New DH tyres...

felix.london

loose, dry and rocky is generally the order of the day.

Spesh Butcher? Conti Der Kaiser 2.5" or Project 2.4"? Some kind of Maxxis (HR's or Minion's seem to be the standard over here)

Should I be looking at anything else?

Cheers

.blitz

If it really is dry stony and rocky and it really is downhill then you want some Schwalbe Big Bettys Vertstar front Trailstar rear

Minions are good but I think they've had their day and there are better tyres around. Comparing a 3C Minion with a Vertstar Big Betty the Betty wons every time. Also not to shabby in loose wet stuff but strictly downhill only.

rockmonkeysc

The Conti Der Kaisers are amazingly good, by far the best I have ridden in dry to damp conditions but they don't last long at all. I would go for the Butcher, excellent grip, good profile, nice size, nice and tough and reasonable price.
I don't like Schwalbe DH tyres, I found that tread breaks off them too easily, especially side lugs in the dry.

felix.london

Der Kaiser's (from Bike-Discount) are £10 cheaper than the Butcher's (from Evans) but if you say they wear out quick I guess it could be a false economy

Can get Big Betty's for £30 but think RmSC has just put me off those!

peter413

I've found Der Kaiser's last ages, on the front at least, never used one on the back. They are also a big favorite of mine, wouldn't choose anything else for dry conditions on a DH bike.

DodgeT

Another vote for butchers, great all rounder, sticky as hell and tough as old boots. In my quest for weight saving I've also been trying hans dampfs (a clear 500g each less than butchers) and there doing very well.

rockmonkeysc

DodgeT wrote:

Another vote for butchers, great all rounder, sticky as hell and tough as old boots. In my quest for weight saving I've also been trying hans dampfs (a clear 500g each less than butchers) and there doing very well.

Hans Dampfs are a AM tyre though. They don't have a stiff enough sidewall for proper downhill riding.

The Northern Monkey

I have the bettys on my canyon... fuuukin hell they're huge

Running trailstar on the front and pacestar on the rear.

Only ridden them once, but I was impressed. Roll very very quick in the dry but keep composure in loose stuff very well. There is no vague area between the centre and edge knobs like on some tyres.

Usually ride a minion and love them, but I'll be keeping the betty on for summer thats for sure!

DodgeT

RockmonkeySC wrote:

DodgeT wrote:

Another vote for butchers, great all rounder, sticky as hell and tough as old boots. In my quest for weight saving I've also been trying hans dampfs (a clear 500g each less than butchers) and there doing very well.

Hans Dampfs are a AM tyre though. They don't have a stiff enough sidewall for proper downhill riding.

AM tyre they are, but there performing just fine and held up faultlessly at antur stiniog on all 4 tracks, that'll do for me.

rockmonkeysc

Try pushing harder then. I found that they pinch flat really easily through rocks and rooty sections and I only used them on an AM bike. on the DH bike I would destroy them in no time at all.

felix.london

If I go for the Der Kaiser's - What's the deal with the 2.4" Projects vs the standard 2.5" version?

Although the Butcher's are tempting - even for another £20 on the set

DodgeT

RockmonkeySC wrote:

Try pushing harder then. I found that they pinch flat really easily through rocks and rooty sections and I only used them on an AM bike. on the DH bike I would destroy them in no time at all.

I ride hard enough for my liking and when they start giving me issues, I'll switch back to the butchers.
Until then, I'll leave it to the rest of you riding gods to shred up the gnar perhaps you should look at better lines if your destroying tyres so often?

rockmonkeysc

I have no problems when I use a proper DH tyre. There is a good reason why downhill tyres have dual ply, ultra stiff sidewalls.
I only had a problem when I tried a set of Hans Dampfs I had in the back of the shed, I didn't like them on my AM bike so I thought I would give them a bash on the DH bike. They just weren't up to the job. A lot of the tracks I ride are very rocky and rooty (not as rocky as alpine tracks) and there are no smoother lines.
Places like Antur Stiniog, Forest of Dean and Cwmcarn (which all have smoother lines) give people a false idea of what a downhill track is. Places like Rheola, Molfre, Coombe Sydenham and Fort William are proper downhill tracks. Big ugly rock gardens, big drops, big speed and roots sections which will eat your wheels if you get them wrong.

DodgeT

Only done moelfre out of that list and it was nowhere near as rocky as stiniog. You been ?

rockmonkeysc

Yep. Uplift day last year. Not hugely rocky but if you take the faster lines it gets ugly.

The Northern Monkey

Lol