New Season, New Tires, New Thread

[rideit]

For the record, I’m not faulting the tire, I was kidding. That stuff gobs up everything.
And for you trail-conditions Care Bears, that is from a section of road, the single track was dry.
This is in Cusco, Perú...

[HankScorpio]

Probably been covered but what's the verdict on a DHF as a rear tire?

I just got a 29 x 2.6 DHF for the front of my Surface and I've got another 2.5 DHF kicking around that will likely go in the rear.

[simple]

Personally I like a less rounded tire in the rear so a DHF wouldn't be a pick for me. The lack of braking blocks will be noticeable as well. Try it and find out.

[stuckathuntermtn]

Just saw (and ordered) Maxis Minion SS in a 29x2.5 exo tr. Jenson has a few. Hopefully fits on the GG with Flows. GG's website says 2.4" clearance, but this is Maxis here. With the 2.3" Aggressor on there now, it looks like there's just enough room for something a tad bigger. Should pair nicely with the 2.5" DHF and allow me to go up a chainring size if that ever comes off backorder.
Might eventually go e13, especially if this doesn't fit, but I think the SS trail plus is out of stock everywhere in 29er. My guess would be that if I went with a 2.4" AT race in the front and a 2.35" SS plus in the rear, it would actually be a better, zippier setup for me, without losing much actual width vs Minions.
Fucking Covid.
Anyway, will report back.

[Roxtar]

You can watch the build or just start at 4:20.

Anyone else hoping to see him cut a big hole in the ice and go in?

Just me, huh?

[bagtagley]

Probably been covered but what's the verdict on a DHF as a rear tire?

I just got a 29 x 2.6 DHF for the front of my Surface and I've got another 2.5 DHF kicking around that will likely go in the rear.

Run it. There are better options, but the DHF is a decent rear tire. If you don't like it, you can swap it out.

[stuckathuntermtn]

Shit, that might be a gravity tire that I ordered. Dammit.

[stuckathuntermtn]

It's the DH casing one so that's out. IDK why they wouldn't make the SS in a wider size for wider rims.
Or would the 2.3 be fine with 19mm internal rims?

[simple]

We used to run up to 2.4 on rims that narrow. It wasn't optimal but it's ok.

[XtrPickels]

Probably been covered but what's the verdict on a DHF as a rear tire?

I just got a 29 x 2.6 DHF for the front of my Surface and I've got another 2.5 DHF kicking around that will likely go in the rear.

I ran one this winter.
It's fine.
Slow rolling, but great traction.
If anything, my knock against it was that it didn't break free when I expected it to.

[HAB]

Technically I’m in the PNW too ... but the difference down here is that while the east side of the Willamette Valley is that famous world class high traction, fir-needle topped, soft when wet loam derived from old growth forests and eroded Western Cascades - presumably the same stuff you guys have up there? - the west side and basin of the Valley are comprised of rich clay deposits mixed with some silt and sand - the kind that when wet turns a DHF into an orange balloon resembling rideit’s Dissector above.

The Butcher was an aggressive DHF-like tire I found that could work well on both sides of the valley in dry and moist conditions ... but I also found its main weakness to be wet roots ... hence my adopting the Hillbilly up front during wet season.

I've ridden down your way a bit. The East side is a lot like my home trails.

Which version of the Butcher were you on? The new T9 rubber is *miles* better than anything Specy has done before.

[Ted Striker]

Probably been covered but what's the verdict on a DHF as a rear tire?

I just got a 29 x 2.6 DHF for the front of my Surface and I've got another 2.5 DHF kicking around that will likely go in the rear.

The F and R don't actually stand for front and rear - or at least they didn't when they came up with it.

I've used the DHF on the rear of a 27.5 and I didn't die, but it didn't bite as well leaned over. I tried it mounted backwards as well, and it was maybe slightly better (or my imagination)

Long way of saying it'll do in a pinch, but I wouldn't choose it.

[GravityDT]

Not really stoked on my dissector today, I simply can’t put my finger on why...

Attachment 370001

That’s some Grade A Goop right there


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[toast2266]

The F and R don't actually stand for front and rear - or at least they didn't when they came up with it.

