Tyre Combo

westonpark
westonpark Posts: 57
edited May 2019 in MTB general
Evening all,

I need to change both my tyres, I do mainly hardpack, quick, but twisty, routes. What front and back combo do you guys run, or recommend?

I’m on 29ers. My old bike had continental trail king on the back and mountain king the front, I can’t remember the width.

Cheers

Mike

Comments

  • yonny
    yonny Posts: 36
    DHF, DHRII.
    Does everything well.
  • slc123
    slc123 Posts: 407
    I run DHF up front and DHRII on the rear, it's a very grippy combination. If you are mainly riding hardpack and as the summer is on it's way I would probably suggest something a little less grippy with a bit more rolling speed. I would consider running a Minion SS or Aggressor on the rear.
    Cannondale Trail 27.5 | 2015
    Titus El Chulo 27.5 | 2017
    Trek Slash 9 27.5 | 2015 (building)
  • swod1
    swod1 Posts: 1,639
    Sounds like you would be better with an xc style tyre something like a pair of x-king or x-king front with a race king rear.

    other tyres like maxxis ikon, rekon, ardent maybe better suited to your riding conditions.

    minions are full on all mountain/trail tyres and maybe too draggy for you.
  • westonpark
    westonpark Posts: 57
    swod1 wrote:
    Sounds like you would be better with an xc style tyre something like a pair of x-king or x-king front with a race king rear.

    other tyres like maxxis ikon, rekon, ardent maybe better suited to your riding conditions.

    minions are full on all mountain/trail tyres and maybe too draggy for you.

    I have to admit I was thinking of the trail/race king combo, I thought the trail king might give a better front cornering grip. I'll take a look at the X king.
  • steve_sordy
    steve_sordy Posts: 2,443
    Westonpark wrote:
    swod1 wrote:
    Sounds like you would be better with an xc style tyre something like a pair of x-king or x-king front with a race king rear.

    other tyres like maxxis ikon, rekon, ardent maybe better suited to your riding conditions.

    minions are full on all mountain/trail tyres and maybe too draggy for you.

    I have to admit I was thinking of the trail/race king combo, I thought the trail king might give a better front cornering grip. I'll take a look at the X king.

    The Trail King will give much better grip than the Race King. The TK is a great all seasons tyre and if you get it in the black chill compound version the grip will be fantastic. But as others have said, they might be a bit draggy. On my Whyte T130 I have27.5 x 2.2 tubeless TKs with bcc front and rear. I don't notice any drag, but I have nothing to compare them with.

    It is going to depend upon the trails you ride and the weather, but I would feel inclined to go with the TK front and a RK on the rear. I don't do races, so take that into account. But the last thing you want is for your front to slide out from under you half way around a fast corner.

    PS: Try swapping the tyres on your current set up. It is usual to have the grippiest tyre on the front and the least on the rear. If anything is going to slide out on a corner, it is better if it is the rear tyre.
  • billycool
    billycool Posts: 833
    I also run TK black chllis 2.2 front and rear (26"). Great tyres but probably not the quickest. I find that tyre pressure can have an impact on the rear being quite draggy - so tend to stay over 30psi. 35psi is my preference as I don't like tyres that roll on the rim and they run faster. The BCC gives plenty of grip.

    A Race King on the rear would make more sense for you - as Steves says, speed to the rear and grip to the front.
    "Ride, crash, replace"
  • westonpark
    westonpark Posts: 57
    BillyCool wrote:
    I also run TK black chllis 2.2 front and rear (26"). Great tyres but probably not the quickest. I find that tyre pressure can have an impact on the rear being quite draggy - so tend to stay over 30psi. 35psi is my preference as I don't like tyres that roll on the rim and they run faster. The BCC gives plenty of grip.

    A Race King on the rear would make more sense for you - as Steves says, speed to the rear and grip to the front.

    Yup, sorry trail king front and race king back was my thoughts.

    Thanks guys
  • westonpark
    westonpark Posts: 57
    Sorry, one more question. Any views on width?
  • billycool
    billycool Posts: 833
    Westonpark wrote:
    Sorry, one more question. Any views on width?

    That's a can of worms!

    It really is down to personal preference and what suits your type of riding.

    I started many moons ago when 1.75 was standard and anything 2.0+ was considered big.

    Some like wide 2.4'ish tyres and consider them standard. Others wants even wider. Good grip, can run lower pressures tubeless etc. I do think it's bit of a marketing thing though as I've never run out of grip with my tyres do the riding that I do.

    I ride mainly XC, so quite like `thinner` tyres that roll quite quick and don't want anything too wide and draggy. As above, mine are 2.2 on my FS and I have 2.1 on my older HT. They suit me fine for paths, trails etc. I also run the pressures fairly high compared to some.

    My 2.2's have also done Afan, Cymcarn, BPW and the Peaks (the nasty bits) and not skipped a beat.

    It really is down to what suits you but can also fit your bike! Back in the day, we ran a slightly narrowrer tyre to the rear but I don't do that anymore.
    "Ride, crash, replace"
  • steve_sordy
    steve_sordy Posts: 2,443
    I have run tyre widths from 1.9" up to 2.6".

    On my current clockwork bike I have 2.3 and 2.2, the bike before was 2.4 F&R, the one before that was 2.2 F&R and the one before that was 2.3 F&R. My emtb started with 2.6 and is now 2.5.

    The thing to remember is that tyres are not only the only thing that is in contact with the ground, but part of your suspension as well! The front tyre does a different job to the rear tyre so that there is no reason to make them the same in any characteristic at all (not even on wheel diameter!) As long as you have tyres that give you the grip, steering and braking that you require, then you can look at the job they do for the suspension. Yes, I know, alter one and it alters the other, but you have to start somewhere! Believe it or not, when I first started with a hardtail mtb, I used to pump my tyres to 60psi. It was because I was after low rolling resistance. Of course I was being shaken to bits and I just could not understand why everyone was so much faster than me. I asked all sorts of questions of these people, but not one ever said reduce your tyre pressure. High pressure works well on smooth surfaces, but as soon as the going gets a bit rough the unyielding tyre starts to bounce back at you and actually slows you down and gives you a rough ride as well! Lower pressure allows the tyre to conform to the rough buts and lets the tyres act as your first line of suspension. Instead of bouncing back, the tyre conforms and you go faster and more smoothly.
    See this: (Read the words and watch the vid). Revelation! :D
    https://www.pinkbike.com/news/Tech-Tues ... -2011.html

    Wider tyres will allow you to go lower on pressure than narrower ones without dinging the rim or squirming. They will give improved grip, better rollover and comfort. But the downside is that they are heavier, slower to accelerate, and more expensive. Light riders need them less, heavy riders probably would do better with them. If you are in the middle then you have a lot of choice. But you can't just put any old tyre on a rim. See this guide from Schwalbe that gives you a guide to rim width vs tyre width: https://www.schwalbe.com/en/reifenmasse.html

    High speed, hardpack, smooth trail, competitive: then I would not go above 2.2" and 2.1" may be faster. Add a bit of rough and you could easily go up to 2.4". If it is really rough, just out for fun, and you are a big guy as well, then you could go as big as your rims and bike frame will take.
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    As Steve said, tyres are very specific, in summer I mostly ride hardpack and my favoured are schwalbe, a rocket Ron front and a racing Ralph out back, speed compound on the rear and either a speed or soft in the front, they both cope fine with a bit of mud as well. Size wise I would use 2.15 on the rear usually and a 2.25 on the front for a bit more volume and as I like to lean on the front tyre.
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.

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