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Apologies in advance for a long winded ‘what tyre’ thread!
Looks like we are going to be relocating to the Peebles area later this year, and I’m wondering if my current tyre choices may be a bit optimistic for the winter off piste riding around the valley
- just wondered if there are any local or regular riders who can offer some tyre suggestions(?).
Top priority is a new rear tyre for my e-bike. I’m currently running Bontrager SE5 29x2.6” front and rear with inserts. Find these work well on the rocky Peak District trails where I mainly ride at the mo., but the rear gets a bit overwhelmed on steeper wet woodland descents.
I’ve got a part worn set of Magic Mary 2.35’s, but would prefer to put these on my ‘analog’ trail bike (maybe with a new Hans Dampf rear(?)). I think the ebike could do with tyres around the 2.5” width, and I’m wondering about a tyre with a heavier sidewall, so that I can run it without insert (probs reuse insert for analog bike).
I’m a bit out of touch with latest tyres on the market, but wondered about the new Schwalbe Big Betty, Hans Dampf, and even the latest Nobby Nic. Whadya reckon to these as rear tyres? Next question is what sidewall?! Is ‘super trail’ any good?
FWIW, I’m pretty light on my tyres and have only had very occasional snakebite/sidewall tears. (That’s tempting fate eh?!!😄)
I made the mistake of using a 2.5 DHF/DHR at the Trancend Epic... in retrospect a big MM or mud spikes would have been way better. At the end of day 1 I had to put my bike in the river for a good 15 mins just to get the wheels to turn.
Ah, thanks for the heads up on those! I think I’ve 2.5 DHF/Aggressor combo in the garage loft. Hmmm....Maybe I should stick em on eBay and put the dosh towards a more winter friendly choice(?)😁
I imagine, given Schwalbes ability to shed knobs off tyres on normal bikes, on an eeb, they don't stand a chance.
Tyre weight with an eeb is almost irrelevant, so stick something decent on there. My usual choice would be a Maxxis Assegai 2.5 EXO+ MaxxGrip on the front & a DHR2 2.4 DoubleDown MaxxTerra on the back, on both my eeb and my analogue. I ran them last week up there & we had a couple of wet days & didn't die.
That said, as an option, i've been given some WTB's which have been really good. Verdict 2.5 High Grip Tough on the front & a Judge 2.4 Fast Tough on the rear - i'm actually really surprised how good they are, haven't checked how much they cost but they have a definite thumbs up from me. The verdict might clear better than the Assegai too, as the tread is really open (but not as good on harder ground as a trade off).
if you are looking to stick with schwable they do e-bike specific tryes front & rear called eddie current. i've got one of the rear on my e-bike and it's a good all rounder, although does weigh the same as a small planet. not sure how it would preform in sticky mud as centre nobs are fairly clsoely spaced
Maxxis Assegai 2.5 EXO+ MaxxGrip on the front & a DHR2 2.4 DoubleDown MaxxTerra on the back
@Hob-Nob looking at this excat combo as a poss winter combo for the e-bike. do they come up small like maxxis tyre always used o. for reff would be on 30mm ID rims
You want 2 sets really. Mary/Shorty/similar and DHR2/similar for winter, and DHR2/similar and rockrazor/similar for spring and summer. There's no substitute for sticky and spiky on the front when things get wet round there, but in the summer you want something fast for, well, fast trails and for endless fire road escalators.
WTB Judge and Verdict or Verdict Wet
Ah, thanks for the feedback. I’d forgotten about the knob shedding tendencies of Schwalbes. I managed to wreck a Hans Dampf in two or three natural rides in the Alps - although that was back in 2013/14. I’ve not had trouble with the Magic Marys, but I’d hoped that they’d have sorted out the knob shedding on the latest Hans Dampf.
I was wondering if I’d best plan for a tyre switch for the less wet months - although every English person I’ve spoken to who’ve relocated up there has joked about the lack of dry summers!😁
I rode my analog when we were there last weekend and the DHF and Minion SS were perfect on the hard-packed ‘built’ trails at Glentress (didn’t have time to go off-piste though). The fella at the accommodation reckons the trails were about as dry as they get last weekend though.
The WTB Judge sounds a good option. Am I right thinking WTB mtb tyres normally size up a bit larger than Maxxis?
p.s. I’m a lazy bu**er when it comes to changing tyres, esp tubeless with inserts (I’m sure I can’t be the only one?!) So, I might go leave the faster rolling on my analog for dry trails, then stick some grippier tyres on the ebike and use that thing in the wet or for slippy sloppy off piste shenanigans.
