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tire installation wonder tool from cushcore - https://www.vitalmtb.com/news/press-release/rotary-tire-tool-radically-…
ha! i was watching it as i got the notification, i feel they've done a pretty poor job with the articles but a great job in these videos explaining the differences, i'd be keen to see an exploded view of what changed on the trail chasing now, also to see how much short is a 2.5 Romy or Tacky vs the super tall Albert for clearance
I like the 27.5x2.6 Soft SuperTrail Hans Dampf as a fun-inducing front tire for light trail duty. The closest Romy is the 2.5 Gravity radial behemoth that weights almost 1300g, and the 2.4 Romy looks quite a bit narrower than I like them. Oh well.
#650Bforevah
Sounds like a 27.5x2.5 Trail Pro Romy Radial Soft would be ideal
so anyways... 2+2+2 haha
So tell me @schwalbai or @Fox what am I putting on my trail bike? SC 5010 in Colorado, lots of backcountry technical singletrack, roots, rocks. Currently on a WTB Vigilante High Trip + Conti Xynotol Soft Enduro. Like it. Also ran DHR max grip front, liked it. It will be hard for me to go away from my Xynotol.
I'm confused when I'd choose radial vs diagonal. If I'm mostly riding natural trails, choose radial?
How do you choose ultra, soft, mid? If I'm pedalling a lot and prioritizing that, Soft front, Mid rear?
Do I go Albert or Tacky Chan front? I like pushing into a turn, I'd prefer the DHR over Assegai on this bike.
What casing rear? I've been known to flat exo+ casing in the past, would never do Exo in rear for comparison. Conti Enduro held up perfect. Don't want to lug the 1275g gravity radial.
Sorta thinking my setup would be Tacky Chan Soft Trail Radial + Roamy Mid Trail Radial?
Thanks. Its confusing to try different companies after you've figured out what works on others.
This one??
I’m really hoping it’s sooner rather than later, seems like it could be a fantastic option as a front tire. @schwalbai, should I be patient???
@jasbushey
For our trails around Durango, I am really digging the radials with a Magic Mary trail pro radial super soft up front (21-22 psi) and the Albert trail pro soft in the rear (24-25psi), no inserts. Today I ordered a Tacky Chan trail pro radial super soft for the front and Tacky Chan trail pro soft radial soft for the rear. I am really excited to try the Tacky Chan because I loved the DHF tread pattern and it looks similar. I'll probably try a Romy in the back at some point as well depending on how the TC works out. I think the TC will roll faster than the Magic Mary as well and also have stiffer side knobs for a bit more dig in when leaning over. I feel like the Magic Mary is a great tread pattern for our high country trails, but it seems to lack a little hook up on the loose over hard in Horse Gultch. If there is any softness to the dirt, the Magic Mary digs in and hooks up well.
The difference, for me at least, between the radials and the Maxxis DHF exo+ 2.5 Maxxterra 3c in the front (19-20psi) and the Spec Eliminator Grid Trail T7 with Cushcore XC in the rear (20-21psi) is a notable reduction in small bump chatter that gets transmitted straight to my head and I gotta slow down cuz I just can't keep the bike on line and accurate the way I like to. Head shake means decreased info processing speed, then I get off line and thats when whipeouts happen and I don't like wiping out. When I first put on dual radials, it felt like I got a suspension tune/upgrade but from the tires, which I like even more! The bike is calmer, and I can go faster as a result. As far as outright grip, I feel like the radials grip as well or better than fresh non radial tires with similar tread patterns. As far as rolling resistance, I feel like they roll well enough for me and I'm pretty picky about rolling resistance. I do not like 1200 gram plus tires with sticky rubber for trail riding in SW CO because they feel to slow to spin up and then the roll too slowly. Our lowest rides start at 6500' and our favorite rides often top out over 11k', so rolling resistance, weight, and energy conservation matter around here. Yes, I love how a DH casing feels when I'm smashing down steep terrain, but I do not like it for trail riding cuz it sucks getting it up to speed and riding it uphill.
Based on what Schwalbai is sayin, it sounds like a Tacky Chan trail pro super soft or soft in front or perhaps a Magic Mary trail pro super soft in front would go well with the Romy trail pro soft for the rear of your 5010 as a good starting point.
I like the Albert in the rear too. I really like the tall profile. It rolls pretty well. Side knobs don't have enough support for front use, but it works pretty well in back here in Dgo.
For reference, I don't break a lot of rims and I don't get a lot of pinch flats.
I am a tire nerd. I freakin love fresh tires on my bike and my cars and the radials are a really cool new development.
Yes, this is the tire many are wanting/waiting for. Would be a good Mary replacement as well. But Mary has such a following, they won't replace it. So, at least bring this one out to the public!
