have one im planning on mounting up in the back, have a DH22 up front, the difference in weight and sidewall stiffness is marked.
Yea, I'm running mine up front and the casing feels much thicker than the old Wild Enduros. It was really slippery yesterday when I rode, I kept dropping pressures but despite my weight, never really felt them squirm. I have no idea where I landed on psi, but it felt like it needed to be run lower to bite on the wet, off camber roots.
I mounted up a set of the new Michelin E-Wild enduro Front tire's - without inserts, started at 25 PSI and they were rock hard, dropped to 23 and same, went to 21 and started to feel a bit more manageable but still really firm. For comparison I have been running Michelin DH22's at 25PSI without inserts and 21-22 PSI with Rimpact V2 inserts and the new wild enduro's felt significantly stiffer than the DH22's at any of the pressures I ran.
They do roll significantly faster than the Dh22's which was a nice surprise.
I mounted up a set of the new Michelin E-Wild enduro Front tire's - without inserts, started at 25 PSI and they were rock hard, dropped...
I mounted up a set of the new Michelin E-Wild enduro Front tire's - without inserts, started at 25 PSI and they were rock hard, dropped to 23 and same, went to 21 and started to feel a bit more manageable but still really firm. For comparison I have been running Michelin DH22's at 25PSI without inserts and 21-22 PSI with Rimpact V2 inserts and the new wild enduro's felt significantly stiffer than the DH22's at any of the pressures I ran.
They do roll significantly faster than the Dh22's which was a nice surprise.
Thanks, glad it's not just me getting that low.
When I got them, the guy at the shop says he ran closer to 30 PSI with them, maybe he was talking about the DH tires. My first ride on these was during a particularly wet day with a lot of off camber, wet roots that were very slick and I kept losing the front of the bike. It was very skittish, but it was also a new bike and I was oversprung, so that is probably partly why.
I started out at 24psi and kept dumping air the entire time, I have no idea where I landed but I never really got it feeling squishy. Later rides I ran around 20psi and it felt fine riding, but it still feels like I could have lost some pressure and even gotten into the upper teens without issues (215lb rider, Geometron G1). I'll experiment more later, but the casing is much thicker than anything I've run before.
It was also tricky to install. I broke a CC tire lever and nearly wrecked my hands doing so, I really had to stuff the bead down into the rim channel, even then I barely got it on. They do feel really good, though, even at higher pressures and the cornering traction is just as good, if not better, than the previous versions. Fels very precise.
What's a Schwalbe alternative to Maxxis tread wise? The equivalent to Assegai/DHR2 combo.
I’d say magic Mary/TackyChan would be more betterer. I’m running TC’s on both ends with SS trail front and soft trail rear. They do have excellent traction in corners. Happy with braking performance as well.
Thought about it too but I think it's only available in super soft in Germany...
I was thinking about a super soft trail magic Mary in the front and a super gravity soft big Betty in the rear. I'll be putting an assegai dhr2 set on for now to finally get rid of the Michelin (anchors), but looking towards the future. If Contis become available in a casing/rubber combo similar to what Schwalbe offers (trail super soft) ill try those instead.
Big Betty is a weird rear tyre in a way that it does indeed stop you very well when not worn out, but slides left and right just waaaay too much compared to almost anything else - I feel like it just does not hold ground when you need to do off-camberish things, like passing a water puddle on the side.
The Big Betty is a great tire for those who are putting lots of energy/weight into it. Like most rear tires, it rewards those who ride rail-to-rail with fast rolling and sturdy grip when cornering.
In off-camber terrain it can loose it's footing. This is where the Tacky Chan comes in.
The Tacky Chan development actually started from modified Big Bettys cut by the Commencal Muc-Off team.
They would narrow every 3rd center knob for better grip in off-camber and improved cleaning for wet conditions.
Every second side knob was also hollowed out. This makes initiating corners easier. Hold is also improved in variable conditions when cornering.
The Tacky Chan has since been further refined, but the core concepts are still there.
Hey dudes... need some opinions on bike park tires. I've got a 22' nomad 6 (170/170 mullet) which is my park bike but I still pedal it a decent amount. It's a pig, 39lbs, coil suspension front/rear, aluminum wheels, blah blah blah.
I digress... I need some tire opinions. I am headed up to whistler in july for a week, typically I do more pedal riding (whistler, squamish, preggerton) when up there then riding the bike park. This trip, I'm headed up there with some park rats and will be doing 70% park riding and select pedal rides (while the park rat dudes are sleeping, microclimate/hey bud/crazytrain etc). I usually run double down with inserts, this year I'm thinking of ditching the inserts and running dh casing rear and dd front.
