Still on my need to visit list.
What trail bike tire casings don't suck?
- Thread starter Kanye West
- Start date
WT is not a casing, it is a size range in Maxxis speak, which is 2.4 - 2.6, and new enough to be optimized for 30-35mm inner width rims.
Somewhere in their marketing material, the tire sizes are organized this way, with regards to tire volume:
XC
Trail
Wide Trail
Plus
really?
you must check it off the list before Winter. Go when it's dry though. that soil is awful when wet and the rocks will try to kill you.
I run a touch over 30 in the rear, and perhaps 28 up front. EXOs. 1 sidewall rip over 2 seasons.
:notbadobama:
Sound like my situation. Not getting 1.1kg tires for a place I ride once every never.
I can't speak for everyone but front tyres for me have always been easier to find. An EXO Minion DHF is pretty much my go to, although they fucked up the tread compounds for 2018 with this Max Terra bullshit for the 2.3" size.
The EXO casing Aggressors haven't let me down yet on the trail (Scout) bike and I'm pretty silly. That EXO variant seems decent enough. I even ran one on the enduro race bike (Patrol) briefly with no issues before I chucked on a DD casing Aggressor for a steeper, rockier event I was doing. Grip-wise its nothing spectacular, but not a complete fail either. It tends to squirm and feel a bit vague on hard pack corners as well as step out on you under hard braking in steep sections.
When I use the Scout for XC events (quit your laughing) I've chucked on EXO casing Ardent Races. When I tried them with tubes, I flatted repeatedly so I switched to tubeless. Since then I've stabbed a hole stright through the middle of the tread on one, and ripped a 4 cm hole in the sidewall of another. I've sworn off them now but will need to find a durable fast-rolling tyre to replace them with - the Aggressor seems too much tyre for that stuff.
I've signed up for a couple of multi-day blind enduro events for 2018 so I'm looking for a durable tyre, that can climb and yet still provide emergency panic braking traction.
It's good to hear the feedback on the Hutchinson Squale as I was nearly going to take the gamble on that one. The e13 offerings get good feedback but apparently roll a bit slowly? And their weight is low enough to make me cautious about their durability. Anybody got much time on them?
Are the Michelin Wild Rock'R2 a rear tyre? Any good for that end of the bike?
The EXO casing Aggressors haven't let me down yet on the trail (Scout) bike and I'm pretty silly. That EXO variant seems decent enough. I even ran one on the enduro race bike (Patrol) briefly with no issues before I chucked on a DD casing Aggressor for a steeper, rockier event I was doing. Grip-wise its nothing spectacular, but not a complete fail either. It tends to squirm and feel a bit vague on hard pack corners as well as step out on you under hard braking in steep sections.
When I use the Scout for XC events (quit your laughing) I've chucked on EXO casing Ardent Races. When I tried them with tubes, I flatted repeatedly so I switched to tubeless. Since then I've stabbed a hole stright through the middle of the tread on one, and ripped a 4 cm hole in the sidewall of another. I've sworn off them now but will need to find a durable fast-rolling tyre to replace them with - the Aggressor seems too much tyre for that stuff.
I've signed up for a couple of multi-day blind enduro events for 2018 so I'm looking for a durable tyre, that can climb and yet still provide emergency panic braking traction.
It's good to hear the feedback on the Hutchinson Squale as I was nearly going to take the gamble on that one. The e13 offerings get good feedback but apparently roll a bit slowly? And their weight is low enough to make me cautious about their durability. Anybody got much time on them?
Are the Michelin Wild Rock'R2 a rear tyre? Any good for that end of the bike?
Interestingly, the Kona I'm picking up soon comes with EXO Minion DHFs front and rear. I've run that tread combo before for many, many years on the DH bike but never tried a DHF rear for trail riding. Will report back on traction and durability...
Love them as a front tire. Casing is a solid step up in beef from an Exo Minion, and the cornering grip is nutty in dry to intermediate conditions. The lug spacing isn't wide enough for them to excel in really soft, wet conditions, when I'll switch to a 2.5 Shorty up front. They're pretty good as a rear, but roll a little more slowly than would be ideal. Obviously going to the harder rubber (Gum-X) over the sticker Magi-X helps a bit there.
I run 650b 2.4 EXO DHR2s. I like them in the dry and loose over hardpack, but I HATE them if we talk about cornering. The front one washes away too soon.Most of my riding is done on dirt, with a sprinkling of rocks and the EXO DHR2's have held up great. Only one flat over the last two seasons. They even went through Pisgah with no flats.
Then again I ride with my tires up near 30psi, so....
The Onza Ibex 2.4 has almost the same tread pattern, corners better, but has shitty sidewalls. I have blown away the kevlar in one of the shoulders just landing sideways, and this was not riding at mach stupid, or even going downhill.
Shall I go back to the almighty DHF in EXO casing? I can't jump to 2.6 because of poor frame/fork clearance, and 2.3 seems to be too small for a front tire (at least on paper, 57 vs 61 mm wide according to Maxxis)? Or shall I go with a 2.5WT? I have 30mm ID rims.
