I fancy racing on a hardtail next year but stuck on tyre choice.

On the one hand, I’m good at tearing EVO and EXO casing tyres even on a FS.

On the other, a full DH tyre might be so heavy and draggy it’d cancel out the hardtail advantage on the sprints.

Is there a happy medium? Is there such a thing as a light fast-rolling DH tyre?!

Depends on you tbh, I used the same tyres I would on the full suss, but I’m not a tyre tearer (so that mostly ment specialized butcher controls, which for most folks I think would not be tough enough)

WTB Tough carcass seem a pretty good compromise but you’ve got to watch the compound there too as some as sticky and some not

I’ve used a WTB Trailboss TCS Tough/Fast rear and it’s been fantastic of the few races I’ve done on it (Afan/FoD/Eastridge) and general riding including BPW & Innerleithen. Not had a single flat on the back of my Stanton.

It’s not such a great tyre for winter so I’m looking to change it for maybe another Tough/Fast tyre from WTB. I’m using a Light/High grip Vigilante up front although I’ll be honest and say I preferred the larger volume of a Magic Mary up front.

Purgatory Grid.

2.4 ardent big tough and fast…

If you are ripping exo casings, which are tough, then i can’t see many other manufacturers lasting either.
I use grid casing fwiw. No issues in alps or here in uk.

Thanks, I haven’t tried WTB before, will look into them.

I like the Ardent but have ripped two this year and no. 1 priority in a race is finishing…

Have used a DHR2 on mine since the tyre came out, love the paddle effect tread pattern…brakes brilliantly and digs in for traction.
It’s an EXO casing and its been used in the muddy rooty south of England and now in the harder rocky terrain in Wales, never managed to puncture it or tear a sidewall.

Short of a dual ply/DH casing I’m not sure what to suggest!?

DHR2s are very good, have one front and rear on the hardtail at the moment and really liking them. No slower than a HR2 but with better grip over roots and awesome breaking traction.
I too can tear tyres for fun and both now have holes in them, though I patched and just run tubes now.
I think I’ll bite the bullet and go a dual ply tyre for the back next time.

chrispo – Member
I fancy racing on a hardtail next year but stuck on tyre choice.

On the one hand, I’m good at tearing EVO and EXO casing tyres even on a FS.
Maybe bikes are just not hard enough for you?

I’ve been using a DoubleDown MAxxis Aggressor which fits the bill, there’s DoubleDown versions of the DHF & DHR2 out there too. Or Schwalbe usper Gravity casings.

WTB tough or Schwalbe SG

Both tougher than EXO, in my experience.

Ardent EXO seems fragile to me – I’ve ripped three. Never torn a Minion EXO though, so that’s what I race on. Yet to puncture in c.10 races on them (running tubeless).

That said, I pump my tyres up if it’s going to be rocky. I’d rather bounce around a bit and finish than sit in a pool of latex pumping away.

Michelin Wild Grip’r Reinforced is my go-to tyre for bullet-proof puncture resistance. It’s about 1.2kg in 26″ format though so not the most spritely but it’s very well built. Pretty grippy too – which is nice.

I’d say Schwalbe’s Super Gravity casing falls nicely between EXO and Dual Ply.

I found Specalized’s grid casing to be a bit more robust than EXO. They even come in many of the same tread patterns for a lower cost 😆

Maybe you also need to look at line choice or apply so some sort of super slippery slippy stuff to your sidewalls so the rocks slip by.

Bontrager SE versions?

I tend to run a snakeskin Hans Dampf or Rock Razor on the back, which combined with tubeless and plenty of fluid, I’ve never had a puncture, let alone a sliced tyre. That said, years of riding hardtail, practically exclusively, have left me quite a smooth/light rider, so don’t tend to be hard on back wheels.

If you’re riding your hardtail like a full sus, you’re going to get flats, maybe consider changing your technique?