Another Tyre question

[S D]

Ok so i have already read most of the tyre threads on here but they just seem to over complicate things for me. ( rim sizes , new wheels etc)
I have the plus size wheels , i think the rims are 40mm ,
i dont like the rekon front tyre in the wet. (Think wet forest trails and Peak District tracks)
I don't want to spend more money on wheels.
I dont want to fit a tyre which sucks battery power.
I dont mind a slightly narrower tyre so long as it fits the stock rims if it gives more choice .

Any advice appreciated

 

[ricardowight]

Hi SD,
I had the same dilemma with the Rekon on the front and ditched it almost immediately for a Maxxis Minion DHF 2.8.
Don't worry about drag, you're riding an emtb?
I generally get between 26 and 32ish miles range out of my Jam 2 (depending on terrain), even with the Minion on the front.
The Minion will go wherever you point it, in all but the muddiest conditions, and you will have a massive confidence boost.
Don't deliberate any further, just go for it, you won't regret it.

 

[S D]

Hi SD,
I had the same dilemma with the Rekon on the front and ditched it almost immediately for a Maxxis Minion DHF 2.8.
Don't worry about drag, you're riding an emtb?
I generally get between 26 and 32ish miles range out of my Jam 2 (depending on terrain), even with the Minion on the front.
The Minion will go wherever you point it, in all but the muddiest conditions, and you will have a massive confidence boost.
Don't deliberate any further, just go for it, you won't regret it.

Thanks for that ,
Minion it is then

 

[Samwise]

I was thinking of switching to continental trail king on the front

 

[cjm_wales]

I have rekon+ front and rear.

I'm still getting used to the bike, but I was surprised at just how much it moved around in the wet last week.

My enduro experience (on a motorcycle) means I'm not too bothered by a bit of sliding, but it really was all over the place. I almost low-sided a few times

I might give the Minions a try.

Then again, Last sunday (in dampish to dry conditions) the rekons were awesome at 14 psi...

 

[ricardowight]

I've kept the Rekon on the rear as it's great most of the time.
It's still a bit sketchy in mud, but I can deal with that on the back end.
The Minion DHF on the front keeps me pointing in the right direction over a wider range of conditions.
Of course there are extremes of mud where no tyre is perfect, and at the moment in the UK we seem to be getting dry periods then a few days of rain that soaks everything again!!!
So the Minion up front and the Rekon on the rear seems a good compromise. Once the summer is here properly this combo will be ace.
For the record, I've done nearly 1000 miles with the original Rekon on the back and it's still got a surprising amount of tread on it!!

 

[flash]

I love my DHF on the front. However I didn't like the 2.8. Too vague. I'm MUCH happier with a 2.5 front and 2.6 DHRII rear.

Gordon

 

[steve_sordy]

@Samwise Conti TKs were really good tyres on my clockwork bike and and if I could get a 29x2.6 for my emtb I'd have one at each end.

I had Maxxis Rekon 29x2.6 (3C on the front, 1C on the rear). They were great when it was dry, but like @cjm_wales and @ricardowight, I found them too sketchy when the trails were not dry.

I read on here that many members like the Minions, but I have no experience of them. I do however have great experience of the High Roller II. The Maxxis chart of conditions vs tyre shows that the HRII has a slightly broader conditions remit, so I went for them.

I wanted 29x2.6 but couldn't find any. I wanted 3C on the front and 2C on the rear, but couldn't find any 2C either.

In the end I bought two HR II, 29x 2.5 WT, EXO, TLR, Maxx Terra, 3C and put one at each end. Brilliant!

 

[estoril]

I've just fitted a pair of BC Trail Kings in 29 x 2.4 (2.6 not avaialble) so I'll let you know how i get on. I currently have a set of Eddy Current and a set of Hans Dampf, I prefer the Hans Dampf as the Eddy Current are too aggressive for all but the muddiest conditions.

 

[S D]

Can I ask if the slimmer tyres people are fitting are fitted to the standard 40mm wide rims or are you using slimmer wheels ?

