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Been running a radial Magic Mary trail up front and a Kryoptotal Rear DH soft in the back on my enduro bike and the difference in feel and grip was enough to make me a true believer. Glad that we've seen radials on world cup XC bikes too. I think they make just as much sense there considering the super low pressures those guys run. Schwalbe needs to release some rear-specific (Hans, Tacky) radials yesterday! The Xynotal on my 130mm bike is at the end of it's life, but I'm waiting to do a Hans radial in the rear.
The initial range they went for with the Radial Tires is pretty curious to me. Seems like they could have done more tried and true mainstay patterns instead of one (and a half) new tires and also the oldest tread in their lineup.
I saw some forekasters mounted on bikes at my LBS, and i was really surprised at how low volume they appear to be. I was surprised that they had released a 2.1, but then i saw it was the 2.4 and didnt know what to think. Maybe the 2.6 is the way to go? Looks like a great pattern though
First impressions of new tires:
Schwalbe Magic Mary Radial Trail Pro 29×2.50 Ultra Soft: I started at 25psi and I normally run 20psi in maxxis dhf front. The first thing I felt while plowing down a hill was that it was responsive and precise. At the first hard hits it just swallowed it like you would normally be smacked in the face on normal tires at higher pressures. I was impressed at how I could have both responsive/supportive as well as the tire soaking up the terrain as well. Loads of grip, and just no sketchy moments at all. Maxxis DHF is now a thing of the past.
I tried dropping to 24psi and later to 23psi, and for my weight and riding I felt that 23psi made it feeling vague, so I'll bump it up to 24psi for the next ride. Will have to play around a little in the beginning with new tires.
Schwalbe Tacky Chan Super Trail 29x2.40 Ultra Soft: As a first timer I'm impressed at how this thing worked as a rear tire for tech trails. It rolls well, it even climbed very good as well, and lots of braking traction. When(if) this thing get the radial treatment I'm just going to get one as simple as that. Still a very good tire as-is even for trail riding that I do.
I went into this tire change with low expectations, and I never expected them to be this good, as well as how they function together. I'm very much liking the radial tech because you do feel the difference, it's just important to not have crazy high expectations because you may quickly be looking for something that isn't there. All I can say is I believe the tech works as advertised and that it is simply a cracking performer.
Will see how they hold up over time though, so it's important to understand this is a first impression only.
Whoa, a new tread for short travel trail bikes?! You have me excited! I am on DHF + Forekaster on the same travel bike and it rips. A new tire (like a DHF2 with wider center tread) would hit the spot 🤌
The 2.40 is lacking some volume, but mine measure out to 60mm (2.36") on a 30.5mm rim. For the speed bike, I'm okay with that.
thats pretty reasonable for the purpose. Good reminder that appearances can be deceiving, i think maybe im used to looking at big old side knobs which make a tire look big regardless of the size of the casing.
I think a lot of reviewers made two mistakes: 1. Doing a review after 1 ride (they need some break-in) and 2. Not running enough air. That's where they are a game-changer. No inserts needed. Fast roll-speed for the category without sacrificing traction or protection. For an enduro bike, I am not going back to non-radials because I don't want to go back to inserts. 33psi in an Albert feels like 27 psi in any other DH casing, except then I need a 200g insert in there as well.
During all of these July 4th sales, I missed a set of Kendas I've wanted in a particular combo
Anyone know where the Conti enduro supersoft tires are for sale?
Anyone have opinions on Pirelli's Enduro Race tires? Heard they were stiff.
I'm just here waiting on an updated Magic Marry with the Tacky Chan side knobs. Radial casing would be cool. Id like to see faster rolling radial trail tires for the rear to match up.
On my trail bike I run aggressive front tires to compensate for my lack of skill and fast rolling rear tires to compensate for my lack of fitness.
Has anyone here tried running a Kryptotal Re as a front tire?
I am currently running a Kryptotal Fr, which I generally like, but I find it breaks loose a tad unpredictably on the dry, loose, marbles that we get in the summer. My theory is that Re might have more cornering bite in those conditions due to no intermediate knobs.
A DHR II up front is common, but you rarely see a Kryptotal Re up front (I noticed Ed Masters was running it at one point, but not anymore, and haven’t seen anyone else do it). Is there any reason the Kryptotal Re would be poorly suited as a front tire compared to a DHR II?
Yes, 2x in a row due to availabilit of the exact model (compound, casing etc). Work great for me, but never tried the Fr so maybe I'm missing out!!
Don't you patch up tyres?
Argotal up front is what you want for marbles, loose sand, and dust.
What's wrong with the Albert as a rear tire? So far I didn't come to test it in the front or the back but I think its should be fine in the back. Just not a grip monster for an ebike I think.
When I tried radials, I didn't love the Albert as a rear tire because it wasn't as easy to deliberately get it to step out as rear-focused tires with long horizontal blocks, like the DHR / Kryptotal Rear. Tacky Chan looks like it would be better in that regard. I will probably give them another try once the TC radial comes out, and also stick to Gravity casing this time F+R.
