[Bikael Molton]

I was thinking how the popularity of these 2 front tires seems to have come along around the time DH bikes started getting a lot longer.

Do we think the two phenomena are connected?

Back in the day when bikes were very short, (and front suspension significantly worse), getting your weight over the front tire to maintain traction was not an issue; if anything you were over the front more than you wanted to be. Being over the front generally helps with cornering, especially when it's steep, loose or both. I think if you are consciously drifting the bike in the DHF channel, riding right on top of the tire to control the drift helps too.
Do MM/Assguy-type designs help maintain front tire traction if you are more centered on the bike (and the bike is long)? I kinda think so.

I'm 6' and grew up riding hardtails down steep shit... so my riding style has always been way off the back as a bad habit, and cornering is definitely a weak point for me. Right now MMs are working damn fine up front for my terrain.

I'd like to hear other opinions.

 

[djjohnr]

Moar traction always good.

 

[StiHacka]

MM works great for the first 60 miles.

 

[toodles]

Do MM/Assguy-type designs help maintain front tire traction if you are more centered on the bike (and the bike is long)? I kinda think so.

I think there's some merit to what you're saying. When I changed from the old medium bike (432mm reach) to a more modern (450mm) reach bike I had a few weeks of crashes as I adapted to the front end being more prone to washing. I replaced the Minion with a Ultra Soft MM and instantly felt better and more confident.

MM works great for the first 60 miles.

You tried the new compound ones? They still don't last like some other brands but I'm getting pretty decent mileage out of them (on the front). I've just ordered a new one to replace a front that I've had fitted since February, although I had 7 weeks off with a broken finger, that's still plenty of riding.

 

[StiHacka]

You tried the new compound ones? They still don't last like some other brands but I'm getting pretty decent mileage out of them (on the front). I've just ordered a new one to replace a front that I've had fitted since February, although I had 7 weeks off with a broken finger, that's still plenty of riding.

I destroyed the orange Addix in no time.

 

[mykel]

While I loved the Mary's and had ran them for several years, the one thing I didn't like is that after a few times out, somebody would come along and put little hinges on each side knob of my rear tire when I wasn't looking - end result was that it felt like I was trying to turn on marbles. Then went to RockR2 - now that is how a side knob should be built. Now Assguy/DHR2 and mostly happy.

 

[jstuhlman]

Dammit. title led me to believe this was about porn.

 

[Nick]

rpet <3's assguys

 

[HAB]

I don't really understand the thesis here. Is the argument that tires with transition knobs work better than ones with a big open DHF style channel when you're weighting the front end more? Because I'm not buying that.

 

[djjohnr]

I destroyed the orange Addix in no time.

Yeah, they don't last long. Grip great while newish, but you have to be willing to spend to go through them. I also wish they had a casing more similar to EXO/EXO+.

 

[Bikael Molton]

More of the opposite... That DHFs require a more precise weighting of the front end, while transition knobs on a front tire allow a more neutral/center-of-the-bike position.

I don't really understand the thesis here. Is the argument that tires with transition knobs work better than ones with a big open DHF style channel when you're weighting the front end more? Because I'm not buying that.

 

[Udi]

The Magic Mary in Purple Addix is the best DH tire I've used, bar none.
Before that it was the Magic Mary in Vertstar.

It's not front-only, I've always run them both ends, same compound F/R. I don't think it has any relation to bike length either, it just has a lot of grip. If you're struggling for traction for whatever reason then of course it'll help too.

Doesn't wear much different to anything else I've used, but I don't think these are for people who measure their "riding" time in miles / kilometres. I use Maxxis too, but only on the compromiseduro "most of the riding time is actually climbing even though we like to pretend otherwise" bike. Sounds like StiHacka's application.

 

[toodles]

The Magic Mary in Purple Addix is the best DH tire I've used, bar none.
Before that it was the Magic Mary in Vertstar.

I found it wears very quickly though. Despite saving my life numerous times, and allowing me to ride slippery terrain with great control I've opted to switch them for the hardest compound Maxxis commuter tyres. The wear life is much better - even longer when you consider the downtime while I'm in hospitals.

 

[Flo33]

I'm with Udi on the wear rate of tires. I mounted a set of new 650b*2.4 MaxxTerra Exo+ DHR2's on my compromiseduro's 25 mm iw Ex471 rims with 25 front and nearly 30 psi rear before a ndurp race this year, so it saw some training runs and a hard race day. The rear has a lot of side blocks worn down at least 50 %. That's not astonishing compared to MM in purple which I also run in the slop season.

 

[4xBoy]

Clue me in,


What tire is assguy?

Yes, I expect to be rode like a cheap Suzuki for asking.

 

[velocipedist]

 

[Bikael Molton]

So, no other comments on these tires in relation to the longer WB?

 

[jonKranked]

 

[HAB]

I've been trying the MM in the sticky purple rubber on both ends of late, and while it does have a bunch of grip, particularly in anything softer, I'm having a hard time with its behavior at the limit. I normally run some combination of DHFs/DHR 2s and sometimes Shortys in the wet winter months, all in MaxxGrip rubber for the most part, and all of those (especially both Minion variants) feel much more predictable at the limit to me. The MM grips well, especially at less aggressive lean angles, but when you're leaned over hard and initiating a drift, it feels like it gives way more abruptly and less predictably. I'm not into it.

I don't have as much time on them, but initial impressions are that I really like the Dirty Dan, again in Addix Purple as a wet weather Shorty alternative.

 

[manhattanprjkt83]

I modded mine over the summer:

 

[xy9ine]

So, no other comments on these tires in relation to the longer WB?

a long wheelbase sled shouldn't have any more issues w/ front wheel traction than an old school shortbus (i'd argue that long bikes are actually easier to modulate front traction owning to a larger range weight transfer operating window) - assuming the rc is properly balanced. alas, we're still at a point where some manufacturers think that one size fits all chainstays are perfectly fine, so we get unbalanced bikes that want to push.

 

[Gary]

Do MM/Assguy-type designs help maintain front tire traction if you are more centered on the bike (and the bike is long)? I kinda think so.

Nope

I occasionally run magic mary's up front and all my bikes are shortAF™ by todays standards for my 5'11" height and I'm def a rearwards biased rider and massive lover of back wheel.
They work just as expected.

I'm 6' and grew up riding hardtails down steep shit... so my riding style has always been way off the back as a bad habit, and cornering is definitely a weak point for me. Right now MMs are working damn fine up front for my terrain.

Me too on the HT on steep shit front. (and still love it)
but not on the weak cornering.
You don't actually need to be all that far off the back even on super short bikes.

FWIW I don't have any bikes with longer than 435mm reach.
I don't really like anything over about 450mm (just less fun for backwheel™ ) a nice low BB is still preferable to me for stability rather than juggernaught wheelbases that kill my pop/mannybility

Zero interest in trying an Ass guy TBH

 

[Katz]

So, no other comments on these tires in relation to the longer WB?

I have observed that neighborhood average riders who haven't learned to properly lean the bike into turns are struggling with the slacker head angle (which is how I ended up scoring my V3 Nomad at half the price when it was less than a year old).

Those "steer with the bar" crowd have already preferred tires without channels to begin with, but I suppose it's possible that longer, slacker bikes make the lack of transition knobs more apparent.