Dry weather tyres

[Giff]

I normally ride in the uk and have been fine with my supplied tyres Maxxis Minion rear and Maxxis Asssegai front summer and winter
I am now riding in much dryer conditions in southern Europe and there does seem a lack of traction and grip on the slightly pebbly / sandy and rocky surfaces on a lot of the trails.
It's probably my technique as well but any suggestions.
Thanks

 

[yorkshire89]

I would probably recommend those tyres or similar for that sort of mixed terrain.
I spent a fair bit of time riding the same stuff last year and it took a bit of time to get used to if you are used to the UK softer loamy trails that usually have some level of moisture in the ground.

 

[irie]

Agree. With the current hot weather in the (southern) UK the ground is drying out with a dusty surface and giving less grip. Was out this morning in Queen Elizabeth Country Park in Hampshire and noticed exactly this. Nothing wrong with the tyres which are Maxxis Assegai 29 DD front and rear.

 

[Dax]

Assegai/DHR are my dry weather combo, I switch to magic Mary/butcher/shorty for uk winter.

 

[Giff]

Great thanks for the answers….I think modified technique maybe the trick then.

 

[big_scot_nanny]

I find Michelin Wild Enduro magi-x to offer excellent grip in pretty much all conditions - more than maxxis maxx-grip in my experience, but especially on loose/dusty trails.

 

[Ark]

Dissectors ?

 

[Clubby]

I rather like a 2.5 Aggressor on the rear. Works really well on dry, loose rubbly Cairngorm Landrover track.
Currently running this with a 2.5 DHR front.

Dissector as above also said to be tailor made for those conditions but no personal experience of them.

 

[Hobo Mikey]

I run a Dissector on the rear and love it, it does wear down quick though.

 

[Growmac]

I normally ride in the uk and have been fine with my supplied tyres Maxxis Minion rear and Maxxis Asssegai front summer and winter

Are they the OEM tyres that came with the bike? The OEM versions often use a much harder, much less grippy rubber than aftermarket versions of the same tyres.

Assegai front and Minion DHR rear is my preferred choice, but you want the MaxTerra compound, maybe even MaxGrip for the front (it'll drag but lots of grip). I use Exo+ casing on the front and DD rear, but preferences on that vary widely, you trade robustness for weight. Definitely want to be tubeless for lower pressures, and I use RimPact in the rear to avoid rim damage.

 

[Giff]

Sorry I missed the first line of your post. Yes they are aftermarket (yellow lettering), tubeless and I am wondering about dropping pressures a bit.

 

[darvd29]

Lower tyre pressure, your tyres are great

 

[irie]

Sorry I missed the first line of your post. Yes they are aftermarket (yellow lettering), tubeless and I am wondering about dropping pressures a bit.

What front and rear pressures are you now running?

 

[Giff]

23 psi front 29psi rear

 

[irie]

23 psi front 29psi rear

I'm 82kg ready to ride on a Trek Rail with 29 x 2.5 Assegai Maxxgrip front and rear. Now running 24 front 26 rear which seems to work well in the current mega dry conditions in the typical rough tracks/forests I ride in. In winter run 22 front 24 rear which feels 'squirmy' when it gets drier.

Suggest taking a pump with you and ride a typical short stretch several times changing only front or rear pressures (not both at the same time) then see how it feels. Also do some heavy braking to check that out.

Edit 30 June 2023: for dry dusty UK summer conditions 26psi front seems to feel better than 24psi. So now running 26psi front and rear. Wife has same on her Rail and she also thinks the front 26psi feel a bit better.

 

[Downhillr]

Assegai Maxxgrip 2.5 front @ 24 psi, either DHRII 2.4 @ 26 psi or Continental 2.6 Kryptotal Enduro Soft on rear @ 24 psi, also running Tannus inserts both f/r, seem to work out best on Santa Cruz (CA) loam and Pacifica‘s rocky, sandier soil.

 

[Giff]

I'm 82kg ready to ride on a Trek Rail with 29 x 2.5 Assegai Maxxgrip front and rear. Now running 24 front 26 rear which seems to work well in the current mega dry conditions in the typical rough tracks/forests I ride in. In winter run 22 front 24 rear which feels 'squirmy' when it gets drier.

Suggest taking a pump with you and ride a typical short stretch several times changing only front or rear pressures (not both at the same time) then see how it feels. Also do some heavy braking to check that out.

Thanks iris
I’m about 78 kg with kit so I will try dropping the rear pressure a bit. It is the rear that seems to break away a bit.

 

[irie]

Thanks iris
I’m about 78 kg with kit so I will try dropping the rear pressure a bit. It is the rear that seems to break away a bit.

Agree. You're relatively light and if the rear is over inflated it will reduce the size of the contact patch.