Levo Gen 2 Faster rolling tyres recommendations please

chrismechmaster

chrismechmaster

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My 2021 turbo Levo is on the standard Specialized tyres , I spend more time on light trails and fire roads than extreme off road trails

can anyone recommend a good combination of slightly better faster rolling less aggressive tyres ?

I have tried Maxxis ardent race in the past these ok ish

just wondered other people’s recommendations

many thanks
 
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He's right. ^^ but they're more like an XC/Gravel tread so not really too suitable for a UK winter on anything but fairly dry hardpack. whereas the Minions have an agressive edge that works better in the wet. Keep them up to speed and they don't clog too badly either.
 
chrismechmaster said:
My 2021 turbo Levo is on the standard Specialized tyres , I spend more time on light trails and fire roads than extreme off road trails

can anyone recommend a good combination of slightly better faster rolling less aggressive tyres ?

I have tried Maxxis ardent race in the past these ok ish

just wondered other people’s recommendations

many thanks
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You could try Continental Mountain King 2.4... these are the cheap ones with a longer-wearing harder rubber compound... they also resemble a 2.6 profile even though rated as 2.4s.

I had planned to eventually move up to their higher-end Trail King II and even the high performance Der Kaiser Project - but I found the Mountain Kings to be grippy in slimy clay-ish mud and fast rolling on hard pack, or over tarmac on short commutes (a bit noisy though)... so I'm not exactly motivated to make changes for the sake of it. I did try Maxxis High Rollers which is both quiet and grippy on tarmac and hard back... but too slippery on wet soil where I ride. So went back to Contis.

In comparison, the Maxxis Minions that came stock with my new bike feels like the brakes are on - even with pedal assist. As with anything tyre related... your best choice is a balancing act in various trade-offs related to how and where you ride, so YMMV.
 
GrandPaBrogan said:
In comparison, the Maxxis Minions that came stock with my new bike feels like the brakes are on - even with pedal assist.
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Yeah. Sounds those wouldn't have been dual compound versions - dual compound being Maxxis' hardest wearing, fastest rolling mtb compound.
A Minion DHR on the rear even in dual compound isn't as low rolling resistance as well inflated Minion SS.
You lose a little overall grip by going with the harder compound but the superior edge tread design makes up for this massively when leant over compared to the mediocre edge knobs of a mountain king.

OP. you could just try a rear Minion SS and up your tyre pressures f&r. Most of the rolling resistance comes from the rear and the ardent you have up front (as long as it's not soft compound) should still roll reasonably well.
Minion SS come up in dual compound for less than £30 a pop if you search online.
 
Gary said:
Yeah. Sounds those wouldn't have been dual compound versions - dual compound being Maxxis' hardest wearing, fastest rolling mtb compound.
A Minion DHR on the rear even in dual compound isn't as low rolling resistance as well inflated Minion SS.
You lose a little overall grip by going with the harder compound but the superior edge tread design makes up for this massively when leant over compared to the mediocre edge knobs of a mountain king.

OP. you could just try a rear Minion SS and up your tyre pressures f&r. Most of the rolling resistance comes from the rear and the ardent you have up front (as long as it's not soft compound) should still roll reasonably well.
Minion SS come up in dual compound for less than £30 a pop if you search online.
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I think I will do that , order the minion ss for the rear and keep the front as it , up the pressures in both front and rear and see how that goes thanks for all the help guys
 
Gary said:
2.3 Minion SS rear, 2.5 DHF front. Both EXO casing, Both Dual compound. Both run tubeless and 30psi+ front, 38psi+ rear
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How come you have the smaller tyre on the rear Gary? My bike has 2.6 rear . 2.5 front . Is it for more grip in corners ? I would of thought larger rear wheel would be better . My hardtail is other way around 2.4 front 2.3 rear
 
Yes more grip in corners and avoiding front wheel from sliding

My Levo came with 2.5 front and 2.3 rear

I quickly changed to DHR on the rear for more grip and puncture protection. Still fast rolling as well - Still easy to go uphill at a speed that is above analogue bike KOM level.
 
