Tyres for XC racing.

irvs

Evening everyone, I really haven't a clue when it comes to tyres and need help. I currently have maxxis minions on front and back and they are awesome Io e them soo much for the masses of grip and confidence they give me in the corners. BUT, racing XC I do need a light fast rolling tyre that will give me as much confidence as the minions. The conditions are usually the same in each race with soft ground nothing too mucky. Could everyone please advise me what I should try???

Thanks loads Neil.

bennett_346

Depends entirely on what race and conditions it is.

Many people will be along to say racing raplhs which is fine if you race on cycle paths or at a push groomed trail centres but for anything real you'll want something grippy and compliant so you can hold more speed in the corners.

It's no good pedalling, braking for a corner because you're on almost semi slicks, then having to accelerate back up again.

njee20

Really you want a selection for conditions. If you like your Minions stick with them, no point in fitting something because you think you should, and then going more slowly because you don't have confidence.

Personally I'd say that a set of Racing Ralphs (hardly a semi-slick, they've got exactly the same shoulders as a Nobby Nic and more than enough in middle until it gets properly muddy) and a set of Dirty Dans would see you right for just about everything.

Furious Freds are good for 'easy' races like Mayhem/SITS/Sherwood/Thetford, but worth changing once someone's sneezed on the course.

ddraver

I like my Maxxis tyres, and they do serveral XC versions, but all the riders over here are XC riders (because there's nothing else) and they re all on Schwlabe, and most of them are on Racing Ralph.

Obviously it could just be that that's what the LBS stocks....

njee20

Nope, they're the most popular brand over here too, and there's plenty of choice. Fact is they do a good range of well defined tyres that grip well and don't weigh much.

irvs

True most tyres I see at the races are schwalbes but when I ask what they are and why they run them it's always the same answer "told they were great"
I really like the maxxis because of the minion tyres, soo awesome but their just too slow a rolling tyre for XC racing. Suppose if I just buy a few different tyres and race them to death ill find something ill like.

Neil.

The Rookie

The Maxxis beavers get good reviews for grip and rolling resistance, at 510/540g (depends who you believe) they are hardly heavy...they also do the Xception flyweight but its meant to be a bit puncture prone....at £30 each they don't break the bank either.

Northwind

Specialized have a pretty clear and well developed xc race range, and they're not expensive.

I've ended up with a set of Kenda Karmas with a new wheelset and trying those out just now, they're not the fastest rolling but they seem to be able to deal with a lot of different conditions- which is good especially for those tracks that fall apart mid-race. Quite impressed so far.

njee20

Spesh tyres are pretty weighty though, the Fast Trak LK weighs more than a Racing Ralph, but has grip is on par with a Furious Fred! The Captain's a good all rounder, but heavy. The Sauserwind is utter crap (IMO), leaves the Ground Control, which I've not tried!

Northwind

Sworks Fast Trak is a tougher tyre than the Racing Ralph, though- RaRa is so delicate in the standard model, and the puncture resistant one is heavier than the FT. And then there's the price difference.

TBH I didn't really rate either much but I'm probably not the best judge of XC race tyres. I prefer the consistent grip of the Fast Trak to the Rara's "Grips a surprising amount, except sometimes it doesn't" approach, at least you know when you're going to crash on a FT

bennett_346

Northwind wrote:

Sworks Fast Trak is a tougher tyre than the Racing Ralph, though- RaRa is so delicate in the standard model, and the puncture resistant one is heavier than the FT. And then there's the price difference.

TBH I didn't really rate either much but I'm probably not the best judge of XC race tyres. I prefer the consistent grip of the Fast Trak to the Rara's "Grips a surprising amount, except sometimes it doesn't" approach, at least you know when you're going to crash on a FT

At the single malt again?

Northwind

On the glue tonight

njee20

No way is an S-Works carcass tougher than a standard Schwalbe. Closer run with the Rocket Ron carcass certainly, the the S-Works is pretty flimsy, the Control carcass is much heavier though. I've never had any durability problems with Ralphs/Nics myself anyway, but I don't tend to ride rocky places that much.

And a SnakeSkin Ralph still weighs less than an S-Works Fast Trak.

miss notax

I usually run a minion on the front and a high roller on the back and have raced with them on - ok, so they are not the fastest rolling but the confidence they give me in blasting over everything more than balances that out!

Some bloke actually took the piss out of my knobbly tyres at one race - I sincerely hope he was one of the chaps I rode past when they were walking up a technical climb (probably because their tyres had no grip) 8)

Northwind

njee20 wrote:

No way is an S-Works carcass tougher than a standard Schwalbe.

