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What trail bike tire casings don't suck?

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Da Peach

Da Peach

Outwitted by a rodent
Jul 2, 2002
13,783
5,229
North Van
kidwoo said:
Meh. Back tires go quick.

My rear g5s look like that after two days at whistler.



In more important news. I feel like I should let you know you have a carbon handlebar on your bike. Just fyi. The transition between "usable" and should be replaced happens even faster with those. Some would say instantaneous.
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Ha. That's my front tire...

As for the bar, it just looks so... Minaar-y. I'm kind of a lightweight, so I convince myself it'll hold...

I have been eyeing up the bar on my DH bike to transfer over though. Along with the Saints in my DH bike, but that's another story.
 
slyfink

slyfink

Turbo Monkey
Sep 16, 2008
9,807
5,640
Ottawa, Canada
dcamp29 said:
Bontrager SE5 casing is pretty good too, and the rubber lasts a long time compared to Maxxis (though wet traction suffers b/c rubber is harder). The casing is maybe somewhere between an EXO and DD.

Beware of non-ribbed sidewall SE3 and SE4- they are garbage. New SE4 is ribbed like the original SE5 and should be pretty dialed.
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Anyone have any more time on the SE5? Still pondering options for replacing my Magic Mary on the front. I really liked my 26x2.3 DHRII and 26x2.5 DHF I had, but Maxxis don't seem to make a tire in the 60mm width range that is non-WT. I seem to remember reading that Bontrager tires are like Schwalbe and run a little wide... And Vital didn't seem too impressed with the casing in their review. If I'm going to take a 100g weight penalty, I want to tradeoff to be tougher sidewalls...
 
kidwoo

kidwoo

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Aug 25, 2003
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slyfink said:
Anyone have any more time on the SE5? Still pondering options for replacing my Magic Mary on the front. I really liked my 26x2.3 DHRII and 26x2.5 DHF I had, but Maxxis don't seem to make a tire in the 60mm width range that is non-WT. I seem to remember reading that Bontrager tires are like Schwalbe and run a little wide... And Vital didn't seem too impressed with the casing in their review. If I'm going to take a 100g weight penalty, I want to tradeoff to be tougher sidewalls...
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As much as I really like the G5s, I'm not a fan of the SE5. Who knows how old they were but they were pretty hard and didn't grip that well. I've still got an unused one I'll probably run on the rear at some point but they felt like shitty oem hard compound tires. IE: tires before soft compounds became a thing.

You can put WT tires on non-dentist rims. I just put a 2.4 dhr2 WT on the front of my bike with an unrideabru 24.5mm rim. The WT part isn't very pronounced.
 
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Flo33

Flo33

Turbo Monkey
Mar 3, 2015
2,139
1,367
Styria
I posted a shot of a 26x2.5 DHF next to a 650bx2.5 WT DHF a few posts ago. I didn't notice any difference regarding cornering.
 
Da Peach

Da Peach

Outwitted by a rodent
Jul 2, 2002
13,783
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North Van
slyfink said:
Like! keep us posted...
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Ha, I don't have the super senses of those with strong opinions about tires...

It will likely amount to: "rolls so much better it is worth it" or: "still rolls slowly, but doesn't grip as well"

Sidewall stiffness and other uber specific detail will be lacking.
 
kidwoo

kidwoo

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Aug 25, 2003
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Da Peach said:
Ha, I don't have the super senses of those with strong opinions about tires...

It will likely amount to: "rolls so much better it is worth it" or: "still rolls slowly, but doesn't grip as well"

Sidewall stiffness and other uber specific detail will be lacking.
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If you hadn't already ordered them, here's another option that pokes the soft dirt while not being too sketchy on dried hardpack.

https://www.wtb.com/collections/tires/products/vigilante

The burlier casings are legit on those. Basically a schwalbe ripoff that lasts more than 5 rides.
 