I've used the DHF on the rear of a 27.5 and I didn't die, but it didn't bite as well leaned over. I tried it mounted backwards as well, and it was maybe slightly better (or my imagination)

Long way of saying it'll do in a pinch, but I wouldn't choose it.

R definitely stands for rear, and always has. There's debate as to whether the F originally stood for front or freeride, but almost everyone acknowledges that the DHF is a front tire.

Which doesn't mean you can't run a DHF in the rear or a DHR2 in the front. They work great. DHF in the rear rolls faster but brakes worse. DHR2 in the front rolls slower, doesn't corner quite as well, and brakes better.

Running a DHF backwards will make it brake worse, corner worse, and roll slower. It will hook up slightly better on loose climbs though.

[grinch]

Theres more than a few pros running dhr's front and rear. A lot of Uak riders because they shed mud better than a dhf.
Theres also a bunch of pros still running dhf f/r. Ed mastrrs comes to mind. More of a dry tire. I could see running either f/r here or mixing and matching depending on the season. I like the dhf slightly better. I find it more predictable across all angles. Probably why my current faves are the mich dh34. It has its similarities

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[carlh]

Shuffling around my tires, anyone want to trade a new without package 29x2.5 DHF exo/maxterra for a solid rear tire in a stronger casing? Something a bit faster rolling preferred. Also open to a sale.

[toast2266]

I used to run dhr2 front and rear on the dh bike. Mostly because when the rear wore out, I'd swap the front to the back, throw a fresh dhr2 on the front and be back in business.

Did the same with the dhf at times, but I preferred the slightly narrower dhr2 and the better braking.

[grinch]

Ya id have no problem with either. Dhr does brake a touch better. Also found it floats around a bit more with the rear locked up. Sometimes i want 2.4 and other times 2.5.
Just ordered some 2.4 dh casing big betty's. Give them a try on a couple rear wheels i have. They look dhr ish

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[Roxtar]

The funny part is the original DHR was such a terrible tire that most were running DHFs front and rear. When the DHR II came around everybody started running it front and rear

[grinch]

Danny Hart agrees. Kept him on his bike

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[Ted Striker]

R definitely stands for rear, and always has. There's debate as to whether the F originally stood for front or freeride, but almost everyone acknowledges that the DHF is a front tire.

Huh, so that's a pervasive myth? Because I've heard/read/watched the freeride/race thing repeated many times by people who supposedly know.

I like the DHR2 on the front as well.

Running a DHF backwards will make it brake worse, corner worse, and roll slower. It will hook up slightly better on loose climbs though.

That makes sense. Spin-outs on technical climbs was my specialty.

[stuckathuntermtn]

Anyone ever run some of the new Vittoria tires? A Mazza/Morsa combo looks like it could rail. If they even still make the Morsa.
I'm also assuming since they're Italian that it is pronounced like matzo balls. Om nom nom. Happy Passover.

I find the Aggressor fine, just a little slower than I'm used to and I need all the help I can get.

[SchralphMacchio]

Shit, I was just about to respond that I’ll be on the 2.4 Mazza up front and running a 2.4 Dissector 3CMT in back in a couple of months - replacing a 2.3 DHF/Aggressor combo.

But I just remembered that my daughter’s Shotgun bike seat is such a tremendous pain to install and remove that I might be riding my hardtail as my primary bike this summer, which has different sized wheels from the tires mentioned above ... too bad because I saved my old DHF/Aggressor and would have been able to do a weekend A/B test ... but that’s only likely to happen if I buy a Macridemore seat and sell the Shotgun.

[simple]

I just got a 2.4 mazza Enduro to try. Under $60 is worth seeing if it is a good front tire

[stuckathuntermtn]

Fuck it, dudes, I just ordered the e13 Trail AT 29x2.4 Race and Trail Semi Slick 29x2.35 Plus. Whoo, that's a mouthful. Hopefully their SS Plus is actually in stock, as it's out of stock on every website but theirs.
I guess backorder wouldn't be such a bad thing as the tires I have now will be more versatile for spring conditions.