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Hey peeps,
The trails they are a drying and an old man's fancy turns to faster rolling rubber.
As well as home duties, I'm off for a wee bumble round Luchon in the Pyrenees, which I suspect may be deadly to skinny sidewalks.
So ... any recommendations for a fast rolling but tough sidewall tyre for the back of my bikes? Max size is 2.4 inches due to frame restrictions, which kicks out my previous fave of a Schwalbe Rock Razor (the Apex tyre only comes in 2.6 inch).
Thoughts at the moment are swinging between a Maxxis Minion SS with their EXO with the fancy insert or a Specialized Slaughter GRID.
Any thoughts, experiences, opinions to share?
In my experience, EXO casing is only really suitable for the front in rocky areas. I've recently fitted a 2.3 Agressor DD after twisting an EXO on a dodgy off-camber drop.
Going to give it a test in the Lakes on Sunday as I'm a bugger for wrecking rear tyres.
I would have liked a 2.4, but it was cheap (£30 from Chain Reaction) and it was available guaranteed next day.
Can you still not get the SG 2.35 Rock Razor?
Use Slaughter Grids on a couple of bikes and rate them. Did Ainsa and Finale back to back last year and conditions were perfect for them. Got a Minion SS on some new spare wheels but not had to use them so can't comment on the tyre.
Just built up another bike for use all to use and its a Slaughter Grid that's gone on it.
In my experience, EXO casing is only really suitable for the front in rocky area
Mine too. Just ordered a WTB Ranger with a Tough Fast casing. Given up with Maxxis for the rear.
@Trailrider Jim
Going to give the DD casing a chance before I get one made out of steel 🙂
Oh dear for the EXO + Silkworm on the Maxxis.
Much to think about there. On the Schwalbe, do you lose a lot of speed with the super gravity casing? I've only ever run a Magic Mary with super gravity and that was noticeably more craggy than other Schwalbe compounds.
I've played with the notion of WTB tough fast tyres a few times but I have a lingering prejudice against WTB from a loooooonnnnngggg time ago.
Cheers for the thoughts do far.
Much to think about there. On the Schwalbe, do you lose a lot of speed with the super gravity casing?
Not in my experience, I'd say it's just a quick as the standard version. You can perhaps feel the extra weight and it's a little less supple thanks to the thicker carcass, but it's still a fast-rolling tyre. I think they're brilliant tyres and big side knobs make them grippier than you'd expect in turns, but also on softer stuff where they dig in.
Minion SS in Exo is absolutely fine in rocks as long as you run high enough pressure for good sidewall stability .
Semi slicks like the SS are pretty pointless at low pressures as it defeats the purpose, ruins the transition from fast straight line rolling to railing the edge and makes the drift zone inbetween vague completely ruins the handling.
They are available in tougher DH casing for clumsy folk and absolute pinners.
Well... forget what I said about the Agressor DD. Managed to put a hefty slice in the side wall on the first ride...
Where's that link to the Schwalbe Rock Razor? 🙂
I seem to murder rear tyres in the Lakes. I try to be considerate and pick my lines and hop more scary looking rocks, but it's that sly one that always gets me!
“Well… forget what I said about the Agressor DD. Managed to put a hefty slice in the side wall on the first ride…“
Did you have a foam insert in there? If not, would slightly lower pressure mean the sidewall deflected more and not get sliced through?
I think you need tougher casings under semi-slick tyres because you don’t have chunky knobs between much of the carcass and sharp rocks.
Nah, I've not tried an insert yet. I think this one was just bad luck as it wasn't even on a very chunky part of the ride. I survived the bit where I normally kill them, only to slice the sidewall on a grass/rock mix!
I'm just cursed! 🙂 Looking back, I probably could have ran it with more air in.1
would slightly lower pressure mean the sidewall deflected more and not get sliced through?
Why would you think that?
If anything the opposite is true IME
Higher pressure and the sidewall will deflect the entire wheel away when it glances a rock.
The pressures and compounds I run give too sketchy a ride for a lot of folk but that's how I like to ride.
Most of the folk I've ridden with who suffer continual punctures and sidewall cuts with exos run way lower pressures than I ever would. (and consequently many switched to DD/DH casings) whereas I still run exo riding exactly the same stuff.
They're generally also the same folk who ding/crack rims (sort of backing up the theory)
Just put a DD griffin in the rear of the patrol for the dry weather. Was only 26 from the Maxxis store
A chap we saw twice on the ride said he's never had any issues with his Maxxis EXO tyres and I think he lived around there.
