What tyres? The Ultimate Tyre Thread

[Jimbo Vills]

WT is for new wider profile rims. 30mm inner qualifies but thats kind of the tween width. WT might be a bit better on the front to give it more edge but 30mm isnt super wide either. Little more leeway on rhe rear where a bit rounder tire profile is ok

So stick with non WT front and back!? ??‍

 

[1oldfart]

So stick with non WT front and back!? ??‍

It depends on brand. Visit the websites like Maxxis, WTB, etc...
Often the recommanded rim with(inner) is written. If not i do not hesitate to email
the manufacturer.
Basically the cross country want fast rolling so the thread pattern is designed for that and
the construction will match rims about 25mm.
For trail, allmountain etc . . . 30mm and up offers more grip.
You also have to consider the surface so what is best in my area might not work in some other areas.
A local shop and local riders might give you proper suggestions.

 

[carlbiker]

Does anyone know where to buy the Maxxis Assegai 29x2.5 WT EXO+ MaxxGrip? (even if its out of stock)

I've checked all the usual haunts - CRC, Merlin, LeisureLakes etc and they all seem to either be EXO (not the plus) or DD casing or MaxxTerra compound. Maxxis direct don't seem to be much help either.

isnt DD something to aim for? My DHR is wrecked atm just after one fairly gnarly ride with rocks XC

 

[carlbiker]

Does anyone know what the most puncture resistant tyre combo might be or how best to prevent it, I’m tubeless but my rear has to run an inner know as the sidewall is punctured....(dhr 3C)

Im tempted by an assegai on the front and dissector on the back, I have ordered a magic mary ultra and big Betty combo which will arrive Friday I think 2.6/2.4 but after building up speed recently I’m liking the idea of less roll resistance but I also like the idea of grip in dh mud probably more so

 

[1oldfart]

Does anyone know what the most puncture resistant tyre combo might be or how best to prevent it, I’m tubeless but my rear has to run an inner know as the sidewall is punctured....(dhr 3C)

Im tempted by an assegai on the front and dissector on the back, I have ordered a magic mary ultra and big Betty combo which will arrive Friday I think 2.6/2.4 but after building up speed recently I’m liking the idea of less roll resistance but I also like the idea of grip in dh mud probably more so

Different brands use different terms. With Maxxis EXO+ is their high protection. You might enjoy the fast rolling quality of the dissector but mud will be a problem. The Assegai should keep you smiling.

 

[Dirtnvert]

So stick with non WT front and back!? ??‍

If i had my preference id go WT front and back with 30mm inner. I wouldnt stress it if they werent WT though, 30mm will accomodate both fine. The non WT/original will be a touch more edgy tread(side knobs will sit a touch higher and thats not a bad characteristic for a front tire) and the newer WT will be a touch rounder. Tires only last so long, you can try the alternate soon.
I guess if a non WT tire was on a super wide rim it would raise the side knobs too much and you could lean right past the side knobs in a corner. 30 inner isnt super wide though. Kind of the sweet spot to have a 2.5 WT or non WT. Splitting hairs between a 28 and 30mm inner. Wear them out without a worry

 

[Dirtnvert]

Does anyone know what the most puncture resistant tyre combo might be or how best to prevent it, I’m tubeless but my rear has to run an inner know as the sidewall is punctured....(dhr 3C)

Im tempted by an assegai on the front and dissector on the back, I have ordered a magic mary ultra and big Betty combo which will arrive Friday I think 2.6/2.4 but after building up speed recently I’m liking the idea of less roll resistance but I also like the idea of grip in dh mud probably more so

You probably want to focus on the casing, and/or weight, more than the model.
850g is exo, 950 exo+, 1150dd, 1300dh roughly in maxxis. Other companies will have most of those equivalent. Pick your tread and durometer for your local dirt and your casing for preferred protection.
All those tires you mentioned will offer a wide range in protection with their different casing options

 

[MrSimmo]

isnt DD something to aim for? My DHR is wrecked atm just after one fairly gnarly ride with rocks XC

This ones for the front, DHR2 DD MaxxTerra for the rear. Personal taste, but I find better feeling with the EXO/EXO+ casing on the front ? It’ll be my first Assegai, so will grab DD as well to try when they’re available.

