New Season, New Tires, New Thread

[NuMexJoe]

Sorry, my Mazza is 29x2.4. But in case it helps, just measured it and it’s 62mm casing, 60mm tread, mounted on 29mm ID rim.

Stucky, if another data point might help, I've got a 27.5 x 2.6 Mazza with the Enduro casing mounted to a rim with 25mm inner width (yeah, not a great match, but it's held up well for a season at Angel Fire). The casing is 61mm and the tread is 62mm.

[stuckathuntermtn]

Thanks.

That's a bit disappointing.

Am I crazy for thinking 2.6 DHR 3c front and 2.6 Rekon rear? Might even fit my bike.
Unless e13 comes out with a 2.6 AT. The 2.4 IS a bit square now I'm leaning harder.

[SuperChief]

Looking at tires in shop for 29” hardtail El Mariachi, the shop hand recommended a Rekon on front and rear for east coast rocky and wet but still fast and efficient. I bought one and mounted it and I’m not too confident it will be a good tire. What’s your mileage on damp rocky riding in the Mid-Atlantic? Sucks paying 75 for a bike tire specially when the weather has been great for ridding and The car needs snow tires.

[Falcon3]

Looking at tires in shop for 29” hardtail El Mariachi, the shop hand recommended a Rekon on front and rear for east coast rocky and wet but still fast and efficient. I bought one and mounted it and I’m not too confident it will be a good tire. What’s your mileage on damp rocky riding in the Mid-Atlantic? Sucks paying 75 for a bike tire specially when the weather has been great for ridding and The car needs snow tires.

Rekon and Rocky aren’t words that go together in my book. I’ve been really happy with the wet grip of my Vittoria graphene compound tires, and haven’t had any sidewall puncture issues on them either. I’m 200lbs kitted up. Id probably give a hard look at a Barzo.

[jamal]

There are kind of 2 different rekons. My hei hei came with the 2.25 exos, and I didn't really like them, and sliced both within about a month, around here. 2.4 exo+ has a little bigger knobs and is a little more durable I assume. I'm leaning toward those new syerras for my next trail tire but the tread pattern and weight aren't actually all that different from the bigger rekons.

I've spent a lot of time on barzo front, mezcal rear. Probably just going mezcal f/r for xc tires next time around.


In other news I put those schwalbe G-one Rs on my cross bike. They seem ok.

[Andeh]

Nice, finally got my hands on a couple ‘unicorn’ tires!!!

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Speaking of unicorn tires, I put on a DHR MT again for winter, but of course it's been 6 weeks with no rainfall here in California. Conditions are now as dry and dusty as August again, so I started hunting for my unicorn tire (27.5 DD MG Dissector), and naturally it's out of stock most places. But I did find a handful on Universal, so snagged a couple to get me through the winter. I find those tires grip hardpack way better than a DHR MT, and it actually does pretty decently in the wet and hero dirt because the open tread clears quickly.

[jamal]

here's something no one asked for but i took a picture of today because I was looking at the syerras and thought about it. suppose it'd be better if it was on a wheel

[VTskibum]

Looking at tires in shop for 29” hardtail El Mariachi, the shop hand recommended a Rekon on front and rear for east coast rocky and wet but still fast and efficient. I bought one and mounted it and I’m not too confident it will be a good tire. What’s your mileage on damp rocky riding in the Mid-Atlantic? Sucks paying 75 for a bike tire specially when the weather has been great for ridding and The car needs snow tires.

IMO in Mid Atlantic on an XC Hardtail 2.2-2.4, that’s not a bad recommendation. Exo at least think an Exo+ may be unnecessary, but depends what your local terrain is like. Rekon is a cross between an Ardent and an Ikon, I think. I’ve run both and definitely prefer the bigger Ardent or the Ardent Race. Vitoria also make some great tires mezcal for the rear is a good one, paired with a light trail tire up front is a good choice.


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[stuckathuntermtn]

Rekon looks like a scary front tire if there's anything other than low angle hardpacked dirt on your trails. That Vittoria looks like a nice rear. Too bad the Mazza isn't a full 2.6 for up front.
PS: how do I know if I'm down countrying, trail riding, or enduroing? What happened to all mountaining and cross countrying? Don't wanna buy the wrong tires!

[XtrPickels]

Rekon looks like a scary front tire if there's anything other than low angle hardpacked dirt on your trails. That Vittoria looks like a nice rear. Too bad the Mazza isn't a full 2.6 for up front.
PS: how do I know if I'm down countrying, trail riding, or enduroing? What happened to all mountaining and cross countrying? Don't wanna buy the wrong tires!

Rekon has grip for days compared to the Racing Ralph SuperRace I have on the front of my Epic at the moment...

That Syerra looks like it's borderline OK in layout, but flexy with those skinny lil knobbies.

[schuss]

Random Q for the collective - Wife's bike shipped with DHR's front and rear (which is what they spec) - is it a decent setup or should I just grab a DHF and call it done? She's a newbie, so looking for grippy and predictable for lesser mortals.

[One (+) Sentence]

I prefer the DHR2 up front to the DHF, but I have friends who feel the opposite.

DHR2 will be stronger braking. Maybe your wife would like that?

