Quick background. Lapierre spicy 650b. Only bike so gets ridden everywhere. Trail centres and uplifts as fast as my legs will take me. More about the downs than the ups but I’ve still got to get up! Fair few enduros planned also.
I have a second set of mavic 321’s with dual ply super tacky high rollers on for uplifts and big mountains.
Looking for a tyre for the rest of the time. I’m sure there’s a perfect tyre out there somewhere…
I’ve got damn close I think with 2.4 trail king apex on the front, and 2.2 protection trail king on the rear.
My issue with them is the 2.2 is too small. On a 29mm internal rim width wheel the actual tread only measures 2.1 inches. Sidewalls sticks out further oddly. The 2.4 front is a nice chunky 2.4 inches wide in the tread, but is ridiculously high volume vertically to the point I can’t even fit a mudguard under the crown of my pikes. Literally 2mm of clearence. And yes, before someone asks it is a 650b fork. The thing is enormous.
Rear grip is good enough and they roll well. Front grip is excellent and the tyres on wide rims are happy at very low pressures due to the stiffness in the walls. (Settled on 18 front 23 rear). He black chilli rubber seems to stick to most things well enough, super confidence inspiring.
Anything out there a bit less stupidly sized (height wise, not width) so I can have a mud guard again? Loving the stiff walls and rolling resistance to grip ratio of the TK’s especially.
Looking for people who have tried the trail kings and others so I don’t wastell money on the wrong tyres.
Hans dampf? Mystical combination of the confusing minion lineup? Liked butcher/purgatory combo before this but too floppy and not quite as grippy…