Tire Review Thread

[Jordansrealm]

I have recently changed tires and so far I am completely happy so I thought I would talk about it. Front - 29x2.35 Panaracer Rampage Rear - 29x2.0 Specialized The Captain Control Old Tires - 29x2.2 Bontrager AcX This is my first set of non matching tires front and rear and this is also my first time running a larger front tire. I typically run 2.2ish tires front and rear. I was a bit nervous installing a 2.0 tire in the rear. I am 200lbs and I wouldnt say hard on my bike but not light on my bike. The first trail I tested them on was Oneil. I descended down the new singletrack section which has some loose dirt, hard packed dirt, small rocks, mud and a jump at the end. Riding over to Oneil I have 1.8 miles of pavement. The bike rolled a bit slower than the previous Bontrager's tires but they were also getting pretty worn down. Getting into the set of switchbacks inspired confidance. The front tire provided plenty of turning grip and kept the bike in line through each turn. Where i was really impressed was in the rear. The Captain held its line better than any other rear tire I have used thus far. I hit this section twice and on the second time I was able to get up 5mph faster. Previously, I would not go this fast through here because my old tires would wash out in each turn. The new tires held their line and shot me through each pass. The center part had some mud and while there wasnt much to really be able to test the tires on I will say the front tire did want to move around a lot in it. Meaning, it seemed to squish through it instead of guide me through it. More mud testing will have to come later. The small section of rocks were a breeze and I never felt slippage. Coming down the entire section although it was short felt more controlled on the wider front tire. I think I will stick to this trend for a while. The next trail was Tijeras Creek. Rolling fast through the fire road sections felt good and stable. The only time I did not feel super confidant was in the heavy sandy areas. The front tire did not want to push through it like the Bontrager did but that could also be because of the increased width. The rear tire while providing a ton of grip on hard pack was digging itself to china in the sand. Sitting and grinding through a sand pit is not this tire combo's cup o tea. Fortunately, there are only a few small deep sand sections in Tijeras. Getting into the jungle was super fun as the wider front kept me all smiles. There are a few heavy tree root sections with tight turns that I felt the narrower front tire bounced around on. The Rampage did a great job of keeping me in control instead of holding on. Coming around the 3 rolling hills that parallel Antonio Pkwy was awesome. New shoes doing their job both shooting down and climbing back up. I did notice on a few small turning section the increased weight of the tires compared to my old ones. Nothing that I would say prevented me from doing anything but it was noticeable here and there. Next up was Aliso. I went up Cholla, Top of the World, down Meadows. The fire road out to Cholla was good aside from those darn sandy sections. Climbing cholla was great! Total control even though my out of control riding style was still the same. Damn those people who climb without making their bike sway side to side. Got up to the top with no stopping and no slipping either which was a first I always tend to slip on some of the more rocky parts. TOTW was TOTW. Coming down Meadows felt better than ever plus it was a day when nobody was on it but me. The rear tire really shined here, locking me into each corner and keeping me in control or in as much as my riding style allows Okay thats enough. So far the new shoes are treating me good and I thought I would post up a little more info than just say I LIKE THEM. Also, for those curious I am loving my new Ellsworth Evolve that Tani built up for me at The Path. A few more little things I wanna add to it here and there and itll be perfectly dialed! Jordan

Tried editing that post to have PP breaks so its not one giant paragraph but it wont let me sorry people

[tkblazer]

shouldn't that be in the 29er review thread

[posthole]

I have been riding these tires for several weeks now and have taken them on many types of trails. SLO town, Valencia, Mammoth, Ridgecrest, and Kernville. They have a very open pattern that are made of sticky rubber. The tires really surprised me with how well they rolled and railed the corners on trails that had fairly well packed dirt. They performed well above average in all areas and I never pinch flatted like I often do! For all the good, there were just two areas that they did not score the highest possible points with me; I noticed that they slip a little on super steep and technical terrain and that they drift too much in soft sand. Not enough knobs would be my guess. I have to admit that once you tip them far enough on the their side, the grab in all conditions!! The outside pattern is awesome.

