What tyres? The Ultimate Tyre Thread

[DrStupid]

I've been using DHRII as a winter tyre - it is good at not holding clay / mud. It's also high volume, which I like. I don't think it is a great grip for climbing and braking, as many youtube reviewers state; I actually wonder if many of the reviewers are just repeat the marketing blurb. I'm not sure I trust many youtube reviewers anymore. I've found the dhf much better on the rear for climbing and braking. I won't be buying dhrII again. Love the assegai on the front all year and dhf on the rear for the dry. Will have to find something else for the wet months on the rear. Might even go assegai rear in a harder compound; just wish they were higher volume.

I ran a 2.5 Shorty DD Max-Grip on the rear last winter, and seriously will mount up another this winter. It's not high volume I dont think, but paired with an assegia in the front, I could keep going through mud better than anything else I tried, while maintaining good dry weather grip too.

The shorty was toast after 6 months.

For now I'm running e-wilds in summer, and assegai front, shorty rear in the winter.

I tried running the Shorty up front and absolutely hated it because of the large transition zone.

 

[DrStupid]

Today I was riding the KHS 6555+ with an Assegia Max-Grip DH 2.5 up front, and a DD 2.5 Aggressor out back. The Aggressor is a dam good mud tire (its the weekend so of course it rained buckets for hours), it's not as good as the Shorty for muddy steeps, but grips well on off chambers, and breaks loose in corners, just a little before the Assegai, which seems right. It also rolls well when it's dry.

Trouble was, I punched a hole in the Aggressor just plodding around. It's like was mentioned above by @Dirtnvert, it seems the good rolling knobbies are just not tall enough for the shrapnel I have on my trails.

I stuffed a 2.6 tannus armour in the thing and tomorrow I'll get to try that!

The Tannus Armour definitely forces the Aggressor to look more rounded in the middle, and I think I like it. It was a chore to mount... Let's see if if holds up.

 

[urastus]

Today I was riding the KHS 6555+ with an Assegia Max-Grip DH 2.5 up front, and a DD 2.5 Aggressor out back. The Aggressor is a dam good mud tire (its the weekend so of course it rained buckets for hours), it's not as good as the Shorty for muddy steeps, but grips well on off chambers, and breaks loose in corners, just a little before the Assegai, which seems right. It also rolls well when it's dry.

Trouble was, I punched a hole in the Aggressor just plodding around. It's like was mentioned above by @Dirtnvert, it seems the good rolling knobbies are just not tall enough for the shrapnel I have on my trails.

I stuffed a 2.6 tannus armour in the thing and tomorrow I'll get to try that!

The Tannus Armour definitely forces the Aggressor to look more rounded in the middle, and I think I like it. It was a chore to mount... Let's see if if holds up.

I love the look of the aggressor. Maxxis are a bit frustrating. I like the 2.6 high volume type tires on the rear and really need a dd casing for the damping - maxxis don't make that combo. The sides of the exo and exo+ are too weak for the rear and I need to put more pressure in; with a tube in I can go 2psi less. Front is no problem with exo or exo +. At this point I like the schwalbe eddy current in 2.6 rear, already shown in a post previously.

 

[DrStupid]

I love the look of the aggressor. Maxxis are a bit frustrating. I like the 2.6 high volume type tires on the rear and really need a dd casing for the damping - maxxis don't make that combo. The sides of the exo and exo+ are too weak for the rear and I need to put more pressure in; with a tube in I can go 2psi less. Front is no problem with exo or exo +. At this point I like the schwalbe eddy current in 2.6 rear, already shown in a post previously.

A guy I ride with just put the Eddy's on his Jam2 and they are impressive. I'd try them but the bird would kill me! I've got way to many tires in the garage already.

I'm hoping the Tannus armour will let me wear out some of these new treads I have, that were punctured after just a few rides. I've learned the hard way, that anything less than a DD is a waste of money around here.