Shorty WT/Minion SS doubledown
Winter- Shorty Maxxgrip/ DHR2, summer DHF Maxxgrip/DHR2, dd casing at least on an e bike, personally run dd rear only, exo front but not on an e bike, no inserts. Usually run 2.5 up front and 2.35 rear
I used to run magic Mary and Hans dampf, currently on wild enduros
Do locals/regulars still favour the shorty out front? I love it in mud, but find it a bit sketchy on wet roots and rock.
I've found the 2.6 Mary or 2.6 Hillbilly a good compromise between mud, roots and rock.
Riding there last week on Wild enduros, front was great but not enough grip on the back for my taste
Shorty front, high roller 2 rear is my wet setup for golfie, both in dd flavour. Summer mix of HR2 2.5 front and dhr 2.4
Ooh, I didn’t realise they now do the Magic Mary in 2.6. I really liked the MM 2.35 that was on my previous bike (that got pinched). Wouldn’t mind trying a MM 2.6 up front and maybe the 2.5 DHF that I’ve found in the loft as rear tyre - been a good few years since I’ve run a DHF as a rear tyre😄
niceandy
Free MemberDo locals/regulars still favour the shorty out front? I love it in mud, but find it a bit sketchy on wet roots and rock.
Shorty maxxgrip 2.5 at a somewhat low pressure is like voodoo on wet roots tbh. Partly the sticky, partly the knobbly, partly the pretty slow reboundand partly just being big enough to find bits of ground that aren't roots. Probably the new Marys can manage the same? The old ones weren't quite as epic.
Winter- Shorty Maxxgrip/ DHR2, summer DHF Maxxgrip/DHR2
🤚 Peebles local.
This is my winter/summer choice. 2.5f and 2.3 rear.
You could easily just run these and not worry all year.
Ah, thanks for the heads up on those! I think I’ve 2.5 DHF/Aggressor combo in the garage loft. Hmmm….Maybe I should stick em on eBay and put the dosh towards a more winter friendly choice(?)😁
If I had an eBike I'd just say sod the rolling resistance. The mud is quite sticky so I'd be looking for a good mud shedding tyre like a shorty or hillbilly etc. and as big rotors as you can fit.
For the "analogue" the fireroads can be relentless... (at least for me) so you might want to compromise.
@Hob-Nob looking at this excat combo as a poss winter combo for the e-bike. do they come up small like maxxis tyre always used o. for reff would be on 30mm ID rims
They come up true to size on a 30mm rim. When I look between the Assegai & the Verdict, the Assegai looks a bit smaller, but then the Verdict is an absolute monster of a front tyre. The Judge 2.4 comes up very similar in size to a 2.4 DHR2 (and in tread pattern too, just with slightly more substantial blocks).
I'm not sure I would want to pedal the Verdict/Judge on my analogue however. That would be brutal.
The 2.6 Mary is great. Its much wider than the 2.35, and the knobs are wider spaced so doesn't clog as easy. I've got the soft in Snakeskin. I'd like to try a supersoft, but I think they only do it in 2.35 SG.
My Shorty is Maxxterra 2.5 EXO. It sounds like the Maxxgrip DD is a much better bet for the roots and rocks.
I ride with WTB Judge and Verdict on my Hightower. No issues.
Winter- Shorty Maxxgrip/ DHR2, summer DHF Maxxgrip/DHR2
This for off-piste, enduro and DH trails.
On the trail centre trails, the DHF/DHR2 would do year round or something like High Roller. I found the Shorty very sketchy on the Spooky Wood descent!
I am local and use MSC grippers front and rear and never have an issue for all types of riding on a steel fs and yt capra around the tweed valley.
Shorty up front was my standard for a few years. DHF out back for all tweed valley persuits. 2-3 hr rides.
Kenda Hellkat is like a slightly faster rolling MM so would make for a good aggressive rear tyre for soft and muddy conditions.
This weekend, a pair of Shorty's would be a good choice...
I'll though be at Inners on Wild Enduro's.
projekt baron for slop or wild enduro for everything else.
both come in 2.6 front
MSC HOT SEAT tyre seems popular too
Ooh, 2.6 baron, quite like to give that a try. The 2.4 lacks the spikiness really but it's a pretty awesome "wet, rocky, bit of mud" sort of a tyre.
(my love affair with the 2.4 projekt went like this: Fort William DH and Top Chief in the rain- absolutely superb. Fort William random offpistes in the rain- oh my god I wish I had a Shorty on)