sspomer
Posts: 515
Joined: 6/26/2009
Location: Ventura, CA USA
Administrator
so what are you all running for DH tires and pressures? do you set it and forget it or do you adjust according to conditions and locations?
i'm on specialized butch 2.3's front and rear with 26 rear and 25 front. i haven't ridden any serious DH in a little while, but the combo worked great at solvista with the rocks and rough as well as the groomers like silky J.
PIRATE
Posts: 19
Joined: 4/2/2010
Location: Westerville, OH USA
Maxxis Minion DHF 2.5 UST for Dry/Moist
Front 26 and rear 28psi- Usually set it and forget it
Swamp Thing UST for Mud- a bit lower in the psi
Mainly riding/racing Snowshoe WV- Mud, Rocks,Roots, Hardpack
whitetux
Posts: 9
Joined: 1/15/2010
Location: Edinburgh, GBR
I mainly use Maxxis High rollers and run around 30 in the back and 25 up front to avoid punctures, but still maintain grip (for fort william downhill or other tracks which you are more likely to puncture at then add an extra 5 psi in each tyre).
For wet conditions I'll use spiked tyres (cut wetscream or similar) and run maybe 25 in the back and 20 in the front.
pholange
Posts: 1
Joined: 6/15/2010
Location: Albuquerque, NM USA
trail riding/all mouontain winter in the sandia mountain foothills, as well as white mesa... purgatory 2.4s front and rear on enduro at 35-40 psi, cuz pinch flats are common on the granite based terrain. also run 2.3 prowlers on more mellow terrain... same pressure. i seem to have learned that more pressure ends up being better in these environs (central new mexico)... washouts cuz of dryness are always a consideration with decomposing granite bbs... choose your battles...
his dudeness
Posts: 6
Joined: 12/30/2010
Location: San Jose, CA USA
Currently running Spesh Hillbilly 2.3 dh with 32 in the rear and 28-30 in the front. I'm a big guy and ride with a rearward weight bias so a little extra in the back works for me.
Who wants to make robot costumes?
jptree
Posts: 23
Joined: 4/14/2010
Location: Reno, NV USA
For the winter it's Kenda Nevegal 2.3's F/R 40 psi each... good all around choice. Over the summer, I ride primarily at Northstar (anyone who's ridden there knows how dusty it is).
Front: 2.5 Maxxis Minion DHF at 30 psi
Rear: 2.5 Maxxis Swampthing at 32 psi
That Swampthing HOOKS in the dust!
"You want a toe? I can get you a toe. There are ways dude, you don't want to know about it. Hell, I could get you a toe by 3 o'clock this afternoon... with nailpolish."
daisycutter
Posts: 2
Joined: 5/2/2010
Location: New York, NY USA
For Diablo
Front: 2.5 Maxxis Minion DHF at 28-30 psi
Rear: 2.3 Kenda Nevegal 2.3's at 30-32 psi
For Platty
Front: 2.5 Maxxis Minion DHF at 26-28 psi
Rear: 2.3 Kenda Nevegal 2.3's at 28-30 psi
If its wet lower end of the scale; higher if its dry like most of last year . Unusual for the east coast
wyomingone
Posts: 3
Joined: 8/24/2010
Location: Valencia, CA USA
Spomer, if you're looking for some comparable info you better get rider weights. Some of them big boys need lots of psi's compared to the stick figures, which makes sense. I like about 8.085-8.960 psi in most of my tires.
sspomer
Posts: 515
Joined: 6/26/2009
Location: Ventura, CA USA
Administrator
wyomingone wrote: Spomer, if you're looking for some comparable info you better get rider weights. Some of them big boys need lots of psi's compared to the stick figures, which makes sense. I like about 8.085-8.960 psi in most of my tires.
i'm surprised you even run 8psi! if you ran helium, i bet you could stay off the ground entirely with your build : )
not looking for rocket science necessarily, just figured it's a fun discussion to see what people use and how they set things up.
rusty
Posts: 8
Joined: 8/26/2010
Location: Horsham, GBR
Front Minions on both wheels cuz Sam Hill does it. And also because the fronts don't shred up like the rears do.
