29er Tire Combos/Recommendations

DeeZee said:
The captain is a good choice......there are lots of good choices (I think I said that).

You can rip a side wall on any tire:)

Don't worry Burner has never tried the NEW XR. He just read that in Mountain Bike Action with Fo Shizzle in their sleeping bag_ (yes singular) the last time they went camping.;)
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you can rip a sidewall on any tire, and you can rip the sidewall very easily on a XR, speaking from experience.

I'm not sure when they came out with a 'new' XR or what's new about it. All things being equal, with only a difference in tread design, I'd still prefer the captain.

The XR rear is not a horrible tire, but I wouldn't buy one again.
 
No debate

Burner said:
you can rip a sidewall on any tire, and you can rip the sidewall very easily on a XR, speaking from experience.

I'm not sure when they came out with a 'new' XR or what's new about it. All things being equal, with only a difference in tread design, I'd still prefer the captain.

The XR rear is not a horrible tire, but I wouldn't buy one again.
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Not debating the two tires.............:wave::)

knock knock on wood I have had good luck not ripping sidewalls on tires.....
 
Burner said:
#4 slice XR sidewall in first rock garden
#5 back to the Path for a specialized captain

(save yourself the trouble, get a captain in the rear... comparable weight, better traction, stronger sidewall, works well tubeless)
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First ride on the XR resulted in a slashed sidewall for me too....
 
XR's

Burner said:
you can rip a sidewall on any tire, and you can rip the sidewall very easily on a XR, speaking from experience.

I'm not sure when they came out with a 'new' XR or what's new about it. All things being equal, with only a difference in tread design, I'd still prefer the captain.

The XR rear is not a horrible tire, but I wouldn't buy one again.
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Just got back from a ride on the XR's. Sidewalls held up great:bang:;)
 
Never tried the XR, but if you aren't racing, the Captain is a great rear tire IMO.

It tracks well and isn't super heavy.


Edit: I've got mine on the Canzo (regular Captain). I like it a lot for trail riding. I haven't been running a long time, but it's been great.

I've been wanting to try a Crossmark, and Justin needs the Captain on something (I forget, Niner, maybe?) so I will be borrowing Jeff's Crossmark up in Dville. Kinda makes me nervous since I don't think it's as aggressive/good with traction as the Captain. But, it'll be all fun and games until I crash on Big Boulder :lol:
 
cool thanks i was staring at both today trying to justify the added cost of the s-works version for gram savings...i'd rather loose some LBS off my gut :)
 
so i plan to run my rampage in front with a karma in the rear....

just bought a karma... looks like a wider spaced nevegal. Should roll faster... but hook up a tad less.
 
Rampage front and Maxis Crossmark rear. I had a captains on the rear then switched to the Crossmark for a faster rolling tire.
 
Panaracer Rampage & Conti Mtn King 2.4

I have 4 rides including 2 25+ mile rides on this combo, Rampage in front, Mtn King in the back.

Rampage: Good front tire for SoCal dry-weather conditions. Works great on sand, rock, gravel, hard-pack and loose dirt. Seems like it rolls a little better than a Nevegal, with similar grip. Overall I like this tire and think it will be a good rear tire too.

Mtn King 2.4: This tire rolls fine on hard-pack, sand and loose dirt, but really suffers in loose rock or gravel. Unfortunately a lot of the climbs I take include loose rock and it is impossible to get out of the saddle on steeper grades with this tire on the rear of my RIP9. It does rail the corners fine in bermed out loose-dirt conditions, and I think this tire will be great in the winter when the trails are tacky. I like this tire for single track where there is not a lot of climbing, and it is probably a good bet for trips to moist climates like the Pacific Northwest.

I think my next combo will be the Rampage out back and a Nev up front - should be the killer combo from what I have gathered so far...
 
Captain S Works

allison said:
Normal. Justin just said, "The S-Works Captain is sick light, though."

It is.

If you are worried about tearing sidewalls, you'd probably do it with this tire (IMO).
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+1, that is why i got a tire boot in it right now. idk how i got the tear but it didnt cause any flat, i just found it the next day when im about to clean the bike. The normal Captain will be just as fine. I have both and can't really tell the difference.
 
I have really been enjoying my new 2.1 small block 8's on my Karate Monkey SS 29er. IM extremely HO they are super.
 
JOx2 said:
+1, that is why i got a tire boot in it right now. idk how i got the tear but it didnt cause any flat, i just found it the next day when im about to clean the bike. The normal Captain will be just as fine. I have both and can't really tell the difference.
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i sliced the sidewall on a regular captain tire... i went out and bought another one :bang:

might just find a patch or something and use it as a back up
 
Schwalble and Continental

I run Mountain Kings on my single speed. Good traction in most conditions. Running them tubeless with a home brew sealant. There is a small amount of sidewall leakage but worth the trade off.

Have Schwalbe Racing Ralph 2.4 on the front and Little Albert 2.1 on the rear of my Sultan. Probably the best tires I have found. Performance is great. Work perfectly tubeless with the home brew.
 
I just ran a set of the Bontrager Jones ACX 2.2's and loved them. Stick like glue and pretty lightweight. I ran them until the tread was just about gone. Rubber compound was soft and grippy but wore out fast I thought.

It was time for some new tires and like many of you, I was still curious about other 29er tires. So a couple of weeks ago I bought two Kenda Nevegals 2.2's and have been riding them almost every day since I bought them. I love these also. They are a tad heavier and a tad wider than the Bontragers and the rubber is a harder compound. Makes the tire kinda roll smoother to me but maybe I'm nuts.


If I'm stuck on an island and can only take one tire for the rest of my life, I think I'd take the Nevegals.

Hope this helps.
 
I got sick and tired of tearing tires (both tread and sidewall), so I got a set of the new Spec. Captain armadillo elite 2bliss and they seem to be the answer to my problems so far. Been on them for the last 100 miles or so and showing no bad signs as of yet. The casing is so much stiffer that I'm running them with 25psi front and 28psi rear and it's been great! definitely would reccomend these to people who ride in rocky terrain.

I'm running the 2.2 size just for reference. These tend to run a little narrower than the control version in the same size.
 
I recently posted info in the tire thread about the CST Cabellaro and the Maxxis Ardent.

The Ardent is my go to tire for all terrain until we get the Aspen in a 29x2.25.
 
Spring-Summer 29er SS Tires?

So now that the ground is drying out again and back comes SoCal loose over hard pack that we all love so much I find myself in the same situation I was in last year.

Help please...

I really like the SmallBlock8 on my 29er SS's as a rear tire, fast, light, but i have not found a front tire that i like as much, I want good rolling, descent weight, but aggressive enough enough to bite and not float...

What are you guys using that you really like? Thanks
 

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