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Does anyone have experience with pressures comparing Maxxis EXO tyres vs. Schwalbe Trail casing (non radial)? Running the same 1,5 bar the feeling is that Schwalbe is very stiff and at first feel the grip isn't really overwhelming. I'm on soft Magic Mary front and soft Big Betty rear where I previously ran EXO 3C (maxx terra) Assegai and DHR2.
I've recently ran an Assegai in the rear as well, moved there from the front as I intended to wear it out (replaced a worn DHR2) and put a new Assegai in the front. I feel like the grip was better even with the basically bald (side knobs) Assegai in the rear...
I would agree the super trail casing feels noticeably stiffer than exo and can probably benefit from a slightly lower pressure if all else is equal. I don't love the orange soft compound as a front tire but am fine with it on the back wheel.
overthinking, knobs on the Albert are taller than the ones on the assegai, all of them, but, it's pretty packed so in the softest dirt/mud it can pack, mary is the one you want for softer terrain, Tacky would be sweet but it's not a thing yet
Albert isn't great for soft conditions. Much better suited for hard packed and loose over hard packed.
Since you are mixing brands already, try the new Maxxis High Roller 3. I had a few rides on it and it is exactly what you describe. Planted on hardpack, lightweight (27.5x2.4 - 1100g for exo+), excellent in loose. I think it will go really well with a Kryptotal Re.
Finally got a chance to try the Vee Attack HPL on the front and really liked it on hard pack bike park style trails. GXE casing felt nicely damped and held up great in the berms. Was hero dirt so dunno how it will feel when the trails dry out, but worth a try at 70 usd and free shipping
Hey guys, I’ve just purchased a short travel trail bike and im going to put some faster rolling tyres on it to really differentiate it from my longer travel bike specced with a high roller/dhr combo. I had maxxis forekaster 2s in mind - front and rear, just wondering if anyone has feedback as to why this tyre choice might not be the best idea, or some alternative options that are similar ? Thanks
I’m not a fan of that tyre being quite square on a 30mm rim
I’d get a Nobby nic soft in whatever chasing you feel better ( super ground If you’re after the light tyre, trail if you want a strong chasing close to the KG mark )
And a Wicked will rear, speed compound same thing as above for the chasing
23-24psi is what I typically end up for a front tire (trail magic mary, exo assegai, enduro kryp-f) could dip below 20 with a super gravity mary
Can't go lower then 27psi rear without rim hits even with double down or super gravity. schwalbe trail feels better then exo/exo+ to me. I ran a Betty for a bit and while it seemed to work great when not being leaned over (I think the side knob spacing is too close), the assegai/dhr2 were better as a rear tire.
Thanks for the info. What's your weight?
I started off with 1,5 bar at the top (22ish psi) and released the pressure by feel later on. I have to try 1,4 and 1,3 bar (20, 19 or 18,5 psi). I run a cushcore xc insert in the rear so I run the same pressures front and back.
i feel the Trail Chasing is similar to a Exo+ the new one, i was running 19psi front and 27 back in the dolomites/ north italy with rocks, same front but 25 in Rotorua with just dirt and roots, Gravity chasing in the back i was running 25 in the back or 24 with cush core xc, Exo i always have to run at least 21 front and 27 rear, 1psi shy of what i run with the Radial Trails ( 22/28 at 82Kg riding weight )
Forekaster V2 is a great tire and a Rekon 2.4WT in the rear compliments it best. Don't get me wrong, it is an excellent rear tire too and I did run the Forekaster front and rear but having a slightly less grippy rear helps avoid understeer. At least on my short travel trail bike with a short rear-center.
I've had them since launch and seen them change slightly overtime. The first Dual Compound 2.4WT I bought measured to be 2.25" on my 29mm rims. It looked funny up front and the cornering grip wasn't best. So I went looking for the unicorn 2.6" 3C version which blew up to 2.47" but was 1050g and too vague. Then I waited till the 2.4WT 3C version was released and that is really the perfect all around fast rolling tire. This new one blows up to 2.36" so pretty true to size.
Other fun combos:
DHF DC 2.5WT / Rekon DC 2.4WT <- This was a riot
DHF 3C 2.5WT / Forekaster 3C 2.4WT <- Current combo to keep up with enduro bikes on the DH
I’ve been very happy with a set of schwalbe wicked wills on my “xc” wheelset for a stumpy EVO. They roll fast and grip is decent on dry/rocky terrain.
I’ll probably go even lighter next set though- maybe aspens or something similar. I like to have a huge change in feel when swapping wheels on that bike.
Have you compared Dissectors to the DHF2 by chance?
I'm on an Aggressor rear and was considering Forekaster for that. Currently DHF2 up front and I'm looking at options because sometimes it feels perfect and other times it feels terrible...all on the same day in the same conditions. I think it's PROBABLY a skill issue more than a tire issue but I'm also interested in tweaking for learning experience on consumables like tires.
Part of me just wants to go Kryptotal Front Enduro / Xynotal Enduro Rear...or all the way to that new Magno in the rear.
The truth is, I don't know enough about tires and how they feel but I'm trying to not make an obviously bad choice!
I did try the Dissector and didn't get along with the side knobs. They start undercutting so quickly. For a similar weight and much better durability I just moved up to a DHF.
Forekaster is surprisingly close to aggressor for rear grip. I found the Forekaster to bite better in mixed conditions while having very similar cornering traction. Climbing traction was better on Forekaster. They both roll fast.
So I have the whole Conti gravity lineup in soft and SS compounds (Argo/Krypto/Xyno). Krypto F / Xynotol Enduro was a interesting combo. Krypto F bites so good that you start to really push the limits that the Xyno just can't hang on. I found it to be skittish in mixed conditions due to the shallow center knobs. The side knobs are different too compared to the Kryptos so their traction is significantly different. Might as well pony up to a Krypto R which goes much better with a Krypto F. At that point you are squarely in Enduro/DH category with these 1200g tires.
