Complete Guide to Downhill Rubber
- Thread starter zdubyadubya
- Start date
I'll be honest here - I hear you. I hear multiple people mention how Schwalbe fucked up the side knobs. When I look at them, they look wrong. But all the time I ran Magic Marys they were a bloody good front tyre and did nothing wrong. They've won more World Cups now than Assegais I'm pretty sure. They still look wrong but it does not appear to stop them performing well.
I blame the Minion DHF for conditioning my brain to how a tyre should look
It's probably ok with properly supported side knobs, but when I last ran Magic Mary, as soon as it dried out and I was trying to hold an edge on hardpack while cornering, I could feel the thing walking out. I don't have that problem with Michelins, Maxxis, or Conti. It's not huge, but once you notice it, it's frustrating and a dealbreaker, at least if you ride hardpack often.
I think that's why they developed the Tacky Chan..
what size tho?
I found the old 2.35s great in most conditions and had a good supportive edge even in completely dry hard pack (yeah. We do actually see that here sometimes). Not too far off a DHF for holding its edge but did break away ever so slightly easier.
Remember the HR1, and how it was one of the best cornering tires ever made? Ah well, nevermind, I'm sure this one is a vast improvement... In other Maxxis news, they seem to have released a load more DHR II variants, including 27.5 x 2.5WT, and MaxxTerra DH.
I've managed to get hold of a 27.5 x 2.4 MaxxTerra DH, but I can't find the 2.5 in DH casing anywhere. Which is a shame coz I've wanted to try it on the front since it started cropping up on the World Cup circuit a while ago.
Minion DHR II
With side knobs borrowed from the legendary Maxxis Minion DHF, but widened to provide more support, the DHR II corners like no other tire.
www.maxxis.com
I've managed to get hold of a 27.5 x 2.4 MaxxTerra DH, but I can't find the 2.5 in DH casing anywhere. Which is a shame coz I've wanted to try it on the front since it started cropping up on the World Cup circuit a while ago.
It was the current gen 29x2.35, Super Gravity, Ultra Soft. There was one corner in particular where you come in with a ton of speed, there's only a hint of a berm, then a flat dusty exit. That tire wanted to run wide on that corner unlike anything else I've ridden recently (Wild Enduro, Assegai, DHF, Kryptotal, Argotal).
Maybe you guys give too many fucks about your tyres.
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adidas Five Ten on Instagram: "It’s almost too good to be true… @dannyhart1 had a last-minute puncture moments before he had to race. Thankfully a local rider helped Danny out and not only that, Danny secured P5 Danny made sure to return the tire to its owner, along with some extra goodies!"
16K likes, 306 comments - adidasfiveten on July 26, 2024: "It’s almost too good to be true… @dannyhart1 had a last-minute puncture moments before he had to race. Thankfully a local rider helped Danny out and not only that, Danny secured P5 Danny made sure to return the tire to its owner...
www.instagram.com
Somebody at the Maxxis factory needed slicks for drifting, so they mounted those tires inside out?
I decided last minute to run an Argotal up front for my trip up to Ashland this weekend. Holy shit, that tire is so good in loose dry conditions. Now I get why a lot of the DH guys are running it or the HR3. You could just dive it into loose blown out corners and it would just stick. I only had 2 moments where I lost front wheel traction, both times it caught again quickly and predictably.
Sucks on hardpack though.
Radial thread pattern sounds interesting - https://www.pinkbike.com/news/first-ride-schwalbe-albert-gravity-pro-radial-tire.html
Definitely going to try schwalbes new radial tires..
Surprised I haven't heard more about this. As someone who utterly despises ramming legit DH inserts into new DH tires, I would love a tire that provides a similar benefit without an hour of sweating & cursing. Hope it works as advertised.
Side bar - the Cushcore Trail inserts that came with my Altitude were surprisingly easy to remove...inserts still aren't my jam though
And miss all the fun..lmao I won't do cushcore or other...if I do a wheel for the team or customers I tell em that I don't do that...
I run procore rear and love it...
