[Raaar]

I have learned a great lesson- cheap tires are cheap for a reason! I spent a week at Sedona with a fresh pair of IRC trailbears, only to have the front blow completely off the rim after a drop (sidewall ripped completely away from the bead!). There is nothing like skidding head first down slick rock and watching pebbles bounce off your glasses. I'm pretty sure it would have killed a normal human.

Chicks were there- they laughed. I tried to act like it never happened, but one ass cheek was hanging out of my shorts and my right arm looked like someone attacked me with an orbital sander. It's hard to act nonchalant when your ass is hanging out and you really just want to curl up in a ball and sob. I'm pretty sure it was the vortexes that caused it....damn hoodoos. I rode up the trail and out of sight before I broke down and wept....."WHHHHYYYYYY MEEEEEE GODDDDD?!!!! WHHHHHHHYYYYYY?!!!!" Hey, I'm not proud...it friggin hurt.

Anyway, I tossed those &^%& Trailbears in the trash when I packed my bike up so I need some new skins. So, what to get? Aggresive XC, light freeride, crazyinsane fast DH runs, 50 mile rides with 10,000 feet of elevation gain....I need a tire that will make me as fast as a Kenyan on crack and as agile as a gay spider monkey. Also, they need to have a cool name- like "SaberToothedMud Murderers" or "Trailterrors" or some such catchy slogan that will make me feel ultra hardcore and make subtle reference to the my manliness.

I'll probably go with 2.4's or so and run Stan's...because bigger tires are, well, bigger. What are you folks in the SE running for the local rooty, rocky, loamy, east coast trails? You guys that post pics of jumping off big stuff- I need those tires! Maybe if I run a FR front tire and an XC rear i can haul ass and go big?! Hmmmm. Anyway, tire reccomendations would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Metal Dude]

Yo my tired friend,
I don't know about knarly names but
maxxis makes several awesome tires in that size range,
some tubeless. Everyone always wants a great all round
tire for everything, but that's why there are so many different
treads. Some work in different aps. better than others, but
if a tire is really grippy in mud it's not going to be good for hardpack,
and so forth, you can make up all sorts of arguments on the subject.
I just know that maxxis products have never blown a sidewall or failed period for me in 6 years of racing.
Check out Highroller 2.35's for agressive tread for freeride/
hardcore XC. good grip in light mud, and dry, not going to be the lowest rolling resist. if grippy though. Try the Advantage 2.4 for more volume less rolling resist with moderate grip. The Minion
Front and Rear 2.35 are almost as grippy as Highroller but a little
faster rolling. But if you want to have a good tire for all situations
get a couple diff. tread patterns that excel in its intended terrain
and you will be prepared for anything!

 

[profro]

Simple.


Maxxis Advantage.

 

[Raaar]

Thanks for the input. I've hear good things about Maxxis tires and was looking at the hi rollers. I'll check out the minions, too.

 

[schweino1]

Kenda Nevegals, 2.5 kevlar beads.... i use those, "dont use stans" tough... theres a warning on the kenda website on that matter....

i was using 2.35 blue grooves before that.. also rocked...

sticke rubber....

 

[srphillips89]

nevegals are the shiznit

 

[Tattooo]

WTB makes some tires that have held up to the fat (245#) doing drops up to 5' on my Enduro. Never had them fail, only one flat.

I run the 2.4 Moto Raptor in the front, and a 2.3 Weir Wolf in the back. They run good at high and low pressure, depending on the day, and they are pretty light on my King Wheels. I have put a couple hundred miles on them thus far, and they are still kicking nice.

 

[Mr Tiles]

third the kendas...like 'em a lot!

 

[Raaar]

Thanks for all the input. It seesm I keep hearing the same names over and over and have run into my original dillema- there are just so many tires out there!

Anyway, I do plan to run Stan's and go tubeless. After a week in Sedona with no flats I am a believer (of course, there was that unfortunate incident where the tire blew completely off the rim- Doh!). I do not think the Trailbears are suited for tubeless because of the weak bead. I like to run 35-40 psi and was pinch flatting almost every ride before going to Stan's- but, again, it could have been the trailbears.

I'll check out the tires everyone mentioned. I prefer a tire with more of a "round" sidewall-sidewall shape upf front and a square in the rear- I like the front to have a predictable wash-out point and the rear to dig in with the side knobs; Preferably with a 2.25-2.3 in the rear and a 2.35-2.5 up front.

Thanks- you guys have given me plenty to mull over.

 

[Jeremy R]

Anyway, I do plan to run Stan's and go tubeless.

Just to confuse you even further, Michelin's tubeless tires kick ass and are trouble free.

 

[GotMyGED]

Just to confuse you even further, Michelin's tubeless tires kick ass and are trouble free.

I run Michelin Tubeless XCR Mud on my XC bike. No stans, but i do use a tubeless wheelset. Never had a flat, i have ran anywhere from 25 lbs to 65 lbs. I do have to pump them back up every other week, but from what i can tell, this is true with all tubeless setups.

Pretty happy with my Michelins.

Does anyone have a good recommendation for a 2.5 that sheds mud good? My tires end up looking like chocolate covered doughnuts at the end of muddy runs, i can't even see the lugs.

 

[MTB_Rob_NC]

Maybe if I run a FR front tire and an XC rear i can haul ass and go big?! Hmmmm. Anyway, tire reccomendations would be appreciated. Thanks.

I run WTB Weirwolf DH race 2.5 Upfront. It is not a UST tire, but it seals up nice with Stans. My theory is the "DH" design gives it a very strong sidewall.

