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@tabletop84 I by no means hate the Magic Mary Radial. I've been running it as a front tire since Novermber and very happy with it. But as things dry up, speeds increase and I'm riding more rock slabs and bike park, it's going to show it weaknesses against other treads. It's an older design. Which is why the world cup riders who are on Schwalbe have been pushing for new designs lately. The Tacky Chan for instance, was created at the request of Amurey and others. This new 2:2:2 tread is undoubtable been requested by world cup riders and will likely totally replace the Magic Mary on world cup DH bikes onces it's widely available. The Albert was a great idea, but the final knob heights and spacing are pretty 'trail' and that's why you don't see it on a lot of world cup bikes. You may at a dry Leogang, but I kind of doubt it.
@piratetrails Tacky Chan is more like a Maxxis DHF and the Betty is the DHR2. The Betty tread also could stand to get more space between the knobs to make it bite harder. As you may have noticed, you don't see a lot of Betty's on world cup bikes. Despite it being the DHR2 of Schwalbe tire lineup. World cup riders wanted more 'bite' and 'precision' which is how the Tacky Chan came about. But as all the reviews have stated, the Tacky Chan is a great tire, but is demanding of the rider to really get it on the knobs, etc. So it's not a great all-arounder for average riders to run in the back. Not as versitle or easy as the DHR2/Betty. ... And to your question, yes, a Radial at 35psi is going to be a lot more supple than a Maxxis DH at 30psi. And will likely protect your rim just as well. My recommendation to riders is that if you need to run more than ~28psi in a Radial casing, go with the Gravity casing over the trail. The trail casing at higher pressures can feel pretty 'bouncey' whereas the heavier gravity casing is more calm and damp at higher pressures.
About this break-in period for Schwalbes Radials, what can i expect?
i think about 1 ride, and i left them overnight at max pressure, you can feek the chasing "creaking"when new, and after the first decent ride they don't do it anymore, while pressing with your finger, so i'd say that the bedding in period we can say, one/two rides
the albert knob size is everything but "pretty trail"measure them, they're taller than the assegai
Not sure how it's an 'old' design. I mean if you check wc race bikes from commencal mucoff you will see pierron, vergier et al mostly ride MM in the front an tacky Chan in the back. Maybe they would switch to tacky Chan on some really hard pack tracks but I guess they also like the MM for its versatility and predictability. Otherwise they would be riding tacky Chan or the prototype tires front and back.
https://www.instagram.com/commencal_mucoff
I have 3 friends, and myself that have Alberts and a couple others with Assegais--including my wife. There's no comparison side by side that the an Assegai 2.5 is more 'aggressive' of a tire (open tread, larger blocks). That photo above that someone posted is a bit misleading as the Albert is a bit closer to the camera than the Assegai. I'll take a side by side photo when I have a chance.
I have the Albert and I agree the Assegai is a bit more open and wide, but if you measure the height of those knobs you’ll see for yourself, I’ve done that already
Which is also why I’m surprised how well it rolls
-It's an old design because it's been around for years and years. Doesn't mean it's a bad tire. It's just not the trendy 2:2:2 that can be ridden on hardpack and soft (Argotal, HR3 and lesser extent Hillbilly)
-The Schwalbe team riders, ride it, because it is their best option and has been for a number of years. Now, they've developed this new tire, that is not yet available to the public, and they will be racing on it a ton in the future.
-Magic Mary won't go away, but the new 2:2:2 tire that I posted now twice above will likely become the new go-to for Schwable riders in the majority of world cup track situations.
I tested the Albert Trail 2.5 US on the front on my Relay and it didn't cut it. It was removed after 2 rides. (same tire is great up front on my trail bike, less loose rocks, not as fast, etc.) The MM Radial went on afterwards and felt amazing. I do really like the 2.6 Albert Soft gravity on the rear of the Relay however.
As far as the casing feel, it's weird for like 15 minutes max on the radials, like a bit wooden feeling.
Which brings up another point:
Due to my impending divorce situation, I'm running my tires a fair bit longer than usual (although riding less too) and I wonder if the radial carcass' are breaking down and getting all weird?
Good question Suns- i've certainly experienced "worn out" casings on bias ply tires before. It is an insidious process so not really easy to appreciate until you mount some freshies and the casing feels very supportive and the tires dampen chatter beautifully compared to the old ones. I'd guess the radial casings wear out as well and become less supportive over time, especially on a 50# ebike where you're doing a lot of extra miles.
