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Tyre advice needed!
Hi guys, I'm new to this forum and I know that this topic has been covered already but I'm still unsure what tyres to choose. Basically, I'm from the UK where I used Tioga downhill tyres on my Planet X hard tail for just about every surface. I moved to Freo and chose Maxxis Cross Mark 26 x 2.10 front & rear because of its raised central bead, as I knew I would mainly be riding on roads, cycle paths, and the odd trail. I'm about to move up to Stoneville, right next to the old heritage railway line, which, as you know, is mainly pea gravel. I'm hoping also to start practicing and improving my technique at the Goat Farm. I've found that the Cross Mark tyres are not very stable on the pea gravel, and I've been thinking about 26 x 2.25 Schwalbe Nobby Nic tyres. I would run them with tubes but do I choose wired or folding, and someone suggested Tubeless ready 'Snakeskin'.. whatever that means!
So I want to ask you guys what you think about the Nobby Nics... I'm not a racer but I would still like the best grip I can buy, bearing in mind that I'm still riding my Planet X hard tail. Just one last question, I've noticed that most of you run a less aggressive, sometimes narrower rear tyre, is this purely to save weight or to reduce rolling resistance... or both? Cheers, John
P.s. Is the Goat Farm a good place to start learning again? I started riding mountain bikes when they first appeared on the market many, many years ago. I owned one of the very first Cannondales for sale in the UK, with a 24 inch rear wheel and 26 inch front. I lived in Austria and did some real mountain biking but, for many years I've only ridden tame trails in the UK, nothing challenging, so I would like to start off with some easy trails and build up my confidence again. I'm 63 now but still pretty fit, slim, and very young at heart! Mountain bikes have been a big love of mine since my first one back in 1974 and I can't wait to get up into the hills. The Goat Farm looks good on Youtube but I wouldn't want to get in the way of faster riders, is there a time when the trails are empty, and which trail would be best to start on? Sorry about all these questions and I thank you in advance for any help or info concerning these topics.... cheers guys!
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My experience with Nobby Nics is poor. Not because of the tread, that is pretty good as an all rounder but the side walls are extremely weak. They came OEM on a new bike so i gave them a go. One of them lasted one ride and I didn't hit a thing so I don't even know how it happened. I went straight back to my preferred combination.
The above reply, is why everyone mentions snakeskin nobby nics - the oem ones tend to be a bit weak in the side walls. having said that, youre not a racer nd want grip - go something more aggressive than nobby nics - nobby nics are what racers who want a bit more grip use.
Look at maybe hans damfp in the schwalbes, or ardents in maxxis, nevegals in kenda etc - pea gravel is very location specific so experience from WA riders is key - i'd be guessing that widely spaced aggressively sized nobs would do best in that sort of surface - ie as far away from crossmarks as you can get.
Pea gravel is the work of the devil, and is only gonna get worse as the tracks dry out over the long summer. Put something real grippy up front, the back will look after itself. Quite a few round these parts, me included, run 2.35 Maxxis Ignitor front and 2.1 Crossmark rear.
As for the Goat Farm, not my favourite. I learnt at Forsyths Mill, a bit further up the Great Eastern past Mundaring. And then of course there's the ever popular Kalamunda Circuit at the Camel Farm off Mundaring Weir Road.
In answer to yor question - nearly all the trails are deserted during the week, in fact too much so if you're riding by yourself! But they never really get too busy - even the KC on a weekend - so I'd suggest riding when there's others around.
The Goat Farm is a great place to learn, there is a skills area where you can work your way up on various obstacles like log overs, log rides, jumps, etc.
Ignitor front, Crossmark back is about as good a combo as you will get for our gravel.
And just keep in mind that if your car is the only one in any of the carparks (except the Camel Farm) for the various MTB trails there is a good chance it will get broken into.
My wife and I wrote a guidebook on WA and it has a couple of pages on this very topic. But the Ignitor/Crossmark combo is a popular choice for general riding.
