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My Maxxis Minions in EXO MaxxTerra aren't faring well. Knob edges getting knackered, fatigue cracks around their bases, sometimes developing into a puncture hole on the centre part of the tread, degrading pretty fast over a visit of just a couple of days. I'm running Rimpacts so no snakebite problems though.
I think it might be that many of the descents being rocky tracks but not really technical, which means I'm hitting them at higher speed. Lakes rides I've done have been more rocky but more techy so I'm probably hitting them slower.
What do people use/suggest here?
Really, I've not had any problems with durability even with relatively lightweight tyres in the Dales. When I needed some knobs on the front, I normally have something like a Bonty XR4, but currently it's a Vittoria Peyote.
Always used Ralph and Ron combo for the Dales with no issues. I can't see needing anything bigger than that really!
I'm a Dales regular and I like Vittoria Agarro at the moment
Tough and fast rolling
I prefer the Dual compound on the back, it wears much more slowly than MaxxTerra. But fast dry rocky trails are tough on tyres!
Put a Minion SS on the rear, less 'tread' to catch on the rocks.
Magic Mary up front, Nobby Nick out back for my Dales riding atm. Seems to do the trick.
Out in Spain and riding similar trails to what you would find in the Dales on 40mm wtb raddler and 38mm riddler without any problems
There's a variety of trails, I doubt anyone is riding ones like this example on a gravel bike, at that pace or a bit faster
I've ridden that (and similar) plenty of times at pace with no tyre issues, I suppose it could be a factor to do with whatever tyre pressure you're running, or maybe you've got unlucky. Lower pressure = more squirm and stress over time?
You're def not the only one -- I discovered Trailfinders channel recently, and in one video he got two punctures on the same descent not too far from that clip (the descent near Dent station specifically)
I've done that decent on my hardtail xc bike at speed with Ralphs and Rons without issue, maybe lucky but I've never punctured in the Dales and I've done pretty much every ROW accessible to bikes.
I suppose it could be a factor to do with whatever tyre pressure you’re running, or maybe you’ve got unlucky. Lower pressure = more squirm and stress over time?
21psi front, 24psi rear on this trip. My normal is 20 front, 22 rear, but I run a bit more if I have a rucksack on.
With Rimpacts, 140/130mm FS bike. Not smashing into stuff clumsily, but I checked my Strava segments on that particular descent and I was 25% faster (or I might just be quicker at opening and closing gates).
When I first put the Rimpacts in over a year ago, my normal came down from 23 front, 25 rear. I did notice that it was noisier on tarmac, and that the knobs were looking more beaten up after a while. So I think you may well be right, and the Ralph/Ron guys are having a better experience with their small knobs (s****).