 

[urastus]

This sounds like a comment from the ladies of the average male EMTB riders coffee morning..

siping ? Every day I find there's so much more I don't know... ??

A bit of tyre black then .. ? ?

Thanks @Gary ... That was a reasonably... Helpful answer....

Anyone want to buy a just run in front ewild to use on the rear ?

Thinking more on your injuries zimmer - what a terrible combination; ribs and finger I hope mrs or mr (your significant other) has a sense of humour similar to yours

I've always worn tyres down. Now I have a mullet...I gave it some thought after your question, for my own needs. I hate wasting tyres - good ones are expensive. My plan was to retire my current emtb to urban duties when the warranty is out. Urban for me is urban adventure - stairs, tracks, back roads, paths - everything to avoid traffic. So I still want a capable tyre on road and off, a compromise.

When my front tyre starts to slide under brake on the descents, I'll cut the side knobs down to a round profile (better for on road cornering) and use them for urban duties. By this time the main tread should be pretty low and easier rolling. After some research, found this relatively cheap and effective tool which should do the job. I think they are made by unior, but also sold under the schwalbe brand.

 

[Zimmerframe]

I hope mrs or mr (your significant other) has a sense of humour similar to yours

My OH seem to have picked up all her medical knowledge from watching Highlander. Anything other than decapitation will receive no sympathy, is no excuse to not work and definitely is no reason not to aid with any stable duties.

Supportive comments are normally :

"It's your own fault"
"Why did you do that"
"Idiot"

I like your idea of what to do with old tyres .. Maybe we need the "Ultimate Old Tyres Thread". Mine should probably be re-purposed as more layers of body armour ...

 

[urastus]

My OH seem to have picked up all her medical knowledge from watching Highlander. Anything other than decapitation will receive no sympathy, is no excuse to not work and definitely is no reason not to aid with any stable duties.

Supportive comments are normally :

"It's your own fault"
"Why did you do that"
"Idiot"

I like your idea of what to do with old tyres .. Maybe we need the "Ultimate Old Tyres Thread". Mine should probably be re-purposed as more layers of body armour ...

Re your partner's attitude - sounds good to me .

 

[Zimmerframe]

Re your partner's attitude - sounds good to me .

In fairness she has enough similar equine accidents and still gets on with things, so I can't really wimp out.

She's also right, I am an idiot. Went out yesterday to try and stretch things and (once again...) test to see how much fractured ribs affects riding .. OK .. I was fed up and wanted to go out on the bike

Rode with someone on an acoustic to keep me in check so I didn't ride hard and avoided the most injury likely downhills. (riding with fractured ribs is one thing, having another accident with fractured ribs is another). 24k, 1000m, 2 hours - steady.

Conclusions from test. Felt much better mentally. Initially there was a lot of pain just about everywhere. Shoulder freed up loads on the ride and then hurt the least it's hurt since the accident. Finger was a b1tch, but not a lot you can do other than ignore it.

Ribs (front) proved to be an excellent teaching aid. If you tensed up at all you were treated to agonising pain. Conclusion - everyone should break their front ribs and go for a ride to learn to be more relaxed. Don't break your back ones, these just hurt like hell, I really really struggled to ride with fractured rear ones in March and highly advise not breaking them just for fun.

So .. Tyres .... Have ordered some DH22's to try out. I love the e-wilds, but they're shot (it would seem). They're a little heavier than the rear 2,8 wild and a lot heavier than the front 2.6 e-wild. However, I think they'll be more precise (ignoring the massively heavy gyroscope I'll have turned the front wheel into and I might end up making the suspension ineffective in another stupid attempt to add more tyre orientated micro suspension - yes @Gary I'm making things up which fit with my incomplete view of bycycle dynamics - but for some reason it feels like the right thing to do ... maybe It's the tiny logo's ... ) and the stronger side walls I'm hoping will fit with what I'm feeling I desire in a tyre ...

 

[Gary]

DH22s do accelerate slow AF so at least there's that to help you out. ?