 

[MrSimmo]

You probably want to focus on the casing, and/or weight, more than the model.
850g is exo, 950 exo+, 1150dd, 1300dh roughly in maxxis. Other companies will have most of those equivalent. Pick your tread and durometer for your local dirt and your casing for preferred protection.
All those tires you mentioned will offer a wide range in protection with their different casing options

Yup Dirtnvert is spot on. DH is the ‘most puncture’ resistant in the Maxxis line up in terms of casing, closely followed by DD.

Also check out the bead as well, wire is stronger and more resistant to deforming than folding which in turn helps with protection.

 

[carlbiker]

Yup Dirtnvert is spot on. DH is the ‘most puncture’ resistant in the Maxxis line up in terms of casing, closely followed by DD.

Also check out the bead as well, wire is stronger and more resistant to deforming than folding which in turn helps with protection.

Why would people go for folding instead?

 

[carlbiker]

Is there really a difference between

e-Mazza Enduro 29" 2-ply TLR Graphene 2.0 Folding Tire

Smooth running E-MTB tire for any terrain: the e-Mazza Enduro 29" 2-ply TLR Graphene from Vittoria Starting with a defined center tread, the e-Mazza uses deep siping in the direction of rotation, allowing the tire to roll fast while...

www.bike-discount.de

Mazza Trail 29" TLR Graphene 2.0 Folding Tire

The new enduro benchmark for mixed terrain - the Mazza Trail TLR Graphene from Vittoria Starting with a defined center tread, the Mazza uses deep siping in the direction of rotation, allowing the tire to roll fast while still opposing...

www.bike-discount.de

edit seems quite a bit more weight and one is TNT and one is TLR whatever that is....I read the Mazza can go on both and is better than the Magic Mary overall but the 2.6 is a whopping 1400g (eek)

 

[MrSimmo]

Why would people go for wire instead?

Dunno tbh, they used to be cheaper and stronger; but tyre technology has come on so much, I’m not sure thats the case anymore.

I’d grab some Double Downs and you should be fine. The DH casing options are really on the extreme side of riding. Even UCI riders I know run DD these days ?

 

[Tubby G]

Dunno tbh, they used to be cheaper and stronger; but tyre technology has come on so much, I’m not sure thats the case anymore.

I’d grab some Double Downs and you should be fine. The DH casing options are really on the extreme side of riding. Even UCI riders I know run DD these days ?

I just presumed foldable tyres are easier to sell online than wired due to packaging etc, but no doubt someone on here will have full in depth technical knowledge of why some are still wired and the majority are foldable

 

[steve_sordy]

I just presumed foldable tyres are easier to sell online than wired due to packaging etc, but no doubt someone on here will have full in depth technical knowledge of why some are still wired and the majority are foldable

No in-depth technical knowledge from me. The wire bead tyres cannot be folded like the foldable ones, so they take up more room in transit, which is a cost issue for the consumer. They are also heavier than the folding ones, which is an issue for the weight weanies.
What does the job of the wires in the beads? Kevlar! It is light, strong and flexible. I know that Continental do not supply their top performing tyres in wire bead. Other manufacturers may do the same, but I don't have the in-depth technical knowledge to be able to say who.

 

[carlbiker]

It’s not easy this tyre thing, I placed an order for MM/BB from Germany so they should arrive next week and I’ll be able to get out again but you really do need two sets of tyres to manage all occasions I think....

This is one of the best guides pinning some of the best tyres down

The 9 Best Mountain Bike Tires of 2023 | evo

Your tires are where the rubber meets the trail, literally. These are the best mountain bike tires on the market right now.

www.evo.com

I didn’t realise that not only does softer compound reduce durability but it also reduces battery power since it increases rolling resistance so on those larger days stuff like Magic Mary/Big Betty might not be great, but then the DHII are great for XC but the rear crumbles when hit with rocky terrain etc (my dhr is destroyed after one big day of abuse).

