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Building a 29 hardtail for the girlfriend. She is new to mountain biking and so want to inspire confidence, but she wants to ride long distances (Her aim is to do the HT550 next summer).
My immediate thought was to slap a pair of 2.3 Minion DHR II on and be done with it, although i wonder if they will be too draggy and put her off. She isn't going to be ripping... so i was wondering if a DHRII on the front might be good paired with something quicker on the rear...
or nobby nic's??
I'd go High Roller both ends personally.
2.5 DHF and DHR
They will be great for her confidence. If she's contemplating the HT550, then she won't mind the drag now!
Given the time of year how about a pair of wild enduros?
2.4 dhr2 maxxterra on the front, it's grippy and allroundy and confidence inspiring and not really all that slow, especially since it's on the front. It's just one of the best allrounders ever made. Or a Magic Mary in soft if you want a bit more mud-stabbing ability at the cost of a little more drag and less good dry weather manners.
Rear I would want to sneak in a bit of speed but I'm not sure what. THis time of year is so slimy... I'm sticking with the rockrazor on my trailbike and that's a fantastic combo but it's the opposite of confidence inspiring. But there's a big big tradeoff of speed to get anything with teeth. DHR2 in dual compound is a great balanced rear but it's a lot slower. I've never found anything inbetween that I think is as good- there's definitely a space in there where there ought to be a Somewhat Fast And A Bit Grippy tyre but I've not found anything that sits well in there that's also as good as the others I mentioned. So frinstance a nobby nic is usefully faster than a dhr2, but it's also miles less grippy, the tradeoff's bigger than the gain. Maxxis don't seem to have anything that's much good, Rekon is alright I guess.
Avoid the DHF and High Roller I think. They have a transition zone between the centre tread and the edge knobs, if you're on this it feels vague and not confidence inspiring (plus less grip), needs leaning over a bit to go past it and onto the edge knobs.
If you’re on a bit of a budget I’ve got a new (taken off a new bike) Rekon that might work for the rear, but only if you’re not planning on taking her anywhere too muddy.
Should be speedy though 🙂
@honourablegeorge you like them for the rear? My wife’s new bike came with the dissector on the front, we moved it to the rear and she found it pretty good last week in the snow and wet.
Newbie rider riding the HT550 within the first year of riding? Wow! She must be super fit, I'm well impressed.
As for tyres, I always used to like a High Roller 2 on the back of the bike (the 2 has less of a gap between the centre and outside tread compared to the original). Slap a soft compound Minion on the front and she'll be fine. If she's light then I'd look at running them pretty soft (<20psi) this time of year. Also give the tyres a good clean with bike cleaner and a few light skids before their first use, this way you should remove the release agent from the tyre 👌
As for tyres for riding longer distances then I'd be using something way lighter and faster.
Something like:
Racing Ron F and Racing Ralph R. In the best compound and carcus you can afford.
Just read that again , as has been said going from newbie to completing the HT550 in the summer hats off ( best forget the HR )
I (potentially foolishly and definitely slowly) use a set of Rekon+ year round at the moment. I keep meaning to change them out but they’ve still got plenty of tread so I just keep riding them.
I’ve been surprised how fine they’ve been, even in the proper slop, on the caveat that they’re on a rigid bike and I’m not an especially aggressive rider.
The rekon+ suggestion is actually a good idea. I'd go for plus size and reasonably fast rolling.
New riders don't lean the bike or ride fast enough to get the negatives of 2.6's. They need confidence and reliable braking grip in a straight line. By the time they can corner a bike properly they'll know what tyres they want.
In 15-20 years at trail centres I have seen maybe 3 people who weren't racing or professional lean a bike aggressively enough to warrant a DHF.
She's bloody fit on the road, but hasn't ridden off road at all. We will do some technical riding, but probably also some ploughing up and down the STW etc.
What surface will she be riding on?
On the xc/trail bike I run a Ground control (because the old forkaster is garbage and you can't buy the new one) and a fastrak on the rear (maxxis do the rekon, but I can't abide mismatched tyres).
Summer I will fit a new fastrak to the front and a renegade on the back.
Avoid the DHF and High Roller I think. They have a transition zone between the centre tread and the edge knobs, if you’re on this it feels vague and not confidence inspiring (plus less grip), needs leaning over a bit to go past it and onto the edge knobs
+1
Surely she needs an XC tyre? Vittoria Barzo or something like that.
I’d 100% go with XC based tyres. I do love a DhF/DHr combo on the big bike, but for speed without the drag on the hardtail or short travel bike I currently like Ground Control and have used Barzo a lot.
Don’t kill her enthusiasm and speed dragging massive heavy tyres around that she won’t get the benefit from is my advice.
If she’s got a road background and is aiming for long off road rides don’t put DHRs on. She’ll hate them, and they won’t be necessary. I did the HT550 and loads on training for it in the lakes and wales on bonty xr2 rear and xr3 front. How about trying a pair of barzos for the winter and switch to mezcals when things dry up? That’s what I’d run if I was training for ht550 now.
I generally run magic mary/assegai/dhf weight tyres on my trail bike.
I write a rare reply and two people recommend the same tyre while I’m writing it!
Avoid Minions.
On a hardtail, and for a beginner - go bigger casing but lighter tread. Comfort and Speed. 2.4 wide trail casing Maxxis like Rekons or Dissector etc (Dissector fr, Rekon rr is a good shout).
At the risk of asking the obvious, what does she think?
I'd be showing her tyres and pictures of tyres and talking through the pros and cons.
You must also have a feel for how she rides a bikes at the moment. Is she leaning hard into corners and fast down hill?
My hunch is that you'll start with say a high Roller on the back and a DHR on the front. Then come the summer move the High Roller to the front and put something faster on the back. Or some variation of this
But it depends so much on where you are riding and what she wants
PS I don't know much abou tyres. Back in the day I road with my wife. I stuffed uo a few things but failing to consult
PPS don't make the tyres a birthday present. That didn't go well
Some great advice in here. I think you guys might be right... she has no idea. She has never ever ridden off-road beyond gravel roads.
I think the idea of a Vittoria Barzo or similar might be a really good one. I think you're right, big heavy tyres could really put her off the whole sport.
Barzo front, Mezcal rear?
honourablegeorge
Full Member@Northwind Have you had a Dissector? Really like them.
Yah, didn't like how skiddy they were-reminded me of the old dhr, once they break loose it's all over the place. But good otherwise.
Forekasters? Got them on both ends on my hardtail for winter. I find them great as an allrounder. Lots of grip, fast rolling. They are the old version mind.
Go with your original choice. DHRIIs.
Confidence certainty > drag theory.
Aye, fast rolling could be important for a novice to cycling but when you've got a fit experienced rider who's new to mountain biking then you don't need to make the same sacrifice on grip and confidence-inspiringness