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Conti 29" DH tires are 1300g and seem pretty tough to me so far, good damping, feels more substantial vs Maxxis DD for sure. Argotal DH Supersoft ft/ Soft rear has great traction in steep/loose and isn't bad at all on rock and hardpack. A friend just put on Argo DH SS front (replaced an Assegai Maxxgrip) and was also raving about the grip in loose conditions. In my limited experience so far the new Contis are excellent.
Not sure if you are insinuating the tires that the Pivot team used last year weren't production tires? Because they got tons of good results on them so it should be believable...
Have you tried the new Conti's DH tires? I have a lot of laps on them at Silver Mtn since I started using them last year and I've only gotten one flat. They certainly perform as well as any other DH Tire from Schwalbe, Maxxis, E13, or Kenda that I've ever used.
They just released the new Mazza Enduro Race line which uses a super soft compound (but maybe for their DH program they run something custom). I have it at home and am a bit hesitant to put it on the bike. Definitely on the heavy side (around 1370g for the 29x2.4 version). Feels soft but in comparison to MaxxGrip which I have brand new here too, it is not on the same level, but hard to say if that is really the best indicator without riding it. The thread has a bit larger gaps on the pattern compared to their "normal" Mazza Enduro. You can get them already discounted at Universal Cycles for $66 a tire (usually $86).
Rocky dropping something tasty tomorrow......
A few things to reassure everyone on Conti tires (no affiliation whatsoever).
•Like @Dave113 said, the Argotal DH SS 29x2.4 weights 1300G or 1330g, I weighted them on a scale, but I can't find my notes.
•The Argotal DH has a burly sidewall and are the hardest tires I've ever put on a rim. No chance of burping (compared to their Enduro casing which is thin and easy to mount)
•I got those tires straight from the Continental booth at last year's MSA WC with racer's sealant still fresh into them. They were leaving them on a thrash can and told me "grab some, they're perfectly fine!"
•The SuperSoft compound is incredibly sticky. Like way stickier than E13's 40D Mopo compound that I've been also using.
Back to rumors!
maple syrup?
The new poutiner, smooth as gravy
Just a quick addition to tyres... How quickly do mtb tyres get old, anyone have any experience with that? I'm on a year old assegai and dhr 2 (roughly a year, not sure about the time scale) and I'm like a giraffe on ice if its damp or wet. Zero grip. Testing out some bikes last weekend with a new assegai and dissector or an addix soft magic mary in... Well slop, it was a a game changer, it's actually possible to ride in conditions like that!
good question! i‘m running assegai maxgrip/dhr2 maxterra as my go to combo. normally i‘ll get about 6 months out of the reartire and about 1,5-2 seasons out of the front (i break way too much
).
i do really suck when it‘s wet and slippery, but that‘s 99% on me IMO.
maybe that‘s something for another seperate thread?
It is, yeah... There's a Michelin thread already.
New and updated Rocky Mountain Slayer dropping today, 6pm GMT+2 (or whatever equivalent in your time zone).
Marketed as a "freeride" bike with 180mm of travel front and rear, dual crown compatible, small and medium sizes are mullet while large and extra large are full 29er, features three-position geometry adjustment. Geometry is ultra progressive with 63° HTA, 78° STA and 510mm reach and 1320mm wheelbase on the size XL. Size L gets 480 reach and 1280mm wheelbase.
pit bits vid from leogang
"Progressive geo" yet manage to use kids' bike sizes chainstays lol. Should be 435mm for the L and 445mm for XL (probably just a flip chip in the "long" setting). Yet another long bike that will be hard to corner without jumping on your stem, not because it is long, but just because it is unbalanced.
Someone should make a general tire thread with a shared google doc spreadsheet of price/weight/conditions/grip (x/10) etc.
In the latest pit bits video, Jordan Williams' mechanic confirms longer front and rear center on Jordan's bike.