Currently, I'm thinking of running a 29x2.5 DD Maxx Grip Assegai in front and I can't decide on a rear tire compound. I'm waffling back and forth between a 27.5x2.4 DHR II - DH casing in either maxx terra or maxx grip. I'm just a bit concerned about the rolling speed in the bike park (and I suppose pedal rides) with the maxx grip rear. I've also considered running an assegai in back, that's what I do on my ebike... but the dh casing assegai only comes in maxx grip and I know that will roll slow af.
Fwiw, I have no expectations of these tires being usable when I get home from this trip. So don't factor in cost or tire wear into this suggestion.
What do yall think? And yes, I have tried continentals, I don't mind em, but I'm sticking with maxxis for this as the feel of the assegai is what I know best.
Options for a rear (matched with a double down maxx grip assegai in front):
-DHR 2 - DH Casing - Maxx Terra
-DHR 2 - DH Casing - Maxx Grip
-Assegai - Double Down or DH Casing - Maxx Grip (aka, don't be such a little bitch about it and pedal hard... maybe pedaling into jump faces)
Hey dudes... need some opinions on bike park tires. I've got a 22' nomad 6 (170/170 mullet) which is my park bike but I still pedal...
Hey dudes... need some opinions on bike park tires. I've got a 22' nomad 6 (170/170 mullet) which is my park bike but I still pedal it a decent amount. It's a pig, 39lbs, coil suspension front/rear, aluminum wheels, blah blah blah.
I digress... I need some tire opinions. I am headed up to whistler in july for a week, typically I do more pedal riding (whistler, squamish, preggerton) when up there then riding the bike park. This trip, I'm headed up there with some park rats and will be doing 70% park riding and select pedal rides (while the park rat dudes are sleeping, microclimate/hey bud/crazytrain etc). I usually run double down with inserts, this year I'm thinking of ditching the inserts and running dh casing rear and dd front.
Currently, I'm thinking of running a 29x2.5 DD Maxx Grip Assegai in front and I can't decide on a rear tire compound. I'm waffling back and forth between a 27.5x2.4 DHR II - DH casing in either maxx terra or maxx grip. I'm just a bit concerned about the rolling speed in the bike park (and I suppose pedal rides) with the maxx grip rear. I've also considered running an assegai in back, that's what I do on my ebike... but the dh casing assegai only comes in maxx grip and I know that will roll slow af.
Fwiw, I have no expectations of these tires being usable when I get home from this trip. So don't factor in cost or tire wear into this suggestion.
What do yall think? And yes, I have tried continentals, I don't mind em, but I'm sticking with maxxis for this as the feel of the assegai is what I know best.
Options for a rear (matched with a double down maxx grip assegai in front):
-DHR 2 - DH Casing - Maxx Terra
-DHR 2 - DH Casing - Maxx Grip
-Assegai - Double Down or DH Casing - Maxx Grip (aka, don't be such a little bitch about it and pedal hard... maybe pedaling into jump faces)
If you're going to go full DH casing and you're not worried about pricing/replacing the tire, I'd probably just opt for the maxx grip version. Yeah, it's probably slower, but it's a DH tire. Might as well go for all out grip when the difference in rolling speed is going to be negligible. I know you said you'd already tried Continentals, but I'll throw my own opinion out there again. If you like the Assegai, it might be worth it to check out the Specialized Cannibals. Cheaper than a Maxxis and a way stiffer sidewall.
Has anyone done any specific testing on impact resistance of casing between companies? I just recently got a Continental Xynotal in Enduro Casing after I blew up my WTB Trailboss light casing + tannus insert on the first ride. Can't fault the tire as it was my fault and poor line choice.
I'm asking because I'd always ran an Exo+ with an insert in the rear, and typically held them together, with an occasion slice every other year. Feeling the Enduro casing of conti it seemed more robust then Exo+ on the bead by feel (where majority of my slices occur), so I dropped the insert to save some weight. Also it was 150g heavier than my trail boss. Not enough time on it yet to comment.
I've heard in general that WTB light casing was closer to Exo+, which I'd probably agree with on experience. There wasn't a lot online about the conti enduro casing. I'm wondering on Schwalbe, Specialized, Vittoria, Vee, etc. Has anyone done a compare?
Or do you just choose based on weight and go from there?
Hey dudes... need some opinions on bike park tires. I've got a 22' nomad 6 (170/170 mullet) which is my park bike but I still pedal...
Hey dudes... need some opinions on bike park tires. I've got a 22' nomad 6 (170/170 mullet) which is my park bike but I still pedal it a decent amount. It's a pig, 39lbs, coil suspension front/rear, aluminum wheels, blah blah blah.
I digress... I need some tire opinions. I am headed up to whistler in july for a week, typically I do more pedal riding (whistler, squamish, preggerton) when up there then riding the bike park. This trip, I'm headed up there with some park rats and will be doing 70% park riding and select pedal rides (while the park rat dudes are sleeping, microclimate/hey bud/crazytrain etc). I usually run double down with inserts, this year I'm thinking of ditching the inserts and running dh casing rear and dd front.