For pressures I do the squeeze test - front one gives a bit more than the rear. Bit less air for when it's muddy. Boom!
mtbmtbmtb
Posts: 10
Joined: 10/21/2010
Location: New London, NH USA
sam rides specialized tires now... has been 4 a while
Pwest
Posts: 12
Joined: 10/22/2009
Location: Austin, TX USA
Tire pressure is one the most easiest ways to mod your bike and I do a lot of asking around to see what people run.
They say the less psi you run the less you tires leave the ground and the more traction you gain and the faster you go. for myself i can't seem to run less than 40 pis front and back muddy or not. 43psi back / 40psi front.
It depends on how much you weigh, Tire compound, Side wall Casing etc.
To low of a tire pressure and the lugs fold into the tire casing instead of penetrating the ground like at the low 20 psi range. To much like at 36 to 40psi the tire stays too round and you get a dead spot while transiting into corners. It also tends to slide out easier while cornering. Check out the 17 questions with santa steve peat, he rides at 2.1 bar
Im 200 + with equipment on
Butcher 2.5 DH front 30-31psi
Butcher 2.5 DH rear 32-33psi
dhmtb4life
Posts: 8
Joined: 1/24/2010
Location: Highlands Ranch, CO USA
I rode last year:
Kenda el moco (I'm not doing that again by the way, the tires suck!)
28 psi. front and 30 psi. rear
I rode at Trestle bike park last year (mostly dusty) and the tires didn't hold grip well)
Uncle Cliffy
Posts: 35
Joined: 3/11/2010
Location: Medford, OR USA
For the big bike, I've made the move to Continental.
Currently running a Rain King (renamed Baron now) on the front with around 25-30 psi. Der Kaiser on the rear with 30-35. Most of the time I do the squeeze test...
bpatterson6
Posts: 7
Joined: 8/1/2009
Location: Englewood, CO USA
I just made the switch on my DH bike to Schwalbe tires. Currently running the Muddy Mary's. They seem to work well in most of the Colorado conditions I've encountered thus far since I started running them. I've been running Maxxis tires tubeless for years with the Mavic UST EX823 Rims. The Schwalbe tires were very easy to seat in the bead. I put just a bit of Stans in to seal it up nice. I'm very pleased with them so far. I haven't yet noticed any burping. I can definitely tell the grip factor.
I'm 225lbs or so all geared up. I run the 26 x 2.5 Front and Rear because 2.35 were out of stock when I bought the tires.
Front:
Schwalbe Muddy Mary - 26x2.5
DOWNHILL
Snakeskin Double Carcass
Gooey Gluey Compound
psi: 1.6 Bar
Rear:
Schwalbe Muddy Mary - 26x2.5
DOWNHILL
Snakeskin Double Carcass
Triple Nano Compound
psi: 2.1 Bar
Nick.
Posts: 1
Joined: 1/2/2010
Location: Wollongong, AUS
Anyone running the new Schwalbe Vertstar compound?
akachlakev
Posts: 10
Joined: 2/22/2010
Location: San Luis Obispo, CA USA
Only spomer, his dudeness, and Mike_Doucette have got it right here...
Specialized Butchers or Hillbillys are the best tires for dh that money can buy...depending on conditions naturally.
If you live anywhere rocky or anywhere in california the Butchers or Hillbillys are your best bet.
Specialized took my previous favorite tires (minions and high rollers) combined them and made them better somehow! They're just brilliant tires!
As for pressures, here in San Luis Obispo, tubeless, I run about 25 on the less sharp rocky trails...for the faster rockier ones where rim-dings are an issue, I air up to 35.
MinorThreat
Posts: 14
Joined: 11/17/2010
Location: Nine Mile Falls, WA USA
Kenda Excavator 2.5s with HD trailbike tubes. Varies between 20 and 25, Pretty much set and forget until I remember at random times to check pressure. Haven't pinch-flatted in 4+ seasons.
Iggz
Posts: 45
Joined: 8/1/2009
Location: Scotts Valley, CA USA
Right neow Imma runnin:
- Wetscream 2.5 st - 18 psi (the magical psi = just enough so you don't pinch flat if you ride up a curb)
- Clutch 2.5 - 25 psi
