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As above for the rear of a 29er.
It is quite sandy round here so the mountain king doesn't really cut the mustard, the hans dampf has the grip, but does't have an angled leading edge to the blocks so sacrifices a lot of rolling ability.
Would go for a trail king but there is no stock anywhere of a 29x4 protection. Have a magic mary on the front, happy with the grip of that but again don't think it rolls great but doesn't matter so much up front.
High Roller II?
Minion DHF ?
Leftfield answer - 650b+ ? I've been really surprised at how well the wheels (WTB Trailblazer 2.8) roll compared to the standard 29er wheels I had on there previously - Strava suggests no significant speed difference on my rides.
my answer to every tyre question - gear/vittoria gato 2.3
amazing in total mud, with wide rims, still doesn't seem draggy on concrete or anything in between. and very cheap...
and in my experience wider that a 2.4 ardent.
(would love a 29+ version in a heart beat)
I put a SG rock razor on a couple of weeks ago. it's been an absolute hoot. The side knobs are much bigger than the HD which [i]really[/i] helps in corners, but you get the lower profile of the centre keeps you rolling nice and fast.
hutchinson toro
Nobby Nic?
High Roller/HR2, Minion, the new DHR2 works well as a front too.
Never understood the hype with Hans Dampfs.
The rock razor in the dry loose conditions around here is amazing, more grip than the hr2 it replaced on the flat and leant over. I suspect it'll be interesting as soon as it rains properly though
Who has tried specialized tyres, would the purgatory/butcher be equivalent to hans dampf/magic mary? Is grid casing their toughest?
Where are you riding?
The DHR2 is a great rear tyre, fast rolling but grippy. Not sure its faster than a Pacestar Hans Dampf though. That's a pretty fast rolling tyre (compared to other similar use Tyres).
HR2
WTB Trail Boss, I can't stress just how good a rear tyre this is! Way more grip than it looks like it should have, in all conditions, and faster than anything else out there short of a full on semi slick. Even comes in either a lightweight or a dual ply carcass option. Only criticism is it seems to be wearing at least as fast as a Maxxis, where some other brands last ages, but I'll take that considering how good it is elsewhere.
Other option would be a Geax/Vittoria Goma. Like an Ardent only faster, grippier and harder wearing! Tread is a bit shallow to bite well in the mud, but it finds grip just about everywhere else and rolls faster than it looks.
Going to try out a Minion DHR2 as soon as I can get hold of one though, been hearing very good things from some riders much faster than I.
Have to disagree on the Trail Boss. Bought it in Fast rolling/Tough Sidewall and it struggles for grip massively in loose, dry conditions and in the Wet it is truly treacherous....! Maybe the high grip version would be better?
Just my opinion but a rock razor in trailstar SG is a much more predictable tyre and punches well above it's low centre knobbed weight.
All the best,
Lee.
HR2
Rolls better than a Hans Dampf? Not the ones I had.
Go for the Rock Razor, they look like they should be good fun.
I keep looking at the rock razor, I wonder how they would work out on steep sketchy stuff.
One thing with the schwalbe is I really don't find the sidewalls supportive, compared to continental protection at similar weights.
FFS I just want continental trail kings to get in stock somewhere.
On one smorgasbord - great rear tyre.
+1 on the smorgasboard, fast, tough, grippy (but very predictable when it does break loose)and also very cheap. great 29er rear tyre, what more do you need?
My HR2 lasted 150k before the knobs ripped off, I was actually quite glad as the straight line grip in anything muddy was awful. Full refund, smorg was 1/3 of the price to replace it. Win win.
The specialized ground control grid is worth a mention too.
I've really been impressed by mine on my 29er in the dust.
I keep looking at the rock razor, I wonder how they would work out on steep sketchy stuff.
One thing with the schwalbe is I really don't find the sidewalls supportive, compared to continental protection at similar weights.
With a big ass tyre like a magic mary up front steep stuff is fine..unless its muddy.
I would not use it for downhill (if I actually did) but its a cracking tyre for summer riding.
Super gravity version has bad boy sidewalls.