Hm, I would say this is very common misconception, that heavier tire is always more durable. If you compare older non tubeless maxxis dh casing tires with tlr dh casing, it's comical how flimsy that new tire feels despite being just as heavy or heavier than the old ones. And speaking of contis, old der baron apex dh was one of if not the lightest dh casing tire out there, while also being the most robust at the same time, crazy stiff sidewall which was the reason most people hated them outside of trials use where that stiffness gave it superb stability for of camber take offs. Tires are heavy if you use a lot of rubber, if you use stiffening compounds/inserts instead you get a whole lot lighter tire but vibration damping suffers.
What else beyond laziness is stopping Pirelli from producing a DH tire on par or exceeding maxxis? They probably spend more money producing and shipping tires for a North American f1 weekend than it would take to develop the best DH tires out there lol.
Being excellent in F1 tyre design is a whole different ball game to MTB or DH tyres. And regardless of the money available, money buys only so much time to speed up development. It will always take time regardless of the resources. And won't be complete until the product is proven at the top level. In WC racing.
F1 tyres are shit, as requested by the FIA
You’re not wrong but I would imagine poaching some good development riders & designers wouldn’t be too difficult considering their financial resources.
pinion smarthshift electronic bits on the gamux proto DH bike. more pics etc here https://www.vitalmtb.com/forums/hub/pinion-smartshift-gamux-prototype-d…
About damn time considering they shift the gearboxes under full load on their end of line checks using powerful motors. Plus getting rid of the gripshift is an added benefit
What tha fuq Primoz... you like electronic shifting now
Anything to get rid of gripshift eh
New?! Michelin Wild Enduro tires? Can't see them mentioned anywhere online. Seems like there is additional model name MS, MH (but I'm not so familiar with Michelin).
Source https://www.pinkbike.com/news/bike-check-barca-prudkovas-unno-burn-endu…
@TimBud well played sir, well played.
For sure, gripshift < electronic < cable actuated trigger
In all seriousness, getting rid of the gripshift is a part of it. I guess gripshift could have been good back in the day, but with modern drivetrains and the way we ride bikes (index finger on the brake, thumb shifting the gear, holding the bars nicely and consistently) I feel the gripshift could be more of a hinderance than a benefit.
The main reason I was... looking forward to an electronic shifting system for the Pinion is the fact that the shifting mechanism is basically right there on the outside of the gearbox and fairly easy to get to. That and the above mentioned fact that they can shift it under full load. Based off a Pinkbike review (haven't ridden one myself...) apparently you load up the shifter going to an easier gear, then let up on the pedals for it to click over and actually shift. The pawl/clutches/whatever is engaging the gear wants to stay there, but nothing is preventing it from moving out of the way (unlike the ratchet in the freehub, where you normally have a wedge geometry preventing slippage)... Except enough force. I'm hoping they made the electronic version of the shifter strong enough to be able to shift under full power or close to it and thus improve the shifting performance compared to the cable actuated gripshift. That and improve ergonomics.
I have nothing against electronic shifting, if there's a benefit. There is a possibility of a benefit in this case.
Rode a buddy's gearbox bike and it was an absolute nightmare to try to nail shifts to easier gears before sudden steep pitches...say going around a turn to transition onto a new trail or up out of a gully.
I'd be standing up on the pedals trying to keep it upright barely moving and begging the shifter to let me go to an easier gear.
It was on a Zerode.
I now await 5 pages of education on how simple it is and all the various techniques of why I should get my act together.
Be the change you want to see in the world, or something
For those that never leave this page
https://www.pinkbike.com/news/first-ride-2024-rocky-mountain-slayer.html
https://www.vitalmtb.com/community/Jason_Schroeder/blog/06/14/2023/entr…
https://nsmb.com/articles/2023-rocky-mountain-slayer/
I guess it might mean Medium Soft, Medium Hard.
You are right, these are not in their line up yet.
Spotted in Vital's Pit Bits. Looks like the Pivot uses an eccentric mounting between the seatstay and rocker? Guess it's just a way of fine tuning BB height, head angle etc.
