what tire model and casing?I have three Kryptotal FR enduro super soft that were made in Germany week 13 2025. all three have imperfect alignment between...
what tire model and casing?
I have three Kryptotal FR enduro super soft that were made in Germany week 13 2025. all three have imperfect alignment between the left & right halves of the casing. I complained, got a warranty replacement that was just as misaligned, and was sent a second warranty replacement that's a little better but not perfect.
I rode the original and the better of the 2 replacements is on the front of my son's bike now. 3rd tire still NIB.
I was under the impression the only thing they don't make in China now is DH casing. The DH soft I bought yesterday in the western US is still made in Germany (though they did fix the yellow hue). Only seen enduro supersofts from China. Nice free tire trick though, all of the China factory contis I've seen are like that but it never occurred to me to try and warranty it
I was under the impression the only thing they don't make in China now is DH casing. The DH soft I bought yesterday in the western...
I was under the impression the only thing they don't make in China now is DH casing. The DH soft I bought yesterday in the western US is still made in Germany (though they did fix the yellow hue). Only seen enduro supersofts from China. Nice free tire trick though, all of the China factory contis I've seen are like that but it never occurred to me to try and warranty it
hey, you're right. that tire is China. I misremembered.
What should I get as a new back radial tire? Another Albert or a tacky chan or a romy? Anybody rode these in the back? The Albert was ok I guess but now with reduced knob height it looses traction while braking and the trail pro casing was a bit overwhelmed but it held up more or less. Idk if I wanna take the weight penalty of the gravity casing. Had to refill the milk once due to too many small leaks/cuts.
What should I get as a new back radial tire? Another Albert or a tacky chan or a romy? Anybody rode these in the back? The...
What should I get as a new back radial tire? Another Albert or a tacky chan or a romy? Anybody rode these in the back? The Albert was ok I guess but now with reduced knob height it looses traction while braking and the trail pro casing was a bit overwhelmed but it held up more or less. Idk if I wanna take the weight penalty of the gravity casing. Had to refill the milk once due to too many small leaks/cuts.
Romy rolls well (for a radial tire) and has good cornering grip. Tacky chan for more enduro/downhill riding. I wasn't a fan of the Albert on either end of the bike. I find the Trail Pro casing in the rear pretty delicate and I'm not willing to haul a gravity casing around, so back to standard casings, at least for the rear tire.
Anyone tried the specialized radials yet? Like the theory of radial tyres but didn’t get on with the Mary/albert combo, found them a bit bouncy and spec’s claim that theirs are a bit less radial might be a good middle ground
Coming off two weeks riding in the Scottish Borders, tweed valley and the like, the wear on my Romy gravity pro soft is pretty high, side knobs are undercutting. I don’t ride particularly hard and don’t usually find the area to be hard on tyres. The performance however has been fantastic. It is bone dry.
Anyone tried the specialized radials yet? Like the theory of radial tyres but didn’t get on with the Mary/albert combo, found them a bit bouncy and...
Anyone tried the specialized radials yet? Like the theory of radial tyres but didn’t get on with the Mary/albert combo, found them a bit bouncy and spec’s claim that theirs are a bit less radial might be a good middle ground
just read the guy who won megavalanche this year was on specialized eliminator radials front and rear.
normal people probably want a butcher radial up front but it's not hard to imagine the eliminator having a similar purpose and more durability than a romy.
I was under the impression the only thing they don't make in China now is DH casing. The DH soft I bought yesterday in the western...
I was under the impression the only thing they don't make in China now is DH casing. The DH soft I bought yesterday in the western US is still made in Germany (though they did fix the yellow hue). Only seen enduro supersofts from China. Nice free tire trick though, all of the China factory contis I've seen are like that but it never occurred to me to try and warranty it
Anyone tried the specialized radials yet? Like the theory of radial tyres but didn’t get on with the Mary/albert combo, found them a bit bouncy and...
