Racing Ralphs or Panaracer fire pro xc's

Pigeon.

Currently running 2.1 fire pro xc's but tempted to change for 2.1 racing ralph's as all the reviews I've seen rave about how fast they are compared to other tyres. Does anyone know if I'd be likely to notice a significant difference to the fire pros xc's? Ideally I'm looking for a set up that i can use all year round. I've also seen a number of postings suggesting that putting a Nobby Nic on the front and the Ralph on the back works well?

cheers
Pigeon

llamafarmer

2.1 Ralphs all round is scary fast, go for it!

Pigeon.

Cheers Llamafarmer, that's exactly what I'm after!

The Spiderman

Prefer the Nobby Nic up front and Racing Ralph at the back,myself.
Grip up front and lower rolling resistance out back.Nobby Nics are a pretty fast tyre in their own right,so you don`t lose much in speed but gain in cornering confidence.

bike-a-swan

i swapped from fires to nics last summer- mostly they're fairly comparable, but the nics are a little faster on hardpack or tarmac and a little lighter. If the mud round your way is particularly claggy they seem to clear a little better too. they do puncture more though, and still more expensive (though not as much as they used to be)

llamafarmer

I've got the RR/NN combo on my Cube and I definitely prefer the all Ralph set up on my Giant - they're super fast rolling, but surprisingly grippy even in the wet. In light mud they clear really well and on wet rocks and roots they hang on better than Nics imo. And when they do go it's really predictable.

Stevo_666

I've got the factory std 2.1 Ralphs front and rear on my Anthem and they are pretty fast - I leave most people for dead on flattish/fast stuff if they have bigger/more knobbly tyres 8) They are pretty good in soft conditions given how un-knobbly they are, but clearly there are limits. I am tempted to try a NN up front to compare when this set wears out.