Afan Trip - All round Tyre recommendations?
bdigital
Posts: 193
Hello,
Me and couple friends and are going to Afan next month, and my buddy needs new tyres. He has a Scott with 26" rims atm.
Does anyone have some good 'all rounder' tyre sugestions that would suit Afan? I noticed that Halfords have a sale on the Tyres so perhaps there are some decent suggestions from there?
Me and couple friends and are going to Afan next month, and my buddy needs new tyres. He has a Scott with 26" rims atm.
Does anyone have some good 'all rounder' tyre sugestions that would suit Afan? I noticed that Halfords have a sale on the Tyres so perhaps there are some decent suggestions from there?
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ok cool thanks for that.
How do you find it? fun?!
Anyone else have any decent allround tyre suggestions for Afan?0 -
oh wow - that looks amazing! cant wait
we are going to camp on site.
Is that a Fury in the 2nd pic i see? How did it hold up~?!0 -
bdigital wrote:oh wow - that looks amazing! cant wait
we are going to camp on site.
Is that a Fury in the 2nd pic i see? How did it hold up~?!
No, it's my EX8. But we had a whole selection of bikes, from £400 - £1700, HT, FS, 80mm forks - 130mm forks. Everyone made it, and we had a great time.
If you don't camp and want comfort and great food:
http://www.mountain-bike-accommodation.com/
Fantastic place, and right on the trails.0 -
ATM Afan is incredibly dry, and very,very dusty, was up there yesterday. but as we all know, a drop of rain can change all that.
i run a 2.5 (2.3 would be OK too) HighRoller on the front in Maxxpro and a 2.35 Ignitor on the back in MaxproI like bikes and stuff0 -
thats really helpful - thanks
I have a Fury with continental speed kings, both 2.3. So im thinking of maybe getting a new set myself, plus im hoping that the bike is suitable.
My budies tyres are in worse condition than mine tho, he really needs some new ones. so the suggestions are helpful.
Managed to have my first crash a few hours ago, lost control downhill and ended up face first in a massive load of stinging nettles - so ive been sulking this afternoon... soo much pain!0 -
The only thing I would suggest is to get some with fairly stiff sidewalls and run a relatively high PSI - first few times I went I had a few pinch punctures. I think I went through 4 inner tubes in 2 days...
Anything which isn't a race tyre should suffice, or if you want a race tyre go for a tubeless variant as the walls are thicker.
Take some spare tubes too just in case!
I can highly recommend the B&B linked above - when we went they were really busy in the restaurant in the evening though. May be worth booking a table as there's not much nearby as an alternative and the food is good.
Hope you have a good time!0 -
Was dry last weekend I had the Maxxis Minion Front and a Minion rear tyre
and stuck like glue to the slate and rocks.
34psi front and 37 psi rear0 -
Afan has loads of grip in all conditions, so just go for something with a fairly big volume that's nice and tough. Pinch flats are the biggest issue, so carry spare tubes.
For camping take something to keep the midges away because there'll be swarms of the buggers as soon as the sun goes down. And keep your bike really well secured overnight (I think there's a lock up available).
The riding up there is an absolute blast, so have fun!
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your Fury will be good, its pretty much the "right" bike for it IMHO. Long travel HT is what i ride and is perfect. As for tyres, your conti's will be OK, A HR/Ignitor combo would be perfect though. most of all just have fun... its an awsome place, and has great rrails... im fortunate enough to live in Swansea, pretty close
as for punctures, just run good quality tubes, and ride smooth, on a HT a big volume, lower pressure rear tyre is essential. take tubes as well.I like bikes and stuff0 -
Thanks for all the really helpful info - cant wait to get out there and get stuck in now!
I will look into the maxis HR & Ignitors for myself and my pal who needs new tyres. They sound like a decent option (that is not too expensive) - do you think its best to stick with 2.3's on both front and rear as i have now?
Ive heard some good things about the Panracer Fire XC tyres, but cant seem to find them in anything bigger than 2.1 so i have pretty much decided on the Maxis.
Also, Josh..you mention good quality tubes, any ones in particular? my lbs sells schwalbe ones at £5 a pop.0 -
Fire XCs don't go bigger than 2.1, the Fire FR is a wire bead 2.4" version though, weighs a ton.