I'm putting it down to low pressure and bad luck. Instead of jumping and buying another tyre, I have a High Roller 2.4 EXO. Reckon that'd do as a fastish rolling rear?
@Fat-boy-fat
Which tyre have you gone for?
I've split the deck. Two bikes, two tyres. Going for a Rock Razor super gravity and a Minion SS with silkworm. I'm going to use the Rock Razor on my trip to the Pyrenees but will see how the Minion goes more locally.
You'll have to let us know how you get on. Going to give the 2.4 High Roller EXO a go on the back before I buy yet another tyre!
I'll raise the psi a bit if I'm going rocky 🙂
What kind of pressures are you guys running in the rear tyre? I've never had issues with Maxxis Exo but am running ~25psi in the rear tyre
The other day I ran a Minnion SS EXO and Rock Razor Super Gravity back to back at Dalbeattie.
I’d say the Rock Razor was the faster with the Minnion better grip on the climbs, particularly the little tricky rock sections. didn’t notice the weight difference.
Around 35psi in both, No damage to either.
What kind of pressures are you guys running in the rear tyre?
38 - 55psi (generally around 40-42 off road on hardpack, 55 for jumping/commuting)
That is pretty hard geex, but the proof is in the pudding with the lack of punctures. I need to stop running mine too soft really. I usually just go off feel, but I always end up running them too soft for my weight.
I'll probably start north of 30psi and go from there in future (my wallet is depending on me!).
a Minion SS doesn't actaully work as designed if it's run at low pressures.
ie. it doesn't roll as fast in a straight line as it doesn't run on the centre tread
it doesn't drift as nicely in the drift zone (intermediately leant over)
and it doesn't hook up on the edge as well when leant over properly if it is run soft enough to squirm.
I've been running single ply semi slicks like the SS on the rear all year round since the early 2000s (previously Maxxis Bling Blings and kenda BBGs) I'm incredibly used to their handling traits. what works and what doesn't.
Folk here are obsessed with maximum grip compounds, the widest tyres and rims they can run and super low pressures that require tyre inserts just to stop them damaging those rims.. but many are still riding terrible lines, not holding speed and braking in all the wrong places. You don't actually need masses and masses of grip to ride most trails well. The fact so many folk here can't get through a single ride without puncturing an exo tyre speaks volumes
As a side note, Pressure reported by my track pump is a work of fiction. I used a digital gauge as I was curious.
I'll be trying to run higher pressures and break the habit of "just enough air" on my next ride anyway.
I've only been biking for about 4 years (started just after turning 30!), so I'm still learning all the time. Tyres are pressures are just another thing to get right really. These days, I'm always looking for lines and hopefully picking the best ones.
Thing is, I'll make mistakes far more often than a more experienced rider (like yourself). I'd just like the lessons to be less expensive 🙂
It's no surprise that I've seen a few shallow dings on a new set of wheels...
Just to echo what geex says... I also don't suffer from punctures and rim dings due to running similar pressures and using what sounds like a very similar riding style.
Minion ss exo silkworm rear paired with a minion exo 3c front on mavic 624 rims, tubeless and normally about 45psi rear and 40ish front.
Ride in the peaks fairly regularly if it makes any difference
Yowser, those are some high pressures for tubeless tyres. I'm a big lad (as the name suggests) and normally run just shy of 30 psi. Not through any attempt to get super low pressures for grip; I was under the impression 30 psi(ish) was pretty much the maximum pressure limit for a lot of tubeless rims.
I don't (touch wood) tend to get a lot of punctures at all but do find that in particularly stony areas (thinking Torridon over here or down in Sierra Nevada in Spain) I can get a sidewall slash or two. I remember one in Tenerife last year where something (and I still don't know what it was) put about a 3 inch slash in a sidewall from nowhere.
Hence the reason for strong sidewalls! Tyres arriving today. To be fitted and abused up in Dunkeld at the tail end of this week.
As a side note, Pressure reported by my track pump is a work of fiction. I used a digital gauge as I was curious.
Yep, I'm always wary of quoted tyre pressures. There's around 10 psi difference in reading between two of the ones sat in our cellar. I could tell you that I ride either 30 or 40psi depending on which gauge you believe. You could adjust your 'pressures' to either and have a different reading again,