Schwalbe Eddy Current

[steve_sordy]

Wow! @Tim29 you seem to have tested so many tyres, far more than I have.

I am new to emtb, although I have many years on mtb. I was hoping some of my clockwork based knowledge would transfer across the board (hmmm.. not so much as I'd like). For example, tyres. Hence my hope that you can provide some assistance.

I don't like the 29x2.6 Maxxis Rekon 3C EXO TR on my emtb, mounted on 30mm internal rims. They are fine where the trail is dry, or even hard and wet. But when its loose, muddy, or even just half an inch of gloop, I just don't trust them. I have had a lot of rear wheel spin outs and slide outs and more than a few front wheel twitches. I don't do jumps any bigger than 3' and I don't consider myself a downhiller, more of an aggressive-trail guy. My favourite tyre on my clockwork trail bike is Continental Trail King with the black chilli compound, but, they don't do the size I'm looking for on my emtb.

What I would like to buy is the tyre I used on my clockwork Enduro bike, Maxxis HR II 3C EXO TR Terra for the front and a single compound for the rear (but I'd settle for a 3C on the rear). But I can't find any. It would appear that Maxxis don't make them! What in your opinion is the nearest tyre (by any manufacturer) that would be a good alternative to the HR II?

I looked at Minions, but they don't do as well as the HR II when it's wet and slimy.

I have been following the tyre thread, but although I can see lots of recommendations they don't come with enough info to give me confidence to actually buy. There are so many contradictions.

 

[Tim29]

I have run the HRII on my ebikes and it’s pretry decent i agree it works better then DHRII IN Wet or muddy. But it doesn’t last but about 300 miles of your nice to it on rear of ebike.
My personal opinion i don’t like any of the schwalbe 2.6 fronts on a 30mm internal rim exp the eddy current front. But it doesn’t work well in any kind of mud.
The DHF AND DHRII are a decent compromise. They work ok on wide verity of surfaces, but hard pack with loose on top the DHF can be unpredictable.
The eddy rear is pretty dang good everywhere but little lacking in mud. But on wet rock and roots i think it’s king. On hard dirt and chunk find it an amazing tire.
I think if i was stuck with 30 internals wheels i would try 2.6 Mary with Cush core to help the tire roll up front and mate it with either 2.6 eddy or DHR2 rear in exo+ case.
Right now i have these in my arsenal of tires mounted ready to ride
2.8 Mary on 27.5 x38
2.6 Mary on 29x38
2.6 Hans D on 29x35
2.5 DHF ON 29x32
2.4 Eddy c on 29x 30.5
Rear
2.6 eddy c on 29x34
2.8 eddy c on 27.5x42
2.8 DHRII ON 27.5x40
2.6 DHRIi wt on 27.5x 40
2.8 HRII ON 27.5x 36

That being said, if I’m going someplace unknown and to play my go to is 2.8 eddy on 42 in rear and 2.6 Hans D on 29x35
Second choice is DHRII REAR with Mary up front
Third choice is dhf 2.5 front and 2.6 rear.
My race choice for fast hard is 2.6 DHRII wt rear on 40 with with 2.5 DHF up front as there fast but sketchy
Anyplace it’s loose, soft, muddy Mary up front.
I typically don’t trail ride with Mary as she has beat all around grip so i don’t practice on them as i tend to get lazy and not weight my outside pedal as they have so much grip.
Hans i find faster then Mary and very predictable in all surfaces but doesn’t match Mary grip on anything but hero dirt.
Mary is always my girl in the muddy days.
Without seeing u ride or knowing your dirt i can’t point comfortably point you into any one direction.
I can say that Mary never works bad up front no matter what the conditions, but she isn’t the fastest girl on the trail.
I think maybe you should analyze your riding style. If your one to feel most comfortable with your outside pedal down in corners you can get away with faster front tire.
If you tend to ride both feet level through corners go for most grip possible.
Hope that helps

 

[steve_sordy]

Thank you for a most excellent response. Just a few questions to help my understanding.

You mention DHRII quite frequently and also the DHF. Are they Maxxis Minions you are referring to?

 

[Tim29]

Yes

Thank you for a most excellent response. Just a few questions to help my understanding.

You mention DHRII quite frequently and also the DHF. Are they Maxxis Minions you are referring to?

yes Maxxis minion DHRII AND DHF

 

[Gary]

doesn’t last but about 300 miles of your nice to it on rear of ebike.

What compound?
what are you doing to kill a tyre in 300miles? I'd only expect that sort of wear riding pure DH (uplifted) and only using the softest compound rears available.
I tend to get at least 5 times that mileage out of a rear minion. But I only use dual compound rather than anything super soft.
My Ebike doesn't cause tyres to wear any faster than my regular bikes either. (ridden exactly the same way and on the same trails)
Also wouldn't agree with a DHF being unpredictable anywhere. Infact I'd say it's probably one of the most predictable tyre I've ever run. Especially in loose over hardpack. But then I've been running DHFs upfront all year round for almost 20 years now so I suppose I've learned exactly where and how they break loose, drift and where/how they'll hook up.