Anyone tried the specialized radials yet? Like the theory of radial tyres but didn’t get on with the Mary/albert combo, found them a bit bouncy and spec’s claim that theirs are a bit less radial might be a good middle ground
I have a few rides on the Specialized tires, Butcher Front / Eliminator rear on my 170mm bike from blown out dry to hero dirt in the backcountry (not purpose built or bike park). I also have a tacky chan + roamy in trail casing on my 130mm bike so have experience with radial.
Main takeaways so far
Improved grip over Conti DH (SS front, S rear) - Better braking right away was noticable, its like I added 15% braking power. It does not feel noticeably slower climbing on dirt than conti, although I haven't gone back to do a true comparison. It does feel draggier on pavement but its a gravity tire so I expect that and its doable for me.
Less supple than schwalbe trail radial at slow speeds. There isn't as much give on roots and rocks when climbing, although some of that may be trail vs gravity casing. It is improved over the conti though.
Durable - I am certainly not concerned about hucking my meat into rock gardens with them, had some rim pings and has held up admirably. Unsure if you were racing downhill if thats what you'd want.
As they say, pressures are consistent with standard casing. I am running 21/23, same as conti. On Schwalbe trail I am 25/28. 150lbs out the shower.
The eliminator feels like a slightly beefed up version of the Romy. Little slower, little better grip, but by no means a super grip like a Tacky would be on the rear. I like them for my style of riding which is backcountry Colorado generally high country, mix of rocks and roots and not too wet.
TLDR: The specialized radials are a really good all around tire, less drastic radial effect but improves traction in backcountry trails over standard casings.
what tire model and casing?I have three Kryptotal FR enduro super soft that were made in Germany week 13 2025. all three have imperfect alignment between...
what tire model and casing?
I have three Kryptotal FR enduro super soft that were made in Germany week 13 2025. all three have imperfect alignment between the left & right halves of the casing. I complained, got a warranty replacement that was just as misaligned, and was sent a second warranty replacement that's a little better but not perfect.
I rode the original and the better of the 2 replacements is on the front of my son's bike now. 3rd tire still NIB.
It was a Kryptotal Fr DH Casing Super Soft. I don't have it anymore and didn't take pictures of the production date, but I had bought it in the Spring of 2024, so probably made in 2023.
I believe Michelin still makes their MTB tires in France, and Pirelli as well.I suppose you could get lucky and Hutchinson's latest are really great and...
I believe Michelin still makes their MTB tires in France, and Pirelli as well.
I suppose you could get lucky and Hutchinson's latest are really great and we're just all unaware of that.
The Michelin DH22 I just bought were made in SEA (I think Thailand but not 100% sure), the ones on my car weren't made in france either...
I remember reading a french magazine last year where they tried to build a trail/all moutain bike as local as possible, and Hutchinson was their only option for tires
Anyone tried the specialized radials yet? Like the theory of radial tyres but didn’t get on with the Mary/albert combo, found them a bit bouncy and...
Anyone tried the specialized radials yet? Like the theory of radial tyres but didn’t get on with the Mary/albert combo, found them a bit bouncy and spec’s claim that theirs are a bit less radial might be a good middle ground
Got a few weeks on Butcher/ Eliminator Radial setup. Was on Conti Kryptotal DH SuperSoft F/ Soft Rear for a few years, then more recently on Magic Mary UltraSoft/Albert Soft in radial on an enduro bike. The specialized seem like a solid combination of the two, slightly slower rolling on climbs than the conti, but more sidewall support than the schwalbes. Heaps of traction in loose-over hard and off cambers, and survived a few solid rim strikes so far at 22/25 psi. Impressive in their traction on natural terrain. can't imagine the rear will have the longevity of the conti soft compound but overall I would give them two thumbs up. No experience on how they do in the wet yet.
Anyone tried the specialized radials yet? Like the theory of radial tyres but didn’t get on with the Mary/albert combo, found them a bit bouncy and...
Anyone tried the specialized radials yet? Like the theory of radial tyres but didn’t get on with the Mary/albert combo, found them a bit bouncy and spec’s claim that theirs are a bit less radial might be a good middle ground
Got a few weeks on Butcher/ Eliminator Radial setup. Was on Conti Kryptotal DH SuperSoft F/ Soft Rear for a few years, then more recently on...
