[Closed] Hans Dampf Super Gravitys... Anyone using them?

I tried some before, hated them, but now I'm running one on just the back, it's better. There are many better front tyres out there IMO.

The SG carcass is appearing to be quite tough too, I plan on running it for the Mega next month, or an SG Rock Razor if I'm feeling like a wildman & there isn't too much snow...

Thumbs up for the most part from me.

I haven't tried the Hans Dampf but the tyre/knobs shape makes it look a better rear than front tyre - however the Magic Mary makes a really great front tyre so I'd have though MM front, HD rear, both SG would be excellent.

Hob Nob - Member

SG Rock Razor if I'm feeling like a wildman & there isn't too much snow...

Don't think any tyre grips on the snow, do they? The tread just fills up regardless.

It depends on the type of snow, silly as it sounds...

Those with the medal spikes would probably be mint!

You have some grip, albeit not much, I'm not so sure I'm brave enough for a semi slick, I have a hard enough time as it is on the snow 🙂

Hmmm tempted to stick with the DH Minion tacky on the front and try a HD SG on the back then... The main advantage is I can run it tubeless too. Do love the minion as it has been faultless.

HD is a shit front tyre IMHO. It had enough grip at the back but lacked stability at lower pressures maybe SG carcass will be better as it is meant to be really stiff.

I put a pair of SG flavour Dampfs on my bike for the alps last year (pace star rear, trailstar front) and actually, i haven't taken them off! They are heavy compared to a more XC specific tyre, but they aren't horrendously draggy to pedal around, and i have come to like the extra security they bring and not having to think quite as much about line choice in the gnarly stuff.

I'm pretty light (~70kg) and they have worn quite well, looking a bit dog eared around the corners and a few of the knobs have torn a bit, but for a year of being ridden pretty hard under all condition they have done quite well i think.

I don't really subscribe to all this "these tyres are crap on the front" or whatever. Tbh, I've found that a compound or tread profile difference might change cornering behavior by a couple of percent. However, a technique change can change cornering behavior by 50%.........

Exactly the tyre I use for the riding you describe. They are my default dry tyre for uplifting. Ran them at BPW last week with 20psi in the back and about 17psi in the front (tubeless) and had bags of grip all day even when it hammered it down. Only tyre I've found which gets any grip around Cannocks Stile Cop pebble fest.

I love the HD on the front for hammering down the rocky stuff round here, doesn't clear the mud at all well but that's to be expected.

We do ride up as well as down though and a RR on the rear will be replacing mine when it's trashed.

They do wear quite fast though, pacestar ones are looking very tired after about 4 months of riding 40-50 miles a week

@cnud what compounds were/are you running ?

I don't really subscribe to all this "these tyres are crap on the front" or whatever. Tbh, I've found that a compound or tread profile difference might change cornering behavior by a couple of percent. However, a technique change can change cornering behavior by 50%.........

Technique almost always trumps tyres! But look at this:

[img] [/img]

Hans Dampf middle, Magic Mary right. Does the latter not look like it's going to hold an edge a lot better?

Tread pattern makes a big difference to outright cornering grip.

I always had a default to the Minion DHF, and the Hans Dampf was noticeably worse by comparison on the front. More recently I couldn't get the Minion in the compound & size I wanted and went for a DHR2 out front, having seen a few people running them, and it was also great, something between a Minion DHF and the High Roller 2.

Since tried a Magic Mary out front and that's been a bit of an eye opener. The grip is ridiculous on it. The only time I think it would suck is hard pack surface, but that's a bit of a rarity for me.

I used a pair of hans dampf supergravity's last year for a week in the alps trailstar pacestar combo, ran them tubeless and only had to do one repair in the week, tore a tread lug half off and made a small hole in the carcass but a 'dog turd' repair strip did the job. They performed really well grip wise from dry rock to wet roots but after a weeks use they were absolutely trashed some of the tread lugs on the outside edges were so badly cracked they were barely hanging on, even on the front tyre.
I wouldn't recommend the magic mary though as amazing as it is for grip, I put a snakeskin one on the front and a supergravity one on the back for an uplift day at bike park wales both trailstar compound, only did 3 uplifts so did maybe 15 mins riding and the tread lugs are already really badly cracked, they wouldnt last long in the alps!
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Well I was considering trying one now I'm definitely not!

I wouldn't recommend the magic mary though as amazing as it is for grip, I put a snakeskin one on the front and a supergravity one on the back for an uplift day at bike park wales both trailstar compound, only did 3 uplifts so did maybe 15 mins riding and the tread lugs are already really badly cracked, they wouldnt last long in the alps!

Is that the front or the rear one? Shocking wear though - mine's done about 300 miles (including 8 descents at BPW) and still looks pretty new. Trail King on the back looks much more worn (unsurprisingly) but that is a pretty hard wearing tyre so I think the MM is doing pretty well. I wonder if yours had something wrong with it?

Stu-pid is clearly a lot rougher on their tyres than i am, as mine have been fine, hardly any significant wear after a week in the Alps (not doing DH mind). I don't really skid about the place and i tend to "gap" nasty rough stuff where ever possible, rather than just batter in to it..........

However, i'd say having the stiff carcass with relatively soft compound "knobs" does make this sort of tyre more likely to suffer from torn / parted off knobs. Of course, on a less stiff carcass those impacts would have probably just punctured the tyre immediately, but people tend to forget that 😉

Cardo, Trailstar front, Pacestar rear both super gravity

stu-pid - Member
made a small hole in the carcass but a 'dog turd' repair strip did the job

I remember that well. Was that on Axe Wound just before the thunder storm started? Or was that Hugh?

Alright pete, hows things?
It was hughs hans dampf that punctured in the thunder storm, mine went on the 1st trail on the 1st day, its was your puncture repair dog turd thing that saved it!

Is that the front or the rear one?

Its the front but the rear is just as bad... I think the problem is they cant handle the force on high speed corners when you've got the bike leaned over. They've got too much grip for their own good!

stu-pid - Member
Alright pete, hows things?
It was hughs hans dampf that punctured in the thunder storm, mine went on the 1st trail on the 1st day, its was your puncture repair dog turd thing that saved it!

Yeh, that was it, Hugh's went at the worst possible time. Who'd have thought that we'd be saying that my turds came in useful? Haha