Currently, I'm thinking of running a 29x2.5 DD Maxx Grip Assegai in front and I can't decide on a rear tire compound. I'm waffling back and forth between a 27.5x2.4 DHR II - DH casing in either maxx terra or maxx grip. I'm just a bit concerned about the rolling speed in the bike park (and I suppose pedal rides) with the maxx grip rear. I've also considered running an assegai in back, that's what I do on my ebike... but the dh casing assegai only comes in maxx grip and I know that will roll slow af.
Fwiw, I have no expectations of these tires being usable when I get home from this trip. So don't factor in cost or tire wear into this suggestion.
What do yall think? And yes, I have tried continentals, I don't mind em, but I'm sticking with maxxis for this as the feel of the assegai is what I know best.
Options for a rear (matched with a double down maxx grip assegai in front):
-DHR 2 - DH Casing - Maxx Terra
-DHR 2 - DH Casing - Maxx Grip
-Assegai - Double Down or DH Casing - Maxx Grip (aka, don't be such a little bitch about it and pedal hard... maybe pedaling into jump faces)
I would suggest the DHR in MaxxGrip for the same reason as @kcyeeto. The Assegai is going to be slow af, especially on your pedal rides. Hope your trip is rad! If you're there during Crankworx, swing by the Maxxis booth.
Has anyone done any specific testing on impact resistance of casing between companies? I just recently got a Continental Xynotal in Enduro Casing after I blew...
Has anyone done any specific testing on impact resistance of casing between companies? I just recently got a Continental Xynotal in Enduro Casing after I blew up my WTB Trailboss light casing + tannus insert on the first ride. Can't fault the tire as it was my fault and poor line choice.
I'm asking because I'd always ran an Exo+ with an insert in the rear, and typically held them together, with an occasion slice every other year. Feeling the Enduro casing of conti it seemed more robust then Exo+ on the bead by feel (where majority of my slices occur), so I dropped the insert to save some weight. Also it was 150g heavier than my trail boss. Not enough time on it yet to comment.
I've heard in general that WTB light casing was closer to Exo+, which I'd probably agree with on experience. There wasn't a lot online about the conti enduro casing. I'm wondering on Schwalbe, Specialized, Vittoria, Vee, etc. Has anyone done a compare?
Or do you just choose based on weight and go from there?
Weight alone isn't a good metric to go by. Here's my take from what I've run, lease support to most.
EXO
WTB light (though they're heavy for what they are)
EXO+
Schwalbe Super Trail
Maxxis Double Down
Schwalbe Super Gravity
Maxxis DH
Schwalbe DH
Super Trail is my go-to trail bike and winter casing, sometimes with Tannus rear if I need a little more protection against sharp rocks. Double Down is also a good winter tire, it's really supple, so behaves nicely on low-speed, slimy roots. Schwalbe Super Gravity is quite a bit more supportive than DD. I like it in the summer, but as a winter front tire it's borderline too stiff/wooden to conform to the low-speed roots on our local tech. I'm fine with it at 195lbs, but my 170lb friends don't like it. It comes alive at mid-speed and feels great for that.
Has anyone done any specific testing on impact resistance of casing between companies? I just recently got a Continental Xynotal in Enduro Casing after I blew...
Has anyone done any specific testing on impact resistance of casing between companies? I just recently got a Continental Xynotal in Enduro Casing after I blew up my WTB Trailboss light casing + tannus insert on the first ride. Can't fault the tire as it was my fault and poor line choice.
I'm asking because I'd always ran an Exo+ with an insert in the rear, and typically held them together, with an occasion slice every other year. Feeling the Enduro casing of conti it seemed more robust then Exo+ on the bead by feel (where majority of my slices occur), so I dropped the insert to save some weight. Also it was 150g heavier than my trail boss. Not enough time on it yet to comment.
I've heard in general that WTB light casing was closer to Exo+, which I'd probably agree with on experience. There wasn't a lot online about the conti enduro casing. I'm wondering on Schwalbe, Specialized, Vittoria, Vee, etc. Has anyone done a compare?
Or do you just choose based on weight and go from there?
Thanks for the responses everyone.
As for this question, conti enduro casing seems to be more robust to me then exo/exo+, particularly at the sidewall reinforcing area. From my experience, WTB light seems to be on par with exo, where wtb tough is definitely burlier then exo+. The conti's in general seem to have similar casing stiffness under the tread but much more casing/sidewall support and protection.
I've been trying the krypto enduro soft front and rear on my trail bike. These are an experiment to see if I would switch away from my go-to trail bike setup which would be dhr2 dc/exo in back and dhr2 maxx grip/exo(+) in front. While I like the conti's... I feel like the enduro soft conti is better at some things then the maxx grip dhr2, but worse at others. To me, it seems that when you need the knobs to penetrate through organics or deep loose conditions/dust/blowout (i will not use loam improperly here), the conti's seem to do a bit better. In contrast, when you need all out grip from the rubber contact on sandy loose over hard, wet roots, hard pack or rock slabs, maxx grip has a notable edge up on the conti enduro soft.