Now if we could just get em for 1/2 price, I'd always have a freshie! For a while when Specialized had a bunch of their tires for sale for $40, I always had freshies on my bike. New tire day is a great day to ride...
The way I've always imagined it, I'd be able to spend more money on bikes and ride more if I got divorced! But maybe that's the long-term outcome?
I certainly imagined it that way too.
I have found that I get in a really dark place emotionally during this process but riding my bike definitely brings me out of it.
Sorry, not trying to bring the mood down.
Anybody have any strong opinions on tire choice for Windrock bike park?
My last ride was at Cat Mountain in Austin, rode an MM front Tacky Chan rear but the tires are nearing replacement. I plan to replace them before heading to Windrock in a couple weeks.
Thanks
Going through the same thing and not getting to see my kids every morning when I wake up and having to pay child support all suck ass but keep that head up!! As my man the Notorious BIG said “I don’t love no hoes and that’s my principle, cuz b*tches come, b*tches go, that’s why I get my nut and be out the f*cking door!” 😂
Hate to hear that. Didn't mean to be insensitive or make light of serious things. I know in reality it'd be really, really difficult even if some days the idea has some appeal. Hope it gets better and better from where you are now.
Short and sweet; Wicked will As a front Tire - yes or no ?
Can't go wrong with an Assegai + DHR combo, but of course, I'm biased.
I haven't been to Windrock in a minute, so I haven't ridden any of the new stuff, but conditions can swing wildly. Lots of steep sections with loose bits and the soil has high clay content. If it's raining it'll be slippery and gloopy mud. If it's dry the trails can get baked to near pavement hardness. That place will keep you on your toes.
Maybe for light duty trail use.
The WW was my preferred AM rear tire however when I had my SJEvo. It was very fast for the traction it offered but I'm not super picky about rear traction. It did wear quickly.
That said, I'd likely go with the Albert Soft gravity in the rear for AM use on a pedal bike today.
It's been awhile since I've ridden maxxis - does the 2.4 still run small in the DHR/ is the 2.5 DH the better DHR to have?
thanks
I just bought one of these 2.5 DHR2s myself.
It depends on your application. Mullet e-bike, 2.5 all of the way.
Full 29er pedal bike, I'd get the 2.4.
Michelin Wild Enduro Rear Race tire (top-enduro offering rear-specific) - I wonder if anyone has successfully run that tire on a bike. It feels that the overall height of that tire is a bit lower, which makes me question how bumpy the ride will be, as it feels the volume is not there. Also, the pattern puts it into almost a semi-slick area, and while that should provide fast rolling, it might not provide that much grip overall. I put it on my Mega with MH variant upfront, which is definitely a beast dimension wise.
I was running a 2.6 DHR on my mullet ebike and really liked it. decided to go with DH casing so i could run an xc cushcore so had to go 2.5 and I think I miss the extra width on our sandy trails but appreciate the nimbleness (nimbility?) of it on technical climbs. 2.4 seems to be harsher.
This is the right choice imo, but if it's wet the Assguy will pack up there fast on certain trails. So bringing a rain backup (HR3, Argotal, MM) is a smart move. In the dry I think it's an ideal place for an assguy.
If a 2:2:2 tread pattern is modern, then does that mean a 29x2.25 Magic Mary (snakeskin) was avante-garde?
My Minion SS rear continues to impress me. Only in mud and running water does it suffer, but my goodness... I finally got to ride some of the tougher trails and climbs around me and it was great. Speedy in straights and gripped corners very well. I wonder why they didn't make one with a tougher casing.
Have you tried a 2.6 Slaughter, yet? Goldilocks for trail riding for me in most riding conditions outside of total slop.
I had a set of Wicked Wills on my 'fast' wheelset. It was fine if you can remember what it is- a fast rolling light trail tire. I crashed a few times on it, but they roll so fast. Traction was decent on hardpack.
I wish there were more semi-slick options available nowadays. I feel like tire companies only stopped making them because they weren't selling, not because they don't perform well for their intended use case.
To that point, what semi-slicks are even still in production?
This was an epic tyre, wish the made them in modern (widetrail) sizes
I'd love to see some more good semi-slicks in tough casings again 👍
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