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for faster acceleration and less overall rolling resistance
I don't really want more grip. I like slidin'
when riding loose it's nicr to have a tail happy bike and a little better grip in the front
I generally run 2.4 or 2.5 DHF or DHRII upfront (still in dual compound tho)
 
maynard said:
How come you have the smaller tyre on the rear Gary? My bike has 2.6 rear . 2.5 front . Is it for more grip in corners ? I would of thought larger rear wheel would be better . My hardtail is other way around 2.4 front 2.3 rear
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Gary said:
for faster acceleration and less overall rolling resistance
I don't really want more grip. I like slidin'
when riding loose it's nicr to have a tail happy bike and a little better grip in the front
I generally run 2.4 or 2.5 DHF or DHRII upfront (still in dual compound tho)
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Funny you guys mentioned this. For some reason (and I’ve never questioned it) the old school way in 20” BMX was 2.10 at the front and 1.75 at the rear. I guess we just copied what we saw on BMX magazines. So when I started MTB decades ago, I followed suit and always had bigger tyres up front 26” 2.20 front and 1.75 rear. It was only now when I got back into the e version of MTB and with the advent of 27.5” wheels that I’ve kept to the same tyre sizes front/rear. I forgot all about this!
 
Yeah. I rode BMX back then too.

i actually hate the vagueness and unresponsiveness of a large, lower pressure rear tyre and will happily give up grip for the traits a narrower, smaller volume higher pressure rear gives
 
G `day GPB

A lot of tyre brands will offer the same tread in different compounds .
Some will roll faster than others ...
 
Michelin E-Wild's are very fast rolling tires with minimal resistance considering its an emtb tire. Have 2.6's front and rear (Cushcore on rear cus rim width is 35mm) on my YT Decoy Elite. On my Specialized Turbo Levo S-Works, I'm running Schwalbe Eddy Currents (2.6 front/rear) and absolutely love them. Climb like a billy goat! Not the fastest rolling tire, but suburb grip and stability. Kerp in mind I live in southern California and ride in dry weather 95% on loose ovrr hard or hardpack.
 
If you ride more on light trails and fire roads and there are no mud, you should try Maxxis Ikon or Rekon
 
Schwalbe Rocket Rons with the Speed Addix compound are the fastest rolling tires I've found. They are also lighter than most any tire you can find in a comparable sidewall durability class.

I use the Snakeskin sidewall, which is a compromise between durability and weight. There is another version that is lighter and one that is more durable.
And the "TL Easy" makes for easier tubeless mounting.
 
I wouldn’t recommend Mezcals. I used them on fire roads and they punctured really easily. Lovely looking tyre with very low rolling resistance but prone to punctures.
 
I'm surprised Specialized's own Fast Trak tyres hasn't been mentioned. They come in both 2.1 and 2.3, are lightweight (especially the S-Works version), roll really well and are available from your local Specialized dealer. I've been running these this year on a lightweight wheel set. Given the SL's limited power, I find these suitable for XC and light trail usage in dry conditions.
 
Using Maxxis Ikon's 2.6 with CushCore PRO's on my Levo Comp riding hardpack with psi of 22 and 26 @ 230lbs...fly's like the wind and handles the corners like it's got two wheel drive! Buddies I ride with still have the Butcher Grids an swear I'm riding in Turbo, yep, makes that's much of difference, at least on the hard pack single track that we ride on here in North Texas.

Various other tire set-ups on my other Levo's, but the Ikon's are by far the fastest....
 
chrismechmaster said:
My 2021 turbo Levo is on the standard Specialized tyres , I spend more time on light trails and fire roads than extreme off road trails

can anyone recommend a good combination of slightly better faster rolling less aggressive tyres ?

I have tried Maxxis ardent race in the past these ok ish

just wondered other people’s recommendations

many thanks
Click to expand...
Bontrager Team Issue XR2 in the rear. Less rolling resistance and slides more.

Bontrager XR4 in the front. More traction for better cornering.
 
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