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I'm doing a 5 day/650km event soon, bikepacking on an mtb, looking for some more suitable rubber. It's all terrain types from rocky to tarmac (quite a bit of tarmac I think). It's not a race as such but there is a time limit that I may struggle to hit!
I have a new pair of Maxxis Reckon Race's and a new pair of Bonty XR2's that came on new bikes and proved very unsuitable for winter mud, I was planning on fitting either of these but they just look scary on the front and I'm unlikely to use them in future for my local riding so thinking about selling them all as they are barely used and buying something more suitable.
So my normal tyre is Nobby Nics, the obvious choice jumping out at me is a Racing Ray/Ralph pairing, but not having seen them in the flesh are they actually any more sure footed on the likely wet grass/slimy chalk/occasional mud over the Reckon/XR2's? The tread looks a bit more meaningful and the close centre knobs of the Ray looks particularly good for fast rolling on tarmac/hardpack.
The economical option may be to run one of the existing tyres on the back and just buy something for the front.
Thoughts please...I hate buying tyres!
Put the Reckon Race on the back and get a (new, V2 only) Forekaster for the front.
If they're reckon race exo tr, then I'd say they are a lot more capable than what they look like; i used them front & rear on my xc bike last year and was very happy with their speed & grip. But maybe put a Forekaster on the front and have reckon race rear?
:edit: ha, beaten to it
I asked the same thing last week. Maybe some useful info here
How much slippy stuff compared to rocks/tarmac?
Forekaster is a decent call for something you can lean over a bit but still rolls OK. Another possibility is Vittoria Peyote, which has some side knobs but is a fast roller.
I would personally look for the fastest possible tyre on the back just to make the tarmac sections tolerable. XR2 would work fine here unless there is a lot of mud and grass climbing to spin out on.
Not had bother with punctures on any of the above, but used to pop Ralphs regularly, and actively avoid anything Continental.
I never thought peyrote had much grip I found them exciting on mud.
My go to is a barzo on the front and a mezcal on the rear unless it is really muddy they I go barzo both ends. The black/grey ones not the lighter xc ones.
I'd put fresh rubber on for that trip.
A Mezcal TNT outback would be a very reliable and fast tyre. On sale at Decathlon currently, £36.
XR2s are totally flummoxed by UK winter mud, but they're an excellent hardpack/2.5>3 season tyre.
650km in 5 days sounds like...fun?
We're getting into the 2.5 - 3 season point of the year now, aren't we? Please?
I've already switched to XR2s on the rear but an XR3 on the front. They're working fine, except in a couple of spots where the sun can't get to the trails.
Where is it? If it's Spain not Yorkshire then the answer will be different. I would be tempted to run the fastest things you have anyway, ie maybe just run the Rekon Races if the mucky stuff is going to be a very small percentage of the overall route.
I switched the HT back onto a Bonty SE4 front two weeks ago that I got from a friend last year and used it for Trans Eryri.
It was a bit marginal on the seriously muddy corners but now things are drying and 80% hardpack/roots/rocks and <20% mud it's great. V fast rolling and plenty of grip. Not sure if they are available to buy or not though.
Thanks all...its Southern England and the outlook so far is pretty average for May, unsettled chance of anything! I don't mind struggling the odd bit of pushing or comedy sideways pedaling its more just having the confidence its not going to wash out as soon as there is a bit of morning dew!
Maybe I'll just put be brave and put the Rekons on now and see how they fare over the next couple of weeks but I'll take a look the suggestions 🙂
Good plan. Maybe have a forekaster or similar ready to bung on the front just in case it looks like a slopfest...but hopefully you won't need to run it.
Edit - I don't expect you will want the forekaster. Look on do****cher for all the bike checks run on this sort of thing, and it's all mezcals, racekings... fast stuff, not mudder stuff. Rekon Races ftw (or just getting it done in time!).
If you don’t want to buy new tyres you could run Nobby Nic front / Rekon Race rear.
If you must have matching tyre brands then I’d go Rekon Race rear and stick something else Maxxis on the front that gives you a bit more steering if it’s muddy. Forekaster could do that whilst still rolling alright.
Rekon Race are pretty fast and plenty strong enough, they are however down right scary in mud when used on the front.
I had a set and my eldest did also and they are great in the dry and on hard pack, but he came back to me and said they were terrible in mud and I agreed. So I swapped his bike to a Racing Ray up front and a Racing Ralph out back and they're much better.
Personally I'm now on a Fast Trak control T5 up front and Renegade Control T5 out back, and it's a great combo, tough and fast with no issues at the weekends national round up at Kirroughtree - plenty of punctures on the Bonty's mind 😉
Thinking about it you could run a normal rekon on the front for deeper tread than the race. Maybe see if you can pick one up secondhand or something?
Ok, just checked and fwiw, Mrs Yak rode the Dales Divide a few years ago on a Mezcal/Barzo combo both with the TNT sidewalls. Maybe overkill, but it wasn't the driest race and they were still fast enough.
"Put the XR2 on the back and get a XR3 or 4 for the front."
Don't know what's happened to the quote function?
I ride XR4/2 in the summer round here - loam, sand/loose rock, hardpack. Works for me.
Forekaster v2 don't and recon race rear.
Enough grip but still fast.
Personally i can deal with it being slightly slower if it means not scaring the hell out of me if it gets a little slippery
Specialized Fast Tracks - I love them…
I was amazed by how dry the chilterns were on sunday. I didn’t wash the bike after the ride . Wet summers are not the same as wet winters
Conti cross king, still good wet, dry, tarmac, roots. Lower watts lost than comparable maxxis according to bicycle rolling resistance so a mental benefit too.
You'll be fine. I'd pump them up to 40psi and fit a insert in the rear, unless you're on a full sus. It's so easy to smack your back tyre into a rock when you're tired and have a bag on the back.
Thanks all, I've gone for a normal Rekon to go on the front. So annoying that if you want tough sidewalls/decent compound or anything over 2.3 you end up with only wide rim specific tyres! I can't be the only one running them on a 'non-optimal' rim!