New Season, New Tires, New Thread

[North]

Need to replace tires and am game for trying something other than usual Maxxis Assdude or DHF front + DHRII or Dissector rear combo. Not running inserts. With Maxxis, Exo+ front and DD rear is what works for me. MaxTerra when I can find it. Do I have this list of comparable/worthy tires + casings + compounds correct?

Front
Conti Kryptotal F, Enduro, Soft
Vittoria Mazza, Trail
Spesh Butcher, Grid Trail, T9

Rear
Conti Kryptotal Re, Downhill, Soft
Conti Xynotal, Downhill, Soft
Vittoria Mazza 2.4, Enduro
Spesh Eliminator, Grid Gravity, T7

[simple]

Magic Mary Front and Rear are delightful...in Canada. Which is where you should go to get out of dusty CB.

[J. Barron DeJong]

In Vittoria you could also look at a Martello Enduro for the rear if you’re looking for something faster rolling. I find it does have less braking traction than something like a DHR (though someone else on here said they didn’t notice, don’t recall who), but the cornering traction is good. Seems noticeably better at picking up and carrying speed on flow type trails.

[MegaStoke]

I’ll keep saying it, I’m loving the combo of Vittoria Mazza Trail 2.6(measures 2.5”) front, Mazza Enduro 2.4 rear with Tannus Tubeless inserts.

And agree with the above poster, Martello rear would be a good move if you’re ok with giving up a bit of braking traction for rolling resistance.

[SJG]

Kryptotal-R Enduro has less traction on the dry rocks than Kenda Pinner ATC or Maxxis DHR2 Maxxterra.

I need DH Super-Soft with the Kryptotal tires.

I do like the tires a lot, they are outstanding on the kitty litter, despite the harder rubber.

No commend on the treadwear yet.

[North]

Kryptotal-R Enduro has less traction on the dry rocks than Kenda Pinner ATC or Maxxis DHR2 Maxxterra.

When you say Kryptotal-R Enduro = less traction than DHRII MaxxTerra are you talking about the soft compound on the Kryptotal? Conti has that Endurance compound, which is poorly named given that they also have an Enduro casing. I'm assuming Conti Endurance is like Maxxis DC.

[SJG]

My wife has Trail (Endurance) on her K-F/R. I have Enduros, which come with "Soft" compound. Not enough traction for me, so have to go with DH casing and super soft compound. Maybe I'm wrong. I thought for sure I saw that the Enduro casing has their "Soft" compound. DH casing you can choose soft or super-soft. You can see it in the "symbols" they use for application, compound, and casing. Compound is the middle symbol in the chart, casing is the right most symbol.

My opinion is that the Kryptotal "soft" is a little harder than Maxxterra (Maxxis).

[North]

Gotcha. Maybe I'll try both an Enduro/Soft and DH/Super Soft KrF.

[SJG]

on the rocks (Alta slabs), the K-Soft compound is skiddier than Maxxis Maxxterra and Kenda Pinner Pro ATC. A little un-nerving exit speeds for me.

[adrenalated]

Front tires, Assguy (MaxxTerra Exo) vs DHF (MaxxGrip Exo) vs Mazza (Trail): IMO Assguy has most cornering grip in nearly all conditions. As we all know it's also the slowest rolling tire ever created. I don't notice much difference in braking traction between the 3 but this is on the front soooo. The DHF seems best on wet roots and slick rocks and that makes sense due to softer compound. The Mazza and DHF generally feel very similar in decent conditions (dirt with moisture in it, loose stuff deep enough to engage the knobs, etc.) The Mazza has a noticeably harder compound than either Maxxis which means it's faster and longer lasting, but has quite a bit less grip in hardpack or loose over hard conditions. As long as there's enough give in the soil to get the knobs to engage, I like it just as much as a DHF.

Rear tires, DHR2 (MaxxTerra Exo & DD) vs Martello (Trail): like the Mazza vs DHF the DHR2 and Martello feel very similar under cornering in good conditions. I think I was the one that said I didn't notice much difference in braking traction but after more time I do agree the DHR2 is better at slowing down when it gets real steep. The MaxxTerra compound is again noticeably softer than the Vittoria - the Martello lasts WAY longer, rolls faster, but washes out earlier on hardpack and loose over hard and wet roots/rocks. Again, if conditions are such that the knobs can engage, I really like the Martello. In terms of puncture resistance, the Trail casing is definitely better than Exo and worse than DD. I have a new Enduro casing that I'm going to throw on the bigger bike when I roast the current DHR2 and I'll report back on Enduro vs DD.

