What tyres? The Ultimate Tyre Thread

[Highflyer]

UPDATE : Schwalbe Magic Mary's tested. 2.6 SOFT Front with 2.8 MEDIUM Rear on my Turbo Levo. Fast loose shingle and dry soft forrest bed. 80 kg rider 20F & 25R psi worked well with a fast past. I know horses and courses.......

 

[JKG53]

Most of my riding over the winter was on tarmac on 2.2" Schwalbe Marathon Plus with tubes. Think I had 3 punctures over 5 months, so they aren't bullet proof in terms of puncture protection. Reasonably happy with them, but the ride on my Haibike hardtail was much harder than on the Schwalbe Smart Sams which came on the new bike.

I intend doing more off road riding over the summer and will be going tubeless. I'll be running a 2.35" Michelin Force AM on the front, and a 2.5" Maxxis Minion DHF WT on the rear. I'm hoping the wider rear tyre will improve grip and give a softer ride tubeless.

 

[Kernow]

Well lots of tyre info here , however finding 2.5 is difficult and 2.6 even harder . I really like the 2.6 high rollers that came fitted to my commencal , it seems however they are not available yet .
Iam looking for some summer tyres , something for dryer conditions longer lasting faster rolling etc that will suit bike parks and xc rides . Then I can save what’s left of the high rollers for later , we’ll the front anyway , the rear is already well past it’s best It seems my only choice may be a few from the specialised range in the above sizes . Any heads up on suitable tyres that are actually in stock would be welcome .
I’ve got a new 2.5 Marcus aggressor for the rear in 2.5 which looks like a decent all round tyre for a dryer rides not sure what to match it with up front

 

[Gary]

2.5/2.4 Minion DHR2 or DHF up front and 2.3 Minion SS rear Both EXO and both dual compound is my tyre choice all year round.
most would only really recommend this as a dry/summer tyre set-up.
I don't really worry about ultimate grip anywhere and am happy as a pig in shit drifting about in mud on dry tyres.
What I do dislike is draggy tyres. On any bike.

loads of places have those ^^ in stock online and at decent prices too.

I can't really understand why anyone would buy a Maxxis Aggressor

 

[Kernow]

2.5/2.4 Minion DHR2 or DHF up front and 2.3 Minion SS rear Both EXO and both dual compound is my tyre choice all year round.
most would only really recommend this as a dry/summer tyre set-up.
I don't really worry about ultimate grip anywhere and am happy as a pig in shit drifting about in mud on dry tyres.
What I do dislike is draggy tyres. On any bike.

loads of places have those ^^ in stock online and at decent prices too.

I can't really understand why anyone would buy a Maxxis Aggressor

That’s a more draggy tyre set up than my current high rollers , I will probably go to them or magic Mary in winter . But I want to keep with the 2.5 or 2.6 and they are not easy to find
I know little about the aggressor , but it looks like a good all rounder on the rear for dryer conditions , I’ve yet to try it commencal gave it me due to a fault batch of high rollers , why didn’t you like it , I though it was quite new out ? What conditions did you try it in ?

 

[JKG53]

2.5/2.4 Minion DHR2 or DHF up front and 2.3 Minion SS rear Both EXO and both dual compound is my tyre choice all year round.
most would only really recommend this as a dry/summer tyre set-up.
I don't really worry about ultimate grip anywhere and am happy as a pig in shit drifting about in mud on dry tyres.
What I do dislike is draggy tyres. On any bike.

loads of places have those ^^ in stock online and at decent prices too.

I can't really understand why anyone would buy a Maxxis Aggressor

Interesting to see you have the wider tyre on the front, which seems to be a popular approach dating back to BMX experience, or so I have read.

I have just bought a 2.5" Maxxis Minion DHF which I plan on putting on the back, with a 2.3" Michelin AM Force on the front. I noticed Canyon had put a wider wheel on the back of their new Spectral ebike, saying it was for better traction through the drive wheel, which seems logical. I'm also hoping the bigger tyre will give me a softer ride on my hardtail.

Comments welcome!

