Hello Vital MTB Visitor,
We’re conducting a survey and would appreciate your input. Your answers will help Vital and the MTB industry better understand what riders like you want. Survey results will be used to recognize top brands. Make your voice heard!
Five lucky people will be selected at random to win a Vital MTB t-shirt.
Thanks in advance,
The Vital MTB Crew
Basically anytime there's a lot of hardpack, especially off camber and berms. Or rolling speed, like you said.
I've settled on this. TC radial soft/Romy Race Pro rear. Outside of the wet season in the PNW I've decided I prefer standard casings on the rear (burp less, break free a bit easier, and roll faster).
Did I read here that radial casing HillBilly and Cannibals are on their way? If so, anyone know roughly when?
I think soon.
There is a TLR (tubeless radial?) version on the site and a 2bliss version (old version)
When you look at the new demo specs it puts the TLR version as the factory tire as well.
Before you try, no, there is no stock and doesn't say when it will be available
I'm not sure exactly what the TLR stands for, but Specialized has been using it for all their MTB tires for the past year or two, so the R sadly isn't radial.
I'm still hearing that Specialized Gravity has a year of exclusivity on the radial Cannibal and Hillbilly, so they won't hit the market until this time next year. I desperately hope that's wrong though.
TubeLessReady if I'm not mistaken
There are two downhill versions on the site right now. The one labeled TLR isn't available for purchase.
I'm just guessing here, maybe they are just rebranding their 2bliss (tubeless) to TLR
Speaking of radials, I am starting to think that Schwalbe revamped their radial casings more than the press release this year indicated. I've had more rides on the Tacky Chan in both Trail Pro and Gravity Pro, and am able to run both at the same or slightly higher pressures (like 0.5-1 psi) than I run for equivalent Maxxis/Conti casings, while still retaining support. When I tried the first gen MM & Albert, I was running +4 or +5 psi. As a consequence, they've got less of a velcro stuck to the ground feel, but still conform to roots and stick to off-camber much better than typical casings.
I noticed the same but I have to believe it's due to the more supportive sidewall and slower rebounding rubber. Both of which they highlight. I can't think of what else could cause it they haven't mentioned?
I'm also back to my prior to Radial Maxxis PSI. Which made me say a prayer for my rims but after a highly chunky ride this past weekend not a single rim ping.
I thought I read that it was just the Gravity casing layup that got changed - maybe I misread. That's why I am so surprised at being able to run normal pressures in the Trail Pro. Not complaining at all though!
I got bombarded by them on instagram, posts on every blog, multiple tire related forums... I don't even remember everything I read it was such a frenzy.
FY, I should have said was referring only to Gravity since that's my experience.
Anyone have a read on the differences between the 2.4 and 2.5 Radial Tacky Chan? If it’s just a wider casing, I’m inclined to order the 2.4 for less transition between center and side knobs, but I wasn’t sure if there were other differences.
The tread pattern was also changed to make less of transition. Schwalbe say the 2.5 will be better if this is what you're looking for
The tread is very different, take a look at the photos on their website. Before it was like a pair of wide knobs, then 3 small/narrow rows of 2, then the wide ones again. Now it's 2 wide, 2 medium, 2 wide.
Thanks @KylerOnBikes and @AndehM !
I wasn’t sure if the 2.4 had an updated pattern, but now I see it clearly doesn’t, and also isn’t offered in Radial! Looks like I’ll try the Romy Diagonal rear for now with the Magic Mary front I already have, and then swap it for a 2.5 TC Radial in June if I can get one.
A random thing I keep noticing about the Tacky Chan 2.5 Pro Trail Soft as a front tire vs the Assegai 2.5 EXO+ MaxxGrip -- the TC feels easier to turn the bars with. It’s neither good nor bad and seems unrelated to how the tire actually corners. There just seems to be less resistance to turning the bars.
You are comparing vastly different compounds
My brother in Christ, I know what compounds I’m comparing. I’m the guy who told you what the compounds are. And I’m not just comparing vastly different compounds—they’re entirely different tires! Different manufacturers! Different ply biases! Different casing layups! Different treads! Different SKUs! They don’t have anything in common except a) an ETRTO designation and b) the fact that they have graced the front of my bike!
I swear, sometimes I wish the mods would run a “check the batteries on your carbon monoxide detector” interstitial PSA on here.
Anyone finding the Trail Pro radial casings incredibly thin in the sidewall? Just slashed one on some not that rocky terrain and I haven't had that happen in ages, even back when I was running Grid Trail casings and living somewhere far rockier. Plus just by hand they feel like by far the thinnest sidewalls of any >1100g tire I've ever felt.
Bummer after just two days with everything else about how they ride being pretty fantastic.
Man, relax and stop being so offensive.
It is no surprise that a very soft tire turns in more easily than a harder compound tire especially at low speeds, one can feel that already in a track stand. Simply less friction on the tire-ground interaction and less deformation of the tread. I just thought it should be mentioned that this is largely compound dependend and doesn‘t tell as much of a story about the rest of the tires.
What a fun conclusion to jump to!
Post a reply to: Tire chat (nerds only)