Hutchinson do look quite good knob wise. Can’t figure out what’s going on with the weights for the variety of sizes and compounds on the website though. Looks all over the place.

Fwiw the toro I’m us g rolls better than its weight suggests.

Horses for courses and all that, but a 2.3″ Folding Minion DHF is my XC front tyre… Trail Bike has a 2.5″ 3C version of the same. 😆

After being a long time schwalbe user I recently changed to conti and use a X King on the front for xc racing.
Light years ahead of the schwalbe stuff in lots of ways.
Roll quicker, seat tubeless easier, last longer and run quieter etc etc
Won’t be going back, have continental protection tyres on all my wheels now

My Toro is the hardskin RR tubeless weighs in at 750G and rolls super fast.

OP, I have a couple of lightly used Ground Controls with control casing that have have just come off some wheels that I sold. Your more than welcome to them, if you don;t get on with them just give them to someone else. Drop me a line if your interested.

I’ve often used them on the front with something like a Fast Trak on the back and if the conditions require it I’ve put one on the back too. Lot’s of decent grip and a safe lean angle. In the drag dept I don;t feel there’s a massive amount of difference between them and Fast Trak

Adam, thanks, may well take you up on that. Be good to try something different.

I’ve just taken a Ron off the front of my bike as it wasn’t biting in the slop at the base of the south downs. I love it for 3 seasons….but stick a Bonty Mud X on the front for winter, and keep either a ron or Conti X King on the rear.

X Kings have no extra edge grip especially, you can see why when you look at them, they just have decent grip all over. Mine are the racesports, they’re pretty good. And much less puncturey than racing ralphs.

Helpful01’s suggestion could work well, not sure I’d like it but if you want speed with minioney edge grip, it’ll do it. Mine lives on the back of a big bike and is ace. Not light but very speedy.

Thanks all.

Ok, so think what I’m after is something race light and fast rolling like a Ralph but with a squarer profile and maybe slightly more agressive knobs on the edge of the tread. Not after a winter/mud tyre and have no issues with the actual level of grip, it’s just the transition from middle to side of the tyre that I’m not happy with.

Ground control front, vittoria barzo rear good all round combo.

What about a Magic Mary in Snakeskin TL Easy TrailStar compound?

I’ve not used one but looking at it, its an “enduro” aggressive tyre which may suit.

Looks very draggy. Don’t want anything more lumpy than a Ralph. I just want something with a squarer profile I think and more of a defined transition onto side knobs.

I reckon the Ardent was a good shout then:

http://www.merlincycles.com/maxxis-ardent-kev-exo-tr-folding-mtb-tyre-29-x-225-77049.html

Ardent Race may be worth a go. Still a bit heavy compared to a Ralph. More rubber though I guess.

How about this, heheh:

pretty low rolling resisance!!

I found what you want; the Rock Razor in Trail TLR guise. Inside tread is basically a Ralph outside is large knobbles.

http://www.schwalbe.com/gb/offroad-reader/rock-razor.html

Its Pacestar, snakeskin and folding.

Nirvana.

I just want something with a squarer profile I think and more of a defined transition onto side knobs.

find something with the correct profile, compound and edge tread and cut the middle and intermediate knobs to your personal taste. It’s not difficult, just time consuming.

I imagine a Ralph would be as sketchy as funk on the front in anything other than hardpack. I use Ralph on the back only for this reason.

Agressive ‘positive engagement’ at the tyre edges appears to be what you are after (from reading between the lines here). For this I can recommend a Nic – although this has probably been discredited somewhere above, for a range of too heavy/draggy/sketchy/whatever reasons.

In the true spirit of STW, though, this is the front tyre I use, so it must be the bestest.. 😆

I tend to lean the bike right over and rail the edges (like a BOSS 😆 ) (probably in my imagination only) . I also avoid wet rocks, or roots like the plague, cos I’m a total mincer. For this a Nic is perfect – and I run one on the front of all 8 MTBs I own. Read into all that what you will.

I found what you want; the Rock Razor in Trail TLR guise. Inside tread is basically a Ralph outside is large knobbles.

Bit heavy 😉

find something with the correct profile, compound and edge tread and cut the middle and intermediate knobs to your personal taste. It’s not difficult, just time consuming.

If only i had that sort of time. Tempting though.

for a range of too heavy/draggy/sketchy/whatever reasons.

Draggy.

I imagine a Ralph would be as sketchy as funk on the front in anything other than hardpack. I use Ralph on the back only for this reason.

Other than the vagueness when leaning it over I find the Ralph to be plenty grippy enough, but I have ridden a lot of wet roots and mud over the years and am happy with both wheels sliding about.

I think the problem is I’ve gotten use to a feel when cornering on the trail bike, pushing the front in, getting it on it’s side, and round she goes. The Ralph feels very different. I might persevere for a bit and see if it comes good (pretty much every cross country racer, or so it seems, can’t be wrong!)

If only i had that sort of time.

Ha ha. It’d take up right around the same amount of time you’ve spent reading and replying to this topic.
Plus you’d get to PURCHASE tyre snips !!!

Ha ha. It’d take up right around the same amount of time you’ve spent reading and replying to this topic.

This place is why I don’t have the time!

Cut Beavers are a possibility. I’d probably make a hash of it though.

Also, cutting tyres means you can do this:

[url=https://flic.kr/p/bUbndf]IMG_0625[/url] by Northwindlowlander, on Flickr

Grams make kilos!

Weight weenie appeal 🙂

Northwind, punt those with some super glue as Enduro knob extensions.

Indeed! Chop em off the middle tread and glue em on top of the side knobs for a stoked enduro Knargh tyre. High five! 😉

Oh, i misunderstood. <puts down superglue> <puts away knob>

First ride on the Ralph’s today in properly wet conditions. Pretty good in the slop, bit of fun sliding around. Comical over wet roots though of which there’s a lot round here. Might need to get some Beavers.

Beavers are good, I used a Beaver F, Ron R combo for a wet race last March. The beaver was a initially bit loose, not slippery at all once I put it under pressure, and didn’t leak any jizz…

Onza canis

Oooh now that does look promising. Skinwall too 🙂

Probably a few right answers to this question, but in the end followed the herd (and the very first response) and went for Ron’s.

Went for the 2.1″ evo snakeskin ones. First ride today and I like them. Looks quite a narrow 2.1 and think this helps give it a much more positive feel when tipping it in to a corner than my fatter Ralph. Seems decent enough in the slop and over roots too. Bit more of a predictable slide to them too.

Oh and advertised weight of 550g a bit optimistic, they came in at 610g.

For next time, try Vredestein Black Panther Xtremes (evans). If you can get past the name, the tread pattern seems to work quite hard. Centre tread is ron-esque, rolls well (knobs perhaps not as prominent as they look in that picture) clears well. Side knobs seem to reward a good lean, although again, I’d say that picture makes them look toothier than they are.

Only thing that really stops me running them more is they lack a high volume size for general use. If it helps I used to love Spesh Sauserwinds for being fast on the centre but refusing to turn until you angled them over, then suddenly working. Shame they never made them in 29.

Sounds pretty good swanny. Shall have a look when I’m after something a bit fatter.