 

[Zimmerframe]

When you put it like that.... They sound perfect. If I can reduce acceleration enough, I should be virtually stationary !

Or will it be ... Come come on... Accelerate you b4stard shortly followed by sh1t sh1t sh1t it won't stop it won't stop..

 

[Stihldog]

…riding with fractured ribs is one thing, having another accident with fractured ribs is another). 24k, 1000m, 2 hours - steady.

Conclusions from test. Felt much better mentally. Initially there was a lot of pain just about everywhere.

Ribs (front) proved to be an excellent teaching aid. Conclusion - everyone should break their front ribs and go for a , I really really struggled to ride with fractured rear ones in March and highly advise not breaking them just for fun.

So .. Tyres ....

So you kept on riding eh?
Tried this myself back in February. Sounded and felt like 3 ribs.(left side). I say sounded because it was louder than cracking your knuckles. Kept riding until day 3 when the “I can’t breathe “ day happened. We’re pretty sure I only cracked them. Regardless these mishaps certainly hone the skills.

So Tires…
Anyone have any experience with the Pirelli R tire? I’m about to replace the rear tire again. The rail 9.7 came with Bontrager se5. Most of my rides are up steep rocky trails/roads but I haven’t had a puncture …just spinning out. (26-28psi). I’m worried about a dinged rim or snake-bite because it’s a long walk home. I thought the pirelli R might be a good replacement because of the strengthening of the sidewalls. Any thoughts or experiences with this tire?

 

[Sherman]

Maxxis Assegai (front) and DHR II (rear) is all I need and so, so good. I don't event bother to try anything else for change's sake. It might not be the best rolling combo, but with my skills anything that slows me down is only a good thing.

 

[DrStupid]

Today I was riding the KHS 6555+ with an Assegia Max-Grip DH 2.5 up front, and a DD 2.5 Aggressor out back. The Aggressor is a dam good mud tire (its the weekend so of course it rained buckets for hours), it's not as good as the Shorty for muddy steeps, but grips well on off chambers, and breaks loose in corners, just a little before the Assegai, which seems right. It also rolls well when it's dry.

Trouble was, I punched a hole in the Aggressor just plodding around. It's like was mentioned above by @Dirtnvert, it seems the good rolling knobbies are just not tall enough for the shrapnel I have on my trails.

I stuffed a 2.6 tannus armour in the thing and tomorrow I'll get to try that!

The Tannus Armour definitely forces the Aggressor to look more rounded in the middle, and I think I like it. It was a chore to mount... Let's see if if holds up.



View attachment 37250

Reply to thine own post with report.

The 2.6 tannus stuffed inside a 2.5 DD Aggressor mounted in the back, is no doubt an improvement, if riding the mud. The aggressor is gripping better with the tannus armour than the Assegia Max-Grip does with out it.


More mud, hurray?

This is fastest section of farm trail that eats tires.

 

[urastus]

My OH seem to have picked up all her medical knowledge from watching Highlander. Anything other than decapitation will receive no sympathy, is no excuse to not work and definitely is no reason not to aid with any stable duties.

Supportive comments are normally :

"It's your own fault"
"Why did you do that"
"Idiot"

I like your idea of what to do with old tyres .. Maybe we need the "Ultimate Old Tyres Thread". Mine should probably be re-purposed as more layers of body armour ...

Much better than this response

 

[Zimmerframe]

Well, the Dh22"s arrived. Seemed rude not to fit them.

Hadn't realised they weren't "foldable" so came in a huge box !

For those with e-wilds who felt they were hard to get on, don't worry ! They're hard to get off too ?

Today's lesson for the world. If you don't feel you're getting value for money on your fractured rib pain - change your tyres, this is an excellent focus exercise for that area !

Dh22s weren't hugely easy to get on, I would say easier than the e-wilds, but I think that's only because I'm less inept.

Super easy to pump up. Didn't need the compressor. They don't pop either, just sort of slide into place.