@steve_sordy it's Maxxis dual compound you are looking for on the rear. they're harder compound (but still plenty grip) and have slightly softer edge knobs for improved cornering traction. They also roll a hell of a lot faster than any of the 3C compounds
The rekon is a fast rolling dry weather tyre so that'll be why you're struggling with it in the mud

 

[Tim29]

Rob, Magic Mary, adix compound.
I get 900-1400 out of it up front.
But in the rear it doesn’t hold up.
I completely wore one out on the rear at mammoth in 1 day practicing for Kamikaze. I almost never skid.
This DHR2 soft comp has over 1k miles. I took it off after i let friend demo the bike for 2 weeks and he skidded the side knobs wrecked the edges. But for some reason Mary on rear of ebike doesn’t hold up at all

 

[huxi]

Just in case anyone was interested, I emailed Schwalbe and asked them what the deal was with the 29 x 2.6 front. Their response is below.

Our Eddy Currrent Front in 2,6 will be available (in Germany) in the beginning of March 2019.

Found the "Eddy Current 29x2.6 Front" available here: SCHWALBE Reifen Eddy Current 29+ x 2.60 Front ADDIX Soft EVO Super Gr

 

[Tim29]

Gary, my ebikes are considerably harder on rear tires then my acoustic bike.
I think because i can climb hills i can’t come close to climbing without high assist. The leading edge and center knobs just get hammered, but trailing edges stay sharp so tire still brakes well and corners well.

 

[Gary]

I very very rarely climb anything I couldn't on any of my regular bikes.
infact the only thing I've climbed in months I couldn't have done on a regular bike was because the climb was covered in 3" of snow so didn't actually cause any wear at all.

 

[Tim29]

Gary, i think the reason you find the DHF Predictable is you run a 2.25-2.4 wide.
Jump to the 2.5 or worse the 2.6 and that predictability jumps right out window.
I blame it on the gap between mid knobs and outside knobs. That space gets considerably wider in the larger width tires. Also the 29er isn’t as good as the 27.5

 

[jonpress]

Found the "Eddy Current 29x2.6 Front" available here: SCHWALBE Reifen Eddy Current 29+ x 2.60 Front ADDIX Soft EVO Super Gr

Thanks for that, I have ordered a pair and will give them a go. I don't push the bike to the extremes so I imagine they will be ok. Time will tell, I'll post my thoughts when I get them.

 

[Tim29]

Thanks for that, I have ordered a pair and will give them a go. I don't push the bike to the extremes so I imagine they will be ok. Time will tell, I'll post my thoughts when I get them.

as long as it’s not slimy or soft mud. If you ride a fair bit in wet i would be very careful
A

 

[jonpress]

as long as it’s not slimy or soft mud. If you ride a fair bit in wet i would be very careful
A

Thanks for the advice.

 

[Gary]

Gary, i think the reason you find the DHF Predictable is you run a 2.25-2.4 wide.
Jump to the 2.5 or worse the 2.6 and that predictability jumps right out window.
I blame it on the gap between mid knobs and outside knobs.

lol. I have used a 2.5 upfront on my DH bikes pretty much since the DHF was designed so know them and their handling traits incredibly well.
That "gap" you mention is one of the greatest design features of the tread patern. it's where you transition from straight line grip to railing on that utterly awesome edge tread. I and a few other DH riders U know refer to that "gap" as the drift zone. Beginners struggle with the concept of a controlled drift. but believe me the drift zone of a 2.5 DHF is massively controllable. What it doesn't do very well is give confidence to beginners who don't lean enough or ride aggressively enough and end up in the drift zone not understanding why their $70 super sticky rubber tyre isn't making their bike feel like it has spiderman grip anymore.
I have no interest in anything bigger than a 2.5 (as you know) but it certainly isn't because of that "gap" being 1mm wider

Predictable doesn't mean endless grip it means consistent grip characteristics you can trust time and time again. ie. knowing when and where the limit of grip is and where and how it lets go and hooks up again. it's because of the DHFs tread patern having such predictable characteristics I don't ever feel any need to run super soft tyres on anything other than my DH bikes.

 

[Tim29]

I find that drift zone to be death on downhill off camber turns. It may or may not hold, and anybody guess it or when it says goodbye.
I run it sometimes because it’s fast. But if there is hard pack with loose on top or any off camber turns that girl is left in the rack!!!

 

[Tim29]

Last couple races i was at, 80% or more where running dhf up front.
Not one person finished on podium of any class with it.
Mary And DHR2 UP FRONT WON EVERY CLASS

 

[Gary]

I find that drift zone to be death on downhill off camber turns.

it isn't

It may or may not hold, and anybody guess it or when it says goodbye.

not really. it becomes very intuitive when they let go and real easy to reign in when they do

I run it sometimes because it’s fast. But if there is hard pack with loose on top or any off camber turns that girl is left in the rack!!!

