[Closed] small block 8 tyres, any good?

Great on hard pack

I couldn't live with one on the front though - it just didn't give me any confidence, probably a head problem rather than a tyre one though

great summer tyre imo

Got a mate that swears by them. I had a quick blast on his bike but found them draggy on the road sections due to their large profile.

Personally I prefer the Maxxis Crossmark for a rear tyre paired with an advantage up front.

Been riding mine about a year now. Don't understand the tarmac comment, they go like slicks ime.

Perfect for anything dry. Bit bouncy on big rocks and sketchy on deep gravel, but what isn't?

Great tyre, great in dry stuff, predictable slides when its loose n dusty. Brill on tarmac when pumped up high. When its wet they still work, except when particularly muddy.

I use them on the rear of my bike in Oz. Great in dry & dusty stuff, a bit too exciting for me to use on the front 🙂

Run on the rear.. add some speed.
use something thats a better all rounder for front.

Got RQ's on the front and rear at the moment, but they feel a bit slow!

great on the rear even when it gets damp and grerat on the road too imo
great on the front if its bone dry, if its slightly damp they can be dangerous

Got a mate that swears by them. I had a quick blast on his bike but found them draggy on the road sections due to their large profile.

Personally I prefer the Maxxis Crossmark for a rear tyre paired with an advantage up front.

You found this tyre draggier?
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Than this one?! What pressure were they at?

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Superb tyres, but I couldn't trust one as a front tyre- it never actually did anything bad, it just always felt like it would, a better rider could probably get more out of them but I need something a bit more confidence inspiring.

On the rear though, they're stunningly good, fast as all hell on anything halfway solid and they rise to the dizzying heights of "barely adequate" when it gets wet, which is more than most fast tyres. The 2.35 has a nice big volume without being too heavy and is about as fast as the 2.1 (unless on sticky surfaces like clay, or run very low). And both are decently tough unlike some racier rubber.

Can't see past them for summer use on the rear, myself. They still surprise me with what they'll grip on.

I find 2.1s are nice and fast on dirt, rocks and damp trails. If its claggy then obviously they don't clear easily so loose traction.

I've found that on the front if its really dusty and loose it doesn't cope well, I think the side knobs don't bite enough for my riding style. I've had a few races where I've ridden a practice lap and been dumped off the bike through front wheel washout on corners then changed to a Blue Groove for the race and had no traction issues.

Only ever used them in the 29" variety & I think they're pretty sh1te,tried them at all pressures too.They roll ok(but only ok) in the dry,but as soon as it gets wet they're a nightmare & the grip in anything even slightly muddy is rubbish.26" Crossmarks( that isn't a picture of one up there) are much better,as they roll on just the centre tread on hardpack/tarmac etc,they grip well too....

Good tyre on the rear, however if it gets slightly moist then you can end up with the rear of the bike overtaking you on sharp corners.

Personally I found the Schwalbe Racking Ralph snakeskin a better combination of grip and rolling resistance.

Fast but sketchy tyre. Not very inspiring if you rag it, but good if you do a ton of road miles. bzzzzzzzz

Personally I found the Schwalbe Racking Ralph snakeskin a better combination of grip and rolling resistance.

Definitely. Nice compromise for summer conditions.

Yes i recommend them there bloody great...front and rear for me, I ride them on all surfaces and commute to work each day, no buzz and no drag plus they work well at the skate park if that's your thing. Perversely I quite like the sketch front end feel which when pushed doesn't actually let you down.

Compared to Maxxis Aspens I found SB8s a fair bit draggier. They're not a bad rear tyre, but as others have said the lack of front end bite can be disconcerting.

Best partnered with a High Roller or Nevegal up front.

SB8s get surprising traction, but the best bit is how the slide predictably. Great rear tyre for the low drag and predictable slide (which I like at the back) - Nevegal on the front for me so the back always slides first.

High Rollers are also a back tyre for my money - spectacular traction in a straight line given their rolling resistance, but they slide sideways at rhe drop of a hat (more so than the SB8 for me).

That said tonight I had a Fat Albert on the front and a High Roller on the back and that worked excellently.

if not small block 8, what is a good fast tyre for the back end

Maxxis Larsen tt?

Where do you ride?

Bonty Revolt or Dry X, Maxxis Crossmark, Conti Race King, Geax Saguaro or if you like Kenda's they've also got the Karma and the new Slant Six.

Billy Bob - Yes I found it more draggy than a crossmark (not an advantage) but the crossmark comes out smaller. Not sure what pressures as not my bike, probably around the 35 mark at a guess.

I was going to buy some but after riding them (but only for a short time) I preferred my crossmark rear, advantage front combo. Each to his own and as I say my mate loves them.

Dalby, moors and the peaks.

Also look at Maxxis Aspen, Maxxis Crossmark, Schwalbe Racing Ralph, WTB Nanoraptor (great rear tyre), Geax AKA...

I used them in the 2.35" size and found them fantastic in the dry, hard, dusty conditions - both front and back. I did find them slower than my other tyres but those were 2.1s and anecdotally, I reckon the 2.1 SB8s would be at least as quick if not faster.

Really liking my SB8 on the rear lately, haven't got round to putting one on the front, suppose I'm just happy with the Nevegal on there at the moment.

Considering trying a 2.2 Race King on the rear (as I've got one that came on a bike) and 2.35 SB8 on the front.

Surprisingly grippy on wet rock 🙂
Did a ride round the beaches/rocks at...rock...and they grip like a limpet. They were good at a wet spooky woods too

A great tyre, not really understanding the wet comments. I use them front and rear and won Set2Rise on them, and it rained in the afernoon and the first few hrs of the race too, maiing the course a quagmire. Let a bit of pressure out and they gripped amazingly in the wet rooty sections. However, I was on a 29er, which would have helped with traction.

They do slide earlier than some, but it's super predictable and couple that with low rolling resistance and they're a stupidly fast tyre in most conditions as long as you're comfy with a bit of movement under you.

Where is the cheapest place to get them, 2.1 or 2.35

Running one on the back of my 29er its great

I've got a pair of the 2.35's and i love them! They grip pretty damn well (a lot better than you think!). As said above, if it's bone dry and i'm riding well then i run them front and back, but if it's muddy or if im not feeling so confident i'll stick a maxxis high roller 2.35 60a (single ply) on the front. This has proved to be a very nice combination for trail centre riding as you've got the speed but you can take the corners. They're my favourite tyres by far: strong, grippy and very, very fast!

Don't like mud or loose/mixed stuff too much, but great in dry weather!

im as fast as mark cav on mine

I found them very good. I did find the sidewalls quite thin though. Mice like them as one ate mine whilst in storage over the winter 🙁