 

[knut7]

Minion 2.6 can be found here.
Maxxis Minion DHF WT 27.5" Folding Tyre
Maxxis Minion DHR II 120 tpi WT 27.5" Folding Tyre

And the lighter Forekaster
Maxxis Forekaster WT 27.5" Folding Tyre

In my conditions I wouldn't consider anything less than 2.6.

 

[Gary]

Interesting to see you have the wider tyre on the front, which seems to be a popular approach dating back to BMX experience, or so I have read.

It definitely is a hang up from BMX for me.
But it also means you have greater acceleration, the tyre rolls faster on smoth surfaces, is easier to initiate into a drift and it works better in mud. We are told Emtb needs BIG grippy rear tyres to aid climbing traction. I do not find this to be true at all. Just like normal mtb a good weight distribution, planning and line choice while is all you need to get up technically challenging terrain. When it's really muddy and you are searching for grip a NARROWER rear tyre will actually do better.

 

[Kernow]

Eh? A SS is a massively faster rolling tyre then a highroller. and it's the rear tyre that makes the most difference.
I do agree a HR rolls marginally faster than a DHF tho.

Why limit yourself to 2.6" tyres if you're looking for a faster rolling?

I've never owned one. I've only ridden friends'. A friend recently offered me a pair for free and I turned them down. The reason I say I can't understand why anyone would buy one is that it falls into the category a lot of all rounder tyres do. ie. not actually great at anything. Being a Maxxis tyre the carcus' and compounds aavailable are good but the tread design just isn't great. Bearing in mind the premium you pay for Maxxis tyres they produce far better options for the same money.
I will say I like a fairly square profile tyre with an aggressive cornering edge which ironically the Aggressor doesn't really pull off.

I read that wrong , I just saw DHF And DHR and presumed you were running that .didnt see Ss I had thought about the SS on the rear but heard it wears very fast. ?

DHF is meant to be a front tyre ,yet you say it’s got poor braking and the dhr has good braking but thats recommended as rear by maxis That seems to be the wrong way round to me I find all the info and tyre descriptions lacking and hard to understand on maxis I’ve been using mainly conti and schwalbe .before so the only maxis I can base my comparisons on is the high roller which I like and can’t really fault , especially it’s braking grip .

I want to keep with 2.5 as a minimum and 2.6 as max on the ebike , as it was intended , Iam heavy and my riding can be rocky so smaller tyres less air volume I don’t feel will cope as well . Gotta try the aggressor as I allready have one , an all rounder with closer tread us what Iam after for summer .
Iam never convinced a smaller tyre rolls faster to a point , I remember back when 1.5 tyres were the norm I fitted 2.0 tyres and they rolled so much better and faster off-road , as with my road bike 28 mm rolls faster than 25 but the slow to change roadies still fit 23 and 25
One thing I’ve learned is not to discard a tyre from pictures alone , they often look so different in the flesh

 

[Kernow]

I think it’s more the extra power wieght and braking of the ebike that’s killing the tyres faster especially the rear
DHR Dhf not front rear specific , yet maxis state they make a great combination front and rear , but fail to state which one on the front , leaving me to believe dhf means downhill front and dhr downhill rear Description and pics on the website is so confusing .

 

[Kernow]

Yeah. Emtbs are heavy but that extra bike weight is fairly negligible to the effect of tyre wear when you take different rider weights into consideration.
You shouldn't really be doing anywhere near as much hard braking on the rear as the front. Being honest about how you use the brakes. Do you skid at all? lock the wheel when you should be rolling on steep stuff etc? occasionally have your weight further rearwards than necessary making your front brake (tyre grip) less efficient? panic brake and lock the wheel?
When you are climbing/accelerating do you spin the wheel sometimes? This isn't entirely down to the motor. it's also down to correct weight placement and torque from the rider. One other thing I'd heard and have now seen with my own eyes is that Emtbers do sit down more than non E mtbers. this will also contribute slightly.
We all occasionally do some of the above. these are what wears rear tyres MUCH more quickly. If you somehow managed not to do any of these things a rear should wear around 1/3 more quickly than a front.
I'm not convinced the extra power makes a whole load of difference on its own. But I'm quite a sprinty aggressive rider anyway. I actually ride my Emtb with a smoother more flowing style as it's massively heavier to muscle around and can't brake as late.