This will say Magic Mary is crap on hardpack (this like road, rocks??) but for mud, shorter techy stuff there isn’t much out there that will beat it. I like rocky stuff so assuming how Rock Razor scores high I’ll assume it factors rocks and then Big Betty isn’t as good as Nibby Nics according to this which seem a good all rounder mincing tyre so I’ll get onto that.

I’d ordered ultra compound which looks a mistake if I’m after an all round tyre setup:

Magic Mary

So this kind of suggests ultra will require double the cadence to or in other words just take more energy.....this might be pie in the sky but I do know people with Eddie’s for example who have said they took a big hit with rolling resistance and now selling them.

Big Betty

So personally I’d be after less soft compound and more roll on the back so probably the super gravity as you get that extra protection although thr super trail would be handy too...

But here’s the catch, I do bike parks and XC, Ultrasoft will probably give the best grip and braking traction so that would make these sessions more enjoyable but for XC I’ll need a different combo to withstand the rocks

Nobby Nics


So Nobby looks more promising for XC and bigger days out, the soft one is one I’d pick, it’s the best all rounder that can handle hard stuff also.

Hands Dampf

Less durable and more rolling resistance than Nics...better in the soft stuff, worse in the hard....so for XC either might do but I’ll side with Nics.

So moving onto the front XC tyre!

Maybe the Assguy?

 

[Gary]

but you really do need two sets of tyres to manage all occasions I think....

you really don't
every tyre is compromised at some point. Just choose something that covers most of your riding conditions and learn to live with the compomise. Find the limit of what grip you do have and put it to good use instead of constantly worrying about having the absolute best tyres for the conditions.


Sam was running 26" DHFs on the steepest muddiest world cup track ever raced

Mary's are absolutely fine on hardpack. they wash slightly easier and with less warning than a DHF but it's still usually user error.

 

[Tubby G]

It’s not easy this tyre thing, I placed an order for MM/BB from Germany so they should arrive next week and I’ll be able to get out again but you really do need two sets of tyres to manage all occasions I think....

This is one of the best guides pinning some of the best tyres down

The 9 Best Mountain Bike Tires of 2023 | evo

Your tires are where the rubber meets the trail, literally. These are the best mountain bike tires on the market right now.

www.evo.com

I didn’t realise that not only does softer compound reduce durability but it also reduces battery power since it increases rolling resistance so on those larger days stuff like Magic Mary/Big Betty might not be great, but then the DHII are great for XC but the rear crumbles when hit with rocky terrain etc (my dhr is destroyed after one big day of abuse).

View attachment 62262

This will say Magic Mary is crap on hardpack (this like road, rocks??) but for mud, shorter techy stuff there isn’t much out there that will beat it. I like rocky stuff so assuming how Rock Razor scores high I’ll assume it factors rocks and then Big Betty isn’t as good as Nibby Nics according to this which seem a good all rounder mincing tyre so I’ll get onto that.

I’d ordered ultra compound which looks a mistake if I’m after an all round tyre setup:

Magic Mary

View attachment 62263

So this kind of suggests ultra will require double the cadence to or in other words just take more energy.....this might be pie in the sky but I do know people with Eddie’s for example who have said they took a big hit with rolling resistance and now selling them.

Big Betty
View attachment 62265
So personally I’d be after less soft compound and more roll on the back so probably the super gravity as you get that extra protection although thr super trail would be handy too...

But here’s the catch, I do bike parks and XC, Ultrasoft will probably give the best grip and braking traction so that would make these sessions more enjoyable but for XC I’ll need a different combo to withstand the rocks

Nobby Nics
View attachment 62266

So Nobby looks more promising for XC and bigger days out, the soft one is one I’d pick, it’s the best all rounder that can handle hard stuff also.

Hands Dampf
View attachment 62272

Less durable and more rolling resistance than Nics...better in the soft stuff, worse in the hard....so for XC either might do but I’ll side with Nics.

So moving onto the front XC tyre!

Maybe the Assguy?