The Albert is a bit of strange tire. I have a few more rides on the Gravity 2.6 SS/Gravity 2.5 soft combo, and so far I’m finding it doesn’t have a whole lot of “feel” in front (though it hasn’t let go unexpectedly) and is maybe slightly more locked in than I’d ultimately prefer out back.
I can answer this, I personally prefer the 2-blocks instead of the 2-2-3 blocks. Most rolling resistance comes from the rear, and most of the grip comes from the front. 2-blocks roll faster, while still having good braking traction. If I was running full 29, then I'd consider running a 2-2-3 as the added rollover would counteract the drag, but I'm on mixed wheels, and I want a fast rolling tyre.
My current setup on the trail bike is front tire either Magic Mary in fall/ winter to punch through leaves and pine straw, Tacky Chan spring/ summer as trails dry up and get hard (GA clay gets hard as pavement in spots).
I've been pretty happy with the Nobby Nic in the rear. Good balance of speed/traction. I have run a TC in the rear and it's great if I wanted more grip.
The reviews of the Albert seem mixed on loose over hard, which is the majority of the trails I'm on. I might tri one but it seems like a step slower/heavier without much added grip for most conditions.
Been on Albert trail soft rear at 23 psi and MM trail super soft front 21 psi for a bunch of rides now. I dig it. The hookup is sweet- tons of confidence leaning and braking and turning hard under load. Unlike some others, these tires feel to me like they roll as fast or faster than my prior DHF exo+ maxxterra front 20 psi Eliminator grid trail T7 rear with cushcore XC 21 psi setup . They have more traction. They dampen small chatter very well- this is perhaps the biggest improvement for me with them. I'm a big fan of the radials. Looking forward to new tread patterns. Hoping for something like the tioga edge 22 pattern than both Scwalbe and Maxxis seem to he heading towards.
wow, that's low pressures for the rear, even in the wet i keep 28psi for the albert trail at 81kg riding weight, i went down to 27 today as it was slick as but i kept hearing banging noises on roots compressions/landings so pumped it up again
Anyone tried both Krypto FR Supersofts and Magic Mary radials for a comparison? I've been really keen on the Krypto FRs since they came out but am curious to go back to the modern Mary, which I ran in Whistler for a few seasons before moving on to the Gwin Onza's.
Yeah I also thought those pressures was a little low. I don't know his weight though so that's always a factor as well.
I'm about 83kg ready to ride and today was my second ride with the magic mary radial, and I went back up to 25psi(this is front tire) which is 5psi higher than I normally run in DHF in similar casing. Last ride I tried down to 23psi and that immediatly felt vague so I knew I had to go back up again.
I did a full run at 25psi today and to me that felt like the sweet spot. I get why some may drop the pressures because they want them to feel like "normal" tires, but they are not so you need to look at them with a different perspective. My best discription of how I feel they are working is that the tire keeps its shape for longer and it will give you the shock absorption and traction when you need it. You just got to trust how they're supposed to work, and understand they will roll better and may come off as feeling harsh at times, except when the hits come the tire will absorb it and it simply feels like a tire at lower pressures.
This tire inspires me to ride harder simply because it gives me the confidence to do so. I'm so done with the DHF dead spot at mid turn. The MM radial just give you smooth transitions.
Another bonus for me personally is that the radial front tire with its higher pressure does a lot better in techy uphill sections where it tends to just continue rolling over obstacles rather than coming to and abrupt stop that so often can happen.
I'm 160 (72kg). I run a soft setup, both tires and suspension. Haven't had a whole lot of squirming or rolling of the tire but sometimes do get some cross hatching marks on the rear sidewall suggesting I am flexing the tire quite a bit. We do not have a lot of high G force berms or jumps with high G takeoffs here in SW CO though, especially this year with Purgatory bike park closed. The trails are mostly natural single track with some roots and rocks. If I was riding park or somewhere with high G scenarios, I'm sure I'd have to add some pressure.
I agree the radials climb really well. They give on small stuff at low speeds and roll right over. Someone on another site said they slurp the trail. Its a good analogy. The surface seems to keep in contact with the trail, like a slug, but not slow like a slug.
For anyone first getting into radials getting the right PSI does take some tinkering, but it's totally worth it. +/- even 1 psi can make a lot more difference that in non radials. Terrain and weight, and side walls, also make a big different one person to the next.
If such minute difference plays such a big role, how does changing temperature and/or elevation feel?
I run 27psi when it's normal out, if it's dusty or wet I go to 25. I'm really enjoying the MM so far
Really happy with this setup:
lol moped tire
Fast rolling and good grip for dry dusty/rocky soil:
Will see how they last though- this is 10 miles in… corner knobs already starting to show undercutting
I had the same combo last season and that Rekon lasted 12 rides before the cornering knobs started disappearing. Amazing while it lasted. Now I run the dual compound Rekon which lasts significantly longer while sacrificing a bit of cornering grip.
I saw the dual compound version but I really need the exo+ casing. Think the maxxterra is the only one available in that casing.
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