In general, I think it just comes down to the different strategies. Maxxis seems to have slower rebounding, overall softer rubber compounds (nearly) all the way through the tire lugs/knobs. Where Conti seems to have firmer/harder rubber on the surface, with a softer rubber underneath. Conti's super soft is comparable to maxx grip IMO in most conditions, but still has some of the same caveats. There is something magical that maxxis is doing with that very slow rebounding rubber that they are using in the maxxgrip lineup.
Has anyone done any specific testing on impact resistance of casing between companies? I just recently got a Continental Xynotal in Enduro Casing after I blew...
Has anyone done any specific testing on impact resistance of casing between companies? I just recently got a Continental Xynotal in Enduro Casing after I blew up my WTB Trailboss light casing + tannus insert on the first ride. Can't fault the tire as it was my fault and poor line choice.
I'm asking because I'd always ran an Exo+ with an insert in the rear, and typically held them together, with an occasion slice every other year. Feeling the Enduro casing of conti it seemed more robust then Exo+ on the bead by feel (where majority of my slices occur), so I dropped the insert to save some weight. Also it was 150g heavier than my trail boss. Not enough time on it yet to comment.
I've heard in general that WTB light casing was closer to Exo+, which I'd probably agree with on experience. There wasn't a lot online about the conti enduro casing. I'm wondering on Schwalbe, Specialized, Vittoria, Vee, etc. Has anyone done a compare?
Or do you just choose based on weight and go from there?
Thanks for the responses everyone.
As for this question, conti enduro casing seems to be more robust to me then exo/exo+, particularly at the sidewall reinforcing...
Thanks for the responses everyone.
As for this question, conti enduro casing seems to be more robust to me then exo/exo+, particularly at the sidewall reinforcing area. From my experience, WTB light seems to be on par with exo, where wtb tough is definitely burlier then exo+. The conti's in general seem to have similar casing stiffness under the tread but much more casing/sidewall support and protection.
I've been trying the krypto enduro soft front and rear on my trail bike. These are an experiment to see if I would switch away from my go-to trail bike setup which would be dhr2 dc/exo in back and dhr2 maxx grip/exo(+) in front. While I like the conti's... I feel like the enduro soft conti is better at some things then the maxx grip dhr2, but worse at others. To me, it seems that when you need the knobs to penetrate through organics or deep loose conditions/dust/blowout (i will not use loam improperly here), the conti's seem to do a bit better. In contrast, when you need all out grip from the rubber contact on sandy loose over hard, wet roots, hard pack or rock slabs, maxx grip has a notable edge up on the conti enduro soft.
In general, I think it just comes down to the different strategies. Maxxis seems to have slower rebounding, overall softer rubber compounds (nearly) all the way through the tire lugs/knobs. Where Conti seems to have firmer/harder rubber on the surface, with a softer rubber underneath. Conti's super soft is comparable to maxx grip IMO in most conditions, but still has some of the same caveats. There is something magical that maxxis is doing with that very slow rebounding rubber that they are using in the maxxgrip lineup.
You are absolutely right about the Conti having a firmer rubber on the top. If you look at a cross section of one of their tires, there's a very thin layer of much firmer rubber that fully covers the softer interior rubber. That has seemed to help with durability, but as you mentioned, the MaxxGrip has the edge in wet conditions and also in the cold. Maxxis has a firmer interior base compound to give knobs stability and the soft, gooey stuff on top for traction. It's been really cool to see Conti's different approach. They're doing some interesting stuff with their casings as well.
Anyone have any experience with the Conti Enduro casings as a rear tire? I have the DH casing Kryptotal on my Norco Range, which has served me well. Yesterday pinch flatted a Maxxis DHR in DD casing on my Stumpy evo, was nearing it's eol on the tread anyways -which means new tire day! A bit weary about getting another DHR in DD, and the DH casing supersoft kryptotal really doesn't pedal that great.
My setup is singleply tyres with cushcore and tube. It's a tad lighter than my previous setup which was DH tyres and tubes.
I'm able to run lower pressures for maximum grip without flatting or destroying rims. I used to replace rear rims once a year. For the bikepark I just increase tyre pressure by 3psi front and back.
So typical setup is 2.5/2.6 in tyre with 12-14psi (15-17psi for bikepark) in the front and 15-17psi (18-20psi for bikepark) in the back. I weigh 60kg ~132lb
My favourite all conditions tyre is the Schwalbe Eddy Current front which is like a Magic Mary on steroids. Don't recommend it as a rear as it's very slow rolling.