 

[estoril]

The 2019 bike uses 29mm inner width rims so no issue going from 2.6 to 2.4

 

[steve_sordy]

@estoril Please let us know how you get on with the Conti TKs in 2.4". On my clockwork bikes I have been a long term fan of the TKs, but only on tyres with the black chilli compound (IMO bcc is essential). With bcc you get grip, lower rolling resistance than you would expect, and longer life than you would expect (I got 3000 trail miles out of one tyre). They are not a mud tyre, but they clear mud far better than you would expect; I used them all year round whereas before I used to fit mud tyres in the Winter. Conti seem to have made the impossible tyre.

BUT: If you ride mostly rock, or if you commute on tarmac, don't use them. I never did, but those that do say that they can hear them wearing out!

 

[2unfit2ride]

I can't comment on your specific bike but my Merida came with 2.8 Rekon & DHR tyres, I wasn't a fan of the squirm. My rims are 35mm internal, (40mm external) so I went for some 2.5 WT DHF & DHR, I think I would prefer the aggressor or the Forekastor as they are less aggressive & would probably roll better. Saying that if my rims were a bit narrower I would of gone for a 2.3 as I'm no big hitter.

Pic shows the original tyres with the Reckon on the rear.
Cheers.

 

[steve_sordy]

I will see your
View attachment 13819

and raise you a

 

[2unfit2ride]

I will see your
View attachment 13819

and raise you a
View attachment 13820

I had to get rid of most of the mud (heavy clay) to drag the bike out of the field, anyway which tyre is that?

 

[steve_sordy]

I had to get rid of most of the mud (heavy clay) to drag the bike out of the field, anyway which tyre is that?

The bike ground to a halt because even with the motor, the tyre would not go round. I suppose I could have used Boost, but I didn't want to damage the frame. The tyre in that picture was Maxxis 29x2.6 Rekon EXO TR, in a single compound. The front tyre is the Maxx Terra 3C version. I swapped out both of them soon after that ride for Maxxis High Roller II 3C WT Maxx Terra EXO TR (isn't that a stupidly long name?)

And yes, those are twigs sticking out of the mud. That pic was taken on the Viking Way up near Belvoir Castle. The earth is notoriously sticky and I should have known better than to attempt that trail at that time of year.

 

[Eckythump]

Can I ask if the slimmer tyres people are fitting are fitted to the standard 40mm wide rims or are you using slimmer wheels ?

I have 2.6” x 27.5” Minions on 40mm internal DT Swiss wheels and they are working well. Maxxis recommend 35mm but have a range 30-40mm for the 2.6 “ WT tyres.

 

[S D]

I’ve the 2.8 Rekon on the rear and a 2.8 minion up front but I’m finding getting used to 2.8 s is taking longer than anticipated.
Toying with the idea of slimmer tyres

 

[estoril]

@estoril Please let us know how you get on with the Conti TKs in 2.4". On my clockwork bikes I have been a long term fan of the TKs, but only on tyres with the black chilli compound (IMO bcc is essential). With bcc you get grip, lower rolling resistance than you would expect, and longer life than you would expect (I got 3000 trail miles out of one tyre). They are not a mud tyre, but they clear mud far better than you would expect; I used them all year round whereas before I used to fit mud tyres in the Winter. Conti seem to have made the impossible tyre.

BUT: If you ride mostly rock, or if you commute on tarmac, don't use them. I never did, but those that do say that they can hear them wearing out!

So far (in very dry conditions) the TK 2.4 BCC are performing very well, they are fast rolling (esp compared to the Eddy Current and Hans Dampf they replace), I managed 25 miles last night (lots of roads) but only use 30% battery.

I have a set of XKing on my Orange Stage 4 RS and I actually think these would be OK for dry conditions.

 

[steve_sordy]

Continental tyres with the grippy black chilli compound don't seem to last well on tarmac or rock. At least the Trail Kings don't. I was riding mostly in the woods and got 3000 miles out of one tyre, I still have it, but it's a 26er and I don't have a bike to put it on anymore. Other TK tyres I had received too much sidewall damage, but the tread was still OK. In other words it is not a tyre for commuting (tarmac), or if your local trail is in the mountains (rock). Anywhere else it's fine!

 

[estoril]

still really happy with the TK 2.4's, I've now installed (as an experiment) a set of Rimpact inserts as they are pretty cheap and will provide some extra protection when running lower pressures.