Got a few weeks on Butcher/ Eliminator Radial setup. Was on Conti Kryptotal DH SuperSoft F/ Soft Rear for a few years, then more recently on Magic Mary UltraSoft/Albert Soft in radial on an enduro bike. The specialized seem like a solid combination of the two, slightly slower rolling on climbs than the conti, but more sidewall support than the schwalbes. Heaps of traction in loose-over hard and off cambers, and survived a few solid rim strikes so far at 22/25 psi. Impressive in their traction on natural terrain. can't imagine the rear will have the longevity of the conti soft compound but overall I would give them two thumbs up. No experience on how they do in the wet yet.
The Specialized take on radial seems more like what I want, except that the 2 current tread patterns don't appeal to me, and the casing is really freaking heavy. Cannibal / Hillbilly would be intriguing.
The Specialized take on radial seems more like what I want, except that the 2 current tread patterns don't appeal to me, and the casing is...
The Specialized take on radial seems more like what I want, except that the 2 current tread patterns don't appeal to me, and the casing is really freaking heavy. Cannibal / Hillbilly would be intriguing.
can't help with the tread patterns, but the grid gravity casing is about the same as maxxis dh casing weight and performance. and then radial adds another ~60g. it's still lighter than E13 radials, which have those reinforced sidewalls to make them less squirmy, and relatively close to schwalbe gravity pro radials. currently no one is doing anything like schwalbe trail pro radials, but it seems like they might be kinda fragile casings. (and fragile tread on the romy?)
The Specialized take on radial seems more like what I want, except that the 2 current tread patterns don't appeal to me, and the casing is...
The Specialized take on radial seems more like what I want, except that the 2 current tread patterns don't appeal to me, and the casing is really freaking heavy. Cannibal / Hillbilly would be intriguing.
can't help with the tread patterns, but the grid gravity casing is about the same as maxxis dh casing weight and performance. and then radial adds...
can't help with the tread patterns, but the grid gravity casing is about the same as maxxis dh casing weight and performance. and then radial adds another ~60g. it's still lighter than E13 radials, which have those reinforced sidewalls to make them less squirmy, and relatively close to schwalbe gravity pro radials. currently no one is doing anything like schwalbe trail pro radials, but it seems like they might be kinda fragile casings. (and fragile tread on the romy?)
Exactly. I've run the Trail Pros and they do feel paper thin in comparison to even EXO+. At the same time, I don't need DH tires for my riding (trails/aggression/etc.). Something in the DD / old Super Gravity / Conti Enduro is I think a compromise that works really well for a lot of people. Especially with ebikes taking up more and more of the market (and doubly so considering how they eat through tires in comparison to meat-powered bikes).
Anybody ridden the Ethirteen radials? Getting the Grappler radials soon, heard very good things about the Grappler pattern but very little about the new radial casings.
Does anybody know what tires Reece Wilson was running during his second place finish at Andorra?Watching his GoPro footage, it looks like he is running a...
Does anybody know what tires Reece Wilson was running during his second place finish at Andorra?
Watching his GoPro footage, it looks like he is running a Shredda and during pre-race interviews I think he said he was running a spike.
I ask because I'm curious if radial casings have made it to a DH podium.
Does anybody know what tires Reece Wilson was running during his second place finish at Andorra?Watching his GoPro footage, it looks like he is running a...
Does anybody know what tires Reece Wilson was running during his second place finish at Andorra?
Watching his GoPro footage, it looks like he is running a Shredda and during pre-race interviews I think he said he was running a spike.
I ask because I'm curious if radial casings have made it to a DH podium.
I've been riding Schwalbe trail pro radial casings for a year now and haven't had a flat. I think all the tread patterns in this casing range from 1050 grams to about 1150 or so grams, which is a big reason why I like them. I'm finding the casing just as flat resistant as EXO+. Its is not as supportive as EXO or EXO+, but 2-3psi seems to offset that for my applications.
Obviously tire casing, compound, tread pattern, and size are all hugely subjective to the particular user, but I think its worth pointing out. I'm 160 pounds, my riding style tends to be light on the bike, and when I go to the park at Purg, which is infrequent, add 2-4psi front and rear.