Best cornering tyre is the Maxxis Assegai in dry conditions. I remove the small middle knobs to make it more of an all conditions tyre as it helps clear wet dirt better.
Best soft conditions tyre is the now extinct WTB Verdict Wet though I recently got the Onza Porcupine RC 2.5 and it's not bad. Might try my previous fav the Schwalbe Dirty Dan again to do a back to back test.
Favorite fast rolling rear tyre I discovered last year Schwalbe Johnny Watts
I don't tend to buy the softest or the stickiest tyres as with my super lower tyre pressures I have enough mechanic grip from casing deformation to allow me to ride off camber roots with ease.
Now I have found that MTB tyres tend to be very square even when you run them on narrower rims. The exceptions I've found are:
-Kenda Hellkat 2.6
-Onza Porcupine RC 2.5
-Assegai 2.5
I would like to see a MTB version of this Schwalbe BMX tyre with bigger knobs:
Anyone have any experience with the Conti Enduro casings as a rear tire? I have the DH casing Kryptotal on my Norco Range, which has served...
Anyone have any experience with the Conti Enduro casings as a rear tire? I have the DH casing Kryptotal on my Norco Range, which has served me well. Yesterday pinch flatted a Maxxis DHR in DD casing on my Stumpy evo, was nearing it's eol on the tread anyways -which means new tire day! A bit weary about getting another DHR in DD, and the DH casing supersoft kryptotal really doesn't pedal that great.
I'm running enduro soft front/rear on my trail bike (135mm travel). I was previously running a trail casing, endurance compound krr in back with a cc xc insert. I ended up putting a pencil eraser sized hole between the treads on a trail ride in utah, not a surprise, that was an experiment to see how light of a casing I could run (I was warned and found out). I have since switched to enduro/soft krr with an cushcore xc on that bike.
The enduro casing is pretty decent in terms of durability and the soft rubber rolls decently well. I'd say it's comparable to a dd dhr2 with maybe a bit more sidewall support. I can't speak much to the puncture durability of it yet as I only have about 200 miles on it and I don't know if I've made any poor line choices on sharp rocks yet, but so far so good. I feel like if I'm leveling for lowest possible pressure before rim strikes start, the enduro casing will let you run lower pressures then the exo+/dd maxis if that means anything.
Anyone have any experience with the Conti Enduro casings as a rear tire? I have the DH casing Kryptotal on my Norco Range, which has served...
Anyone have any experience with the Conti Enduro casings as a rear tire? I have the DH casing Kryptotal on my Norco Range, which has served me well. Yesterday pinch flatted a Maxxis DHR in DD casing on my Stumpy evo, was nearing it's eol on the tread anyways -which means new tire day! A bit weary about getting another DHR in DD, and the DH casing supersoft kryptotal really doesn't pedal that great.
I'm running enduro soft front/rear on my trail bike (135mm travel). I was previously running a trail casing, endurance compound krr in back with a cc...
I'm running enduro soft front/rear on my trail bike (135mm travel). I was previously running a trail casing, endurance compound krr in back with a cc xc insert. I ended up putting a pencil eraser sized hole between the treads on a trail ride in utah, not a surprise, that was an experiment to see how light of a casing I could run (I was warned and found out). I have since switched to enduro/soft krr with an cushcore xc on that bike.
The enduro casing is pretty decent in terms of durability and the soft rubber rolls decently well. I'd say it's comparable to a dd dhr2 with maybe a bit more sidewall support. I can't speak much to the puncture durability of it yet as I only have about 200 miles on it and I don't know if I've made any poor line choices on sharp rocks yet, but so far so good. I feel like if I'm leveling for lowest possible pressure before rim strikes start, the enduro casing will let you run lower pressures then the exo+/dd maxis if that means anything.
Thanks! I was running 25 psi on the maxxis DD DHR, must've gotten unlucky on the drop and hit a sharp rock. What pressures are you running and if you don't mind how much do you weigh with gear and all? I'm heavy - 200lbs with water and gear.
Anyone have any experience with the Conti Enduro casings as a rear tire? I have the DH casing Kryptotal on my Norco Range, which has served...
Anyone have any experience with the Conti Enduro casings as a rear tire? I have the DH casing Kryptotal on my Norco Range, which has served me well. Yesterday pinch flatted a Maxxis DHR in DD casing on my Stumpy evo, was nearing it's eol on the tread anyways -which means new tire day! A bit weary about getting another DHR in DD, and the DH casing supersoft kryptotal really doesn't pedal that great.
I'm running enduro soft front/rear on my trail bike (135mm travel). I was previously running a trail casing, endurance compound krr in back with a cc...
I'm running enduro soft front/rear on my trail bike (135mm travel). I was previously running a trail casing, endurance compound krr in back with a cc xc insert. I ended up putting a pencil eraser sized hole between the treads on a trail ride in utah, not a surprise, that was an experiment to see how light of a casing I could run (I was warned and found out). I have since switched to enduro/soft krr with an cushcore xc on that bike.