I have been really temped to try an e*13 TRS+ in the front, and send the venerable HR2 to the back.
The easiest way to look at what's going to be one of the tougher EXO tires is to just look at weight. There's no such thing as a durable tire in the 700gs. Upper 9s and above. It's tougher with the 27.5 ones since those came after the initial EXO stuff in 26, which are mostly good except for the newer treads like the minion SS.
The WT stuff is kind of minor in terms of how different they are. I've put one on a 25mm rim and they're fine. What sucks is that they lowered the knob height (because brain damage) on the DHFs.
They make a 2.5wt DHF maxxgrip exo that's 980g. I haven't used one but I'm about to. And I'm going to pump it up.
Some of you guys expecting tires to take rim hits running 25psi need to get over that shit or you're going to continue to be frustrated.
Last edited:
Thanks for encouraging me. Now I have to find some web store willing to ship to Argentina while not charging me the equivalent of two tires and sending me the equivalent of just one
.I've ridden one a bit on a buddy's bike I was borrowing for shits. Can confirm, is good.
I have a 2.5wt DHF maxterra exo on the front now. With the exception of a terrible wobble, it is good.
But don't you run those Derby rims?
I've been able to get away with e13 tires without issues front and rear depending on what I'm feeling. The trsr is very grippy but rolls horribly, I found myself noticing how my bike sounded like a lifted truck the other day while riding down the road after a shuttled ride. The regular trs is a great tire imo, it rolls better than the trsr and still has good traction. It seems to wear well (without undercutting sideknobs) and has decent flat resistance given its weight.
It's worth noting e13 is switching suppliers for their tires so the new batch is going to be different, whether or not that's a good thing remains to be seen.
Also (this is independent of my e13 thoughts) cushcore is the shit! I can now run a "lightweight" rear tire such as a schwalbe magic mary snakeskin at 25psi (@200lbs) and have zero issues, ever. Rocks, roots, getting pitted af in turns, it doesn't matter. Sure changing tires sucks but, you get a system down and it's less painful every time.
It's worth noting e13 is switching suppliers for their tires so the new batch is going to be different, whether or not that's a good thing remains to be seen.
Also (this is independent of my e13 thoughts) cushcore is the shit! I can now run a "lightweight" rear tire such as a schwalbe magic mary snakeskin at 25psi (@200lbs) and have zero issues, ever. Rocks, roots, getting pitted af in turns, it doesn't matter. Sure changing tires sucks but, you get a system down and it's less painful every time.
Front only.
I ran the E13 TRS+ tires for a while and really liked them until..I needed to swap out a leaky valve stem and when I re-inflated the tire, the casing warped like crazy when the bead seated. Total bummer as it still had a lot of life in it. Also, super can't understand the disdain for Maxx Terra rubber. In what world are 42a side knobs/50a center knobs not sufficiently grippy for a trail tire?
I also ran a set of e13 TRSr and TRS+ this season. Like stated above, traction and wear are very good. I think that they roll pretty slowly as well. Not a big issue as I take it as a reason to ride or pedal faster lol.
Here's the funny thing, the rear tire (TRS+) had a hop in the casing since the beginning. I unmounted and remounted them twice (it's a bitch) and it was still there. I rode it as is all season and didn't find it to affect the ride. I'd say that I'm willing to give these tires another try next season, and I'm keen to see if there's any improvement with the new manufacturer.
Here's the funny thing, the rear tire (TRS+) had a hop in the casing since the beginning. I unmounted and remounted them twice (it's a bitch) and it was still there. I rode it as is all season and didn't find it to affect the ride. I'd say that I'm willing to give these tires another try next season, and I'm keen to see if there's any improvement with the new manufacturer.
I always run 30psi and now even more in the rear. I have experienced cut EXOs in the sidewalls, tread and bead. I've done it all.
All this talk of good ole days EXO is interesting. I have run several 26" DHF EXOs into the ground wo cuts. They had that wavy texture on the sidewalls. Is that indicative of the good EXO?
I'm not aware of any with that wavy stuff that weren't. Actually I'm not even sure they made any molds other than a 2.5 dhf. But yeah that was definitely a good one.
It's pretty much spot on for a trail tyre I think, unless you're crossing wet rock or roots daily. I'd just like the Maxx Grip option on the 2.3 Minion DHF to make it more of an all-rounder for all-weather conditions. I dont really see any downside to the Maxx Grip option on a front tyre.
From maxxis but I don't know who they are going to. There have been availability issues all season which I believe is the main reason for the change of manufacturers.
One thing to remember regarding the Michi Wild Rock'R2 is the centre knob height is slightly lower than you would expect supposedly to make it pedal a bit better for teh enduroz. Does help it roll a bit better although my only experience is on the DH bike. However we do have a 2km flat ride across the top to the jump/flow trails - you do start appreciate it after a half dozen laps.
Downsides, is that with the lower knob height and the spacing, it does not penetrate or clear mud / claggy dirt well. Same for braking in the soft or wet, shorter knob height again. Not terrible, but you do notice it.