Does anybody know what tires Reece Wilson was running during his second place finish at Andorra?Watching his GoPro footage, it looks like he is running a...
Does anybody know what tires Reece Wilson was running during his second place finish at Andorra?
Watching his GoPro footage, it looks like he is running a Shredda and during pre-race interviews I think he said he was running a spike.
I ask because I'm curious if radial casings have made it to a DH podium.
It's a cut Dan - that's the only one with the weird dew claw knobs outside the regular knobs.
Bingo. Like he said, you can tell it's a Dan because of the useless vestigial side knobs halfway down the sidewall. The teams used to cut them off, but I think they''ve mostly given up and leave them be now. It's an extra 20 grams maybe.
Bingo. Like he said, you can tell it's a Dan because of the useless vestigial side knobs halfway down the sidewall. The teams used to cut...
Bingo. Like he said, you can tell it's a Dan because of the useless vestigial side knobs halfway down the sidewall. The teams used to cut them off, but I think they''ve mostly given up and leave them be now. It's an extra 20 grams maybe.
Wouldn't even be 20g going off my experience with trimming the centre off of every knob on a WTB Judge (I was jankily turning it into a edge 22).
the marking varies, even on continentals. but this is what mine looked like.
I was under the impression the only thing they don't make in China now is DH casing. The DH soft I bought yesterday in the western US is still made in Germany (though they did fix the yellow hue). Only seen enduro supersofts from China. Nice free tire trick though, all of the China factory contis I've seen are like that but it never occurred to me to try and warranty it
hey, you're right. that tire is China. I misremembered.
Same as a car tire, which shouldn't be surprising coming from them. I don't have that on Maxxis, Schwalbe, or Specialized tires.
What should I get as a new back radial tire? Another Albert or a tacky chan or a romy? Anybody rode these in the back? The Albert was ok I guess but now with reduced knob height it looses traction while braking and the trail pro casing was a bit overwhelmed but it held up more or less. Idk if I wanna take the weight penalty of the gravity casing. Had to refill the milk once due to too many small leaks/cuts.
Anyone on the Dunlops? Or heard if they’re even on the market yet?
Romy rolls well (for a radial tire) and has good cornering grip. Tacky chan for more enduro/downhill riding. I wasn't a fan of the Albert on either end of the bike. I find the Trail Pro casing in the rear pretty delicate and I'm not willing to haul a gravity casing around, so back to standard casings, at least for the rear tire.
Anyone tried the specialized radials yet? Like the theory of radial tyres but didn’t get on with the Mary/albert combo, found them a bit bouncy and spec’s claim that theirs are a bit less radial might be a good middle ground
Coming off two weeks riding in the Scottish Borders, tweed valley and the like, the wear on my Romy gravity pro soft is pretty high, side knobs are undercutting. I don’t ride particularly hard and don’t usually find the area to be hard on tyres. The performance however has been fantastic. It is bone dry.
Been wondering the same, I originally heard they'd be available by July but they don't seem to be in stock anywhere yet.
just read the guy who won megavalanche this year was on specialized eliminator radials front and rear.
normal people probably want a butcher radial up front but it's not hard to imagine the eliminator having a similar purpose and more durability than a romy.
So basically,
The pleb that I am who does not ride hard enough for DH casings should try hutchinsons if this pleb wants to buy locally?
I believe Michelin still makes their MTB tires in France, and Pirelli as well.
I suppose you could get lucky and Hutchinson's latest are really great and we're just all unaware of that.
(no edit post function?) anyway, Pirelli in Italy, sorry.
I have a few rides on the Specialized tires, Butcher Front / Eliminator rear on my 170mm bike from blown out dry to hero dirt in the backcountry (not purpose built or bike park). I also have a tacky chan + roamy in trail casing on my 130mm bike so have experience with radial.
Main takeaways so far
The eliminator feels like a slightly beefed up version of the Romy. Little slower, little better grip, but by no means a super grip like a Tacky would be on the rear. I like them for my style of riding which is backcountry Colorado generally high country, mix of rocks and roots and not too wet.