The enduro casing is pretty decent in terms of durability and the soft rubber rolls decently well. I'd say it's comparable to a dd dhr2 with maybe a bit more sidewall support. I can't speak much to the puncture durability of it yet as I only have about 200 miles on it and I don't know if I've made any poor line choices on sharp rocks yet, but so far so good. I feel like if I'm leveling for lowest possible pressure before rim strikes start, the enduro casing will let you run lower pressures then the exo+/dd maxis if that means anything.
So trail casing is a no go for the front in a longer travel bike?
Anyone running the new Michelin Wild Enduro MS? I'm curious what pressures people are getting away with on them.
have one im planning on mounting up in the back, have a DH22 up front, the difference in weight and sidewall stiffness is marked.
Yea, I'm running mine up front and the casing feels much thicker than the old Wild Enduros. It was really slippery yesterday when I rode, I kept dropping pressures but despite my weight, never really felt them squirm. I have no idea where I landed on psi, but it felt like it needed to be run lower to bite on the wet, off camber roots.
Old non-racing-line Wild Enduros? Aren't the new ones Racing Lines too, so DH casing?
I'm running Racing Line Wild Enduros and at 1,4 bar bonk the rim probably more than at 1,5 bar on a Maxxis Exo...
I mounted up a set of the new Michelin E-Wild enduro Front tire's - without inserts, started at 25 PSI and they were rock hard, dropped to 23 and same, went to 21 and started to feel a bit more manageable but still really firm. For comparison I have been running Michelin DH22's at 25PSI without inserts and 21-22 PSI with Rimpact V2 inserts and the new wild enduro's felt significantly stiffer than the DH22's at any of the pressures I ran.
They do roll significantly faster than the Dh22's which was a nice surprise.
Thanks, glad it's not just me getting that low.
When I got them, the guy at the shop says he ran closer to 30 PSI with them, maybe he was talking about the DH tires. My first ride on these was during a particularly wet day with a lot of off camber, wet roots that were very slick and I kept losing the front of the bike. It was very skittish, but it was also a new bike and I was oversprung, so that is probably partly why.
I started out at 24psi and kept dumping air the entire time, I have no idea where I landed but I never really got it feeling squishy. Later rides I ran around 20psi and it felt fine riding, but it still feels like I could have lost some pressure and even gotten into the upper teens without issues (215lb rider, Geometron G1). I'll experiment more later, but the casing is much thicker than anything I've run before.
It was also tricky to install. I broke a CC tire lever and nearly wrecked my hands doing so, I really had to stuff the bead down into the rim channel, even then I barely got it on. They do feel really good, though, even at higher pressures and the cornering traction is just as good, if not better, than the previous versions. Fels very precise.
Anyone able to put specialized trail casing into Maxxis-terms? Where does it land?
What's a Schwalbe alternative to Maxxis tread wise? The equivalent to Assegai/DHR2 combo.
magic Mary / big Betty
Grid Trail is probably equivalent to EXO+ maybe a little more robust but not quite a DD.
Grid Trail front with a Grid Gravity rear is excellent, and they make tread/compounds where you can do that.
I’d say magic Mary/TackyChan would be more betterer. I’m running TC’s on both ends with SS trail front and soft trail rear. They do have excellent traction in corners. Happy with braking performance as well.
Thought about it too but I think it's only available in super soft in Germany...
I was thinking about a super soft trail magic Mary in the front and a super gravity soft big Betty in the rear. I'll be putting an assegai dhr2 set on for now to finally get rid of the Michelin (anchors), but looking towards the future. If Contis become available in a casing/rubber combo similar to what Schwalbe offers (trail super soft) ill try those instead.
Big Betty is a weird rear tyre in a way that it does indeed stop you very well when not worn out, but slides left and right just waaaay too much compared to almost anything else - I feel like it just does not hold ground when you need to do off-camberish things, like passing a water puddle on the side.
The Big Betty is a great tire for those who are putting lots of energy/weight into it. Like most rear tires, it rewards those who ride rail-to-rail with fast rolling and sturdy grip when cornering.
In off-camber terrain it can loose it's footing. This is where the Tacky Chan comes in.
The Tacky Chan development actually started from modified Big Bettys cut by the Commencal Muc-Off team.
They would narrow every 3rd center knob for better grip in off-camber and improved cleaning for wet conditions.
Every second side knob was also hollowed out. This makes initiating corners easier. Hold is also improved in variable conditions when cornering.
The Tacky Chan has since been further refined, but the core concepts are still there.