On dry hardpack, or loose over the are killer. Great strait-line grip and braking backed up by Insane cornering ability.
I've been pretty lucky with them on the big bike other than a single pinch-flat on the rear on two sets over two years. Eagerly awaiting the DH version, but they better bring it out in 26 for the back wheel.
Downsides, is that with the lower knob height and the spacing, it does not penetrate or clear mud / claggy dirt well. Same for braking in the soft or wet, shorter knob height again. Not terrible, but you do notice it.
On dry hardpack, or loose over the are killer. Great strait-line grip and braking backed up by Insane cornering ability.
I've been pretty lucky with them on the big bike other than a single pinch-flat on the rear on two sets over two years. Eagerly awaiting the DH version, but they better bring it out in 26 for the back wheel.
Sorry if it's been said, I didn't read through every post, has anyone played with flat tire defender and EXO casings? I'm a big fan of the minions, and have a good relationship with exo up front but in the back it's a no go.
Adding to the conversation about wild rockr'2 casings. I've pinched every one I've run. Not sure why because they seem to have a robust casing but I've pinched like 7 of them now. Also rolled one off the rim (ex471) when the sidewall cut in two places. Love the tread pattern, maybe the best dry conditions tire I've used, but I'm going to try skinny double down 2.3's as soon as I can find one under 70 bucks. Also temped to try EXO with FTD. Homemade hucknorris was a fail. FTD EXO will be nearly as heavy as tubeless DH but it will be something new to try.
Adding to the conversation about wild rockr'2 casings. I've pinched every one I've run. Not sure why because they seem to have a robust casing but I've pinched like 7 of them now. Also rolled one off the rim (ex471) when the sidewall cut in two places. Love the tread pattern, maybe the best dry conditions tire I've used, but I'm going to try skinny double down 2.3's as soon as I can find one under 70 bucks. Also temped to try EXO with FTD. Homemade hucknorris was a fail. FTD EXO will be nearly as heavy as tubeless DH but it will be something new to try.
@rollertoaster
Is this combo on the back too? I always thought that both of these things individually were kinda chintzy, but maybe together they actually make sense?
I'm running DD now but they're about to go onto my sons bike, I just miss the cornering of the wild rock'r2.
Yes they are not ideal in sticky dirt but that's a small price to pay for awesome casings and grip.
I had zero issues until the casings stopped holding air/sealant, at which point the tread was roached anyway.
My buddy ran e13 and found the casings not on par with the michelin.
The center tread did better in sticky dirt but thats about it.
Never tried them myself as they were never available when I looked.
Yes they are not ideal in sticky dirt but that's a small price to pay for awesome casings and grip.
I had zero issues until the casings stopped holding air/sealant, at which point the tread was roached anyway.
My buddy ran e13 and found the casings not on par with the michelin.
The center tread did better in sticky dirt but thats about it.
Never tried them myself as they were never available when I looked.
I don't usually tear casings. It's usually pinches that get me. I'm really loving this combo
Did he have issues with the TRS+ in the front?
His problems were pretty much limited to punctured (beyond sealing) casings. They just aren't that robust.
WTF happened to the bike tire Industry? Do you guys remember when you could get more than a season from a tire without it getting wobbly, with a deformed casing, or without side knobs getting ripped away in less than 500 miles?
I used to have an Onza Ibex in the rear, liked it a lot better than the front HR2 for its gripping capabilities, even when they both seemed to be born from the same egg. Landed sideways off a 3 ft drop, boom! deformed casing/stretched Kevlar thread. Replaced it with an EXO Minion DHR, went to the mountains for a short trip and three runs after I got a ripped sidewall. Not a pinch flat, neither a rock strike, but ripped nylon casing. The damn thing won't seal no matter what I try. I think I'll end up putting a motorcycle tire patch on the inner surface and try to squeeze at least six months of riding out of it.
I'll try to get an E*13 for the front and relegate the HR2 to the rear wheel, or maybe a DHF. But so far I'm pretty disappointed with Maxxis' QC.
For the record, i can't justify running a full DH casing since I travel to the mountains maybe 3-4 times a year.
I used to have an Onza Ibex in the rear, liked it a lot better than the front HR2 for its gripping capabilities, even when they both seemed to be born from the same egg. Landed sideways off a 3 ft drop, boom! deformed casing/stretched Kevlar thread. Replaced it with an EXO Minion DHR, went to the mountains for a short trip and three runs after I got a ripped sidewall. Not a pinch flat, neither a rock strike, but ripped nylon casing. The damn thing won't seal no matter what I try. I think I'll end up putting a motorcycle tire patch on the inner surface and try to squeeze at least six months of riding out of it.
I'll try to get an E*13 for the front and relegate the HR2 to the rear wheel, or maybe a DHF. But so far I'm pretty disappointed with Maxxis' QC.
For the record, i can't justify running a full DH casing since I travel to the mountains maybe 3-4 times a year.
Last edited:
Completely agreed. Cushcore has been a game changer for me. Dropped 8psi and no issues..........