New Season, New Tires, New Thread

[MegaStoke]

huh, I had heard the mezcals were super weird on edge, has that been your experience? that tire looks perfect otherwise

They’re drifty if pushed hard around a corner, but predictably so. Very consistent through different lean angles. And they haul ass.

[D(C)]

I picked up a set of Continental Der Baron/Der Kaiser for my Chromag hardtail during a Black Friday sale. I ran Der Baron/Trail King last winter and was impressed with them in the wet, and one ride on my new set has confirmed my previous impressions. They may be better on wet roots than the Assegai Maxx Grip on my full suspension.

I am a bit confused by Conti's DH tires though. It looks like they do a Der Kaiser and a Mud King, but no Der Baron. It seems their WC athletes use the Der Kaiser front and rear most of the time. Based on the tight spacing of the knobs and smaller side knobs, I am surprised that the Der Kaiser would make a good front tire.

Has anyone tried a Der Kaiser in the front?

[geomorph]

Anyone have experience with 29x2.2 or so studded tires? Winter where I am often is a mix of bare ground and packed ice. If there's more snow I am usually on my xc skis, so I don't think I really need a fat bike. Are the skinny studs worth it or do I just stick to the trainer when it is mixed conditions?

[rideit]

I’m a big fan of studs. Totally changes the window of “Go” from “don’t go” on rides with icy pavement.

[ticketchecker]

There really needs to be an app for selecting tires, the rabbit hole is exhausting. Maybe if there were more compounds to choose from it would be simpler...

[nickwm21]

There really needs to be an app for selecting tires, the rabbit hole is exhausting. Maybe if there were more compounds to choose from it would be simpler...

Maxxis should make a flowchart.

IE:
... They have 4 different rear specific modern MTB tires (and another half dozen treads that could be used on the rear).

.... They have 4 different casing types, and 2 different TPI specs...

..... Most treads are offered in 2 different widths

...... They offer 4 different compounds


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[toast2266]

Here's your flowchart:

1) Are you an adult that rides bikes on trails with rocks, and appreciates when the bike goes around a corner?
Maxxis Double Down (if you're sorta fast) or Downhill Casing (if you're actually fast or actually fat), 3C Maxxgrip compound, 2.5" DHF in front, 2.4" DHR2 in the rear. Feel free to substitute an Assegai in the front if you want.

2) Are you going to be annoyed if your tires don't last most of the season?
Same answer as #1, except go with 3C Maxxterra compound.

3) Are you the kind of person that's going to bitch constantly about rolling resistance and annoy everyone else on the group ride?
See #2, but put an Aggressor on the rear. You're still gonna be slow though.

4) Are you the kind of person that slowly rides around rocks instead of getting rad?
See #3, except get Exo casing.

5) Do you race XC and care about your result?
Same answer as #4, plus you need to stop caring about your result.

6) Are you the kind of person that wants to "try something different" because everyone rides Maxxis?
Same answer as #1. Get over it.

[grskier]

I legit laughed at that ^^

Nice summation toast.
If you must deviate from the above, DHR II may be put on the front, if you like to get wild.
If you must go with a 'pro' tire, the dissector may be substituted once you sharpie over the name.

[detrusor]

Picked up one of those deeply discounted Kona hei hei trail supremes for the older grommette. At 85 pounds she doesn’t really need the 2.4 width tires that come on there. What’s a nice light 27.5 tire that grips well? Bontrager team x2 looks ok.....


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[Boissal]

Toast's post is going to convince me to go DD instead of EXO/+.
I need tires for a set of new wheels I bought, I was on the fence thinking of moving what's on my current wheels over but those things have 400 miles and scream "I slowly ride around rocks instead of getting rad". Can't bear the thought of being part of #4.

[ticketchecker]

I laffed at Toast's flow chart too.

Doesn't really help when trying to buy tires online these days when size and compound selections may not be available on a give retailers site.

Pages like this make me sleepy https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/...821,4294941728

[toast2266]

Toast's post is going to convince me to go DD instead of EXO/+.
I need tires for a set of new wheels I bought, I was on the fence thinking of moving what's on my current wheels over but those things have 400 miles and scream "I slowly ride around rocks instead of getting rad". Can't bear the thought of being part of #4.

In my humble opinion, Exo+ is useless. I don't find it to be any more durable than regular Exo. So either save a little weight and deal with flats on an Exo, or go doubledown.

[HAB]

In my humble opinion, Exo+ is useless. I don't find it to be any more durable than regular Exo. So either save a little weight and deal with flats on an Exo, or go doubledown.

Agreed. Which is to say, go Double Down.


My only addition to the flow chart is 7) Do you ride in a lot of PNW winter slop, and are you willing to bother putting a different tire on the front for that portion of the year? Then see #1, but sub a Schwalbe Dirty Dan, Super Gravity casing, Ultra Soft rubber up front. I think in most cases there's a reason everybody just runs Maxxis, but that tire is actually something special.

[carlh]

anyone want to trade a dhf maxxterra exo 29x2.5 for an assegai of the same? I got a pair and don't love the dhf.

[jm2e]

I’m a big fan of studs.

How did this get missed?