[meter-man]

Random Q for the collective - Wife's bike shipped with DHR's front and rear (which is what they spec) - is it a decent setup or should I just grab a DHF and call it done? She's a newbie, so looking for grippy and predictable for lesser mortals.

I would keep the DHRII in the rear and (assuming you're sticking with Maxxis), get an Assegai for the front. It's more locked-in/grippy and less drifty than the DHF.

Get that in a MaxxTerra or MaxxGripp layup - not a Dual-Compound (DC). Much more grippy.

[toast2266]

Random Q for the collective - Wife's bike shipped with DHR's front and rear (which is what they spec) - is it a decent setup or should I just grab a DHF and call it done? She's a newbie, so looking for grippy and predictable for lesser mortals.

DHR2 = more braking grip, less cornering grip than a DHF. Also rolls a little slower.

If your trails are loamier / looser dirt where cornering grip is easier to come by, or if they're generally steep, a dhr2 up front works well. Dhf up front is a bit more versatile.

[nickwm21]

She's a newbie.

Well - she probably won’t be going fast enough or lean the bike over enough to notice the difference between a DHR2 or DHF.

There’s probably plenty of things to spend $70 that’s she’d enjoy more than a bike tire….


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[VTskibum]

Definitely agree with the above for a newbie. Save your $70 and then when she wears out the rear swap front DHR to rear and then buy and DHF.


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[jm2e]

She’ll notice a bigger difference between rubber compounds than she will between tread patterns.
If it came OEM with dual compound and she’s feeling nervous about front wheel traction, replacing with a MaxxGrip DHF/DHR/Assagai will make a big difference.
Get a gauge and put her in the teens psi. Otherwise you might as well tell her tires don’t matter.


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[El Chupacabra]

How "newbie" is she? As in first bike since a little kid, or first mountain bike ever?

IMHO placing total newbie wife on a bike with DHR or DHF or Assegai tires, and then expecting her to pedal it uphill, is a recipe for having her hate mountain biking. At least put something fast rolling on the rear.

[stuckathuntermtn]

I feel like women and other lighter people don't need as much tire. Especially if they're not straight up shredding. Or even if they are?
Something sticky-ish but fast would probably be a lot more enjoyable than dragging Minions uphill.
Depends on what you're riding, I guess. And how brave she is.

[XXX-er]

Random Q for the collective - Wife's bike shipped with DHR's front and rear (which is what they spec) - is it a decent setup or should I just grab a DHF and call it done? She's a newbie, so looking for grippy and predictable for lesser mortals.

yesturday someone posted about the 20-30 yr old purple anodized seat post on his wife's bike

[dcpnz]

Re picking tires for the Mrs.
Doesn’t matter what tires are on my wife’s bike - she’s gonna be on the brakes the whole way down anyway. I learned awhile ago that the entire experience for her (and therefore also for me) becomes more enjoyable with something that rolls better rather than something that weighs more and grips better.
For instance she’s happy on Rekon’s f&r whereas most of you would swap those out for something burlier for a gravel path.

Of course YMMV and sure as hell not recommending that approach for everyone

But entire discussion is moot without any info on what bike and what/where she plans to ride…

[Falcon3]

I’ve gotten five rides in on my new Vittoria Mazza in 27.5x2.4, Trail casing on the front. I love it.

Better grip than a DHF but still allows you to drift the front a bit with the similar knob spacing. The sidewall is more supportive in the Trail version than an EXO or EXO+, it’s a happy medium for me without going all the way to a DD or DH casing which feels and rolls like a boat anchor.

The 2.4” blew up to 2.45” on my 30mm inner rims, a perfect match for my 2.5 Aggressor rear that is only about 2.4.

I weighed it when I got it and don’t remember the exact weight but it was reasonably close to the listed 890g.

[schuss]

Thanks all, sounds like we'll try it as is before gear buying syndrome kicks in.
She's done biking before, but never had her own full suspension bike. As the kids are into biking, she wants to start doing it too.

[Rossymcg]

I’ve gotten five rides in on my new Vittoria Mazza in 27.5x2.4, Trail casing on the front. I love it.

Better grip than a DHF but still allows you to drift the front a bit with the similar knob spacing.

my pal who raced WC downhill successfully, Now sponsored by Vittoria, takes the vittoria off if he's racing and puts on Maxxis and blacks them out. Only reason he uses Vittoria is they're for free. He gave me some vittoira I gave them to some a kid. Not comparable to maxxis for grip in my opinion

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[toast2266]

my pal who raced WC downhill successfully, Now sponsored by Vittoria, takes the vittoria off if he's racing and puts on Maxxis and blacks them out. Only reason he uses Vittoria is they're for free. He gave me some vittoira I gave them to some a kid. Not comparable to maxxis for grip in my opinion

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Pretty sure Vittoria only offers one option for rubber compound, which means they're never gonna be as grippy as a maxxgrip or supertacky. I haven't ridden a Mazza, but it wouldn't surprise me too much if it hooked up similarly to a maxxterra or dual compound maxxis. Mazza looks to just be one of many, many DHF knock offs, so I bet it rides fine for general use. But if you're really looking for grip, maxxis will win because their sticky rubber compounds are better and their casings are better.