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My shorty is now so deformed that the drive side side knobs are closer to the centre than the centre tread is in places and riding it you'd think the rim was buckled.
3rd maxxis exo tyre in the house to do this in a year so going to look elsewhere. But what?
I like how the shorty handles shitty conditions but will also deal OK with rocks and hard pack. I like that it is only 800g ish and have no issues with exo casings on this bike (sherpa) or on the terrain it is ridden on (soil/mud, roots and rounded rocks) in an xc/trail style. I don't need an enduro tyre!
So, give me a list to consider of similar tyres in -~2.3 casing please! Will be on unfashionable 22mm inner width rims (arch ex). Much obliged!
Hillbilly Grid ?
The outgoing Magic Mary woukd be the obvious choice, new Super Trail one is 300g heavjer unfortunately
Magic Mary is pretty much as good as the 3c maxxterra shorty imo. Not as good as mud, a bit better at hard stuff.
That said, I've just put yet another shorty 2.5 maxxgrip onto mine for the winter, rolls like a brick but I do love it. I prefer sweat to pain
Cheers, anybody tried wolftrack tyres?
rolls like a brick
I just have to keep thinking how much faster I’m going to feel on something else in the spring.
Kinda the same - don’t mind the rolling resistance when it goes on, as conditions that require it are slow anyway. When the trails dry out and a faster tyre go on it’s amazing though!
Kenda hellcat really impressed me when I got it start of spring
Huge levels of grip on mixed terrains. Rolls pretty well and decent weight for a ‘true’ 2.6. (2.4s are available)
Looking forward to using it again in some proper winter conditions.
@tracey - So the hillbilly looks tempting, what would be a good rear companion tyre from specialized?
I run a Hillbilly as my winter tyre, I tend to use a Butcher on the rear with it
Run a 2.3 Butcher Grid on the back of mine
Ta!
Spesh and Maxxis tyres are both made by CST, so are they not equally likely to warp?
Hillbilly is ok - better in mud than a Magic Mary, but less good on hardpack trails. Just taken my 2.35 Mary off as I think it’s lost its bite as the edges aren’t sharp anymore and stuck my lightly used Hillbilly back on. See how it goes over the next month or so.
WTB verdict or verdict wet.
High grip light casing for the front.
Think someone mentioned on here that the WTB light is in-between an EXO+ and DoubleDown in terms of casing.
Bit hefty but doesn’t bother me.
Ran a Hillbilly Grid Trail before and the WTB is much more grippier and supportive.
Hillbilly is a good shout, swap between that and a Butcher at the moment on my hardtail depending on slop levels. Bit less of a do it all tyre than the Mary but better in the mud.
Make sure you get the BLKDMND casing though, standard casing isn’t great.
“Spesh and Maxxis tyres are both made by CST, so are they not equally likely to warp?”
Specialised tyres haven’t been made by CST for quite a few years.
Is there any real world benefit of the new gripton compound over the older 42a/55a compound versions?
IME the gription was more slidey on wet roots. So much so I sold by butchers after 2 rides.
WTB Verdict is pretty damn good, but I think its only available in a 2.5" so might be a bit big for a 22mm rim. 2.3 Vigilante? Or as others have said - Magic Mary.
Shackleton
Full MemberIs there any real world benefit of the new gripton compound over the older 42a/55a compound versions?
Rolls better. Supposedly lasts better. But I don't think it's stickier. TBH I'd be much keener on Specialised tyres if they'd just go "right, screw it, we're doing all the enduro ones in 2 flavours, let's call them "notsupertacky" and "definatelynotmaxxpro". And 2 carcasses- tough, and not tough. And that's it. No code names, no funkily shortened words, just get the stuff that maxxis got right a decade ago right before we do anything else, because we keep making good stuff then sabotaging it.
AAAAAAnd rest.
Spesh have just launched two new compounds.
I wouldn't want the gripton one on the front of my bike, found the butcher dangerously unpredictable. Happy with it as a rear though.
I rate a magic Mary highly. Slightly worse than a shorty in deep mud and wet roots but much better in loam or harder stuff than a shorty. Very interested in the new casing as the snakeskin was a tad squirmy and the supergravity very hefty!
A couple of friends have said the gripton hillbilly was awful and really lacked grip especially on wet roots/rocks.
Some other friends really rate the verdict and Michelin wild enduro front in the wet as well.
,
Hillbilly is good on mud and loam, rubbish on roots and rocks. Sidewalls are also pretty fragile and leak sealant (the ones I had did). The tyre compound is really hard as well, no sign of any wear when used a similar amount of time to a shorty.
Shorty is good, bit better on roots and no different to the hillbilly on rock.
Assegai is a boat anchor, really draggy and clogs in sticky mud, unless you trim the small side knob off. Good for steep trails where you need all the braking traction.
I said I’d never run a Magic Mary, fitted one the other week, it’s a very good tyre, wide operating window, works In the dry and when the trails are wet. See how long it lasts, then I’ll buy another one.
Vittoria Mota?
I don't really rate the narrow Shorty for rocks/roots compared to the likes of the Mary etc, but, for proper slop you can't beat running a pair of them IME.
When I lived down south I'd run a pair of Mud X's for winter, but that was a decade ago - so presumably that's not now the case?
Think someone mentioned on here that the WTB light is in-between an EXO+ and DoubleDown in terms of casing.
I know they tweaked them recently, but the Lights in my garage are more like a Maxxis single-ply