Just did a quick 5k with 3 bar in to settle them in, so other than they're round... Not much to say. They were quieter than dhr dhfs on the road. There's no siping either.

Felt very nimble !

 

[Zimmerframe]

This feels a bit like it fits in here.

Schwalbe revamps MTB tyre lineup with five casing options and two new tread patterns

Redesigned Nobby Nic and brand new Big Betty, plus new casings covering cross-country to downhill

www.bikeradar.com

 

[Dirtnvert]

This feels a bit like it fits in here.

Schwalbe revamps MTB tyre lineup with five casing options and two new tread patterns

Redesigned Nobby Nic and brand new Big Betty, plus new casings covering cross-country to downhill

www.bikeradar.com

New big betty looks like a great option for a 2.6 with dh casing. Think id skip the mm and put those bb's f/r
Just bought a dh34 29 with the "bike park casing" to go on the rear of my enduro bike(rockr2 front). Dh casing dh34 29 continues to impress on the front of my decoy. Made the bike park casing purchase for my enduro bike an easy decision. It rolls faster than the rockr2 with its ramped center knobs
Cant wait to hear how your 22's compare to the ewilds. Good chance the 22 will replace my ewild. My dh casing 34's slipped on the rim reasonably easy. The bead is wire and doesnt stretch so it doesnt have to be as tight initially. Ewilds were a battle on and off. I'm guessing the bike park casing 34 and my rockr2 will be a bit of a battle

 

[urastus]

View attachment 37503

I see what you've done with that photo Nice clean bike, nice contrasting background, wheels in symmetry. Just a touch OCD? I am looking forward to your thoughts on the tyres

 

[Dirtnvert]

Tire lettering has to line up with the rim decals!!! Im having trouble sleeping after letting some psi out of the tires for a steepy day and the rear ewild shifted so the tire is aligned with the rim decals now. The horror!

 

[Zimmerframe]

I see what you've done with that photo Nice clean bike, nice contrasting background, wheels in symmetry. Just a touch OCD? I am looking forward to your thoughts on the tyres

I did try to line the lettering up with the decals/valve stem. I didn't do it on the wilds and it looked a mess. They're not quite both the same though ! It also makes it easier/quicker to find the valve

The wheels in symmetry was one of those freaky chance things . I literally rolled it out of the garage, thought "christ, it's hot .. uhmm, better take a picture" dropped it against the hedge and that was that. Lets hope they're "Lucky" Tyres

 

[Sapientiea]

A question for all of you with experience or brains ... I've generally changed tyres (normally from incompetence) or bikes (uhm.. probably incompetence related too) well before the tyre has even lost it's shine.

After a reasonable period of slowly increasing riding ability coinciding with a huge decrease in number of crashes .. I cursed it just over a week ago with a nasty off. Bizarrely I took a photo of the front tyre just before hand for reference.

Still not sure what happened, I think I was taking it too easy came off line slightly, hit the loose and just went down so hard and fast there was no reacting. Ended up chest/ribs into the stump, flip bounce upside down backwards into tree and logs. Unconscious, broken finger, fractured ribs .. bla bla bla .. anyway .. enough off the topic waffle ..

My question .. when is a tyre "worn" ??? .. does it loose some performance at a certain stage ? As the knobs get smaller, you'll have less mud grip and so on, but do the performance characteristics of the tyre also drop of with wear or can you run them down to 3mm and still expect reasonable dry weather performance ?

My snooze spot :

View attachment 37103

E-wild front :

View attachment 37104

ooohh, that sounds nasty. Always a bit scared to fall on my chest like you did. Not in my 20s anymore, need to bit more careful. Bought a spine protector this year for our rides. Especially since we are no where near professional riders and skill.

I do like to swap out the front to rear, although OK with Jeffsy, it is not possible with the mullet Decoy. Then it is new tires.

 

[Beezerk]

Zimmer, how come you changed over from E-Wilds?