I ripped the bejeezus out of my racing ralphs in no time- just thinking about it and in the last 2 years all but 1 of my flats was on a Schwalbe. No such probs with the Sworks.

njee20

I've had just as many 'problems' with each - but used to see more damaged S-Works tyres than Schwalbe. They are considerably heavier, but I'd be after the Control if you want something tougher than a Schwalbe myself. Or just a Snakeskin Schwalbe as they're better tyres IMO!

Northwind

Hang on... Just a quick doubletake, Snakeskin ralph isn't lighter than an Sworks Fast Trak, unless Schwalbe's claimed weights are all wrong. My Fast Traks (standard not LK) weighed in at 490g, and the only Ralph claimed to be lighter than that is the standard 2.1.

(I didn't weigh them myself but I know the claimed weights for my Nics were slightly optimistic.)

supersonic

Don't get LKs, they are the worst tyres I have ever used! (Fast Trak/Captain combo). Apart from on the road...

njee20

Fair enough, been a while since I weighed any Fast Traks, but the last ones I weighed were more like 530g, which (IIRC) is heavier than a Snakeskin Ralph.

But, as I said, treadwise it's more akin to a Furious Fred, my last Fred was 307g.

Northwind

This is getting a wee bit roundabouty but I don't think the standard Fast Trak (not the LK) is much like the Fred at all- it's a far grippier tyre, especially if there's a little moisture or loam about.

njee20

I was being slightly facetious, and we're getting into a 'what tyre' debate (beyond the intentions of the thread), the Renegade is more like a Fred, but the Fast Trak (even the standard one) is a significantly less grippy tyre than a Ralph, and IME, the S-Works carcass is as fragile as a standard Ralph/Nic carcass - the Dan/Fred/Ron carcass being thinner, and that is more fragile.

I'll stand by my recommendation that, for XC racing, a set of Ralphs and a set of Dans (or Storms, or Mud Xs) will see you right.

Mccraque

I used to get very concerned about tyre choice for racing. Less so these days. Summer I have my Rocket Rons on.....which are good save for them having sidewalls made of paper - I've mended them on the fly with inner tube patches. It held ok...but They now look silly.

This autumn and winter I have had Mud X's on for the last 3 events. Not too heavy nor too bad at rolling on the harder stuff, especially when you take into account the grip that they provide.

But don't change anything going into an event. Stick with what you know....

hopper1

Just having a look for some Mud X's... Seem to be fairly scarce right now I have a thing for skinnier rubber, so prefer 1.8", probably get some DD's (2.0)

Now to prepare for another battle, changing RoRo's to Dan's on my crest rims... :shock:

Northwind

njee20 wrote:

I'll stand by my recommendation that, for XC racing, a set of Ralphs and a set of Dans (or Storms, or Mud Xs) will see you right.

Yeah, can't go far wrong at all with that.

bennett_346

hopper1 wrote:

I have a thing for skinnier rubber

Does your girlfriend tell you that as well?

Northwind

Keeping the theme going... Mud tyres are easy enough, and there's a few obvious firm conditions tyres, but what do people rate for more intermediate stuff, where a Ralph/similiar is a bit out of its depth but a spike is overkill? I'd fancied the Karma for the job but it's not convinced me yet...

(suppose I'm thinking of stuff like 10UTB, where a lot of the lap is on hardpack- fireroads, trailcentre stuff- but then there's enough sections that are absolutely natural and if it rains, by the end of the day are flumes.)

bennett_346

For intermediates i quite like speciaized purgatory controls. They do slide a bit in wet but seem to do so predictably and when its dry theyre fantastic.

hopper1

bennett_346 wrote:

hopper1 wrote:

I have a thing for skinnier rubber

Does your girlfriend tell you that as well?

She does indeed... 'cos it's stretched so tight! :shock:

njee20

Mud tyres are easy enough, and there's a few obvious firm conditions tyres, but what do people rate for more intermediate stuff, where a Ralph/similiar is a bit out of its depth but a spike is overkill? I'd fancied the Karma for the job but it's not convinced me yet...

I tend to find Ralphs are absolutely fine until I'd use a mud tyre. A Ron is sort of in the middle depending on the mud, but lacks the shoulder tread, I'd often rather use a Ralph if it's wet.

Northwind

I think for more consistent courses I'd agree but it's the sort where half the course is ralph/fred territory and the other half dans that I'm trying to cover better... Muds too much of a sacrifice for the hard stuff, fast tyres out of their depth on the cut up stuff.

hopper1

Are you guys changing tyres for these weather conditions, as mentioned, or running more wheelsets?... :?