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That's a known issue and Specialized actually honors their warranty for them. Check with your shop and it should be a simple process. Regardless, they are subpar if you push them hard. I tried their whole trail range (Cannibal, Butcher, Eliminator and Ground Control) and they left a lot to be desired. Good call on the Contis.
Now that the new high roller is out (and hopefully people have gotten some experience on it) I'm curious as to how the shorty fits into the lineup since it seems like there's some overlap where people would previously run shorties that is covered by the HR3.
With winter rapidly approaching, I'm wondering, what DH tires should I be looking at for cold weather performance? I'm currently running DH MaxxGrip Assguy/DHRII on my Orbea Wild emtb, which are great, but I feel like below a certain temperature, they really harden up and lose a lot of their magic grippy powers.
My home terrain is NE Oregon, semi-loamy with a medium amount of roots and rocks thrown in, standard inland northwest mountain riding, and looking to optimize for dirt ranging from hero to freeze/rethaw, and even packed shallow snow.
Continental Argotal as a front tire, maybe a Kryptotal R in the rear? The latter also allows you to choose a super soft or soft compound in the dh casing if you care about wear/rolling resistance
Michelin nerds: check the tires on Eleonora's bike at MSA. Wild Enduros, at MSA? Is this for thinner sidewalls for a lighter rider?
I would say my last gen Wild Enduro's a are on par with the sidewalls on my current gen Continental DH Xynotal tires. So for a lighter rider it's not likely an issue.
I’d say so yeah, those new ones feels almost the same as specialized gravity, little more subtle and lighter.
I just installed a wild enduro MH on my enduro bike.. it's closer closer to their DH weight.. similar to conti DH.. not light by any means.. litle bit more compliant than previous versions.. fwiw
If I remember correctly my wild enduro ms weighed 1248g and specialized cannibal gravity was around 1400-1450g
The Shorty knobs are a little bit taller than the HR3 so it's more suited to really soft, muddy conditions where the HR3 is good in loose while not being squirmy in hardpack. A subtle difference for sure, but that's it.
I had a go at Conti kryptotal F in super soft DH
My other go to are Pirelli scorpion enduro race M and assegai MaxxGrip, exo+ or DD
I wasn’t as thrilled on the kryptotal as the hype had me thinking I would be. Chemical grip is some of the best but the square profile was just a bit too square for me. I can see it being an unreal DH tire. When you’re in the window of traction the grip is unreal, but it’s a smaller margin than you’ll get on a rounder tire profile. Doing repeat runs and riding a trail you really know it’s great but it’s a tire that needs a lot of precision imo. I like to ride a lot of natural terrain and it’s not as easy to ride on the fly as the assegai or scorpion.
The scorpion (only race compound) is an unreal tire. Round profile but still has a super sharp edge bite, more than an assegai, casing however a bit stiffer and will ping off objects early than an assegai. Also, every Scorpion bar 1 i have needed to take off I needed to slice off. They just about glue onto the bead.
Assegai still th gold standard for a front tire that’s easy to source and install and will work well most places. The scorpion has more edge hold and lasts much much better than a MaxxGrip with a comparable rubber softness, however not as comfy to ride and whilst easy to fit they’re a pain to remove. Also the claimed weight of 1250(?) is off, each one I’ve weighed is over 1400. I also don’t love any rear pirelli.
Conti is good, but not super confident if you’re not 100% dialled on your line. Also, don’t bother with anything that isn’t super soft. The soft is like plastic, maxxis DC is better. Great for a hard wearing rear if you don’t mind it stepping out a bit, but not recommended as a front
I was told soft is OK, but trail/endurance compound is garbage.
Its kind of ok. I have soft Kryptotals front and rear right now and the soft does feels similar to my maxterra assegai did but i think super soft is the way to go
Tis the season.... when will we be seeing more HR3's in stock?
Surprised to read your description of the knob height, personally I was disappointed with the Shorty v2 in the 2.4 width after running the v1 in 2.5.