Thanks a lot Cambo... for the info and the welcome! Your experience with Nobby Nics has made me re-think. Cheers for that... John
Thanks very much Pharmaboy... I'm now looking at the Hans Damfps after receiving that info from you, cheers... John
+1 for not liking Nobby Nics
Thanks a lot Mamil... your right about that pea gravel, like riding on ball-bearings. I used to moan about the sticky mud and slippery tree roots back in the UK but this pea gravel is something else! I'm just looking at the Hans Dampfs but the 2.35 Maxxis Ignitor seems to be a very popular choice, so I'll check them out also. Thanks also for the info about the trails, as I'll be in Stoneville, close to Mundaring, I'll check out the Camel Farm and the Mundaring Loop as well. Thanks for your help.. cheers, John
Thanks very much Scratchy... yes, I'm starting to lean towards the Ignitor as a front tyre... with so many experienced riders choosing it! You can't beat experience for making the correct choices. Thanks again... cheers, John
The Mundaring loop isn't a loop anymore. The East side of it is open, as that is also part of the Kep track/Munda Biddi, but the Western side had the signs removed and is quietly reverting back to bush, and I wouldn't recommend it for someone unfamiliar with the area. Especially if riding alone, best stick to better signed/more frequently used trails like the rail trail and Kalamunda Circuit (KC).
+1 for getting Scratchy's book, great place to start, can find it on the counter of most local bike shops and the cafe at the Camel Farm (launch pad for the KC).
vote here for the Hans Dampf. just had one fitted, and love it.
Any good agressive treaded tyre will be better than the 'fast rollers' on pea gravel. If you now in Stoneville probably the best nearest LBS is Midland Cycles. They carry mainly Specialised tyres but some others and can get you just about any tyre. But consider the Specialised group consisting of the Ground Control, Purgatory and The Captain. I use Purgatory front, one of others on rear. Hanz Dampf seems good but heavyish IMO (but I on a 29r).
Re the Mundy loop - its been 'closed' for some time as they can't afford the maintenance (they = DEC) but it is rideable all the way round and is part of a collection of legal, but not sanctioned trails, if you can ride the KC then you can ride the ML, except he ML has steeper climbs. Incidentally they removed the signs for the ML, but not all, so you can still see the odd one here and there.
I'm in Glen Forrest and roughly same age+, and hopefully the medicos will soon allow me to ride again (if not I'll have three bikes for sale
). When they do maybe we can go on some of the open trails, including the ride to Forsyth's Mill from Stoneville.
So any of the tyres suggested in these posts will be ok, but which is best depends on your riding style to a large extent.
Enjoy the new environment - oh and take some fly repellant with you from now on
+1 for specialized tyres
purgatory s-works front 2.2 and rear captains 2.0 controls /2.2
i mainly ride KC and go there 3 times a week for the last 6 mths and ridden it in all extremes front bone dry n slippery , to sloshy and wet.
never changed my tyres ( actually still on factory fitted tyres, ) and done about 1200-1300 kms on them althou the rear is down to 20-25% , front is 60%
( thats alot of laps of KC !! )
im sure u will enjoy the trails we have to offer
Thanks a lot Magnum9... that's some very helpful info about the Goat Farm, not just that it's a good place to learn but also about leaving a car, I hadn't thought about that at all, so I'll definitely keep that in mind! Yes, it's looking more and more like an Ignitor for the front. Thanks to you all for responding so quickly, I really appreciate your help and hope to see you on the trails soon! Cheers, John
Thanks a lot Brian... I'm leaning more and more towards the Ignitor, at least for the front. Cheers, John
Thanks again Mamil... can't wait to check out the KC now... and Scratchy's book! Cheers, John
Thanks very much Oldernslower (great name by the way!) for all that info. I used to have a Specialised bike many years ago, fitted with their own tyres, and I seem to remember them being pretty good. I haven't really considered them here in Oz, probably because I haven't seen them in any of the bike shops I visit. I'm definitely thinking more and more about the Ignitors but haven't ruled out the Hans Dampfs. Thanks for letting me know about Midland Cycles, I'll be checking them out soon. My wife's sister lives in Glen Forrest and we spend quite a bit of time there, let me know when you fancy going for a little spin and we'll arrange something, that would be great. Thanks again for all your help and I hope that you'll soon be back in the saddle... ! Cheers, John
Thanks very much for the info mxracer92... I think that I've cut it down to two choices now, either the Ignitor or Hans Dampfs. That's pretty amazing that you've ridden 1200 - 1300 kms on the factory fitted tyres, it says a lot for Specialised and your riding style! Hope to see you out on the KC very soon.. I'm moving to Stoneville in about 2 weeks' time, so from then on I'll be checking it out. Thanks again for your help, cheers, John
also another thing you may want to consider in your tyre purchase is tubeless
being pea gravel alot of riders like to run lower pressure's , i run 25 front 28 rear with tubes ( and touchwood still no flats ) im 70kgs
my riding partner is over 90 kg , had to keep pressures up near 35 to stop flats.
