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Kind of also Tire Talk, but having run (and despised) the Tacky Chan as a front tire, I find it so interesting that Amaury Pierron runs them front and rear. Seems like most racers are running something like a Magic Mary, Kryptotal Fr, or Assegai in the front that’s a bit more forgiving of lean angle, but maybe the benefit for Amaury besides out and out rolling speed is the “commit or die” cornering style that the TC forces. Thoughts, anyone?

DHSE Race Replay from Beech Mountain

Vital RAW - Downhill Southeast, Beech

I have not been a fan of the commentating for some time but this weekend marked a new low. I don’t follow moto so Ken Roczen’s presence in the booth did absolutely nothing for me — it only detracted from the viewing experience as Josh just fanned out about moto stuff rather than talking about the actual race runs taking place. Josh’s poor and regionalized vocabulary is a bad trait for a commentator and he rarely has anything of value to add. Watch a basketball game if you want to see how much a caller can contribute. Ric and Josh...

There's DHSE action this weekend too. Here's a slick, rocky course preview from Beech Mtn, NC.

try to count to 30 in 2.668 seconds. that's making the show LOL.

We FINALLY got another B Practice recorded. Talked a lot about Dak's return to riding and racing next month. Plus all the usual drama around the first World Cup - https://www.vitalmtb.com/features/all-drama-poland-daks-triumphant-retu… To listen - https://www.buzzsprout.com/78237/episodes/17228329-dakotah-norton-s-tri… To watch - https://youtu.be/nKQo845FEcQ

on that note, just so everyone here is aware, there won't be vital videos from loudenvielle (or andorra or lenzerheide) this year. we decided to put our budget towards covering all of the domestic Pro DH series rounds and TN National races this year instead of full WC calendar. hopefully there's an Ed Bull RAW to keep us stoked LOL. lawlor will be back at Leogang.

So. Much. COURSE TAPE 😍

Except there was at least one other jump on the track where the B line and main lines were split by a pole. Having inconsistent course markings is a recipe for misinterpretation and ambiguity.

At the race in Poland 4 americans I think who rode in the US jersey had the opportunity to race, and were given the opportunity to race the first 3 WC races and can petition for the rest, not counting the junior riders. Also add in the golden tickets into the mix and I think there is opportunity for riders not on factory teams to have a chance to compete and earn points. For some it may take travel to make those races, but the riders on WC teams do not count in the standings for the Golden tickets which...

Race replay from DHSE #4 at Windrock! Shoutout to the Gravity Coop crew for turning these around so fast!

There was some #USDH action this weekend too. Here's Vital RAW from Windrock DHSE. Dak, Gwin and Grice present among others.

I believe the side lugs on the new MM radials are stiffer than the old ones. Have been running dual MM radials for a few weeks now and this feels to be true. Gravity casing F/R, ultra soft F, soft R; they are incredible! Used to run inserts with lower pressure for high grip, now running no inserts with higher pressures and they still grip insanely well.

I like the Tacky Chan, but my perfect front tire would be a Magic Mary with the strong side knobs of the Tacky Chan.

Interesting you only have them on one side. Do you really like turning left or something? The creases on my knobs look like normal wear. My test tires did go through some pretty intense temperature swings (ranging from 0-85 degrees F), and I was stoked that the rubber didn't get brittle or stiffer. In the past, I've had a few Schwalbe tires sit through a winter in my garage and the rubber became super firm.

Jason’s kind of my boss at Vital, so take the following with a grain of salt, but I thought this was a great breakdown and description of the performance characteristics of a tire, which isn't easy to do well. And I feel like it’s pretty tough to argue with what you wrote, Jason. Literally just look at the gap between the center knobs and side knobs.

Fantastic review, I respect Schroeder's component choices more than any other reviewer out there even though his local terrain in Socal is completely different than what we have here in the damp slimey Northeast. Personal thoughts, I like the Tacky Chan (especially the new Super Ground Ultrasoft version) up front for pedally trail riding, usually with a Nobby Nic in the back, as it's faster rolling than a Magic Mary without losing too much cornering confidence. Obviously nowhere near as locked-in on steep chutes and under heavy braking but I don't do too much of that on a light trail...