Pretty much where it's predictavility comes into it's own

Last couple races i was at, 80% or more where running dhf up front.
Not one person finished on podium of any class with it.
Mary And DHR2 UP FRONT WON EVERY CLASS

This means absolutely nothing to me.
what sort of races?
where?
What sort of terrain?
and what sort of conditions?

Mary's and DHR2s are both great tyres but they're not exactly designed for the same conditions. for such a great a soft conditions/mud performer I've been pretty impressed with Marys in the dry but they have quite different characteristics to a DHF

I do get it though. a DHF really isn't for you.

 

[Dirtnvert]

Ya they aren’t my experiences with dhf either. Intermediate knobs are the reason you lose edging on the outer edging knobs. I think it’s called nevegalitis. If you get on to intermediate knobs it has a tendency to slide right past the outer knobs. That channelbetween center and edging knobs gives the outer a definitive edge, thus predictable. Dhf is still one of the best for sure.
I don’t get the Schwalbe love on here either. They’re good grip but they wear out fast, knobs ripoff, the casing get punctured easier than others and they’re pricey.
Best tires at the moment are Michelin. Good deal at CRC. Wild rockr2 out minions a minion. Better rubber in both grip and wear and more damp with the sr(slow rebound) rubber. Wild enduro front is similar to magic Mary but better edging and durability

 

[Mattwilko92]

Fitted the MM up front and EC on the rear. The EC was quite tough to initally mount (could have done with a few more hours in the warm house) but it soon seated.

I used airshot to inflate and the new muc off tyre sealant, hopefully they stay sealed as im riding tomorrow!

Used r2-bike.com - recommend the tyres came from
Germany within 3 days and price is pretty good.

 

[Tim29]

Fitted the MM up front and EC on the rear. The EC was quite tough to initally mount (could have done with a few more hours in the warm house) but it soon seated.

I used airshot to inflate and the new muc off tyre sealant, hopefully they stay sealed as im riding tomorrow!

Used r2-bike.com - recommend the tyres came from
Germany within 3 days and price is pretty good.

Next time just throw tire in a hot bath tub with soapy hot water It removes the mold release wax and tire grips better and it makes it easy to mount. Mounting one with the cushcore is a bit of a challenge

 

[Tim29]

Gary, so i tried something yesterday, couldn’t give it a proper shake down as it was really muddy in a lot of places but shows some promise.
I put a 2.6 DHF wt on the rear on a 40 internal wheel. And a 2.5 dhf on front with a 35 internal.
That’s a 29 front and 27.5 rear.
So far I’m impressed. It’s pretty dam fast, have your (drift zone) on the rear that fades before the front so far has helped my dislike of the dhf front as the rear fades before the front and helps reduce that unexpected front wheel drift on off camber and hard fast turn ins.
But the combo is really fast rolling for a larger knobby tire. I am gonna give it a more thorough shake down on some fast hard sections and see if Nehru truly roll as fast as they feel like they do.
But i had fun with them yesterday in the wet. But i was running well off pace because of conditions.
But typically Maxxis doesn’t claim the dhf to be great in wet and muddy.

 

[steve_sordy]

Kerrist! How many have a garage like that! (Envious)

Mine looks like Steptoe's yard!

For the non-Brits in the membership and for those younger then 50, Steptoe was a junk dealer patrolling the streets with his horse and cart. It was an early 70's comedy on BBC (maybe late 60's).

 

[Tim29]

Thays

Kerrist! How many have a garage like that! (Envious)

Mine looks like Steptoe's yard!

For the non-Brits in the membership and for those younger then 50, Steptoe was a junk dealer patrolling the streets with his horse and cart. It was an early 70's comedy on BBC (maybe late 60's).

Thats not my garage it’s a girlfriends.
Mine not as clean

 

[jsalas2]

Tried rear Eddy Current front and rear. Worked great. Couldn’t wait for the front any more.

 

[Stumpy]

Tried rear Eddy Current front and rear. Worked great. Couldn’t wait for the front any more.

27.5 x 2.8 or 29er?

 

[Tim29]

I have the 27.5 x2.8 rear and the 29x 2.6 rear up front.
Not sold on the front yet. Have the 29x2.4 and 2.6. It’s a little scary when wet. But worked pretty good on hard pack and chunk.
But can’t give it a proper shake down till it dries up a bit.
We been getting hammered with rain.
Plus I’m on a new bike so need to get it dialed in before i go tire testing.
But i really like the 27.5x2.8 rear in everything but mud.
Tire is amazing in chunk and hard pack.

 

[jsalas2]

Tried rear Eddy Current front and rear. Worked great. Couldn’t wait for the front any more.

27.5 x 2.8 or 29er?

27.5x2.8

 

[steve_sordy]

@Tim29 That is not a garage, that is a proper workshop. I wouldn't be surprised if you have an overhead crane in there! (Envy).

 

[Tim29]

No i

@Tim29 That is not a garage, that is a proper workshop. I wouldn't be surprised if you have an overhead crane in there! (Envy).

no over head crane but do have over head chain fall.
But that is a climate controlled clean room

 

[steve_sordy]

No i
no over head crane but do have over head chain fall.
But that is a climate controlled clean room

It gets worse!