If you can't tell, I have a tire problem.
Awesome amount of replies! Thanks for all of the feedback. I was considering the forekaster rekon combo aswell, but as the bike came specced with a dhf exo on the front i might take sprungs advice and spec a forekaster rear - if its not the feel i want i can then go the forekaster + rekon route.
Interestingly schwable tires aren’t renowned for suiting Australian conditions so im hesitant to go that route
Don't know till you try!
The Tacky Chan comes in the fast rolling/light weight Super Ground casing now.
I've paired it with a Nobby Nic Super ground in the rear for a fast rolling aggressive combo.
Any clue when it will be available in Radial? The Tacky Chan
Surely a radial Big Betty is coming too? (and a radial Hans Dampf pls)
Hi all. I've been a very long-time lurker of this site and have used VitalMTB extensively when researching bike geometries and parts lists. I made my account here today just so I could join some discussions since the other site's forum is trash.
Anyways, I'm a tire nerd myself. I started making this spreadsheet last year when I was searching for new tire combos for my Spartan HP and my Felt Decree 1. I just started cataloguing weights, widths, and casings. Where I live, there's no need for some super-duper-hardcore-heavy-sticky tires.
This list will never end, and occasionally I add to it.
Anyways, I'm super stoked about Conti's new Magnotal tire and would love to get my hands on it.
Anyone have an updated retail availability date of Conti Enduro SS in the states yet? When I was in the local shop about a month ago they checked on QBP and it said 4/26. I've heard a few shops in Europe have received them, so it's got to be close.
Last year I rode all season on a Mazza Race upfront which is probably around 1.4kg and while that looks like a beast, the amount of grip it offered, I never ever told myself at the end of the trail "I wish I had a lighter tires"... all I said was "damn, that was fast" while constantly beating my times and having more fun by simply going faster.
Im all for nerding the things out, but sometimes those 200grams or so that might feel like a big difference are not what one should be focusing on.
I picked up a conti xynotal dh super soft for £35 and have been very impressed by it (see you have the enduro casing as a winner). I ride a lot of rocky trails in Aberdeenshire, Scotland - a lot of granite, actually not that much mud. Doesn’t seem to be a super popular tyre in their range but probably fits right between a DHR ii and a Highroller iii. I was looking at a Kryptotal rear but the lugs look real chunky. Conti sidewalls seem more supportive than Maxxis and they are lighter than Maxxis DH tyres too. For me a tyre about 1300g seems to work. The wear rate has been impressive so far, something that always annoys me about DHR’s - the L lugs just disintegrating prematurely. The only thing I have noticed is that i don’t think it’s as tall as a dhr ii that I was running before,I need to check though. So yeh a solid, slightly leftfield conti option that is more of an all rounder than a true “dry” tyre.
Ehh, horses for courses! It's great that 1400g aren't slowing you down, but for many riders on many trails, that's way too much rubber to be pushing around. I used to be a beefy tire all the time kind of guy too, but after trying some faster/lighter rubber last summer I like tailoring my treads to the terrain.
My 2 cents about radial tyres, coming from Super trail Mary/Tacky combo, moved to Mary Trail Pro and Albert Pro,
Size, most complain that they're too skinny, probably measured when just fitted, after a couple rides the chasing breaks in and they go to their size, plus as Schwalbe mentions on their website they are not super wide but with this chasing they're taller, which is the first thing i've noticed on my Evil hearing all the small rocks getting shoved in through the bridge/lower chainstay
That being said, grip uphill is pretty unreal, on the same trail where i had to either carry momentum or pick the line/unweight the rear or something to keep the grip, with these i just point and pedal and you can feel the tyre deforming and just gripping, running 3psi more than Super Trail chasing both front and rear.
downhill, i don't feel any extra flex or anything negative, on the off camber section, roots and such, i can just feel the improved damping and grip, the confidence these tyres provide is next level, i fear no off camber section now and i suck on these.
in the wet the albert is not a fan of mud compared to the Tacky but the Radial Mary seems to clear mud even better than the regular version, again grip and comfort improved 100%.
I'm sold to this chasing
Other than me adjusting pressures and such I didn’t realize an improvement or anything after a few rides other than me trusting the tyres more after trying stuff I was doing and slipping before and being amazed over and over for the feel 😅
The problem I was having with sticky and heavy tires is that a lot of terrain where I am requires speed more than pure grip. There is a new bike park that opened last year here in Anchorage and there were jumps that were impossible to clear using the Maxxis tires that came with my Spartan; they were FAR too sticky, and the courses were not steep enough so I was being slowed down.
I switched to the (enduro casing) Kryptotal Fr and Xynotal combo and immediately went sailing through the sky. They roll faster and the lighter weight makes it far easier to boost and throw the bike. All-out grip is less than the Maxxgrip, but it is more predictable. I felt I would have gobs of grip with Maxxgrip tires, until I didn't. The Conti combo provides a more linear grip feel which I much prefer.
Why do companies keep equipping enduro bikes with pure DH tires? Totally overkill IMO.
We complained until yesterday about getting freeride bikes with paper exp tyres and hard rubber, finally they put appropriate tyres and we complain again?
Let’s just ask for no tyres so we can choose at this point or appreciate the brand putting proper tyres and accept they might not be for us
TRIGGER WARNING: OFF TOPIC
I mean this actually isn't a bad idea for high-end bikes for parts like tires, pedals, saddles, grips, etc. At the beginner level who cares, but hard to think of anything more personal on a bike than the saddle shape.
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