The MTB thread

[Luckypants]

Aye Badger I realise that not all tyres are born equal and the word is that Maxxis 2.35 are not among the big ones. BUT there is little mud clearance with the current 2.2 on my bike, so it is a concern. I have been researching the tyres that came on the bike (Bontrager Jones XR) and these are a very high volume tyre, so perhaps it won't be an issue. Like you say, I'll have to try them for size... It was reassuring that all the reviews I read for the Jones XR (bar 1 from a Californian riding smooth rock ) say they are a POS tyre. My view after sunday was they will probably be OK in dry summer conditions, when they will be FAST , but not good now.

I was considering the Ardents after talking to my daughter's b/f, but he is a downhiller and has slightly different needs from his tyres. Current thinking is either High Roller (maybe super tacky), Ardent or Panaracer Fire XC Pro. I think Gary had the Panaracers on his bike, as they come with the bling red stripe.

Originally Posted by Luckypants

I was considering the Ardents after talking to my daughter's b/f, but he is a downhiller and has slightly different needs from his tyres. Current thinking is either High Roller (maybe super tacky), Ardent or Panaracer Fire XC Pro. I think Gary had the Panaracers on his bike, as they come with the bling red stripe.

Actually they're these on the front and these on the back. Evo triple compound ones and I can mix and match their 3 tyre range for the conditions on their given chart.

bike radar review for the nobby

I'd probably go for the super tacky Maxxis compound on one of their many tread patterns though

P.S. the downtube of Barwel's bike is not completely shiny so it has been out.

[Luckypants]

Thanks Gary, I didn't realise you could get Nobbys with the red stripe. Now you mention them I do remember you saying... I don't think these will be any good around here due to the reputation for weak sidewalls.

Originally Posted by BikeRadar second review;

Run a pair of these for a few weeks and had to replace, very poor grip in the rocky rooty welsh trail centers where i live.
They do roll well, but this is not a tyre if you ride on anything slighty rough as it slides and doesn't grip at all well

They are bally expensive too!


So High Rollers or Fire XC Pros? Hmmmmmm

[Luckypants]

Also what size nobby nics do you run?

[northwind]

Maxxis's 2.35 measures up at 2.15 or so, you'll probably be OK with them, certainly will be fine on the front... Though I reckon they're overrated.

Kenda's Nevegal is a good allrounder, I use them just because they work on anything, easy option. A 2.1 stick-e for the front and a DTC for the back, for your bike, I reckon. Reasonably fast rolling, reasonably grippy, reasonably light, reasonably priced. All said, they're pretty reasonable It's basically kenda's take on the Highroller, a bit lighter and (I think) a bit grippier but a wee hair slower.

If you want an outright XC mud tyre then the correct answer's a Mud X, there's nothing else to compete really except the Maxxis Medusa and it's just a copy. Amazing on the back, you can pedal through anything. Quite grim on the front.

Oh and Nobby Nics, good tyres but too expensive IMO, sorry... Not amazing at mud either, no better than tyres half the price. Really really nice in the dry, they grip like a grippy tyre and roll like a racy tyre. Fire XCs, nah, very outdated- as slow as a Nevegal pretty much but less grippy.

Originally Posted by Luckypants

Also what size nobby nics do you run?

2.25 and yes they aren't too great on slate but it was the front wheel getting deflected all the time on the rocks that was sphincter twitching.

[northwind]

So I am feeling happy and minted... My Lyriks came back from the warranty man with the updated internals in so they're basically new forks, they look new too since they've had so little use. Been a hassle but well chuffed. I'll get them in the bike tomorrow I think...

And I got my refund back no bother from Chain Reaction for my bent Mmmbop frame and found another one locally for less, which I should also get at the weekend. So I'll end up with the same frame but slightly cheaper, which is nice. It's going to go off for powdercoating first though as it's a horrible colour Lime green! So it's getting the northwind british racing green treatment with white parts, and who knows possibly some white stripes

But the flipside of all this is I have some money that I didn't think I'd have... And No Fuss Events just made preregistration available for their 2011 season of races. I've got a bit of a bad feeling about this, I think I'm going to enter the Fort William Endurance Downhill race

Which is exactly as bad an idea as it sounds, it's a 6 hour endurance race on the world cup downhill race route. I've ridden the route once and my hands just about fell off, but the winner last year did 16 runs! But it looks like a "You will not regret it, if you live" sort of a thing and the entry fee's only £40 more than a day's uplift. No I don't have a downhill bike, I'll just use my normal bike, what's the worst that can happen?

[northwind]

Aaaand lastly, I posted this in the Wales ride thread but it belongs in here too, probably people have already seen it but... Who wants to come to Scotland in the spring? I'm suggesting a long weekend of riding in the borders in about May (dryest month), based out of Peebles or nearby for access to Glentress and Innerleithen.

Exact venue would vary but if we can get, say, 10 people we could rent out Rich the trailbuilder's guesthouse, it's £375 for 2 nights for the whole house or £525 for 3- so cheaper than a B&B, with a group- and sleeps up to 15, and is a really nice place to stop- 2 minutes from the trailhead at Innerleithen and about 20 minutes ride from Glentress (or, oh, 5 minutes drive if we've got the cars. Plus bike garage etc. Or alternatively we could do B&Bs, or caravans, or the wigwams at Glentress...

And yeah, riding of bikes, both up and down hills. We could do a natural XC ride but there's so much great riding here at the trail centres that it's pretty tempting to just do those. It's probably not a weekend for total novices but glentress's famous red is approachable for anyone that can actually ride a bike, and there's a great blue route. But the best of it needs a wee bit of skill and fitness, to be fair.

Getting here's easy enough, it's Scotland but only just and you can just come up the main motorways... Or I could get a small number of people from the stations in edinburgh down. 3, maybe. There's no public transport to Peebles that'll do a bike but there's buses that go there and bike hire at Glentress too.

So, just an idea but I thought I'd get it out of my head and on the screen. I never need an excuse to ride at glentress though

[Luckypants]

Cheers Northy, very useful and kind of backs up other information I've found.

Current thinking is a Maxxis Advantage 2.1 rear with a Minnion DHF 2.35 front (super tacky). That should handle moderate mud and stick to tree roots / rocks. I did look at Nevegals but no one I spoke to had used them, so you have put the cat back amongst the pigeons! I also considered the re-launched Panaracer Smoke/Dart combo, but then remembered I didn't like them 'back in the day' and see no reason why they will be better in 2.1.

I'll save getting mud tyres for when it gets really claggy.

Will ponder some more....

Originally Posted by Luckypants

I also considered the re-launched Panaracer Smoke/Dart combo, but then remembered I didn't like them 'back in the day' and see no reason why they will be better in 2.1.

Eeek I didn't get along with the Panaracers, they felt awfully funny when cornering. That stretch thing just didn't feel right... grippy enough, but you had to trust them more than I'd like to.

My bike is still on the same pair of IRC Mythos I got years ago... it means I'm not riding enough!