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This is news to me... Is Continental making an enduro semi slick? How'd I miss that?
They have the Ruban but that's too light.
I agree the inverse to my complaint is far worse, as I have had bikes with tissue tires before. But, as someone who likes hard-charging backwoods trails where long-climbs are required, DH tires are too heavy to pedal around all day. There are so many good choices for enduro casing tires now, I'm very surprised to not see them as stock on more bikes.
SS = Super Soft
Oh ha-ha. I'm a fan of semi slicks, so that's where my mind went.
Felt Decree... I think this is @TEAMROBOT's alt account.
Im definitely in the camp of pedaling around DH tires on my trail bike only because im hefty.
I have also jumped on the radial bandwagon as they came on a new bike. Being a long time Maxxis user I was surprised at how dead they felt (in a good way) and how quickly I got along with them, even on roots in the wet. Makes me wonder how much extra tire is on the ground at any given moment. Would be cool to see a side by side of a radial and non radial mary and how much tire is on the ground.
I am also starting to be a fan of lighter tires as of late. We got some stabby chunk here but lots of flowy smooth stuff in between. I have recently ditched tubeless / inserts and have been using tubolitos wrapped in the tannus for tube inserts. The setup is as light as tubeless w/ insert plus I can run lighter casings because if I get a small cut here and there the tannus dont care. Just to never have to do any maintenance this is working well.
I want to try the new radials so I can get better grip at slightly higher pressures this way too.
That's a cool set up. Have you had any issues with long term durability on the Tubolito tubes?
I had been running Rekons front and rear for about the last year. Honestly, not my favorite tire. I think they do everything okay and are certainly more capable all around compared to the Ardent that they essentially replaced, but they don't stand out in any one area.
Switched to the Forekaster along with something new we're working on and I didn't feel like the Forekaster gave up much rolling speed compared to the Rekon, but it has waaaaaaay more traction.
Still hoping for some rear-suitable casings and compounds in a 27.5 Forekaster. Say exo+ / DD MaxTerra?
For the Mulét squad.
Try the WTB trailboss in tough casing.
I decided to jump back in the lions den and test Schwalbe's Tacky Chan again - https://www.vitalmtb.com/product/guide/tires/schwalbe/tacky-chan-65346#comment-607906
I've read mixed opinions on the tire in this thread, and I experienced mixed performance from the tire the past few months on a decent mix of terrain. It's a sweet tire sometimes, and sucks other times. Biggest takeaway was how much braking bite and control it offers despite its heavy ramping. It's become another go-to rear tire for me next to a DHR II or a Kyrptotal RE, or Vee Attack FSX.
Do you think it could be improved if it gets a Radial treatment?
i agree with the review, but in my book gets higher scores as a rear tyre, i prefer it more than all other tires i tried, it rolls surprisingly fast for how much traction it's got, sure it's not a Mary, that one in the back is like having glue, but it rolls slow af, and i find the betty too unpredictable for some reason
Not to get all “well actually” on you Schroeder, but… your braking traction actually comes from the backside of the knob so the ramping has no effect here. Those nice straight edges on the back of the knobs are what’s giving that good bite on a tire like the Tacky Chan or the DHR.
AA-Ron, you can well-actually-me any day when it comes to tires. I almost went cross-eyed picturing how the knobs interact with the ground moving vs. braking, but I see what you mean. Just updated the article for better clarity.
I've been using the same Tubolito tube on my front wheel since 2020 and it's still as good as new. Doesn't leak air, never needed patching up, no pinch flats in rocky terrain. I also have a Pirelli TPU (100g for 29er) and just got a Revoloop TPU tube (45g, but scary thin!) to try. I'm sold on TPU tubes for the front wheel. No messing with tubeless sealant and it ends up being the same weight or less than adding 125ml sealant. Not the same as tubeless feeling maybe, but I'm used to it.
I wish Schwalbe would make a stouter more damped casing, the TC's and MM's are at the top of my list for DH tires. Riding Santa Cruz and northstar quite frequently, ive found the TC tread to absolutely rip!
The casing on the other hand is soo thin compared to Conti's, Maxxis, Spec DH casings that it renders the tire useless for me. Never have I heard soo many rock pings from my rims going down Karpial or Sticks and Stones before. I was left with a roached rear EX511 and would loose about 2-3psi in 4 runs, with plenty of burp marks on the sidewall to prove it. 30+ psi in the rear helped but then the tire started to feel like it was on the edge of grip everywhere.
