Kenda Nevegals - slowing me down?

dmorton
dmorton Posts: 244
edited May 2012 in MTB buying advice
I've got 2.35" Kenda Nevegals (StickE compound) on my Orange Crush. Did the Beast at CyB over the bank holiday, amongst other rides. The tyres were excellent on the rocky singletrack, plus giving loads of confidence in tight twisty turns. However they didn't at all help on the long fireroad climbs that CyB has a fair few of. I was cranking in the granny ring to get up them. The next day did Tarw route and put put a 2.1 Nevegal (older not sure of compound) on the rear, this improved rolling resistance slightly, but were still slow. Slow compared to my mates and my 29er with much less knobblier tyres (which I did the Marin trail on). All similar fireroad climbs but definitely a noticeable difference.

There will be a fitness factor here too, but I've noticed that the Nevegals can be slow rolling, had them on bikes for a few years now. I've also tried a set on the 29er and they turned it into a tank. They came straight off again!

So I'm looking for something that gives the confidence of the Nevegals in turns, but rolls a lot faster. Any ideas?

Comments

  • The Northern Monkey
    The Northern Monkey Posts: 19,174
    Get fitter and focus on having grip on the trail and not on the fire road?

    Tyres are much of a muchness.

    You get a fast rolling lighter tyre and they're crap when the going gets tough as they are more prone to disfomation and punctures.
    You get a slower rolling slightly heavier tyre which holds up on techy trail and corners and has less chance of a puncture.
    They you get everything inbetween.

    Yet to hear of a fast rolling, light, consistent feeling and puncture resistant tyre!
    Santa Cruz Butcher
  • dmorton
    dmorton Posts: 244
    Good points
    The Northern Monkey wrote:
    grip on the trail and not on the fire road

    This is exactly what my mates didn't have, they had pretty low profile tyres so were fast on fireroads but found the trail sections quite sketchy. I was also a bit surprised at the amount of fire road sections on the CyB Beast too, maybe they just felt long.....
  • lostboysaint
    lostboysaint Posts: 4,250
    They feel long because that's where most of the climbing is done.
    Trail fun - Transition Bandit
    Road - Wilier Izoard Centaur/Cube Agree C62 Disc
    Allround - Cotic Solaris
  • dmorton
    dmorton Posts: 244
    lostboysaint wrote:
    They feel long because that's where most of the climbing is done.

    Yup and I'd hoped it wasn't. Am I strange in prefering technical singletrack climbs? Fireroad climbs don't do anything for me....

    Are Nobby Nics worth the money? I'll keep running the 2.35" Nevegals as but the older 2.1 set are probably due replacement soon so I'm up for trying something else. The Conti Mountain Kings the bike came with I didn't get on with (original not new version)

    Maybe I'll try a few sets out second hand off eBay, any recommendations?
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    Anything in a Stick-E or Supertacky etc compound will drag on climbs.
    Grip, and draggy, or less grip, and fast rolling. That's always the trade off.
    My photos
  • passout
    passout Posts: 4,425
    YeehaaMcgee wrote:
    Anything in a Stick-E or Supertacky etc compound will drag on climbs.
    Grip, and draggy, or less grip, and fast rolling. That's always the trade off.


    Agree with this.

    Try 2.25 Maxxis Ardents (60a compound) they will be quicker but are still fine for technial stuff.
    'Happiness serves hardly any other purpose than to make unhappiness possible' Marcel Proust.
  • bails87
    bails87 Posts: 12,998
    I wasn't a huge fan of the Nobby Nics, when you're really pushing it, and lean them over they have a tendency not to hold on very well. If you're a slightly more sedate rider then they might be a good choice though. Light, fast-ish rolling, pretty grippy if they're kepy upright.
    MTB/CX

    "As I said last time, it won't happen again."
  • handful
    handful Posts: 920
    I like my Nevegals, really good fit and forget tyres. Not the best probably in any single category but will cope reasonably well in all conditions IME.
    Vaaru Titanium Sram Red eTap
    Moda Chord with drop bars and Rival shifters - winter/do it all bike
    Orbea Rise
  • passout
    passout Posts: 4,425
    handful wrote:
    I like my Nevegals, really good fit and forget tyres. Not the best probably in any single category but will cope reasonably well in all conditions IME.


    Yeah i agree with this too! I ride 2.1 (non sticky) nevegals XC & trail and they are good all rounders, great for cornering in most conditions. Not super fast but OK.
    'Happiness serves hardly any other purpose than to make unhappiness possible' Marcel Proust.
  • 123oldman
    123oldman Posts: 268
    Running 2.35 f and 2.1 r Nevegal on the Trance , found them to be cracking all rounder combo.. Not the quickest but provide decent confindence for most conditions (non StickE versions too!)
  • dmorton
    dmorton Posts: 244
    Haha, I pretty much agree with above too, seems like I have the best choice already! Maybe I'll look at some 2.1 DTC Nevegals then.

    The StickE compound is Sticky. I remember finding it easier to wheelie up the fireroads when I had a non StickE 2.1 rear and a 2.35 StickE front....not that I wheelied for long, but it was noticeably less effort when the front wheel was off the ground.
  • Thewaylander
    Thewaylander Posts: 8,594
    The Northern Monkey wrote:
    Get fitter and focus on having grip on the trail and not on the fire road?

    Tyres are much of a muchness.

    You get a fast rolling lighter tyre and they're crap when the going gets tough as they are more prone to disfomation and punctures.
    You get a slower rolling slightly heavier tyre which holds up on techy trail and corners and has less chance of a puncture.
    They you get everything inbetween.

    Yet to hear of a fast rolling, light, consistent feeling and puncture resistant tyre!

    This is it. Just figure out what you want. I'm happy to huff and puff up to have some confidence on the downs. (as long as there are soem real downs hehe)
  • bennett_346
    bennett_346 Posts: 5,029
    man up, i've rode dual supertackys for a whole season and a half now and i usually ride about 10 miles of road to get to and from my trails every weekend.

    people these days...
  • dmorton
    dmorton Posts: 244
    bennett_346 wrote:
    people these days...
    ... are getting you down? I know it's been raining a lot recently but summer will be here soon...I hope :D

    Had my 'supertackys' for about the same time as you if not longer. I'm canvasing other's opinion on them, thanks for your input
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    My supertacky highroller lasted about a month or two of commuting + trails on weekends :s

    And my supertacky swampthings are certainly not the kind of tyres you'd want to trail ride in. Trust me, I've tried!
    My photos
  • bennett_346
    bennett_346 Posts: 5,029
    YeehaaMcgee wrote:
    My supertacky highroller lasted about a month or two of commuting + trails on weekends :s

    And my supertacky swampthings are certainly not the kind of tyres you'd want to trail ride in. Trust me, I've tried!
    Dual 42a swampies are what i had for ages and they were fine for trail riding, but everyone rides their own terrain i guess. Cant see them being very good at all on loose or rocky stuff.

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