Hans Dampf as a front tyre

sofaboy73

possibly looking at changing my front tyre and thinking about a hans dampf trail star

ride in the peak mainly so lots of loose rock, mud, sandy grit, hard pack, more mud and the occasional patch of grass

anyone tried one? how to they perform. particularly interested if anyone can compare them to a chunky monkey (my current trye)

CitizenLee

I've had one of the front for about a year and would happily have another. Very grippy, durable and work well at both high and low pressures. Not a bad weight either.

Never tired a Chunky Monkey though, so can't compare, but the HDs are a good bit lighter which is always good when it comes to tyres.

yorkshire89

I have both, I do prefer the HD in loose/loamy conditions as the side knobs tend to dig in and give more confidence.
They are both very good on wet rocks/roots (trailstar and trail extreme compounds). In muddy conditions they are both fairly good, but both can get clogged up.

Some people don't get on with the HD, saying the side knobs can tear off in rocky conditions, but I've not found this (although I only use it on the front). My HD is now 9 months old and the side knobs are just starting to show some minor tear marks. Pretty impressed really, I've done a few races and ride 2-3 times a week on them.

sofaboy73

yorkshire89 wrote:

I have both, I do prefer the HD in loose/loamy conditions as the side knobs tend to dig in and give more confidence.
They are both very good on wet rocks/roots (trailstar and trail extreme compounds). In muddy conditions they are both fairly good, but both can get clogged up.

is there much difference between the two compounds? the trail extreme sticks like sh*t to a blanket so interested to see how the trailstar opinion

yorkshire89

To be honest I can't tell much difference, the trailstar is around 50A and the trail extreme has a 50A centre and 42A (supertacky) shoulders. Both seem really good on wet stuff though, when they do let go it's predictable. I had a pacestar compound before and it was trying to kill me at any opportunity!

rockmonkeysc

I really disliked Hans Dampfs. They're really slow rolling, the side tread knobles tear off on rocky trails and grip is just ok.
I much prefer Specialized Purgatory Grid. They're fast(ish) rolling, grippy and so far lasting well.
Not tried Chunky Monkey's but a couple mates like them in the dry, too much volume in the wet though.

Lewis A

I haven't tried hds, but really like chunky monkeys for rocky local riding, though they get a bit wandery in pure mud. I've had no problems with wear on any of my On one tires, my spare smorgasbord te was showing no signs of wear when I stuck the cm on after a year, and the one on the back is still looking pretty good. The on one tires are also very good on hard pack and pretty good on grass. I've had no problems with punctures either, even running around 18-20 psi in the front.

sofaboy73

Lewis A wrote:

I haven't tried hds, but really like chunky monkeys for rocky local riding, though they get a bit wandery in pure mud. I've had no problems with wear on any of my On one tires, my spare smorgasbord te was showing no signs of wear when I stuck the cm on after a year, and the one on the back is still looking pretty good. The on one tires are also very good on hard pack and pretty good on grass. I've had no problems with punctures either, even running around 18-20 psi in the front.

very much my experience of them, great at everything except mud where they get a bit sketchy at speed

Lewis A

Also, as I found out today, my Chunky Monkey/Smorgasbord combo works really well in the snow. Who would have thought?