Thank you. It has been fun learning new tire languages, still love maxxis but these other ones are different and great too
Hey dudes... need some opinions on bike park tires. I've got a 22' nomad 6 (170/170 mullet) which is my park bike but I still pedal it a decent amount. It's a pig, 39lbs, coil suspension front/rear, aluminum wheels, blah blah blah.
I digress... I need some tire opinions. I am headed up to whistler in july for a week, typically I do more pedal riding (whistler, squamish, preggerton) when up there then riding the bike park. This trip, I'm headed up there with some park rats and will be doing 70% park riding and select pedal rides (while the park rat dudes are sleeping, microclimate/hey bud/crazytrain etc). I usually run double down with inserts, this year I'm thinking of ditching the inserts and running dh casing rear and dd front.
Currently, I'm thinking of running a 29x2.5 DD Maxx Grip Assegai in front and I can't decide on a rear tire compound. I'm waffling back and forth between a 27.5x2.4 DHR II - DH casing in either maxx terra or maxx grip. I'm just a bit concerned about the rolling speed in the bike park (and I suppose pedal rides) with the maxx grip rear. I've also considered running an assegai in back, that's what I do on my ebike... but the dh casing assegai only comes in maxx grip and I know that will roll slow af.
Fwiw, I have no expectations of these tires being usable when I get home from this trip. So don't factor in cost or tire wear into this suggestion.
What do yall think? And yes, I have tried continentals, I don't mind em, but I'm sticking with maxxis for this as the feel of the assegai is what I know best.
Options for a rear (matched with a double down maxx grip assegai in front):
-DHR 2 - DH Casing - Maxx Terra
-DHR 2 - DH Casing - Maxx Grip
-Assegai - Double Down or DH Casing - Maxx Grip (aka, don't be such a little bitch about it and pedal hard... maybe pedaling into jump faces)
If you're going to go full DH casing and you're not worried about pricing/replacing the tire, I'd probably just opt for the maxx grip version. Yeah, it's probably slower, but it's a DH tire. Might as well go for all out grip when the difference in rolling speed is going to be negligible. I know you said you'd already tried Continentals, but I'll throw my own opinion out there again. If you like the Assegai, it might be worth it to check out the Specialized Cannibals. Cheaper than a Maxxis and a way stiffer sidewall.
Has anyone done any specific testing on impact resistance of casing between companies? I just recently got a Continental Xynotal in Enduro Casing after I blew up my WTB Trailboss light casing + tannus insert on the first ride. Can't fault the tire as it was my fault and poor line choice.
I'm asking because I'd always ran an Exo+ with an insert in the rear, and typically held them together, with an occasion slice every other year. Feeling the Enduro casing of conti it seemed more robust then Exo+ on the bead by feel (where majority of my slices occur), so I dropped the insert to save some weight. Also it was 150g heavier than my trail boss. Not enough time on it yet to comment.
I've heard in general that WTB light casing was closer to Exo+, which I'd probably agree with on experience. There wasn't a lot online about the conti enduro casing. I'm wondering on Schwalbe, Specialized, Vittoria, Vee, etc. Has anyone done a compare?
Or do you just choose based on weight and go from there?
In my experience Maxxis DD is weak for the weight- easier to cut/pinch than they should be.
@ebrunner- 2nd vote for Cannibal rear tire- will last longer and roll faster than Maxxis MaxxGrip, has more grip than Maxterra.
I would suggest the DHR in MaxxGrip for the same reason as @kcyeeto. The Assegai is going to be slow af, especially on your pedal rides. Hope your trip is rad! If you're there during Crankworx, swing by the Maxxis booth.
Weight alone isn't a good metric to go by. Here's my take from what I've run, lease support to most.
EXO
WTB light (though they're heavy for what they are)
EXO+
Schwalbe Super Trail
Maxxis Double Down
Schwalbe Super Gravity
Maxxis DH
Schwalbe DH
Super Trail is my go-to trail bike and winter casing, sometimes with Tannus rear if I need a little more protection against sharp rocks. Double Down is also a good winter tire, it's really supple, so behaves nicely on low-speed, slimy roots. Schwalbe Super Gravity is quite a bit more supportive than DD. I like it in the summer, but as a winter front tire it's borderline too stiff/wooden to conform to the low-speed roots on our local tech. I'm fine with it at 195lbs, but my 170lb friends don't like it. It comes alive at mid-speed and feels great for that.
Haven't run Conti or Spec in the modern era.
Thanks for the responses everyone.
As for this question, conti enduro casing seems to be more robust to me then exo/exo+, particularly at the sidewall reinforcing area. From my experience, WTB light seems to be on par with exo, where wtb tough is definitely burlier then exo+. The conti's in general seem to have similar casing stiffness under the tread but much more casing/sidewall support and protection.