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[rideit]

Are you saying you are one?

[stuckathuntermtn]

There really needs to be an app for selecting tires, the rabbit hole is exhausting. Maybe if there were more compounds to choose from it would be simpler...

Obviously, we need 69 more SKU's. Or maybe 420.


Honest question because I ride in Missoula and there are no rocks: wouldn't adding a couple psi eliminate the weight penalty, expense, and frustration of double walled tires and inserts and constantly replacing tires?
I've chewed up some rear tires, but I'm heavy, on a hardtail, and an idiot.
Don't really wide rims in the 35mm ballpark also leave your sidewalls more exposed? Then you go and ride at like 12 psi?
I need all the help I can get going uphill, and riding around here can be pretty smooth, so this is all foreign to me.
I'm not saying you don't need it, I'm just asking to be enlightened on why someone needs 4 extra pounds on the place where it makes the most difference.
Does having really expensive wheels help make up for it?

[Andeh]

Toast's post is going to convince me to go DD instead of EXO/+.
I need tires for a set of new wheels I bought, I was on the fence thinking of moving what's on my current wheels over but those things have 400 miles and scream "I slowly ride around rocks instead of getting rad". Can't bear the thought of being part of #4.

I don't flat, but have gone to running DD in the rear because it lets me run lower pressure than EXO, EXO+, or EXO with CushCore XC in it without rolling the tire. For a DHR, DD is lighter than EXO + Cushcore XC too.

In the front, I run EXO+ Assegai because you can get it in MG compound, and because I definitely don't flat the front. If you can find it of course...

[meter-man]

Here's your flowchart:

1) Are you an adult that rides bikes on trails with rocks, and appreciates when the bike goes around a corner?
Maxxis Double Down (if you're sorta fast) or Downhill Casing (if you're actually fast or actually fat), 3C Maxxgrip compound, 2.5" DHF in front, 2.4" DHR2 in the rear. Feel free to substitute an Assegai in the front if you want.

2) Are you going to be annoyed if your tires don't last most of the season?
Same answer as #1, except go with 3C Maxxterra compound.

3) Are you the kind of person that's going to bitch constantly about rolling resistance and annoy everyone else on the group ride?
See #2, but put an Aggressor on the rear. You're still gonna be slow though.

4) Are you the kind of person that slowly rides around rocks instead of getting rad?
See #3, except get Exo casing.

5) Do you race XC and care about your result?
Same answer as #4, plus you need to stop caring about your result.

6) Are you the kind of person that wants to "try something different" because everyone rides Maxxis?
Same answer as #1. Get over it.

Amazing chart.

Is this assuming no inserts?

I've been riding Exo (front)/Exo+ (rear) with Huck Norris out front and an Air Liner out back. Lighter with an insert than DD without an insert, lower rolling resistance, similar support and rim-protection...

Shit maybe I should just try DD.

[D(C)]

In my humble opinion, Exo+ is useless. I don't find it to be any more durable than regular Exo. So either save a little weight and deal with flats on an Exo, or go doubledown.

I agree. Exo+ works fine for me as a front tire, though.

[toast2266]

Amazing chart.

Is this assuming no inserts?

I've been riding Exo (front)/Exo+ (rear) with Huck Norris out front and an Air Liner out back. Lighter with an insert than DD without an insert, lower rolling resistance, similar support and rim-protection...

Shit maybe I should just try DD.

Yeah, chart is without inserts, since I am mostly anti insert.

Exo + insert is close to the same weight as double down, but offers less-ish flat protection. Chart isn't applicable for dh bikes, where dh casing + insert probably makes sense.

[SchralphMacchio]

You guys don’t all weigh 130 lbs and live in a place with no rocks and endless hero loam?



(For the record we do do have a few areas with razor sharp lava rocks, but most of our trails are definitely lacking in natural gnar factor)

[smmokan]

Has anyone tried a Der Kaiser in the front?

Bump... I just put a Kaiser on the front of my Druid after running a Baron/TKII combo for the last several months (and a Baron/Kaiser in Brevard for a week). I only have a couple of rides on the Kaiser so far, but I like it. I'm in CO and currently all of our trails are totally dry and loose, but it seems every bit as grippy as the Baron up front, and I like the profile on my I-9 Enduro 305s.

I do wish Conti made a double-down equivalent casing, but for 99% of my riding I honestly don't need it and I don't want to deal with the weight penalty. I've had good luck so far with the tires over the last 6 months, with only one pinch flat but that was on a rock I absolutely crushed and had too low PSI.

[nickwm21]

I run EXO+ at 23/24psi weighing 200#s and don’t rip sidewalls. How can I be as cool as you guys?

** I just jinxed myself... **


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[climberevan]

I run EXO+ at 23/24psi weighing 200#s and don’t rip sidewalls. How can I be as cool as you guys?

** I just jinxed myself... **


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I'm also consistently puzzled by the seemingly chronic tire destruction by people on this thread. Rears last me about 800 miles before the side knobs are all rounded, and EXO or the Schwalbe Lite snakeskin has been fine on Tahoe rocks, UT rocks, NV rocks, etc. I think being light is my savior.