Personally I think there’s too much information available these days, on internet, forums, YouTube etc so we end up spending hours and hours trying to find the perfect set up. Back in the day I used to buy the cheapest tyres for my hardtails and run them on all conditions until they were bare threaded, and only buy new tyres when they eventually exploded . As Gary has said above, just choose a good all rounder and learn to live with its limitations

Personally I want the least rolling resistance and speed. Is grip really that important for a rear tyre? Sliding around out of control is all part of the fun in my opinion

Had a guy in front of me today at Dalby wash out on a berm. We weren’t going that fast, around 16mph. I was on his tail trying to make him go faster. He slid out and hit the ground hard, think he broke his finger and his knee swelled up twice the size instantly. He blamed his tyres saying they were shit, no grip. He had DHR’s / F’s, same tyres as me. He took a crap line, the inside of the berm to avoid a puddle, which made him overshoot so he braked hard mid corner, and washed out. It wasn’t his tyre that was shit

 

[carlbiker]

you really don't
every tyre is compromised at some point. Just choose something that covers most of your riding conditions and learn to live with the compomise. Find the limit of what grip you do have and put it to good use instead of constantly worrying about having the absolute best tyres for the conditions.


Sam was running 26" DHFs on the steepest muddiest world cup track ever raced

Mary's are absolutely fine on hardpack. they wash slightly easier and with less warning than a DHF but it's still usually user error.

Cheers for that, pretty amazing video, enjoyed it! I can’t remember what video I’d seen but I remember one guy who snapped his chain right away but carried on to win the race somehow!

As for tyres, other thing is could cause some confusion on the bike handling having two sets when getting used to stuff.....I kind of like my DHII especially the rolling (I whizz past anyone else on Mary’s etc) but want tougher sidewalls on the rear

Personally I think there’s too much information available these days, on internet, forums, YouTube etc so we end up spending hours and hours trying to find the perfect set up. Back in the day I used to buy the cheapest tyres for my hardtails and run them on all conditions until they were bare threaded, and only buy new tyres when they eventually exploded . As Gary has said above, just choose a good all rounder and learn to live with its limitations

Personally I want the least rolling resistance and speed. Is grip really that important for a rear tyre? Sliding around out of control is all part of the fun in my opinion

Had a guy in front of me today at Dalby wash out on a berm. We weren’t going that fast, around 16mph. I was on his tail trying to make him go faster. He slid out and hit the ground hard, think he broke his finger and his knee swelled up twice the size instantly. He blamed his tyres saying they were shit, no grip. He had DHR’s / F’s, same tyres as me. He took a crap line, the inside of the berm to avoid a puddle, which made him overshoot so he braked hard mid corner, and washed out. It wasn’t his tyre that was shit

I had to chuckle at that....like Gary said to me once DH need to travel fast to function properly so maybe had he had Mary’s at slower speed it may have compensated? Probably not, I don’t expect tyres to perform miracles but I am intrigued to do some proper testing when I get chance to see if all this info is bs or not

 

[carlbiker]

Personally I think there’s too much information available these days, on internet, forums, YouTube etc so we end up spending hours and hours trying to find the perfect set up. Back in the day I used to buy the cheapest tyres for my hardtails and run them on all conditions until they were bare threaded, and only buy new tyres when they eventually exploded . As Gary has said above, just choose a good all rounder and learn to live with its limitations

Personally I want the least rolling resistance and speed. Is grip really that important for a rear tyre? Sliding around out of control is all part of the fun in my opinion

Had a guy in front of me today at Dalby wash out on a berm. We weren’t going that fast, around 16mph. I was on his tail trying to make him go faster. He slid out and hit the ground hard, think he broke his finger and his knee swelled up twice the size instantly. He blamed his tyres saying they were shit, no grip. He had DHR’s / F’s, same tyres as me. He took a crap line, the inside of the berm to avoid a puddle, which made him overshoot so he braked hard mid corner, and washed out. It wasn’t his tyre that was shit

I had to chuckle at that....like Gary said to me once DH need to travel fast to function properly so maybe had he had Mary’s at slower speed it may have compensated? Probably not, I don’t expect tyres to perform miracles but I am intrigued to do some proper testing when I get chance to see if all this info is bs or not

 

[Gary]

The chainless world cup win was Arron Gwin at Leogang WC in 2015
as impressive as that was it's not nearly as impressive as what Sam did at Champery.