Well we’re not all riding gods but I don’t ride like a complete novice , misuse aside , you missed the main cause of wear Iam referring to , the extra power is the main problem , my output doubled or more and the ability to sustain it far longer than a normal bike takes a huge toll on tyres , mainly the rear , and drivetrain . As you would say it’s physics or common sense . I’ve owned enough motorbikes to know that tyre wear is directly increased with more power and the more you use that power , considering an EMTB allows a heavy old fart like me to climb faster and longer than some of the fitest racers while hauling probably a third more wieght stands to reason my rear tyre us going to wear much faster .and both tyres just get used harder because in general Iam able to go faster

 

[Kernow]

I didn't miss it. I simply disagree that it's the problem you think it is.
The extra power or weight is in no way comparible to a motorcycle

Didn’t say that read it again , or to simplify it for you , if you drove your car faster and used more throttle with more people in it would you expect your tyres to wear faster ?

 

[Kernow]

Do you really think climbing a mile long 600ft climb at 4 mph lessens the tyre wear from climbing it at 10mph? Those speeds are so slow it shouldn't really wear the tyres any more at all.
Riding inefficiently/clumsily might though. just as pushing your bike up would lessen wear.

Please stop comparing these bicycles to motor vehicles

Yes more speed requires more power which equals more force and friction on the tyre hence more wear .
Iam not comparing to bicycles to motor Vehicles Iam just trying to give an example to help you understand basics .
Anyway we’ve derailed this thread long enough maybe other members can get a point in instead of being put off by listening to the world according to Gary and me wasting my time replying

 

[Kernow]

Not much riding uses consistent power especially off road c , were constantly on and off the power up and down gears , accelerating back up to speed . Give it few weeks on your new ebike then you’ll notice your tyre wears faster and your chain and brakes .
So I have no basis for my thoughts , and you do , plus for some reason your annoyed I used anothet type of power as a comparison . Seriously Gary you really need to get over yourself or go read this again and try to see why you constantly have to have your point only and put down everything else . It’s really annoying so many people here when you have to dominate every thread as the big know it all .

 

[Eckythump]

The following video may be of interest......

 

[ChrisP]

2.5/2.4 Minion DHR2 or DHF up front and 2.3 Minion SS rear Both EXO and both dual compound is my tyre choice all year round.
most would only really recommend this as a dry/summer tyre set-up.
I don't really worry about ultimate grip anywhere and am happy as a pig in shit drifting about in mud on dry tyres.
What I do dislike is draggy tyres. On any bike.

loads of places have those ^^ in stock online and at decent prices too.

I can't really understand why anyone would buy a Maxxis Aggressor

And I can't understand why anyone would buy a Minion SS!! Why slide about in mud if you don't need to? The fact that I have never seen another e-bike fitted with a Minion SS tells a story to me!

The Maxxis Aggressor 2.5 exo DD is a good all-rounder on the rear, I think. Very tough and grips in most conditions. It came fitted as standard on my wife's bike. Cant comment on how long it lasts yet though.

Kernow - I know what you mean about finding the right tyre in 2.6! A controversial one for you as an option on the front!..........Bontrager SE4 Team Issue 2.6. Never used one myself. Not cheap though - cheapest I can see that is available in the UK is £49.99 from Tredz

 

[Kernow]

The following video may be of interest......

Interesting test You can’t really dispute that , very well sorted test , I always felt a fatter tyre rolled faster off road but there had to be an optimum point , which I thought was around 2.6 but maybe I’ll try a 2.8 now ? Kind of solves the 29er option choice too

 

[Kernow]

And I can't understand why anyone would buy a Minion SS!! Why slide about in mud if you don't need to? The fact that I have never seen another e-bike fitted with a Minion SS tells a story to me!

The Maxxis Aggressor 2.5 exo DD is a good all-rounder on the rear, I think. Very tough and grips in most conditions. It came fitted as standard on my wife's bike. Cant comment on how long it lasts yet though.