We have a handful of 27.5 DH casing in stock on our e-store. More 29 in all flavors (DH, DD, EXO+) and 27.5 DD are arriving in the next couple of weeks. 27.5 EXO+ are a couple months out.
Has anyone run the Specialized Purgatory Grid Trail T9's ? I've been on the Cannibals F+R for both DH & Trail bike for the last year, and it's just an incredible tire.
I'm leaving the rooty loamy PNW for the sandy hardpack High Sierras and may need a new tire. I feel like the Cannibal will be a boat anchor in Reno/Tahoe zone (flatter terrain, long pedals out to the trailhead)
My hunch with the Cannibal is the alternating side knobs could be the special sauce. Or its the T9 on the Cannibal, which is noticeably more damp & sticky than the T9 on the Butcher or Eliminator, which is interesting. The Purgatory looks to be the little brother with the alternating side knobs and the center profile.
No but I’m eyeing those for my next set of faster trail tires. Report back if you get some.
I was going to pick grid trail T7 for the rear and a T9 grid for front.
I've went through a few fronts on my trail bike including Specialized Ground Control T7, XR4 Team Issue 2.4, Onza Ibex, Specialized Purgatory T9 & currently Schwalbe Tacky Chan UltraSoft Super Ground
GC, is not great. It's no faster than other options with worse traction.
The Ibex is just, so fast. But not quite enough traction as it wears even slightly. If speed is the primary concern and you don't mind replacing often (before you even see wear), this is your tire. If you are on the GC, switch to the Ibex. It's crazy how AM it looks, yet XC it feels.
The XR4 (RIP) is very, very good. Fast, light, very good traction. Haven't tried the new heavier version.
The TC is real fast rolling and leaned all of the way over in the right conditions, it's the best by a solid margin. If you consistently have something to bite into, you'll love this tire. You don't feel the weight. However, at less convincing lean angles, it has a dead spot. Think leaves on the trail, hard pack with nothing to bite into, etc. It can be sketchy in these moments.
The Purg T9 is probably my favorite. It's between the Purg & the TC for me. It works really well in many conditions. It's also cheap enough that you could buy 2 of them for every 1 TC and keep fresher tires mounted. It is however the slowest of these tires.
I've found that when I take my 'trail bike' (It's a Smuggler) to the AM trails with loose rock and rougher conditions, the TC works really well. However, on just a trail ride, which is basically hardpack, the TC can't bite into anything, and it just skates along and exhibits poor traction. I'll be going back to the Purg T9 but it's not a rush or anything. If we eventually get some rain and some softer ground the TC might work well for the Fall/ Winter riding. The Purg T9 is exceptionally good at moderate lean angles, even though its peak isn't as high as the TC.
I also tested the Albert 2.5 Radial up front on my big bike and found it inadequate as it couldn't punch through the loose rock and dig in. But I'm going to test it next on the trail bike where it might be more at home.
i got an email today "hey there youtube influencer, we'll give you two free tires if you make a video..." (definitely not worth it 🤣) from a brand called hycline. i'd never heard of them, but they look like a reseller of cheap bikes / products. their tire is literally an unbadged WTB verdict. how does stuff like this work? WTB just let's them sell the tires or does the tire factory make the deal swooping WTB?
https://hyclinebike.com/products/terrace-mountain-bike-tire-26-27-5-29-2-4
vs. WTB verdict
https://www.wtb.com/collections/tires/products/verdict-sg1
Can you type out the abbreviations and be more specific on exactly what versions you used?
1/2 the general tire confusion is because there are 50x variations of the same tire name.
They have those tires listed as weighing 2400 grams.
Even makes WTBs seem light!
Hey this thread is for nerds only, start a different thread if you want to ask MBAs about business models and licensing agreements.