I've been trying the krypto enduro soft front and rear on my trail bike. These are an experiment to see if I would switch away from my go-to trail bike setup which would be dhr2 dc/exo in back and dhr2 maxx grip/exo(+) in front. While I like the conti's... I feel like the enduro soft conti is better at some things then the maxx grip dhr2, but worse at others. To me, it seems that when you need the knobs to penetrate through organics or deep loose conditions/dust/blowout (i will not use loam improperly here), the conti's seem to do a bit better. In contrast, when you need all out grip from the rubber contact on sandy loose over hard, wet roots, hard pack or rock slabs, maxx grip has a notable edge up on the conti enduro soft.
In general, I think it just comes down to the different strategies. Maxxis seems to have slower rebounding, overall softer rubber compounds (nearly) all the way through the tire lugs/knobs. Where Conti seems to have firmer/harder rubber on the surface, with a softer rubber underneath. Conti's super soft is comparable to maxx grip IMO in most conditions, but still has some of the same caveats. There is something magical that maxxis is doing with that very slow rebounding rubber that they are using in the maxxgrip lineup.
Assegai in the rear is a pig even in dual compound (hard), let alone MaxxGrip.
You are absolutely right about the Conti having a firmer rubber on the top. If you look at a cross section of one of their tires, there's a very thin layer of much firmer rubber that fully covers the softer interior rubber. That has seemed to help with durability, but as you mentioned, the MaxxGrip has the edge in wet conditions and also in the cold. Maxxis has a firmer interior base compound to give knobs stability and the soft, gooey stuff on top for traction. It's been really cool to see Conti's different approach. They're doing some interesting stuff with their casings as well.
So theoretically Contis should get better (gripper) with wear?
Anyone have any experience with the Conti Enduro casings as a rear tire? I have the DH casing Kryptotal on my Norco Range, which has served me well. Yesterday pinch flatted a Maxxis DHR in DD casing on my Stumpy evo, was nearing it's eol on the tread anyways -which means new tire day! A bit weary about getting another DHR in DD, and the DH casing supersoft kryptotal really doesn't pedal that great.
Ok here are my thoughts on MTB tyres:
My setup is singleply tyres with cushcore and tube. It's a tad lighter than my previous setup which was DH tyres and tubes.
I'm able to run lower pressures for maximum grip without flatting or destroying rims. I used to replace rear rims once a year. For the bikepark I just increase tyre pressure by 3psi front and back.
So typical setup is 2.5/2.6 in tyre with 12-14psi (15-17psi for bikepark) in the front and 15-17psi (18-20psi for bikepark) in the back. I weigh 60kg ~132lb
My favourite all conditions tyre is the Schwalbe Eddy Current front which is like a Magic Mary on steroids. Don't recommend it as a rear as it's very slow rolling.
Best cornering tyre is the Maxxis Assegai in dry conditions. I remove the small middle knobs to make it more of an all conditions tyre as it helps clear wet dirt better.
Best soft conditions tyre is the now extinct WTB Verdict Wet though I recently got the Onza Porcupine RC 2.5 and it's not bad. Might try my previous fav the Schwalbe Dirty Dan again to do a back to back test.
Favorite fast rolling rear tyre I discovered last year Schwalbe Johnny Watts
https://www.schwalbe.com/en/Johnny-Watts-11159431
I don't tend to buy the softest or the stickiest tyres as with my super lower tyre pressures I have enough mechanic grip from casing deformation to allow me to ride off camber roots with ease.
Now I have found that MTB tyres tend to be very square even when you run them on narrower rims. The exceptions I've found are:
-Kenda Hellkat 2.6
-Onza Porcupine RC 2.5
-Assegai 2.5
I would like to see a MTB version of this Schwalbe BMX tyre with bigger knobs:
https://www.schwalbe.com/en/Little-Joe-11600846.02
PS: I mtb only I don't ebike even if I do run ebike tyres on occasion ;P
I'm running enduro soft front/rear on my trail bike (135mm travel). I was previously running a trail casing, endurance compound krr in back with a cc xc insert. I ended up putting a pencil eraser sized hole between the treads on a trail ride in utah, not a surprise, that was an experiment to see how light of a casing I could run (I was warned and found out). I have since switched to enduro/soft krr with an cushcore xc on that bike.
The enduro casing is pretty decent in terms of durability and the soft rubber rolls decently well. I'd say it's comparable to a dd dhr2 with maybe a bit more sidewall support. I can't speak much to the puncture durability of it yet as I only have about 200 miles on it and I don't know if I've made any poor line choices on sharp rocks yet, but so far so good. I feel like if I'm leveling for lowest possible pressure before rim strikes start, the enduro casing will let you run lower pressures then the exo+/dd maxis if that means anything.
Thanks! I was running 25 psi on the maxxis DD DHR, must've gotten unlucky on the drop and hit a sharp rock. What pressures are you running and if you don't mind how much do you weigh with gear and all? I'm heavy - 200lbs with water and gear.
So trail casing is a no go for the front in a longer travel bike?
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