Kernow - I know what you mean about finding the right tyre in 2.6! A controversial one for you as an option on the front!..........Bontrager SE4 Team Issue 2.6. Never used one myself. Not cheap though - cheapest I can see that is available in the UK is £49.99 from Tredz

Having seen that vid Chris I think I may run the front high roller on the back with the rat bite for safety , and fit a 2.8 high roller up front , not sure if there’s a need for the heavy downhill casing on the rear with the rat bites , the feel they give is very good over rocks

 

[ChrisP]

Have just watched the video posted by Ecky and it certainly makes interesting viewing! Not what I was expecting for sure. Maybe that 2.8 high roller would make sense Ian!

 

[knut7]

Interesting test You can’t really dispute that , very well sorted test , I always felt a fatter tyre rolled faster off road but there had to be an optimum point , which I thought was around 2.6 but maybe I’ll try a 2.8 now ? Kind of solves the 29er option choice too

Wide tyres can be fast rolling even on tarmac, here's a pretty light weight dude runnning 4,0" tyres.

Why not run a Rekon 2,8" at the back and Minion/HR2 2,8 "up front? Several emtbs are sold with that setup.

 

[ChrisP]

Quite simply because riding loose in muddy conditions is a shit load of fun . An SS doesn't clog as there's very llittle tread to clog. The edge tread on an SS is far better at cornering in loose/soft conditions than the edge tread on an Aggressor so leant over it's the superior tyre of the two. Straight line braking performance isn't great but mud means the bike rolls a lot slower anyway so long as you get your braking done using the front in safe braking zones it doesn't really cause any problems that the rear SS won't have such great braking. You get used to this very quickly.

Take a proper look at the main demographic for an Emtb owner. This will tell you all you need to know.

You've lost me there Gary......You'll have to explain your thoughts with that last bit I'm afraid.

 

[Kernow]

You've lost me there Gary......You'll have to explain your thoughts with that last bit I'm afraid.

Experience based on looking at pictures Chris Gary has not owed or ridden an aggressor in 2.5 ?but if he doesn’t think he likes something we will all know about it and it will get a good slagging off . ?

 

[Doomanic]

What is the main demographic for an eMTBer? We've got young and old, fat and thin, firm and infirm, fit and unfit and combinations thereof.

 

[ChrisP]

What is the main demographic for an eMTBer? We've got young and old, fat and thin, firm and infirm, fit and unfit and combinations thereof.

I think you may be going off on a bit of a tangent here Gary. We're talking about tyres here, not people!

I look at the tread, the compound, casing strength, the size, the grip etc to make my tyre choices.

I see the shoulder knobs on the SS and can see it would give good grip when leant over. But lets face it - in reality we have the bike leant over for 5-10% of the time, at the very most. Its the 90% + remaining that I am more interested in. You stick with your skinny tyres with no grip or braking ability in a straight line and the rest of us will have something that will actually compliment an e-bike and give us some grip whilst climbing on a wet trail. And then help slow us down properly on the way back down again

 

[Kernow]

What is the main demographic for an eMTBer? We've got young and old, fat and thin, firm and infirm, fit and unfit and combinations thereof.

Ahh but some don’t have the local Kom and ability to style it up with manuals and Endos and huge jumps getting dialled in on everything , most of us mortals just ride and have fun with nothing to prove and don’t judge anyone

 

[100 Cols]

With all due respect, I'm somewhat amazed what kind of expertise levels some people are able to reach with only a few weeks of eMTB ownership. Years of manufacturer R&D are reduced to nothing, when a short glimpse of a tread pattern in a photo is enough for our forums experts.

I wouldn't have thought that we actually do have professional level riders here. Every tenth of a second counts and each raced track is obviously studied beforehand to evaluate which tyres to use front/rear, wet or dry. Cool, so much to learn.

 

[Alistair Staley]

Can’t understand why you all get sucked in to discussions with a man who knows the answer to everything and is always right/better informed\more experienced than the rest of us.

 

[Doomanic]

I’ve got a feeling that it’s no longer an issue...

 

[ccrdave]

Well to be honest Gary can be a bit abrasive sometimes and he is opinionated but arnt we all in one way or another?
My opinion he has lots of good stuff to say and has a lot of experience, if he offends you by saying what he thinks then... well .....its just an opinion mtfu

 

[Alistair Staley]

No he doesn’t offend me. I just don’t take the bait.