Best tyres for mixed use? Help required!

[pagheca]

@pagheca I have ridden several times in Tenerife. The trail was in part known as "The Esperanza Trail" which is on the side of Mount Teide, the local volcano. It was always dry and usually quite grippy. The trees were Eucalyptus and not pine, so dry leaves instead of needles. Despite that they could be treacherous whenever there was one leaf on top of another. The worst conditions were when it had rained during the night and the exposed clay terrain that had been polished smooth over time became like wet ice. The rental bikes had very worn tyres and the combination was not at all good.

I braked on a tricky bit and went in a dead straight line into a shaggy-barked redwood. I ended up with bark shreds embedded into my left leg from where my shorts finished to where my socks started. Then fell onto the clay and that painted my whole right side with dark red. I didn't make a pretty sight when I got back to the hotel!

The following morning, I was limping down to breakfast (in my usual shots and tee shirt). The skin of my left leg was inflamed from all the bark particles under the skin and it was throbbing and stinging. An old lady who my wife had sat next to on the coach trip she'd been on whilst I was out enjoying myself asked her "Is that your husband? Has he had a fall?" She replied, "Oh no, he crashed his mountain bike coming down the side of a volcano!" (God bless her!) Exit stage left one confused old lady!

Thank you for sharing this experience! I worked at the Izaña Observatory for 3 months 31 years ago, and know the area very well. El Teide and the crest you rode is visible from here :

Every three days during that time I went from the observatory (that you can see in the above picture, taken from my house door, if you know where it is...) to La Laguna, up and down, to refill a liquid nitrogen dewar that was needed for the experiment I was doing at the time. It was 1993. The Esperanza Trail passes close to the sealed one I used at the time.

I didn't know about this trail actually (searched the Internet). Could be a nice suggestion for the future...

By the way we do not "have a fall!" (FFS), We crash, we go OTB, we have an "off". WE DO NOT HAVE A FALL!

Yes, that't the feeling... However, La Palma is slightly more steep and wild than Tenerife, although smaller.

 

[pagheca]

Because you are commuting, avoid the heavy "Downhill" ones and get the lighter "Mountain" versions. You then have to choose between the "Maxx Grip" and the "Maxx Terra". The "Terra" are lighter, have a slightly harder compound and will have less rolling resistance than the "Maxx Grip". All are excellent tyres. From your description of your use, I would opt for the 3C "Maxx Terra". If you like the tyres to match, then go for a "Maxx Grip" up front and a "Maxx Terra" on the rear.

You don't have to fit them both at the same time! Experiment with just one new tyre on the front first and observe the difference, then try the other.

It looks like the 3C MaxxTerra and MaxxGrip are compound, not models. Correct?

By using the Maxxis finder (bicycle, mountain, 29 x 2.40) I came to these selection:

Tire Finder - Results

Maybe the Rekon are more balanced for my use?

 

[steve_sordy]

...............

Maybe the Rekon are the one more balanced for my use?

My first emtb came with Maxxis Rekon 29x2.6 EXO TR front and rear. The tyre weight was 806gm. They were great on the road, but just not grippy enough for the trails. I replaced the front tyre with a WTB Vigilante 29x2.5 TCS Light, High Grip with TriTec compound and Slash Guard, 1160gm. For the rear I went with a tyre I was familiar with from my mtb days; a 29x2.5 Maxxis High Roller II 3C WT Maxx Terra EXO TR, 1016gm. They were great together.
My grandson's bike came with the WTB Vigilante front and a Trail Boss on the rear. He liked them a lot and I must say that they looked good and had very good reviews. I would have put a Trail Boss on the rear, but I already had the High Roller.

When the pandemic struck the UK, the government closed the trails and restricted movement. So I refitted the Rekons, pumped them up to 25-30psi and rode the tarmac to get to the local public bridleways. That year the summer was long and hot, so the trails were dry and dusty. That mixed use suited the Rekons very well.

When I got my second emtb, I kept the Maxxis Assegai 29x2.5 folding, TR DD 3C MaxxGrip, 1335gm on the front, but I couldn't get on with the rear tyre, a Maxxis Aggressor 27.5x2.5 folding, TR DD Dual, 1105gm, so I finally got to try the WTB Trail Boss and fitted a 27.5x2.6 TCS Light (Triple Compound + nylon Slash guard, Light casing), tubeless ready, 1063g. That Assegai/Trail Boss combo works very well and I would replace with the same tyres when the time comes.

For the trails I normally I ride with 20psi rear and 17psi front. If I'm going somewhere rocky or if I have a lot of pavement, I increase the tyre pressure by 3-5 psi. This increases the support and also reduces the rolling resistance.

 

[pagheca]

mmhhhh... things are getting even more complicated... Here usually the weather is dry but with occasional heavy rains on some areas. In those occasions is so muddy that I do not usually there to go on dirty steep road.

I was sticking on Maxxis but at this point I will try other brands, as you suggested.