What tires for VQ/CC?(merged)

I'll be running a the 2.55 WeirWolf up front & 2.25 Racing Ralph on the rear of my 29er SS.

David, I don't think there's *any* tire out there that will get us mere mortals up all of the MD sections. I am certainly not ashamed to walk a few sections...

 

A 2.55 with 32-18?!? Damn, that's stout. I was considering going back to my 2.35 exiwolf; i can't imagine pushing a 2.55 that far. Anything over 2.1 for this race gives me second thoughts...they look little looking down, but have noticeably less drag than big tires...and don't give up as much grip as you'd think.

 

bump.

just on my f/s, but i've never had any problem. i'm probably going to try them on my ss when i need a replacement.

 

Tim, there's a few things to consider though. First, the "supposed" 2.55 really is not even close to that real measurement. I've had it up against some 2.3's & they looked very similar.

Second, the tire has low rolling resistance. It actually feels faster than the 2.1 Ignitor that i had up front for a year.

Third, I like having a large volume of air up front since I am riding rigid. Even though its width is nowhere near a true 2.55, it does hold quite a bit of air.

If the ground is nice & tacky, there really is no better choice than a WeirWolf. I love that tire.

 

Grasshopper... JMHO:

I've been running these on the back of the SS for quite some time now and they work best on hard pack... although I did take them down Coldwater and was impressed with the hookup. It's hard to beat their lack of rolling resistance on a harder surface... but if the conditions are soft or muddy, I would go with something with a little more bite to it... wait and see what the weather brings. The forecast is for partly sunny on the 7th with temps in the high 60's... perfect weather for riding. It will however, be a bit muddy on the backside of Saddleback so I would think about a little more tire for the ride... perhaps a Crossmax?

 

I've been training with the Small Block 8 and it works well on the MD, but with the expected snow melt causing it to be a bit messy up at the Peak and on the back side, I may switch on the 11th hour.

 

Wow...I analyze a lot of things...tires not so much...I do get the concept...I am a traction guy...will trade speed to feel more connected to the trail ...and thus faster safer descent for me (less crash quotient)..... guess that's why I finish in the MOP.

Me this year...
Nevegal 2.1 Rear, Blue Groove 2.35 front (Last year 2.35 Nevegal Front) same tires I always ride on

Ahhhh traction is good ...

 

I'm on 26" UST tires, and I've been playing around a lot over the past few months, shifting between tires that were gifts (Thanks MtnKitty!) and some I bought to experiment with.

Last year I trained on 2.35" Ignitors at about 30 psi front & 32 psi rear. They were a pretty good blend of grip & roll, though not outstanding at either. I rode them for about 8 months with no problems until they got the dreaded Maxxis blisters.

For the past couple months I've run either a 2.4" Fat Albert or a 2.25" Nobby Nic up front. I feel like the tread of the Fat Albert rolls faster, even though it's heavier and wider than the Nic, and of course it's great on the descents, but at 970 grams that's a lot to push. I just grabbed another 2.35" Ignitor and will try that again this week to see if I still like it up front.

On the rear I've tried the Nobby Nic (great grip but a little slow) and have now switched to a Racing Ralph at around 32 psi. It rolls fast, climbing traction is pretty good, and cornering is also good, but it skids a bit easily for my taste, probably due to my total lack of braking skill. I've tried SB8's before and like this a lot better.

So as long as the conditions stay dry, I'll probably be running the 2.35" Ignitor front and the 2.25" Racing Ralph rear.

 

Tires for VQ or CC

can anyone tell me what the terrain is like after the rain on the course? I have some dry terrain tires and am thinking about using a better tire for wet or mud.

 

what course?:?:

what course?:?: because i was wondering what southridge was like in wet conditions so i could choose a tire

 

He's talking about a different area....VQ/CC is in the Santa Ana's....

Fontana is different dirt and it is also posted many many many times on what tires to use....

 

You'll want a dry, rocky terrain tire. I'm running Specialized Captains this year, but have done it on IRC Mythos', and WTB V raptors. Since the majority of the course is fire roads with a ton of climbing I go for better rolling resistance vs traction. And I'll usually run 45-50 psi. I also do this on my practice runs, so I know what I'm in for... YMMV

 

I merged this with an existing thread. Read through the thread as there are lots of info and very different opinions on which tire to use. Not really 1 correct setup as we all have our personal preferences. For me, I ran IRC Mythos rear 07, SB8 rear in 08, WTB Exiwolf in 09. Up front, it's been Mutano Raptors 2.4 all 3 years and again this year. I haven't decide which rear tire to go with yet. Currently I have a 2.2 WTB Wolverine.

Here is a "sticky" for many VQ/CC questions: VQ/CC Thread: Questions, answers, tips.

 

If I were riding the course this year on a 26" bike, my tire of choice would be the Specialized Renegade. I wouldn't use the Sworks flavor as I would surely slice them, but they roll awesome and have BIG volume. The lack of tread depth might also keep them from packing up if there is some mud on course.

Allison and I both have been testing this tire out and used it tire on the rear at Sagebrush and it was pretty awesome. :bang:

 

Specialized Captain Control 2Bliss, 2.2 front and 2.0 rear, sans tubes w/ Stans sealant. I've found them to be a decent compromise between rolling resistance and traction in the loose stuff.

 

this year's combo (barring a mudfest) is a 2.25" Schwalbe Fat Albert up front and a 2.0" Maxxis Larsen TT out back, both UST with Stan's. I am loving the combo of fast rolling yet there's still some bite up front for those loose MD sweepers.

 

I rode the Blackstar/Motorway loop Friday morning with Geax TNT 2.2 Saguaros front and rear. I didn't have any problem with mud and I think it rained up there Wednesday night. The motorway had it's sections where it looks like it could shred a sidewall at any moment. The course wasn't all that muddy, but it was tacky. I didn't have any caking of mud on my tires at all.