just though i would spread the word on what my impressions of them are.
the tires went on my dh bike. my set up is fully tubeless, using 823 rims. no sealant. the tires were hutchinson barracuda 2.5 mx casing med rebound rubber.
i already knew the tires were going to be huge, (i am more used to 2.5 maxxis and 2.2 michelins) but they have a really high profile to them too, huge air volume. width wise they aren't too bad. i actually wanted 2.3's but the bike shop didn't have them in stock.
the main reason i wanted these tires was because i heard that they roll very fast, and i have quite a bit of riding to do to get to my local dh track. and i always love trying new tires.
the one tire did come with a slight bend in the bead from packaging, i was worried that would make inflation a bitch. i straightened it out a bit and after a couple of tries it inflated. mind you i was using a mini pump, i really need a floor pump, i also took the valve core out to let more air in. the other tire inflated with no trouble, the beads pooped at 40psi. and the tire was dead straight.
now the big test, out on the trail. first think i noticed was how well it rolled, which i was really happy about, far better then a high roller or a minion. pretty much like a minion/high roller semi slick combo. of course it did have its (slight) drawback, the tire slid under power but just a little. i did come off a comp 16 to be fiar. braking too wasn't as good as the comp 16, which i think is one of the better braking tires. but its not anything less then what you would expect from a minion under braking.
cornering, from the moment i got it, i noticed the big gap between the centre knobs and the single row of side knobs. that was going to give some interesting cornering grip. i took a couple of runs to get used to it, it really likes to be leant over on to the side knobs and then it really digs in. it feels like you are on a knifes edge, a very grippy knifes edge. i had trouble trying to get it to drift like i was used to, but after pushing it even harder and leaning lower, it braked loose. it was offering more grip then my comp 16s and my friends high rollers in the corners.
some ppl complaint about the side knobs folding over, i did try running the tires on lower pressures and it did start going all funny. but at reasonable pressures it worked perfect. i was able to get it dialled pretty good, soft enough to take up the small bumps but hard enough for the corners and not hit the rims.
one thing that acadian said in his review was that he wasn't sure on how well they would work in the wet, well, i can tell you that they work great. shed mud very well. much better then a high roller. i just used them for practice on a dragon dh race last weekend before i put on the spikes. of course you cant compare them to spikes, but as far as dry tires goes, they work damn well in the wet.
only thing is that i found is that the med rebound rubber is a bit slippy on the roots, but that expected. i didn't want to go for the low rebound stuff for it to wear out on the road.
overall i am very happy with the tires. hutchinson did a great job.
hope you guys find this helpful.
the tires went on my dh bike. my set up is fully tubeless, using 823 rims. no sealant. the tires were hutchinson barracuda 2.5 mx casing med rebound rubber.
i already knew the tires were going to be huge, (i am more used to 2.5 maxxis and 2.2 michelins) but they have a really high profile to them too, huge air volume. width wise they aren't too bad. i actually wanted 2.3's but the bike shop didn't have them in stock.
the main reason i wanted these tires was because i heard that they roll very fast, and i have quite a bit of riding to do to get to my local dh track. and i always love trying new tires.
the one tire did come with a slight bend in the bead from packaging, i was worried that would make inflation a bitch. i straightened it out a bit and after a couple of tries it inflated. mind you i was using a mini pump, i really need a floor pump, i also took the valve core out to let more air in. the other tire inflated with no trouble, the beads pooped at 40psi. and the tire was dead straight.
now the big test, out on the trail. first think i noticed was how well it rolled, which i was really happy about, far better then a high roller or a minion. pretty much like a minion/high roller semi slick combo. of course it did have its (slight) drawback, the tire slid under power but just a little. i did come off a comp 16 to be fiar. braking too wasn't as good as the comp 16, which i think is one of the better braking tires. but its not anything less then what you would expect from a minion under braking.
cornering, from the moment i got it, i noticed the big gap between the centre knobs and the single row of side knobs. that was going to give some interesting cornering grip. i took a couple of runs to get used to it, it really likes to be leant over on to the side knobs and then it really digs in. it feels like you are on a knifes edge, a very grippy knifes edge. i had trouble trying to get it to drift like i was used to, but after pushing it even harder and leaning lower, it braked loose. it was offering more grip then my comp 16s and my friends high rollers in the corners.
some ppl complaint about the side knobs folding over, i did try running the tires on lower pressures and it did start going all funny. but at reasonable pressures it worked perfect. i was able to get it dialled pretty good, soft enough to take up the small bumps but hard enough for the corners and not hit the rims.
one thing that acadian said in his review was that he wasn't sure on how well they would work in the wet, well, i can tell you that they work great. shed mud very well. much better then a high roller. i just used them for practice on a dragon dh race last weekend before i put on the spikes. of course you cant compare them to spikes, but as far as dry tires goes, they work damn well in the wet.
only thing is that i found is that the med rebound rubber is a bit slippy on the roots, but that expected. i didn't want to go for the low rebound stuff for it to wear out on the road.
overall i am very happy with the tires. hutchinson did a great job.
hope you guys find this helpful.
)
i'm running a WTB Prowler in the front and the two seem well mated. i was getting some two-wheel drift last week and it is the first time i've felt control while doing that.