Interesting. I off course realize that this stuff doesn’t matter much for us “happy to be out riding” crew, but in the world of incremental improvements it would be interesting to hear from the World Cup pits if they have some protocol for when tires typically perform best and details around the process
Okay, thank you!
Will the Dirty Dan get the new Ultrasoft compound for the diagonal casing? I think I saw the Dan as a Gravity Pro somewhere in an overview of the new tires
Looks like a perfect winter tire in the front. A little slower clogging than a Mary but not as all out mud spikey like a Dan or Shredda F.
I also waited for the release of this tire since I first saw the prototype. Anyways, there are soo many options on the market right now, you can find something similiar from other brands
Is this an opportunity for bike tool companies to give us accessories for their hanger tools to get us something similar for much less $$$?
The updates look nice. I'm going to stick with MM/TC with the new casings and compound on the DH oriented bikes. I'll probably revisit dual TC on the trail bike later down the line.
Specialized Radials are here - https://www.vitalmtb.com/news/press-release/specialized-goes-radial-new-butcher-and-eliminator-tire-models
Only DH options. Too heavy for trail bikes, dang.
Just a prototype at this point.
There was already a lot to focus on with new/updated radial offerings, updated Gravity Pro casing, updated Ultrasoft compound, and our revised nomenclature/structure.
All of that is covered here btw: https://www.schwalbetires.com/mtb-families
I'd be a lot more tempted to try radials again (from any brand) if they were available in a lighter casing but with good sidewall support. Full downhill protection & weight are unnecessary for my trails, but I need lateral stiffness for cornering. It seems to me like it should be able to achieve that with a stiff, mid-height bead insert and less layers under the tread. EXO+ or Conti Enduro casing is just fine for my riding, although I do appreciate the dampness of DD/MG.
Did you try trail casing from Schwalbe? I'm curious to hear puncture protection vs Exo+ and Enduro casings. The enduro test had a flaw in that it was the same pressure, so it make it seem significantly easier to puncture than those and even less than Exo.
I did, and didn't like it because of lack of support. There's essentially zero rocks in my local trails, but lots of loose steeps and high speed, hard berms. So I needed a tread that was in between an Albert and Mary with more support. The Trail MM up front was terrifying in the high speed berms, and the Trail Albert just balloon floated over the loose steeps. The new TC might work in Gravity, or new Butcher Gravity, but again... those are really heavy tires. I dunno, I just have a hard time coming to terms with needing a 1,400g tire up front considering I weigh 155 and don't have rocks.
Been riding them for a year and a bit more, 0 problems with them, same as super trail chasing wich is stronger than exo +
Based on what you described, it seems a gravity diagonal is built for you. The radial is being marketed as a tool for natural terrain. Steep loose berms aren't that. The Continental has what you are looking for in my experience.
I'm personally interested as 90% of my rides on are singletrack hand built or pack tracks never built for mountain bikes and I'm curious to hear how this changes performance. There are some berm / flow trails being built but they aren't the ones I ride most.
The reason I'm interested in radial is the grip on off-camber, dust over hard is pretty awesome. With the right tread pattern (good spacing but well supported) to punch through the loose, and then increased contact patch, I see a lot of appeal provided it doesn't randomly feel like I'm going to roll the bead off the rim. The thing is, I'm kind of able to already get that running something like a HR3 aired down to like 19 psi in DD casing.
Radials are absolutely 100% the move for natural trails.
Looks like Specialized also quietly launched updated ground control and purgatory (renamed now trail control) with lighter casing (quoted weight are for 29x2.35 or 2.4) but still T7 and T9 softer option available and as per specialized habit, price are relatively low:
Trail Control Grid Trail T7 930g
Trail Control Grid Lite T9 (also available in T7 compound) 860g
Ground Control Grid Lite T5/T7 840g
Ground Control Flex Lite T5/T7 770g
I’ll preface this with the note that I am NOT an engineer, but my understanding is that the combo you are describing isn’t quite possible. At least yet.
The radial orientation is going to give you that compliance at the expense of support. Your options would be to run higher tire pressures, but then you’re losing compliance OR add material to the casing to increase support. But then you’re losing some of that compliance and adding weight.
Bring back the OG Rock Razor Super Gravity but in a true 2.4 or 2.5. Or a Slaughter in Grid Gravity. I miss that era of tough, fast rear Gravity tyres!
I agree. There are no more gravity friendly semislicks being produced as far as I know, and I miss them. So fun in the summer on harder soil.
I guess they didnt sell very well
Michelin still make the Wild Enduro rear that is pretty close to being a semi-slick in a tough casing.
I'd be fine with adding a bit of weight for control. What I was envisaging was starting with the Trail casing, then adding a stiff non-fabric bead/sidewall insert extending about halfway up the sidewall to help resist roll. Something like what's added to Conti Enduro or Maxxis EXO+. Leave the tread layup the same to let it deform into a broader contact patch.
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