TLDR: The specialized radials are a really good all around tire, less drastic radial effect but improves traction in backcountry trails over standard casings.
It was a Kryptotal Fr DH Casing Super Soft. I don't have it anymore and didn't take pictures of the production date, but I had bought it in the Spring of 2024, so probably made in 2023.
The Michelin DH22 I just bought were made in SEA (I think Thailand but not 100% sure), the ones on my car weren't made in france either...
I remember reading a french magazine last year where they tried to build a trail/all moutain bike as local as possible, and Hutchinson was their only option for tires
Got a few weeks on Butcher/ Eliminator Radial setup. Was on Conti Kryptotal DH SuperSoft F/ Soft Rear for a few years, then more recently on Magic Mary UltraSoft/Albert Soft in radial on an enduro bike. The specialized seem like a solid combination of the two, slightly slower rolling on climbs than the conti, but more sidewall support than the schwalbes. Heaps of traction in loose-over hard and off cambers, and survived a few solid rim strikes so far at 22/25 psi. Impressive in their traction on natural terrain. can't imagine the rear will have the longevity of the conti soft compound but overall I would give them two thumbs up. No experience on how they do in the wet yet.
I offer myself as tribute!
Ordered some Hutchinson Wyrm RaceLab. Will report. I can compare to rekons, rekon race, ground controls T7 and some kendas.
The Specialized take on radial seems more like what I want, except that the 2 current tread patterns don't appeal to me, and the casing is really freaking heavy. Cannibal / Hillbilly would be intriguing.
can't help with the tread patterns, but the grid gravity casing is about the same as maxxis dh casing weight and performance. and then radial adds another ~60g. it's still lighter than E13 radials, which have those reinforced sidewalls to make them less squirmy, and relatively close to schwalbe gravity pro radials. currently no one is doing anything like schwalbe trail pro radials, but it seems like they might be kinda fragile casings. (and fragile tread on the romy?)
Exactly. I've run the Trail Pros and they do feel paper thin in comparison to even EXO+. At the same time, I don't need DH tires for my riding (trails/aggression/etc.). Something in the DD / old Super Gravity / Conti Enduro is I think a compromise that works really well for a lot of people. Especially with ebikes taking up more and more of the market (and doubly so considering how they eat through tires in comparison to meat-powered bikes).
Does anybody know what tires Reece Wilson was running during his second place finish at Andorra?
Watching his GoPro footage, it looks like he is running a Shredda and during pre-race interviews I think he said he was running a spike.
I ask because I'm curious if radial casings have made it to a DH podium.
Anybody ridden the Ethirteen radials? Getting the Grappler radials soon, heard very good things about the Grappler pattern but very little about the new radial casings.
Shredda Front it looks like.
https://www.schwalbetires.com/GRAVITY-PRO-Shredda-F-Radial-11654553.01
Amaury ran them on that amazing mudder race a few years ago where he won by some crazy margin.
Beat me to it. I'd wager they've been on every single podium for years.
I've been riding Schwalbe trail pro radial casings for a year now and haven't had a flat. I think all the tread patterns in this casing range from 1050 grams to about 1150 or so grams, which is a big reason why I like them. I'm finding the casing just as flat resistant as EXO+. Its is not as supportive as EXO or EXO+, but 2-3psi seems to offset that for my applications.
Obviously tire casing, compound, tread pattern, and size are all hugely subjective to the particular user, but I think its worth pointing out. I'm 160 pounds, my riding style tends to be light on the bike, and when I go to the park at Purg, which is infrequent, add 2-4psi front and rear.
It's a cut Dan - that's the only one with the weird dew claw knobs outside the regular knobs.
Bingo. Like he said, you can tell it's a Dan because of the useless vestigial side knobs halfway down the sidewall. The teams used to cut them off, but I think they''ve mostly given up and leave them be now. It's an extra 20 grams maybe.
Wouldn't even be 20g going off my experience with trimming the centre off of every knob on a WTB Judge (I was jankily turning it into a edge 22).
When I weighed all the offcuts it was 18g.
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