I kind of like my DHII especially the rolling (I whizz past anyone else on Mary’s etc) but want tougher sidewalls on the rear

you still seem to be struggling to comprehend the effect compound, casing and pressures have.
a tough sidewall at a decently high pressure still rolls fast. it justr accelerates slightly slower becuase of the increased weight.
A harder compound rolls faster than a soft one
and higher pressures roll, accelerate faster and hold better momentum on hardpack

I only run a Mary on the front and also don't use the softest compound. it rolls faster than my all mate's DHFs, Assegais or DHRIIs because they're all enduro raceheads using maxgrip compound and running lower pressure.

You don't really *need* the ultimate softest/grippiest compounds unless you're gravity racing.

 

[Gary]

It wasn’t his tyre that was shit

Trail centres never fail to entertain

 

[Gary]

I am intrigued to do some proper testing when I get chance to see if all this info is bs or not

Don't waste your time.
it's actually very simple to prove how tread patern, rubber compound, casing, volume and pressure affect performance without any BS at all.

 

[carlbiker]

The chainless world cup win was Arron Gwin at Leogang WC in 2015
as impressive as that was it's not nearly as impressive as what Sam did at Champery.


you still seem to be struggling to comprehend the effect compound, casing and pressures have.
a tough sidewall at a decently high pressure still rolls fast. it justr accelerates slightly slower becuase of the increased weight.
A harder compound rolls faster than a soft one
and higher pressures roll, accelerate faster and hold better momentum on hardpack

I only run a Mary on the front and also don't use the softest compound. it rolls faster than my all mate's DHFs, Assegais or DHRIIs because they're all enduro raceheads using maxgrip compound and running lower pressure.

You don't really *need* the ultimate softest/grippiest compounds unless you're gravity racing.

Nothing to do with tyres! That’s the go faster Gary effect with improved no helmet wearing dynamics! ?

 

[Gary]

I don't go any faster with no helmet. That would be stupid.

 

[carlbiker]

@Mteam out of interest what do you use for places like Ladybower / Lee Quarry and then places like Wharncliffe or Stainburn?

 

[carlbiker]

Anyone seen a place cheaper than this? Schwalbe Addix Nobby Nic Soft SuperTrail TLE Folding Tyre - 29" | Merlin Cycles

Didn’t expect nics to cost this much! ?

 

[steve_sordy]

Anyone seen a place cheaper than this? Schwalbe Addix Nobby Nic Soft SuperTrail TLE Folding Tyre - 29" | Merlin Cycles

Didn’t expect nics to cost this much! ?

Buy now while stocks last!

 

[steve_sordy]

By the way, I have a pair of WTB 27.5x2.6 tyres new and unused. They came on the bike I bought for my grandson and I swapped them out for narrower, lighter tyres.
WTB Vigilante 27.5x2.6 TCS Light High Grip
WTB Trail Boss 27.5x 2.6 TCS Light Fast Rolling

Vigilante on the right.

If anyone has an interest send me a private message.

 

[Gary]

Steve at the beginning of the pandemic

 

[Tubby G]

Just taken off my rear 2.8 DHR and changed it for a 2.3 SS. I’ve said it before on other threads but the DHR at 2.8 just felt far too grippy for me, slow, large & cumbersome. Chose the SS for the low rolling resistance and wanted the smallest width tyre available for my 35mm rim. It also seems to tick all the boxes for the varied terrain we ride. Also, when buying the Allmtn, I liked the appeal of the mullet set up for a playful rear end. It didn’t feel playful with a big fat grippy 2.8 tyre

Just went for a quick spin, admittedly only on tarmac and gravel paths around my neighbourhood , but it instantly felt a vast improvement. The bike feels properly balanced now with a wider 2.5 up front and a skinnier 2.3 at the rear. It never felt right having a wider tyre on the rear. Acceleration felt quicker, the ride feels firmer, and now I have a huge smile on my face

Of course the real test will be out on the trails on our weekend warrior adventures, can’t wait ???