Wife says "buy yourself any 4 tires you want"... Schwalbe? Maxxis? Continental?
12-22-10, 08:18 PM
#27
Still kicking.
I know nothing about Kenda MTB tires but I had a pair of Kenda road tires and they were the only tires that ever delaminated on me when there was tread left on the tires. Both Kenda tires delaminated, the tread just came off like a retread left on the side of the road by a truck. Because of this experience, I would never buy Kenda MTB tires.
Their mtb tires are good, this coming from a person who is becoming more and more of a maxxis person again.
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Appreciate the old bikes more than the new.
12-23-10, 03:42 PM
#28
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I rode today, on Nobby Nics 2.4 snakeskin (front) and ExiWolf 2.3 (rear).
Awesome ride. I did 18 km, though because I had to shop on the way home, about half that was on asphalt
But the rest was great. It rained while I was riding and it has rained on and off for days. (It's Vancouver.) So the ground was slick and saturated. I rode on some slippery small rocks but 90% fire roads. I lost very little traction on the steep parts -- incl. a short 100 foot steep stretch with rain-slicked babyhead rocks. It wasn't easy but with Panaracer Fire XCs on the bike, I'd have to bail. Today no bailing.
If this is the Nobby Nic ride with an Exiwolf, I can't wait for a ride with 2.25 NNs on the rear, or a Rocket Ron on the rear!
Awesome ride. I did 18 km, though because I had to shop on the way home, about half that was on asphalt
But the rest was great. It rained while I was riding and it has rained on and off for days. (It's Vancouver.) So the ground was slick and saturated. I rode on some slippery small rocks but 90% fire roads. I lost very little traction on the steep parts -- incl. a short 100 foot steep stretch with rain-slicked babyhead rocks. It wasn't easy but with Panaracer Fire XCs on the bike, I'd have to bail. Today no bailing.
If this is the Nobby Nic ride with an Exiwolf, I can't wait for a ride with 2.25 NNs on the rear, or a Rocket Ron on the rear!
12-23-10, 03:44 PM
#29
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I don't know them, but Campione -- the high end Crammeroti road cycling store in town -- sells them. I like Continental and Vredestein (which seem to slide under the radar a bit in N. America). Michelins (Krylion) have been solid too, for rougher city roads.
12-23-10, 04:42 PM
#30
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My wife's Xmas present to me is that I can buy any 4 mountain bike tires I want, no matter what the cost.
I ride a ti hardtail, and I weigh 180 lbs.
My (almost daily) ~ 30 km ride to and from work is very mixed:
I'm thinking about Schwalbe's 2010 Nobby Nics with snakeskin. I know lots of people ride the Nics up front with a Racing Ralph in the back, but I think the Ralphs' knobs are too low, though I could be wrong.
Nobby Nics? Racing Ralphs? Continental Vertical Pro with black chilli? Someone else recommended the Maxxis Larsen TT tire, but it seemed somewhat like the Kenda Small Block 8, which I SUSPECT isn't quite grippy enough.
Considerations and advice please!
I ride a ti hardtail, and I weigh 180 lbs.
My (almost daily) ~ 30 km ride to and from work is very mixed:
I ride 10 blocks on the asphalt/tarmac, then I ride hardpack and gravel. Then I ride one km of ups and downs, with babyhead rocks. There's a couple of steep 10-14 degree hills. Then 6 blocks of asphalt/tarmac, and then a steep 1600 foot climb on medium hardpack with with a bit of sand and some gravel. It's non-technical. There are very few turns, so it's a lot of point-and-shoot cardio.
As I'm in Vancouver, there's often some moisture, but luckily very few roots. I guess I really would like the proverbial all-purpose tire, IF it exists...
My LBS has recommended Nevegals for the winter, 2.3 up front and 2.1 rear. (I suspect these will have too much rolling resistance. At the other end of the spectrum, this fall I rode Specialized Fast Traks and they were light and fast, but had too little traction/grip.)As I'm in Vancouver, there's often some moisture, but luckily very few roots. I guess I really would like the proverbial all-purpose tire, IF it exists...
I'm thinking about Schwalbe's 2010 Nobby Nics with snakeskin. I know lots of people ride the Nics up front with a Racing Ralph in the back, but I think the Ralphs' knobs are too low, though I could be wrong.
Nobby Nics? Racing Ralphs? Continental Vertical Pro with black chilli? Someone else recommended the Maxxis Larsen TT tire, but it seemed somewhat like the Kenda Small Block 8, which I SUSPECT isn't quite grippy enough.
Considerations and advice please!
12-23-10, 06:57 PM
#31
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Hmmm. Let's see ... I ride 3-4 days a week, lots of climbing and fireroads. But I'm pretty easy on stuff (no jumps, no rock gardens with sharp rocks, and these days no attempts to leave long skid marks 
). Hmmm. Nah, I don't see any high end, light Schwalbe tire (RRs, Rocket Rs, NNs) lasting a year on the rear.
But 2.4 or 2.25 Nobby Nics on the front? Wouldn't they last me a year at least?
I think I should be able to get 6 months out of, say, a Nobby Nic for the rear. And 12 months for the front. But I dunno.
). Hmmm. Nah, I don't see any high end, light Schwalbe tire (RRs, Rocket Rs, NNs) lasting a year on the rear. But 2.4 or 2.25 Nobby Nics on the front? Wouldn't they last me a year at least?
I think I should be able to get 6 months out of, say, a Nobby Nic for the rear. And 12 months for the front. But I dunno.
12-23-10, 07:27 PM
#32
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Hmmm. Let's see ... I ride 3-4 days a week, lots of climbing and fireroads. But I'm pretty easy on stuff (no jumps, no rock gardens with sharp rocks, and these days no attempts to leave long skid marks ). Hmmm. Nah, I don't see any high end, light Schwalbe tire (RRs, Rocket Rs, NNs) lasting a year on the rear.
But 2.4 or 2.25 Nobby Nics on the front? Wouldn't they last me a year at least?
I think I should be able to get 6 months out of, say, a Nobby Nic for the rear. And 12 months for the front. But I dunno.
). Hmmm. Nah, I don't see any high end, light Schwalbe tire (RRs, Rocket Rs, NNs) lasting a year on the rear. But 2.4 or 2.25 Nobby Nics on the front? Wouldn't they last me a year at least?
I think I should be able to get 6 months out of, say, a Nobby Nic for the rear. And 12 months for the front. But I dunno.
12-24-10, 12:36 PM
#33
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PS -- what about running a Nobby Nic 2.4 front and a Rocket Ron 2.1 on the rear... Too much height differential?
12-24-10, 01:00 PM
#34
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I would save at set of aggressive knobbies for your all dirt/trail rides.
12-26-10, 02:35 AM
#36
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I really like the IRC Trailbear for a front tire, they are less than 20 bucks so maybe throw in an 5th. I used to experiment, but now I only change the rear tire on a regular basis. currently it's a Maxxis Ridgeline, rolls great, traction is so so, but it's light. Maybe get something old school like a ritchey z max. Seems like every time I pay ~50 bucks for a fancy new tire it wears out very quickly and I am disappointed. I have had good luck with the maxxis brand tires though.
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