Enjoy the ride and consider these tires if you live where it is not too sandy.

[jschwart73]

Originally Posted by posthole

I have been riding these tires for several weeks now and have taken them on many types of trails. SLO town, Valencia, Mammoth, Ridgecrest, and Kernville. They have a very open pattern that are made of sticky rubber. The tires really surprised me with how well they rolled and railed the corners on trails that had fairly well packed dirt. They performed well above average in all areas and I never pinch flatted like I often do! For all the good, there were just two areas that they did not score the highest possible points with me; I noticed that they slip a little on super steep and technical terrain and that they drift too much in soft sand. Not enough knobs would be my guess. I have to admit that once you tip them far enough on the their side, the grab in all conditions!! The outside pattern is awesome.

Enjoy the ride and consider these tires if you live where it is not too sandy.

I'll second your thoughts - I've been running Stouts on my Nomad since I built it a few weeks ago, they work exceptionally well in a lot of conditions.

They got a workout at Downieville last weekend - If they had a thicker sidewall, they'd be perfect up there. I had 3 pinch flats on the weekend...

[Nagaredama]

Specialzed Enduro 2.3 - Rip on loose over hard pack

Hutchinson Barracuda 2.5/2.3 MX casing - mounted right up tubeless with no Stan's. Insane amount of grip of loose stuff. Great DH tire!

[RC_Compton]

I've run the Minion front and the High Roller rear. But the High Roller center wear way to fast so Ive been going with the Minion DHF front and rear. Little less braking power but it corner like and indy car. And who uses there brakes on DH anyway...

[NA1NSXR]

All of the other tires I've used have already been mentioned, but I'd like to let everyone know that the Continental Traction Pro works wonderfully here performance wise. It is a very agressive treaded hard compound tire. It rolls on the slower side and if you skid on rock the knobs get demolished but it is quite excellent for everything else here. I am using the 26x2.00 version.

I also have a Mutano 2.14 that will be mounted soon to the front. I've only seen 2.24 and 2.4 reviews around here and the 2.4 seems not aggressive enough for some while the 2.24 tread is a bit overkill for these areas. 2.14 is the fabled middle ground and consistent with the funky nomenclature of this tire model its just about as wide as the 2.24 and 2.4 models.

[BoingBoing]

Originally Posted by Nagaredama

Specialzed Enduro 2.3 - Rip on loose over hard pack

I no longer see that tire on Specialized's web-site. I loved that tire! A similar model is Eskar Control 2.3. It's profile is round rather than squarish. Another difference is it is 2Bliss. I'm testing that part out right now.

[slo65]

anyone know of a good tire in a 2.30? i see a lot of 2.35's i recently put on a new fork and with my 2.30's they rub a little when landing off smaller jumps and whatnot, not sure if a 2.35 would make that much of a difference. i was looking at wtb prowler xt's and maxis ignitors etc

[guero]

slo65, maxxis 2.35 tend to run a tad small, you should be fine if you choose to stay with those.

[un-kola]

Originally Posted by slo65

anyone know of a good tire in a 2.30? i see a lot of 2.35's i recently put on a new fork and with my 2.30's they rub a little when landing off smaller jumps and whatnot, not sure if a 2.35 would make that much of a difference. i was looking at wtb prowler xt's and maxis ignitors etc

Spec.Chunders in 2.2 or 2.3,both in 2Bliss.I've been running these all summer.Like this combo alot.- Lloyd

[slo65]

Originally Posted by guero

slo65, maxxis 2.35 tend to run a tad small, you should be fine if you choose to stay with those.

holy crap you were not kidding, i mounted my 2.35 ignitor this evening, it looks as small if not smaller than my 2.1 rear tire from another vendor, kind of a bummer but i guess it's not a big deal since i imagine this will perform a lot better, amazing how much weight you can drop going to a lighter tire/tube combo, cant wait to drop the boat anchor in the rear (tioga tires blow)

[G-MONEY]

Maxxis High Roller 2.35 USTs all the way!!!! I recently made the switch from Panaracer Fire XC Pro USTs and the Maxxis rule.