In the rear I run Maxxis Larsen TT's. They are a great all round tire, roll very fast, have fanstastic lateral grip (when leaning the bike over) and accelerate (not that I accelerate quickly). If it is real muddy, the do pack up pretty good and take a little rolling to shed the mud.

 

[bizutch]

Me and Jeremy are Michelin whores and all but we usually wind up tossing on 2.2 Michelin DH tires on our trail bikes because they are just incredible all around tires. The 2.2 Comp 24 is hands down the best trail tire I've ever ridden. Tubeless compatible and Michelin DH tires are as light as most freeride versions of other brands.

As for hucking, you could huck the crack out of those things.
If you can find a set of Michelin Comp 24.1 Lights, they have a lighter freeride style casing and the DH rubber compound.

Me, Matt and Jeremy all wore ours out but they aren't made any more.

 

[ridiculous]

I run WTB Weirwolf DH race 2.5 Upfront. It is not a UST tire, but it seals up nice with Stans. My theory is the "DH" design gives it a very strong sidewall.

In the rear I run Maxxis Larsen TT's. They are a great all round tire, roll very fast, have fanstastic lateral grip (when leaning the bike over) and accelerate (not that I accelerate quickly). If it is real muddy, the do pack up pretty good and take a little rolling to shed the mud.

have you ever tried a weirwolf in the back or does that sound like a dumb idea?

 

[MTB_Rob_NC]

have you ever tried a weirwolf in the back or does that sound like a dumb idea?

I have, and am actually running that right now (running a spare rim for a few more days). Anyway, I also ran that combo up in Mammoth (where it performed well). However I am not a big fan of having a huge tire in the back. I have found that when in the back the Weirwolf doesn't bite very well when laid on its side for cornering, compared to the Larsen. Also because it has TOO much grip for braking, in other words you hit the brakes and the tread just GRABS dirt, instead of continuing to roll.

Hope that helps, your results may vary.

 

[dirtydirtysouf]

WTB makes some tires that have held up to the fat (245#) doing drops up to 5' on my Enduro. Never had them fail, only one flat..

since we are both big boys, can you tell me what PSI you are running in your tire set up(tubless or tubed).....im about 280# and ride about 60 psi in tubed tires.......

 

[bizutch]

.... and ride about 60 psi in tubed tires.......

*POING*

 

[dirtydirtysouf]

*POING*

tell me about it...........it feelis like im riding on a wagon wheel at times........but im afraid of getting pinchflats

 

[WKC]

I'll definitely second the Kenda Kinetics and/or Nevegals. I got mine up at Snowshoe (DH casing, 2.6") and they have never let me down once. They get plenty of traction in all conditions, and shed mud reallly well. Also, look into WTB Timberwolves, they are really nice as well.

I had a set of 2.35 Maxxis High Rollers and they were the WORST tires I have ever ridden. They got almost-descent traction on dry terrain, which they are advertised for, and got ZERO traction on everything else. They were the Super Tacky compound, and they rolled slow. My 2.6 Kenda Kinetics DH roll better, shed mud better, and get better traction across all types of terrain, not just the terrain they are designed for.

If you get Maxxis tires, I would suggest the Minions. But the only two tires from Maxxis that I have been happy with are the Holy Rollers and Hookworms.

 

[jet]

I don't care what Jeremy and Butch say, Maxxis AdVantage are the best tires out right now. I bet if they gave them a good honest ride, they would never go back.
I got a Nevegal and wound up throwing it in the woods. I got soo many flats and washed out soo much...don't buy the hype. MBA don't know shot

 

[frznnomad]

i agree with profro, or maybee even try the freeride version of the minions i love mine except im running the dh version (bigger and thiker casing, also a heavier tire)

 

[Tattooo]

since we are both big boys, can you tell me what PSI you are running in your tire set up(tubless or tubed).....im about 280# and ride about 60 psi in tubed tires.......

Depends on how on top of the situation I am. For instance, if I am riding with the wife and her friends, its such an ordeal to get up out the crib that I normally don't check. They tend to be around 30 when I get home, no flats, but all sorts of interesting rolling tires.

I normally run right around 45 on all my bikes, give or take a few PSI. If I am running in the mud or soft soil, I back down to about 40. For high desert, hard pack, 50. So somewhere in that 10lb range holds my fat sack full of giggles up like a 44DD sports bra on your neighborhood BBW moped.

 

[dirtydirtysouf]

Depends on how on top of the situation I am. For instance, if I am riding with the wife and her friends, its such an ordeal to get up out the crib that I normally don't check. They tend to be around 30 when I get home, no flats, but all sorts of interesting rolling tires.

I normally run right around 45 on all my bikes, give or take a few PSI. If I am running in the mud or soft soil, I back down to about 40. For high desert, hard pack, 50. So somewhere in that 10lb range holds my fat sack full of giggles up like a 44DD sports bra on your neighborhood BBW moped.

i like how you talk, very kinky........thanks for the info, looks like i should atleast be able to ride at about 50psi and not worry about it once i get some better tires (tubless or DH)

 

[Raaar]

Well, I listened to what everyone had to say....and got really, really confused. So, I went to the local bike shop and stood in front of the tire rack for a while and just stared at them. When that didn't work I closed my eyes, spun around three times, and jabbed my finger into the rack. I ended up with Panaracer Fire FR 2.4's. They are heavy and feel kind of slow, but they do remind me of the tires I used to run on my MX bikes and have honking big white letters on the side! Sweeeeeeet!
After an initial urban session yesterday I can tell you this: I suck at urban.