You'll be with anything at Afan, I've ridden it with Mud Xs, Rocket Rons and Racing Ralphs, all 2.1" or smaller in winter, and they've all be absolutely fine. It's plenty grippy enough, and doesn't really get muddy even if it's really wet. If it is stupidly wet, take spare brake pads, but you should be fine!0 -
As above, I've ridden it in the rain on 2.1 Racing Ralphs and there's still plenty of grip, but I have to run the rear tyre hard to prevent flats. 2.3s will be better and they'll give you a bit more cushioning from the fast bumps 0
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Or go tubeless!0
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Afan is my 'home' trail centre and we're there most weekends.
Loads of grip wet or dry, it's pretty much 100% man-made surface on all tracks so mud's not an issue, especially on the fast downhill bits.
I run 2.3 highrollers year road, maybe switch to a supertacky front if it's a biblicaly wet winter.
Interested in changing to a narrower rear next time I need tyres, don't need the rear grip and a little bit less rolling resistance would be nice.0 -
Mosquito repellent is a good shout - Lamafarmer has reminded me how tasty I was last year...
Itch-city... :P0 -
slimboyjim wrote:Mosquito repellent is a good shout - Lamafarmer has reminded me how tasty I was last year...
Itch-city... :P
Some mates and I were stupidly unprepared for it when we camped at Afan. We went to ask in the cafe if by some chance they had some insect repellant, but all they could give us was some empty boxes and tell us to make a fire. We found a couple of disgarded bits of fence post and nursed a crappy little bonfire all night It worked though! 0 -
i used maxxis minions 2.3 front & rear and didn`t get a single puncture in 2 days riding. they`re very good puncture proof tyres for hard riding over rocks etc... although the rolling resistance isn`t to my liking, especially as i had a super tacky on the front.
do the high rollers make much of a difference to the rolling resistance?It`s changed a bit since...
2010 Zesty 3140 -
Ok so - Would a HR 2.3 on the rear, with a Minion 2.3 up front be a good setup?
Im going to get them from next day tyres so i have more choice than before.0 -
Very stable on the DH but you'll be knackared on the 6km climb with that set up.
I use a 2.2 raceking on the back and 2.4 MK COnti on the front. In Tubeless.0 -
I'd opt for a 2.3 HR up front and a 2.1 Ignitor at the back. That'll be good enough on the way down and get you up there with less effort. THat's the combo I have jsut bought anyway, with a spare HR for the back when it's not as dry as I think it'll be more grippy than the Ignitor.0
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had crossmark 2.1 rear and a highroller 2.35 60a front until last weekend when i swapped them for nobby nic 2.4s. SOOO much quicker and inspire more confidence mid corner as well.
couldn't believe how draggy the Maxxis combo was since changing...
hoping to be pleasantly surprised at afan this weekend!!{insert smartarse comment here}0 -
I guess im being paranoid but the 2.1's look really thin! Maybe cos im used to the 2.3 conti speed kings i have currently.
hmmmm decisions - Im not sure what to go for anymore
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Narrow is ok on the back, less resistance so easier climbing, it weighs less too. And the back is easier to correct if it slips out. If the front goes then you're more than likely going down. Get 2.35 on both if it'll give you peace of mind, it only means you'll have to try a tiny bit harder on the way up. That doesn't bother some people, doesn't bother me to be honest. Also skinnier cuts through softer surfaces easier if it gets a bit soggy out there.0
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well i have 2.3 on both at the moment, and i am happy enough with the climbing. Although i have noted that my Speed Kings are amongst the lighter 2.3 tyres.
Got a few tyres on the shortlist now, just not sure which ones/combination to go for
- Maxis High Rollers 2.35
- Maxis Ignitors 2.35
- Maxis Minions 2.35
- Schwalbe Nobby Nic 2.25
- Kenda Nevgels 2.35
That seems to be the ones on my list at the moment, any suggestions as to what setup is a good one? (Ive noticed there are many different types (wire on, LUST, folding etc etc)0 -
Speed Kings will be easy to climb with, that's why they lack grip.0
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Speed Kings will be easy to climb with, that's why they lack grip.0
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So, if choosing a good all round setup - for Afan, and for basic XC - which ones would you choose from the following list:
- Maxis High Rollers 2.35
- Maxis Ignitors 2.35
- Maxis Minions 2.35
- Schwalbe Nobby Nic 2.25
- Kenda Nevgels 2.350 -
You won't get a correct answer on tyres mate, they're a really personal thing. It depends on your riding style, your bike, what sort of pressures you run, and the conditions you're riding in. The only way you'll know if you like them is by trying them unfortunately.
The Minion seems like massive overkill to me though, it's not an XC tyre - High Rollers, Nics (or Nic/Ralph combo) or Nevegals sound like much better all round options.0
