road roll out). Sharp stone I think. You can see the second mushroom between the side knobs. Unexpectedly the tyre is still up with reasonable pressure this morning, but still bubbles when I wet the split. I’m surprised TBH as I though the idea of the mushrooms was to seal the whole area. Suppose it might survive with sealant to fill the small holes but given next ride is supposed to be a big lakeland day not sure its worth the risk.

I had a purgatory on before which I also though was fine. That came off as I found one of the side knobs cut nearly to the carcass. I’ve glued that as a spare so could just refit that. The purgatory was fine for around here but I think the gaps between the knobs leave the carcass a bit exposed for areas with sharp rock.

Not opposed to mixed brands (though don’t like the yellow on maxxis tyres). Just noticed that specialized will ship to store so that could make the choice as can get it shipped straight to biketreks to collect while I’m there.

Black sharpie will sort the yellow Maxxis logo 😝

Very true :D.

im really liking the eliminator in 29×2.6 format.

Apart from its bloody heavy

I’d go up to a 2.6 apart from not thinking there is enough clearance in my Rocket for it. Weight not too much of a consideration as the bike is and always will be heavy.

Annoyingly spec only list weights for the grid trail, not the grid or grid dh.

Keep puncturing DHR because of wide spaces between knobs (29 x 3 mind)

Full suss 2.6 butcher in front 2.3 dhr2 double down after a side wall cut on an eliminator on the first ride. The cut was right at the bead and refused to plug. I put it down to a terrible line choice, perhaps it was the tyre 😀

Hardtail 2.3 butcher on the front and 2.3 purgatory on the rear. Was fine in the mud, might go to a hillbilly when the mud gets deeper

Cheers

The cut was right at the bead and refused to plug

My 2.6 Butcher did this at BPW on Insufficient Funds. I put it down to a terrible tyre choice.

The Grid casing on a rear tyre just felt like it was always trying to fold over at pressured an HR2 was OK with, and too hard when inflated enough not to fold.

Replaced with a 2.4 Michelin Wild Enduro and all’s well again.

I was running 18psi as the time of my slash though do have inserts which help prop the tyre up.

Butcher/purgatory in winter and for three months in summer I put a slaughter on.

On my hardtail in the summer I run Butcher front and Purg on the rear, its at the point now where I’m thinking of changing and what I might do is stick the butcher on the back and get a cheap as chips hilly billy for the front. There’s some deals on the specialized tyres at the mo too so the hill billy is only £21!

I had 2.6 Butcher front and 2.3 Purg rear, damaged the sidewalk right at the bead too and one small cut in the tread wouldn’t seal. Now 2.6 Hillbilly front and 2.6 Butcher on the rear. Of course 2.6 in Spesh width is only 2.4inches.

I would just repair the tyre from the inside with a mushroom plug, and run it, never had a problem with a repair of one and its not a long job. New tyre would be the last resort.

Plug on the trail, repair when we get home.

I always have a selection of these in 3mm and 6mm and a tin of tyre glue

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12-TYRE-PUNCTURE-REPAIR-WIRED-3MM-SMALL-HEAD-PLUG-PATCH-MUSHROOM/131208504777?epid=1788610638&hash=item1e8ca2e5c9:g:nJYAAOxymmJTkHmO

As above, some great deals on Specialized site for tyres, they are phasing out the Grid to be replaced with the Grid trail with a better sidewall protection without the extra weight of the Blck Dmnd

@Tracey the tyre has two mushroom plugs in the slash already. The first seemed to do the trick but part of the cut was outside the backing disc however after inflation this extra bit leaked badly (despite not looking like it went all the way through). I added a second to cover the extra area (its partially over the first) but it still leaks.

I’ve ordered a grid trail version to collect as don’t have the time to muck around. If I was going in a few weeks then would have ridden the repaired tyre a few times first to see what happened.