[singlesline]

That is cheap!
I think I'm going to give a Kryptotal enduro a try for the rear and see how that feels and keep the maxxgrip Assegai up front for now.

One ride in and I'm a fan.

Spent Sunday at Legacy Bike Park on the dual Assegais. Yesterday I swapped the rear for the Kryptotal and rode local trails.

Felt downright zoomy. I'm sure there are lots of tires that deliver that feeling vs the slow Assegai, but it was quite noticeable on both the up and the down. Didn't notice any terrible loss of grip--for my riding it was more than sufficient for turning and braking.

Looked back at my ride logs and I could actually see a trend. The main climb in this area has been consistently slower this year on the dual Assegais. Just switching the rear tire out brought me much closer to what I was doing last year (on a different bike with Kenda Regolith Pros).

[singlesline]

Pulled out the calipers and it looks like the 2.6 kryptotals are about 3mm wider than the 2.6 assegais. Both at the casing and at the widest knobs. On the same 35mm rim.

Actually a fairly tight fit on the ripmo. The little mold hairs hit the frame in many spots

[evasive_MT]

Pulled out the calipers and it looks like the 2.6 kryptotals are about 3mm wider than the 2.6 assegais. Both at the casing and at the widest knobs. On the same 35mm rim.

Actually a fairly tight fit on the ripmo. The little mold hairs hit the frame in many spots

My wife has about 5 microns of clearance between her Ripmo and a 2.6 KrR on a 30mm Reserve rim. I’m going to swap it for a 2.4

[D(C)]

Question about Maxxis XC tires - what's the difference between 3C MaxxSpeed and Dual Compound? Which one is grippier in the wet, faster rolling, etc? I know that, in the more aggressive tires, 3C MaxxTerra is grippier than DC, but there's not much info about the XC compounds.

Also, I've been running a Forekaster V2/Rekon combo on my Spur and am addicted to the extra rolling speed over the tires I run on my Sight. However, the bike is still quite planted, and I am curious about going with something even faster. If I go with something like dual Aspens, will I completely neuter the bike, or will it go to fun and drifty? I am a more descending-focused rider and like how the smaller bike keeps me on my toes.

[g_man80]

I would suggest starting half way with a Rekon Race or Ardent Race in the front with the Aspen rear. Not sure I would jump right in with dual Aspens.

I’m interested in your thought on the Forekaster V2. Is it the 2.4? What did it measure after install at ride pressure? I just sold a new one that I decided not to run as a rear. I wasn’t sure how I felt about the weight, potential undersize, and appropriateness for my 150/160mm bike.

[D(C)]

I would suggest starting half way with a Rekon Race or Ardent Race in the front with the Aspen rear. Not sure I would jump right in with dual Aspens.

I’m interested in your thought on the Forekaster V2. Is it the 2.4? What did it measure after install at ride pressure? I just sold a new one that I decided not to run as a rear. I wasn’t sure how I felt about the weight, potential undersize, and appropriateness for my 150/160mm bike.

Thanks for the input. Makes sense. It’s a bit hard to know where the Maxxis XC options rank in terms of aggressiveness/rolling speed.

I’ve been running the Forekaster V2 as a front tire on a short travel bike so I can’t really comment on it in the rear. I’ve been quite impressed with the cornering and braking traction (for a lighter duty tire), though it requires more focus and planning coming into corners than a more aggressive tire in loose and dry conditions. Forekaster/Rekon combo rolls a lot faster than the DHR II/Rekon combo I had on before - which I obviously attribute to the Forekaster.

For context, I’m riding in Coastal BC, so even our ‘XC’ laps have proper descents, and I often take out the Spur on rides with people on much bigger bikes and am keeping up on the downs, so not taking it easy. Kind of like the Spur, the Forekaster is enough tire for 90% of situations and significantly more fun on rolling terrain.

I did read some recent comments suggesting it’s undersized. I haven’t gotten out the calipers, but I did not visually notice it being smaller than the 2.4 Rekon I have in back. I’ll try to measure later and report back.

[Andeh]

For those running Contis, is it safe to say I should run an Argotal up front for a trip to Northstar in a couple weeks? Late season there is usually extremely blown out and loose (sand/silt).

I've been running Kryptotals F/R most of the year and really happy with them, but just snagged an Argotal on Labor Day sale intending to use it in the wet months, but am thinking it should be really good for Duststar as well.

[Jtlange]

For those running Contis, is it safe to say I should run an Argotal up front for a trip to Northstar in a couple weeks? Late season there is usually extremely blown out and loose (sand/silt).