he just converted to tubeless and running low pressures like 25-28 and reckon it makes a huge difference in traction .. (he running ignitor front and racing ralph rear i think)
hope it helps
I use maxis ignitor and crossmark ust. Getting ready to order my 3rd set.
Bike came with nobby nics. Hated them. Replaced after one ride with the above.
Test rode a bike with specialised ground control. Hated them too. Running higher pressures than I normally do they felt like they were collapsing on hard landings and shooting me off the trail. Very sketchy. Also, and maybe it was the rims (ztr)? But on several occasions they burped air out the side on technical climbs. Had to stop 3 times to pump.
Anyway, Maxxis lust have been awesome on XT rims.
Hans Dampfs are fantastic for the pea gravel. My mates comment how loose the trails are becoming as they dry out and I say I didn't notice because I am using Hans Dampfs.
They maybe slightly heavy but they have a big bag which is a bonus. I am using them on the wider Shimano trail rims which I think work well.
Very well priced at Cycle Bespoke in Bayswater.
Cheers
Which Hans Dampf are you guys using, there are 12 variations of that tyre - http://www.schwalbetires.com/bike_tires/off-road...
Murray, are you running them front and back?
Doing some research it seems the Trailstar compound is the go. 26" is $64 from CRC.
The Hans Dampf's are not UST, just Tubeless Ready.
The nobby nics that came with my bike were TR too, and they didn't hold air for more than a day.
I would have been keen to give them a go, but I'm never putting any sealant etc in my rims. Never.
for the hans dampf - the snakeskin trailstar 29 x 2.35 is what i'm running
sticks like shit to a blanket.
Mounting Nobby Nics in reverse rotation goes a long way to curing their bad habits. This change puts the rectangular edge lugs side on to the slide instead of end on, so the tyre is more planted when cranked over on loose surfacrs.
I reckon the designers mafe a booboo with that aspect of the design. Had the same issue with the Rubena Kratos I'm curremtly running. Hated it when installed per tje arrow on the sidewall. Reversing improved it remarkably. It jas the same thing going with the edge lugs
The UST versions of the Nobby Nic are nice and light and the sidewalls seem to last the life of yhe tread
Magnum9
I am running Hans Dampfs front and back. Snake skin 26 x 2.35 on shimano trail rims which are a bit wider. I am running them tubeless. Hardly ever need to pump them up. I must look into the tubeless ready thing. I have been considering putting something a bit lighter on the back. I like running my tyres a bit on the soft side compared to some of the crew I ride with which is why I used to get a snake bite flat now and then using Continental vertical pros with tubes. I flatted front and back on the same rock one day. Spewing only carried one spare tube. I haven't had a flat with the Dampfs. (S###T shouldn't have said that)Dampfs are not the lightest option but are a lot of fun.
Continental Verticals have been my favourite for a long time.
I find they work better slightly worn.
A wide rim helps to flatten out the tread and they work even better on the pea gravel.
hawkeye i too noticed the nobby nics to look like they are designed reverse ..when put on proper direction it looks to be scooping the dirt rather then cutting throu it .. . i might try it on the front of my 29r , as i got a nic on the front .. cheers for that tip
Thanks a lot guys for all the very helpful advice, info, and comments concerning the most suitable tyres for riding on pea gravel! I've learnt a lot from your posts and I really appreciate the time taken to reply. With the tyres sorted all I have to do now is improve my fitness and riding technique, which I hope to start on very soon... cheers, John