 

[Zimmerframe]

Zimmer, how come you changed over from E-Wilds?

I do love the e-wilds !!!

When I bought them I was brave and went for a 2.6 on the front and less brave with a 2.8 on the back. This will have changed the geometry a bit, though if this made any difference to a rider of my (limited) calibre, I wouldn't like to say (a tiny difference in sag would do the same). I think the 2.8's look great and the previous bike was a hardtail, so I liked the 2.8's for suspension and that stayed with me !

Since I've had my penis extension, I don't feel I really NEED 2.8's anymore ..

Actually, I rode a friends Rail and he'd put 2.4 wilds on it. I really liked the way it changed direction.

The Wilds were past their best and needed changing and I'd already decided I was going to try to drop to 2.5/2.5 (ish). I also quite liked the idea of safely dropping another couple of psi, but as I've had zero issues with the e-wilds I was wary to go for the same and run lower pressure as I don't think I'd get away with it with my style of riding (separate thread - what type of rider are you/tyres) - My Style "Tank Commander". When I ran DHF's at a lower pressure I just kept destroying them with pinch flats (yes, I'm that crap).

I saw @Pascal Funk's tyre weight post and noticed the DH22's. Obviously squarely aimed at really good riders and really bad riders !

I'm sure if I'd just put a nice pair of new 2.6 e-wilds on I'd be super happy and probably wouldn't have any issues as they seem hard as nails. But it's nice to try things out sometimes.

 

[Zimmerframe]

Very quick go on the DH22's this morning with pressures at the lower end of the scale for a test : 1 bar (15psi) in the front and 1.2 (17.5) in the rear.

Felt really really nice. Hold their line incredibly (either from the tread design, small width, just being new or the massive gyroscopic effect from their huge weight).

Didn't feel squidgy or wallowy on turns. Slide predictably on the loose and bite in really nicely.

Bike felt much more nimble and easier/quicker to turn with less effort (less pain).

Smashed it really hard over various shaped and sized rocks and no rim dings or burps.

Sad to say that I didn't notice any problems from the extra weight. The inevitable slower acceleration wasn't obvious and I thought the suspension would be less effective and slower to react with the additional unsprung weight ... Nope .. nothing .. "TANK COMMANDER" ...

 

[steveo]

I fitted some Michelin DH34's a few weeks ago after destroying a maxxis DHR 2 exo+ on the rear and u definitely feel the drag especially on flatter trail centre stuff and does seem to help drain the battery a bit quicker. Not sure if this is down purely to the tyres or it could be the update to my bosch gen 4 update that was done around the same time as fitting the tyres. On the plus side at first grip was ok nothing amazing as i started running them at higher pressures (24psi front 28psi rear) and have been working them down to 17psi front 22psi rear yesterday and grip is now amazing and is even ok in sticky mud now with lower pressure.

Trying again today with 19psi in the front as the front tried to wash out in me once on a fast flat hardpacked turn. Think this might have been down to running as low a pressure in the front. On the plus side it only let go fir a split second before it gripped again ?

Think i will try a DH22 on front when i can find a 29er one in stock as that should be even better on the of piste mud i was riding yesterday.

 

[DrStupid]

Dedicated mud tire suggestions needed:


Its started raining on me hard today, while on the e-wilds. The loss of grip, on loose over hard-clay, as soon as the exposed clay gets wet, is dramatic. I had some pretty scary moments, as I had to adjust to the new traction levels, while continuing to hurl arse to stay ahead to the worst part of the storm.

Anyway, enough drama already!

I've ordered a dedicated set of wheels for mud. 27.5 i30. What mud tires would you install for wet clay? I want to go full on mud tires as these wheels are dedicated for it.