A interesting point is the Hycline has 26” available and WTB doesn’t, and hasn’t ever by the looks of it. It definitely looks to be the same mold as well, but the cheap one has 30 tpi listed which is interesting as it kinda eliminates these as just leftover production that were sold off.
bontrager's 2025 tire lineup/pr. on their site prices are $50-70.
Bontrager drops two new enduro tires for the rough and rowdy
[Waterloo, WI] – Today, Bontrager brought even more trail-charging prowess to its MTB tire lineup with two new tires built for rocky, rooty, and technical terrain. Engineered from the ground up, the all-new Bontrager Brevard and Galbraith tires are ready to rip with fresh tread patterns, construction, and compounds to keep riders planted and in control in loose, technical descents — all while fighting punctures from trail debris and pinch flats. Like the trail and XC tires added to Bontrager’s lineup this Spring, Brevard and Galbraith have been run through the wringer with tests, measuring in with a big boost in pinch-flat protection on both tires.
Brevard
Replacing Bontrager’s SE5 is the all-new Brevard. Named for the rooty, rocky, and dicey technical riding of Brevard, North Carolina, these tires are built to excel in loose and mixed conditions. Their tread pattern and compound has been optimized for loose and mixed terrain, delivering the grip riders crave when trails get a little hairy.
Galbraith
Galbraith enters the lineup to replace Bontrager’s SE6 enduro tires. Named for Bellingham, Washington’s Galbraith Mountain, these tires are built with aggressive tread that packs in incredible puncture protection for terrain that rolls from rocky and rowdy to loose and soft — like the rock walls and tacky loam of the Pacific Northwest.
New compounds
The two new tires feature Bontrager’s new trail triple- and dual-compound offerings. The trail triple-compound provides a medium-firm center rubber with soft shoulders and a supportive base for gripping loose corners and staying planted in the rocks and roots. The new dual-compound provides medium-firm center and soft shoulder compounds but skips the supportive base compound for a more economical package.
New construction
Galbraith and Brevard are both available in Bontrager’s new RSL SE construction, with 60TPI casing and sidewall, bead-to-bead, and apex puncture protection.
Brevard is also available in two additional constructions, RSL XT, with 120TPI casing, bead-to-bead and apex puncture protection, and the more pocket-friendly PRO XR construction, with 60TPI casing and sidewall protection.
Tested to the max
To deliver on the promise of durability, Brevard and Galbraith were sent to the singletrack and the lab for rigorous testing. Both tires saw significant improvement to pinch-cut protection, with Brevard measuring +33% more resistant to pinch-cuts than its predecessor, the Bontrager SE5, and Galbraith measuring +26% more resistant than the SE6 it replaces.
Availability
Bontrager’s new Brevard and Galbraith tires are available now at Trek and Bontrager retailers around the world, and online at trekbikes.com in select markets.
a local shop employee is trying to these out and had his first ride yesterday. Lots of traction so far but early in the testing.
hmmm trail spec tires for 50 and gravity spec tires for 70? 'you have my attention' - leo
I wish tire pricing was more 'consistent' in the US (or anywhere?) but I guess if consistency meant MSRP only and everything was 100 or more I'd just shut the hell up. I just wanna keep finding Contis for cheap without deep internet sleuthing. I've been glancing at Specialized and Versus stuff but I'm not quite sold.
How do those rsl se tyres compare casing-wise to Maxxis(EXO+/DD), Conti (Enduro / DH), Schwalbe SuperGravity?
What about the triple compound, again, compared to the other offers on the market?
thanks
Tough to say about durability or ride quality before test rides and reviews come back, but looking at the Galbraith in 29x2.5 size, it comes in a 1200 gram version and a 1300 gram version. That’s pretty confidence inspiring if you’re looking for a durable tire. Most of the old Trek trail tires were around 1000 grams with paper sidewalls.
Running the Galbraith and Brevard SE tires right now. I'm more of a Vittoria and Conti guy but this new Trek rubber is awesome! Can't beat the price.
Thanks for that photo of the Verdict, it was off my radar, just ordered a couple, $40.
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