I've been running Kryptotals F/R most of the year and really happy with them, but just snagged an Argotal on Labor Day sale intending to use it in the wet months, but am thinking it should be really good for Duststar as well.

I have noticed that the Argotals are a bit better in loose, but I think the very tall side knobs may get a tad squirmy when going pretty fast on hardpack jump trails. Nothing overly concerning, but it is there.

[joetron]

Question about Maxxis XC tires - what's the difference between 3C MaxxSpeed and Dual Compound? Which one is grippier in the wet, faster rolling, etc? I know that, in the more aggressive tires, 3C MaxxTerra is grippier than DC, but there's not much info about the XC compounds.

Also, I've been running a Forekaster V2/Rekon combo on my Spur and am addicted to the extra rolling speed over the tires I run on my Sight. However, the bike is still quite planted, and I am curious about going with something even faster. If I go with something like dual Aspens, will I completely neuter the bike, or will it go to fun and drifty? I am a more descending-focused rider and like how the smaller bike keeps me on my toes.

I’ve got a Ranger that I usually keep a Dissector 2.4 on the front and had been running a 2.4 Rekon, but switched over to Forekaster v2 2.4.
The Forekaster does look a little slimmer than Rekon, but haven’t measured it, I’ll do it tomorrow at the shop. I much prefer the Forekaster over the Rekon. Better bite in loose stuff and way better braking.
I installed Aspen 2.4 front and rear for the Telluride 100, because that course was about 1/2 gravel road 1/2singletrack. They were fast as hell, but definitely a bit sketchy if you’re used to knobbier tires. I’ve been tempted to put them back on for giggles, but our town trails around here are kinda chunky, dry and loose for the most part. Can’t say I’d recommend them for a daily driver unless you’re an XC racer putting on a grip of miles and not so into the shredding.

I’m not sure what the differences in MS vs DC are, but apparently the new MS compound is fast as hell. XC dudes around here are pumped on it. I haven’t dove too deeply into the weeds on it, but apparently they’ve appropriated some road tire silica tech and have a compound that rolls faster and has better wet condition grip.
My experience with DC tires are that they last a really long time, but have noticeably less grip on off camber rock than 3C MT.


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[XtrPickels]

I’m not sure what the differences in MS vs DC are, but apparently the new MS compound is fast as hell. XC dudes around here are pumped on it. I haven’t dove too deeply into the weeds on it, but apparently they’ve appropriated some road tire silica tech and have a compound that rolls faster and has better wet condition grip.

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I'm interested to see hard numbers on this because traditionally maxxis has been way behind continental and schwalbe.

It looks like they might win a review on Bicycle Rolling Resistance next month. I'm looking forward to see what that roller testing says.

[Tailwind]

Maxxis XC tires seem heavy as well. The new Maxxspeed casings are over 800 grams for most tires.

Also they don’t really have anything that seems like a standout front XC race tire. I have not tried the Aspen but I’ve always been thrown off by the shape and don’t like the Ikon as a front. The new forecaster isn’t built as a race tire.

I'm interested to see hard numbers on this because traditionally maxxis has been way behind continental and schwalbe.

It looks like they might win a review on Bicycle Rolling Resistance next month. I'm looking forward to see what that roller testing says.

[radam]

If you have to stay Maxxis, Rekon Race gives up some speed to the Aspen but isn't nearly as sketchy. Go with the 2.35 or 2.4 though (I've got some of each, the 2.4s are oddly lighter), the 2.25 casing is tiny. Vittoria Mezcal is another good option. Or you could always try to get your hands on a clapped out Aspen, run that for a hot minute, and then everything else will feel grippy in comparison. Mine lives on the my gravel-converted mtb, but it was fun for local KOM attempts on the race bike, assuming no significant trail hazards like light leaf cover

[detrusor]

Is there any chance at all of getting a hand on the sponsored riders 170 tip race tires? My littlest is racing NICA and is 80lbs soaking wet. A super supple super light tire would make a huge difference for her. Current race tires at 18 psi are still super stiff due to the sidewalls. I know it’ll be spendy but for race day tires I’d get a ton of use. Any reps or sponsored riders looking to part with some this fall????

[D(C)]

So I took some measurements on my 2.4 Forekaster and Rekon. Both are nearly identical in size, 58 mm at the casing and 59 mm to the outside of the side knobs, measured on 26 mm wide rims.

[joetron]

I finally measured my Forekaster 2.4 today and got 57mm on the casing, same as the 2.4 Dissector up front. Mounted on 30mm internal hookless rim.
It still just looks a litter skinnier though, so strange. Must be the profile or something.


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