Da Peach

Da Peach

Outwitted by a rodent
Jul 2, 2002
13,783
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North Van
kidwoo said:
If you hadn't already ordered them, here's another option that pokes the soft dirt while not being too sketchy on dried hardpack.

https://www.wtb.com/collections/tires/products/vigilante

The burlier casings are legit on those. Basically a schwalbe ripoff that lasts more than 5 rides.
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Dry hardpack is not a surface we see much of here.

A lot of what I love about the MM is how it sticks to roots when one jumps out and tries to kill me.

I’m guessing that has more to do with the compound than the tread pattern.
 
rockofullr

rockofullr

confused
Jun 11, 2009
7,342
924
East Bay, Cali
Anyone else notice a bit of squirm when running the WT casing Minions at low pressure (~25psi) on high speed hardpack? 30mm inner width rim so the tire shape should have been ok.
 
kidwoo

kidwoo

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Aug 25, 2003
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Da Peach said:
Dry hardpack is not a surface we see much of here.

A lot of what I love about the MM is how it sticks to roots when one jumps out and tries to kill me.

I’m guessing that has more to do with the compound than the tread pattern.
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I've ridden THE SHORE! plenty and you do get what I would call dry hardpack any time it hasn't rained in a while, at least on the heavier used trails. All that fancy gold dirt does get firm.

And yeah as far as slippery dirt sticks compound is key. As is a tire thread layout that doesn't hold dirt up to that point.
 
Dogboy

Dogboy

Turbo Monkey
Apr 12, 2004
3,218
628
Durham, NC
kidwoo said:
If you hadn't already ordered them, here's another option that pokes the soft dirt while not being too sketchy on dried hardpack.

https://www.wtb.com/collections/tires/products/vigilante

The burlier casings are legit on those. Basically a schwalbe ripoff that lasts more than 5 rides.
Click to expand...
Have you ridden the Convicts? I have a pair in the tough casing (1 fast rolling, 1 high grip) that I'm thinking about using this summer for park riding.
 
kidwoo

kidwoo

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Aug 25, 2003
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Dogboy said:
Have you ridden the Convicts? I have a pair in the tough casing (1 fast rolling, 1 high grip) that I'm thinking about using this summer for park riding.
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On a friend's bike yes. Not at the long term ownership level. But I've watched how they've worn on that and some other bikes over the course of a summer.

I didn't like they way the drifted as much as some of the blockier side knob designs but you have better dirt where you are. Not kidding about the casings....they're heavy and they can take a beating.
 
Da Peach

Da Peach

Outwitted by a rodent
Jul 2, 2002
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North Van
kidwoo said:
I've ridden THE SHORE! plenty and you do get what I would call dry hardpack any time it hasn't rained in a while, at least on the heavier used trails. All that fancy gold dirt does get firm.
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That's true, but my level of sensitivity to "crash vs. not crash" gets even more dulled from tire to tire when it's that dry out. My wallet just gets more sensitive if I'm running $$$ soft tires.

My main interest in this thread is due to my "big bike race" in early June. I'm thinking it will still be pretty damp then, so still leaning toward the sticky options of any new tire.

It would be good to have a firmer (say, maxx terra) front tire to beat up over the dry months (July to Sept).
 
kidwoo

kidwoo

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Aug 25, 2003
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Does 'big bike' still mean dh bike? It's hard to tell these days.

or is it a big bike race that involves lots of telling yourself to pedal hard when you don't want to...probably with a fanny pack?

If winning the race depends on who pedaled the hardest, then just get something light.
 
Da Peach

Da Peach

Outwitted by a rodent
Jul 2, 2002
13,783
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North Van
kidwoo said:
Does 'big bike' still mean dh bike? It's hard to tell these days.

or is it a big bike race that involves lots of telling yourself to pedal hard when you don't want to...probably with a fanny pack?

If winning the race depends on who pedaled the hardest, then just get something light.
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I knew you'd say that... It is the race that is big, and it will involve bikes. And yes, I bought fanny pack for the occasion. And yes, it has a "nutrition pocket".