Just emailed to see when I can get em, I want to try the new version tread , definitely want them in chan and Mary...that tacky chan is THE SHIT!!!! Love that tire,saved my ass big time...hooked a corner hard right on roots, rocks blown out and into a big rock...back end swept out knew the feeling and all I could do was hope it grabbed...it snapped traction so damn fast I didn't even lose lean or momentum.....
It totally makes sense and the way it dispersed the hits and rolls means we have to play with PSI a little to find that ßpot but the damping and dispersed impact energy should be badass ..
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Couple rides is on the Spesh Hillbillies. On chunky rocky steep of my track, i love the dead feeling i get. Grip is there too. Went through the rim banging section and 3 runs later no new dents on the 560. Rear braking felt different, just looser somehow, but i Pb’d, so that’s something.
Just need to try the tire on fast park action for slip grip understeer ability. Thats where snap WCE is unreal.
Spesh did leak a little through sidewall on first fitting.
Price/performance ratio is win.
Just need to try the tire on fast park action for slip grip understeer ability. Thats where snap WCE is unreal.
Spesh did leak a little through sidewall on first fitting.
Price/performance ratio is win.
Any Monkeys tried the new Schwalbe Alberts?? Last I checked they were in stock in the US store. 27.5 size only though
He's got a whole thread for them, naturally.
Sounds like an interesting concept, but every time I try running Schwalbes with their shoulder knobs out design, I don't like how they want to step out on hardpack corners. In comparison, knobs in like Conti will skip then bite back inward when you lose traction in the same situation. I'm just a lot more comfortable losing traction with the latter.
That said, I wonder how much difference ultimately there is between a super supple casing that you run at high pressure (radials) or a super stiff casing that you can run at low pressures. I've been running Conti DH casing (quite stiff sidewalls) all summer not because I need the puncture resistance but because I can run it super low for more contact patch without it folding excessively when cornering hard.
Just rode mine right now, did a simple 7 mile ride...
Rolls quick, brakes great and is very solid feeling.
COMPARISON DIRECT; on road and hard pack
Nomad
FRONT: super soft magic Mary trail star
REAR: soft pro trail Albert (radial)
RADIAL:
When you ride on pavement and gravel the Albert rear radial is dead silent, you don't feel the gravel vibration. Hits rocks and other sharp objects and doesn't roll off from deflection and have that balloon spring feel
REGULAR:
The front you can feel it in bars and hear the tire and gravel mashing off each other more...you can definitely feel the vibration in bars...
Front (regular tire) is 20psi so it is about as soft as I can get it reliably and compliant...
Rear (radial) is 29 psi which is 5 psi higher than I run on non radial..radials are more compliant..
(Radials) Also flat cornering I set comes up and did concrete weaving and kept being comes closer to get a feel for laying bike over and barrel loading lugs...they bite and hold line well .
I'm waiting on a radial for front , compared to rear it was disappointing...
BIKE PARK: V-10.8 ran my regular tires Chan rear and MM front yesterday... immediately felt the terrain and hits compared to the radials on other bike from day before..HUGE difference in feel ..
I will be swapping those immediately when radials are available...braking bumps were so bad I was getting my ass handed to me..even the avy damped 40 was having issue with it.
Do I think radials would have negated alot of this hands down YES...
Rolls quick, brakes great and is very solid feeling.
COMPARISON DIRECT; on road and hard pack
Nomad
FRONT: super soft magic Mary trail star
REAR: soft pro trail Albert (radial)
RADIAL:
When you ride on pavement and gravel the Albert rear radial is dead silent, you don't feel the gravel vibration. Hits rocks and other sharp objects and doesn't roll off from deflection and have that balloon spring feel
REGULAR:
The front you can feel it in bars and hear the tire and gravel mashing off each other more...you can definitely feel the vibration in bars...
Front (regular tire) is 20psi so it is about as soft as I can get it reliably and compliant...
Rear (radial) is 29 psi which is 5 psi higher than I run on non radial..radials are more compliant..
(Radials) Also flat cornering I set comes up and did concrete weaving and kept being comes closer to get a feel for laying bike over and barrel loading lugs...they bite and hold line well .