Unrelated to the TC, I picked a set of the new Butchers T9 DH casing and got to put 30ish miles on them with 6800 ft of descent this last weekend. I have to say that to me, they roll worse than the old butchers, but without a doubt make up for it in the outright grip! Those side knobs hold better than I have ever felt from a specialized tire, and stay soft and grippy in the cold wet compared to Agro SS up front with a KRF SS in the rear that I had been running before. Excellent braking traction, that is while I had brakes that work... They surprisingly still held really well on muddy rocks, looking forward to putting them through their paces once the snow p*ss's off.
This summer, I'm thinking about trying out a combo to make my Spartan HP more fun and gain some speed.
What are y'all's opinion on this combo:
Kenda Hellkat Pro 2.4 in AEC casing up front.
Kenda Helldiver 2.4 in AGC casing on back.
Kenda is the only tire company right now that offers a semi-slick in tougher casings. Not that I need a crazy-tough casing, but the added grip of the AGC compound on a semi-slick sounds intriguing
@NicoZesty96
I hover around 175-180 pounds
@Jason
I was hoping that Tacky Chan would be something like the High Roller II, really liked that tire. As a rear tire, the center knobs wore pretty quickly (though they are not very tall to begin with). I have gotten about 1,500km's from an Ultra Soft so I really cannot complain.
@Filled
The Hellkat doesn't get enough love, if I could source them up in Snow Mexico easier I would gladly run them again, it's like a Magic Mary lite.
@Outlawed
I have never tried a Magic Mary, but having studied tread patterns I know the 2-2-3 tread pattern is a winner.
How does the compound grip? Is it too sticky or stiff?
I've got a Helldiver AGC for the 3 hours a year it's dry here in the SW of England. Rolls so fast, decent edge grip too. Feels less on/off than the Rock Razor. I'm impressed.
I do wonder if with the shift in focus on enduro back to "classic" format, maybe we'll see some more effort back into fast rolling but tough rears.
Yeah I hope so. Having plenty of experience growing up on bikes with XC tires, I think rear tires are too insane nowadays. People have been missing out on lower center treads for a rear. Semi slicks climb fine so long as it's not deep mud. And in classic enduro racing, climbing stages are not timed, so who cares if you have to walk.
I am not a pro rider, but when I am chasing friends (who do race) down single track, I always catch them without trying. They're all running crazy knobby tires while I opted for more mellow treads
Michelin Enduro Rear and Specialized Eliminator (old gen) are also good option for rear tire that rolls nicely but with decent side lugs
The iteration I rode were RSR which appears to be no longer offered. "Dual Layer" seems to have replaced it.
No not yet. I run enough pressure not to be hammering rim all the time but ive heard some occasional heavy dings and she keeps going. Its pretty light for how robust and zero maintenance it is.
I did an xc tire on the back of the enduro bike last year for rolling speed. It was fast but man my back end was breaking loose in every corner and braking was just not as efficient 😅. I had a few far from xc activities get real sketch. I put a normal tire back on but went with an exo weight to keep rotation mass down.
Don't you think this is more a function of compound instead of tread pattern? In my experience harder compound tires roll so much faster (on a smooth trail) than a softer compound of the same casing and tread pattern. Everything changes if we're talking about rolling speed on chunky, rough, or janky terrain. This is why I've gravitated toward a full-knob center tread rear tire with a harder compound DH casing for my do-everything bike.
@TEAMROBOT i agree with you to a point. Ever put an assegai on the rear of your bike? You could make that shit out of solid metal and it would still be slow. It’s a blast if your riding steep stuff tho.
Which Schwalbe casing are you talking about? SuperGravity or SuperDownhill? The only casing thicker than a Schwalbe SuperDownhill is the Michelin DH casing from my experience? Maxxis DH casing are only a tad thicker the Schwalbe Supertrail casing...
Can't comment on the contis as I haven't tried them or held them.
Haven't tried the Helldiver but can vouch for the Hellkat. Have run the Hellkat pro 2.6 AEC front and back in mullet setup with inserts. They roll well, corner great (due to the round profile) and have decent grip in dry and hard conditions. Highly recommend them, plus they tend to be cheaper than other brands (at least in Europe).
A 27.5 Forekaster EXO+ exists, part # TB00473500. Have one on the back of a 5010, seems like a perfect short travel bike tire, and would totally try it on a bigger bike if there was a DD. Great rolling speed, with ample, predictable traction in dry/firm conditions. I really like this tire, please buy them so Maxxis keeps making them.
I'm also keen to that new Continental Magnotal for a similar type of tire in a harder compound, wish they'd offer that in an Enduro casing.
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