Relevant at 3:30.
 
kidwoo

kidwoo

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Da Peach said:
It is the race that is big, and it will involve bikes.
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Do you get the girl if you win the race? The girl who happens to be the sister of the leader of your rival bicycle gang?


Da Peach said:
And yes, I bought fanny pack for the occasion. And yes, it has a "nutrition pocket".
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Oh I guess not. She's not going near you.
 
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Da Peach

Da Peach

Outwitted by a rodent
Jul 2, 2002
13,783
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North Van
kidwoo said:
It is truly an honest to god wish of mine that every enduro race would conclude with a huge knife fight among competitors.

I would sponsor the races myself.
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Custom hipster-blacksmith everyday carry blades... Good spinoff activity...
 
B

Bike078

Monkey
Jan 11, 2018
599
440
kidwoo said:
If you hadn't already ordered them, here's another option that pokes the soft dirt while not being too sketchy on dried hardpack.

https://www.wtb.com/collections/tires/products/vigilante

The burlier casings are legit on those. Basically a schwalbe ripoff that lasts more than 5 rides.
Click to expand...
I just got one last month in 26" for the front (dual comp but not the stickiest). It's mostly hardpack here. Good to know it's recommended by kidwoo.
 
kidwoo

kidwoo

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Aug 25, 2003
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Bike078 said:
I just got one last month in 26" for the front (dual comp but not the stickiest). It's mostly hardpack here. Good to know it's recommended by kidwoo.
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I'm not really recommending that tire for hardpack to anyone. I was just mentioning it as something kind of similar to the MMs Peach had.

I don't like them that much here (dry dusty hard things and rocks CA). They are burly though.
 
B

Bike078

Monkey
Jan 11, 2018
599
440
How big/tall are 27.5 hans dampfs in 2.35 size compared to 2.35s of other brands? I borrowed a front wheel with a 27.5 hd on it and tried it on my 26" fork. It fit with plenty of room on the sides and less than a cm on top even with my homemade fender on the fork. If I go to the bigger wheels with the same fork, and since my frame is 27.5, I will likely try a dhf, dhr 2, shorty first since maxxis is more common around here.
 
B

Bike078

Monkey
Jan 11, 2018
599
440
kidwoo said:
I'm not really recommending that tire for hardpack to anyone. I was just mentioning it as something kind of similar to the MMs Peach had.

I don't like them that much here (dry dusty hard things and rocks CA). They are burly though.
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Oh. They are ok so far to me. I'm just a punter though.
 
jstuhlman

jstuhlman

bagpipe wanker
Dec 3, 2009
17,365
14,203
Cackalacka du Nord
kidwoo said:
In more important news. I feel like I should let you know you have a carbon handlebar on your bike. Just fyi. The transition between "usable" and should be replaced happens even faster with those. Some would say instantaneous.
Click to expand...
:panic:
kidwoo said:
It is truly an honest to god wish of mine that every enduro race would conclude with a huge knife fight among competitors.

I would sponsor the races myself.
Click to expand...
hey mods: new custom title: “ponyboy” ?
 
B

Bike078

Monkey
Jan 11, 2018
599
440
Has anybody tried hans dampf 2.35 performance addix for front or rear use? Local fb seller has some for Php 1,400 or about $26.
 
Da Peach

Da Peach

Outwitted by a rodent
Jul 2, 2002
13,783
5,229
North Van
kidwoo said:
If you hadn't already ordered them, here's another option that pokes the soft dirt while not being too sketchy on dried hardpack.

https://www.wtb.com/collections/tires/products/vigilante

The burlier casings are legit on those. Basically a schwalbe ripoff that lasts more than 5 rides.
Click to expand...
Well just got back from an awesome ride in Squamish and it was pretty wet after the rain yesterday.

I was very pleased with the DHF 2.5WT in Maxxgrip.

I didn’t know the trails all that well and found myself landing in some pretty silly spots sprawling with wet roots. While they did slip, it was pretty predictable and they hooked right up as soon as they hit dirt again.

I have no idea how long they’ll last, but they sure roll better than the MM, so I think they’re worth the switch.
 
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