I'm waiting on a radial for front , compared to rear it was disappointing...
BIKE PARK: V-10.8 ran my regular tires Chan rear and MM front yesterday... immediately felt the terrain and hits compared to the radials on other bike from day before..HUGE difference in feel ..
I will be swapping those immediately when radials are available...braking bumps were so bad I was getting my ass handed to me..even the avy damped 40 was having issue with it.
Do I think radials would have negated alot of this hands down YES...
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Lol yes naturally... I like comparison and I like to try stuff personally and review it..one thing though is people have different styles and builds physical, bike etc .so there's no one right item for all.He's got a whole thread for them, naturally.
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I am pretty honest with what I notice compared to other stuff and I am very skeptical about claims ..I have always called bullshit on marketing and sales pitches..
Everyone has an angle and wants to sell you something so they tell you there side of the story... Forget the whole story...that irritates me bad .I don't like snake oil and salesman bullshit..
I do like others input , if they see a characteristics I don't it allows me to pay attention to that angle as well .so a thread for a product is a good thing, it lets me see and learn too.
Yea just givin you shit. I appreciate that someone else tries some of this stuff before I do so I'm less tempted buy the fancy new marketing stuff, at least not right away.
I just want Contis in Enduro / Super Soft for the front already (along with everyone else). I'm ok with the stiffness of DH for rear. I should really try Xynotal rear at some point but we're almost to moisture season where I'll want the taller treads of Kryptotal Rear anyways, so will probably wait on that experiment until next year. And I've almost always regretted running fast rolling tires in the rear where I ride because there's so much braking needed, they just make you skid more.
I haven't been overly stoked with the Xynotal FWIW. I'm gonna put a Krypto rear on next time. It rolls faster but really does give up a lot of bite.
Also - I put a set of Kryptos on my Mega for my recent holiday. Must have bought them in Oct 2023 and had them in the garage till now. The rubber had definitely gone hard on them in that time - I had quite a few moments on them in the wet for the first few rides till i beat them up enough to get down to softer underlying rubber. Bit annoying.
I've had that problem in the past with Schwalbes as well - seems they go hard over time if you leave them lying around (could be due to Aussie summer heat?) Maxxis seems waaaay more resistant to that hardening though. Dunno what their magic is.
Yeah I've noticed lately that my Kryptos (which are about a year old, lots of miles on them) that the rubber is feeling a lot firmer and dryer now. I'm in northern California, so similar climate to eastern Aus (we've got your garbage eucalyptus trees even). They last forever but I'm thinking I'll need a fresh set for the winter just to get them soft again. Or go back to Maxxis for winter (HR3 in DD MG?).
Want some koalas to keep em under control?
I don't notice tyres getting harder when they're installed and being ridden frequently, although I'm sure they do. But yeah you leave em sitting in the garage for 6-12 months and compare them to brand new fresh ones and its noticeable.
Maxxis tyres seem to tolerate standing around a bit better, but you'd need a proper durometer to verify that.
I'll take a couple koalas for ours .stupid thing sheds leaves chopped one down already..
I'd be more worried about the branches mate. Dunno how big your gumtrees (eucalypts) are but over here they're known as widowmakers for their tendency to drop healthy looking branches without much warning. Hope its not near your house.
Yeah they do that plus the fucking bark peels off endlessly shitting up the trails. Their oil is toxic to most other plants except poison oak, so the park by my house is basically just those 2 species. Oh and that same oil burns REALLY well. The hills behind my house with them are listed as "red" hazard area by CalFire.
Lmao yeah we had our neighbors come crashing down and take off it our fence last year .big branches, looked healthy till it just dropped...
I cut one of ours down it had cracks and stood 50 foot .topped chopped and dropped its ass.. but no koalas..some bees though..
I had no idea on the oil fire aspect of them, not something rural FD went into..
Makes sense for calfire and Wildlands...
Toxicity I knew and koalas eat em lol.. but other plants effected , is good info.
Great for grabbing a few leaves whilst riding by squashing in your hand then inhaling to open sinuses..
if you take a couple koalas, we will throw in a handful of huntsmans to go with them.