Hey all!
I did a whole heap of tyre testing last year at Bike Park Wales. The aim was to accurately measure which were quickest, based on multiple timed laps. I had always intended to make this video in case anyone finds it interesting or helpful, but only just got round to making it. Hope you enjoy it, let me know what you think, and whether any of this lines up with your experience. I was extremely surprised by the results...
The tyres on test were:
Continental Kryptotal 29x2.4 DH/Supersoft
Maxxis Assegai 29x2.5 DH/MaxxGrip
Schwalbe Magic Mary 29x2.4 DH/Ultra Soft
Schwalbe Magic Mary 29x2.4 SuperTrail/Soft
Schwalbe Magic Mary 27.5x2.8 SuperTrail/Soft/Plus+
WTB Vigilante 29x2.6 Tough/HighGrip
WTB Vigilante 29x2.5 Tough/HighGrip
WTB Vigilante 29x.2.8 Light/FastRolling/Plus+
Rear control tyre: Maxxis Minion DHR2 27.5x2.4 DH/MaxxGrip
whats the tldr?
I did A-B-A testing on each day aiming to get in 5 quality laps before swapping tyre, then 5 laps, swapping back again and another 5 laps.
Timing was done by picking the exact GoPro frame where I crossed a specific feature on the trail, e.g. tree, rock, post etc so that I could get accurate timing to 1/60th sec and construct a perfect lap taking the best from each sector.
The results often surprised me and I think "feel" can be misleading. The Assegai for example felt epic, but in the data it is slower in every sector.
Amazing test! The results are surprising (to me at least). What is it in your opinion that makes the vigilante so fast?
I think the other tyres are more draggy, but can't make up this time loss through the corners.
I guess if you are losing time on every straight the emphasis is on the rider to make this up in the corners, which seems to be asking too much as the Vigilante corners great as well.
Assegai feels epic because you approach the corner slower (more drag) which makes everything easier, but this feeling is misleading.
Also, I hate to say it, but I think larger volume tyres roll faster, as shown in road and XC:
https://www.schwalbetires.com/technology-faq/rolling-resistance/
I'm doing decent speed for a respectable rider, but not tyre ripping off the rim issues like WC pros, so maybe my requirements are different.
There is a pretty good correlation with weight, which could indicate a suppleness of the casing effect.
Great test! I bet the DHF would still win this... ok, I'll crawl off to that old guy thread now, lol.
Edit: I really like how you did a head-to-head comparison each day to control for the day's conditions and your comfort with the track.
Great work on this! I'm really curious to see how the results stack up — the variety of tyres in your test should provide some useful insights. Will checkout the video!
I think this conclusion is both fascinating and so logical that it annoys me that I hadn't at least considered it. I know I have a set of Krypototals that feel so fast but the times don't align with the feel. I hadn't considered that it feels like I'm cornering faster because I was already going slower coming into the corner. This kind of stuff should be more obvious than it is. I appreciate you taking the time to do the test.
Great test! Did a quick search for Vigilante 2.6 in tough/high grip when I read this test and found for less than 1/3 of the price of my normal tires so I figured I would give them a shot for my DH bike. The local bike park opened this weekend and i love the tires! Not the fastest rolling but very grippy and comfortable.
Great vid and analysis!
I like the Vigilante aswell, my opinion though is that the "tough" casing is far less sturdy than Schwalbe, Maxxis or Conti DH-casings. As a front tire the casing is adequate, but running it the back is god awful (protection wise). I've flatted two Judges in the span of 2 weeks in the Tough casing, running them around 28psi. A little bitt off topic maybe but just wanted to mention it
Nice work! Very cool test - definitely looks like the wider tyres were faster. Would be interesting to plot the times comparing weight vs width, it does appear that a wider tyre is faster than a lighter, but narrower tyre. Did you play with different pressures at all? Sorry I haven't watched the video yet, and I know that would add a huge number of runs to the test
Report back when you've run them for a while, super interested to know your feelings.
As a spoiler I've tested Maxxis vs Schwalbe radial, and Maxxis DH vs DD. Very intriguing results, just need to get the video made...
I'm intrigued that you found this. I figured that Vigi front was so epic, I'd try a WTB Judge tough on the rear. Flatted it at the end of 1 day of riding. I know this doesn't constitute statistical evidence, but with your two failures it does make me wonder if it is a front only option. They have released the super heavy SG1 casing (1570g), so maybe this is a known issue: WTB Vigilante SG1 review: a ludicrously heavy tyre that steamrollers its way down trails | BikeRadar
I forget if it was covered in the video, but were the wheels the same? Or at least very similar weights? (Excluding the 27.5 one obviously.)
It's weird that the Assegai tested ~1% faster than the Kryptotal. I've ridden both a bunch, and the Assegai feels like it actively slows me down in straights, and the Kryptotal hums along nicely. There's one short bit of trail I ride a lot which is basically a flow line down a tight gully with a ramp out at the end. With the Assegai I always have to put a couple pedal strokes in on the exit and the Kryptotal I can coast up to the top of the ramp. MM definitely feels more like riding a cut spike in comparison to both.
I don't really want to speculate on why a particular tyre is faster, because it will lead me into all sorts of trouble when I later disprove a theory with actual test data... however it's hard to resist 😁
I think the wider tyres are quicker because they can be run at lower pressure for similar levels of rim protection (bigger tyre = more carcass tension and more distance between rock and rim). This lower pressure then increases grip, and reduces rolling resistance as your centre of gravity doesn't have to rise as high over bumps. All fine until they are so large they become bouncy or vague (would be fun to test inserts to increase damping).
I can't see a strong correlation with weight, as the top 3 tyres cover a huge range of between 1.12kg and 1.46kg (data is all in table at end of video).
As for pressures I have corrected based on casing size and construction, and I would have loved to do more runs to really optimise pressure for each tyre, but actually getting accurate A-B-A testing with 15 consistent runs is pretty much all I have time for in a day!
I'm not sponsored, my motivation is to try to quantitively assess and compare bike components, and while my work is flawed and limited, hopefully it's a good start in helping to cut through the marketing BS and uncover the best products.
27.5+ was on a DT swiss, 35mm. I bought 3 identical nukeproof horizon rims 30.5mm during the chain reaction closing sale for all the other tests, apart from 29x2.8 which I ran on my crankbrothers rim which was the widest I had at 31.3mm.
In the data MM looks like the slowest rolling, but it's hard to pick out of Assegai Vs Kryptotal: sector analysis probably agrees with your finding. It's hard to say as they are both compared via a proxy tyre rather than direct back to back, so your findings are probably clearer for straight up rolling resistance.
I run the WTB Judge as a front on 2 bikes.
At 1.4kg it is not a light tyre, but works great as a front.
Radial tyre tested here for anyone who is interested in the follow up:
https://www.vitalmtb.com/forums/hub/front-dh-tyres-accurately-timed-albert-radial-vs-assegai
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