 

[Gary]

MAXXIS WET SCREAMS 42a and DH casing

but don't come back moaning at me when you use them on anything other than proper deep mud

 

[Dirtnvert]

I fitted some Michelin DH34's a few weeks ago after destroying a maxxis DHR 2 exo+ on the rear and u definitely feel the drag especially on flatter trail centre stuff and does seem to help drain the battery a bit quicker. Not sure if this is down purely to the tyres or it could be the update to my bosch gen 4 update that was done around the same time as fitting the tyres. On the plus side at first grip was ok nothing amazing as i started running them at higher pressures (24psi front 28psi rear) and have been working them down to 17psi front 22psi rear yesterday and grip is now amazing and is even ok in sticky mud now with lower pressure.

Trying again today with 19psi in the front as the front tried to wash out in me once on a fast flat hardpacked turn. Think this might have been down to running as low a pressure in the front. On the plus side it only let go fir a split second before it gripped again ?

Think i will try a DH22 on front when i can find a 29er one in stock as that should be even better on the of piste mud i was riding yesterday.

Im not sure what casing your 34's are. Dh casing is a fair bit heavier than an exo+(around a lb) and id imagine that would drain the battery a bit. They do have the 34 in a "bike park casing" and that will split the weight difference between an exo+ and a 34 dh casing. You wouldnt be able to run the psi in the bp casing as low as the dh casing though. Im not sure if mich offers different casings in the 22. Ive found the 34 to roll fairly fast or atleast in comparison to the rockr2(awesome tire). Id like to try a 22 to compare now

 

[Beezerk]

I took off the E-Wilds this afternoon and put the original WTB tyres back on my Whyte in readiness for a long 60 mile trek I have in a few weeks. Went out for a ride with my mate just earlier and it was like riding a new bike, back to handling like a dream and not "tyre heavy" for want of a better phrase. Granted I'd stupidly got 2.8 Michelins rather than 2.6...rookie error
The rear is pretty shot (Verdict 2.5) so I'm now looking at buying another rear tyre to fit after the 60 miler but keeping the Vigilante on the front as it's still in pretty good condition.
What's the options for general trail park riding, some loose gravelly stuff, bit of everything really but nothing extreme?
DHR II DD seems to be the go to tyre but A: fuck me they're expensive and B: they don't seem to be in stock anywhere.
Go with another Verdict?
Do I risk going to a 2.6 E-Wild on the rear, after all wtf does 0.2 matter?

Answers on a postcard to...

A Dickhead
Stupid Street
Stupidsville
NET WAT

 

[Dirtnvert]

I took off the E-Wilds this afternoon and put the original WTB tyres back on my Whyte in readiness for a long 60 mile trek I have in a few weeks. Went out for a ride with my mate just earlier and it was like riding a new bike, back to handling like a dream and not "tyre heavy" for want of a better phrase. Granted I'd stupidly got 2.8 Michelins rather than 2.6...rookie error
The rear is pretty shot (Verdict 2.5) so I'm now looking at buying another rear tyre to fit after the 60 miler but keeping the Vigilante on the front as it's still in pretty good condition.
What's the options for general trail park riding, some loose gravelly stuff, bit of everything really but nothing extreme?
DHR II DD seems to be the go to tyre but A: fuck me they're expensive and B: they don't seem to be in stock anywhere.
Go with another Verdict?
Do I risk going to a 2.6 E-Wild on the rear, after all wtf does 0.2 matter?

Answers on a postcard to...

A Dickhead
Stupid Street
Stupidsville
NET WAT

In a dd weight id say the dh 34 in bike park casong as i said above. Similar to dhr2 but better rubber and casing. I found them readily available at my small town lbs. The clincger is the great price. Theyre half the price of the dh34 with dh casing. Dh casing was 115cad and the bike park casing was 55cad. Its a 2.4 and the same width as a dhr2 2.4. Rockr2 is 50g lighter than dh34 bp casing and despite being listed as 2.35 it is wider. Similar feel to a dhf and 2.45 width but it doesnt have ramped center knobs so it rolls a bit slower than a dh34 bp or dhf but those edging knobs are $$$$$