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Best tire for So Cals dry dusty conditions?

58K views 345 replies 107 participants last post by  kragu 
#1 ·
Hey guys. I've noticed that the factory tires that came on my Rocky Mountain Vertex 29er seem to be somewhat lacking in the traction department at times and I'm looking for some suggestions for So Cals dry, dusty trails.
 
#49 ·
I have one (muddy) ride in on a new Nevegal up front after I blew out a high roller and the first ride was good. Not 100% sold on it yet, but it was certainly an improvement in the corners over my high roller.
 
#56 ·
I'm still a fan of the old standby: Panaracer Fire XC Pros. Such a nice tire. Not great on the rear, a little easy to lose lateral grip on ascents. I almost prefer a narrow Velociraptor rear for the grip but the Panaracers ride so nicely and are lighter than any of the WTBs I have.
 
#60 ·
Meh . . . I just let it dry and bounce the bike a few times and off it comes. I try to keep the water away from my bike at pretty much all costs, which is pretty easy to do out here in SoCal.
 
#62 ·
Do a search on washing your bike . . . its okay once in a while if you do it properly, however out here in SoCal, I have gone over a year without washing my bike and it still looks clean.

Don't get me wrong, I am not one of those people who think that washing your bike is some mortal sin that will ruin the thing. Some folks HAVE to do it (e.g., those in the PNW with mud and constant WET), but out here, if it ain't CAKED in mud, I'd just let it dry and it wipes off very easily with a dry towel. You can even make it a little easier to keep clean if you use a polish on the frame.

If you DO wash your bike, keep the pressure to a minimum and avoid all the bearings. Water in the bearings is not your friend.
 
#67 ·
So I did a search for this and essentially . . . you created a High Roller, not? Am I missing something? :confused:

I'm currently running a Nevegal up front and am pretty happy with it . . . it is pretty slow rolling though, which I'm not thrilled about.
 
#69 ·
Did you cut every knob, or every other knob?

Front and Rear or just one?

I can see this being good for the rear . . . I have a HR right now in the rear and its starting to wear thin after 600 miles or so. I'm trying to hold off on replacing it because I want to get new wheels and go tubeless, but not sure if thats going to happen or not. I may try this for a rear tire.

Anyone using a Slant Six as a rear tire?
 
#70 ·
I took my bike in to Jenson USA today for it's 90 day tune up and I'm having them change the tires while it's in there. I decided to go with an Igniter for the rear and and a WTB Bronson for the front on the suggestion from a couple of the people at Jenson and others on this board. I get the bike back on Saturday and will try them out on Tuesday.
 
#71 ·
WTB Bronson AM TCS front is a beast. I put one on my Yeti ASR7's rear to replace a Fat Albert that worn down in a matter of weeks (under 2 months) and it feels like a totally different tire. I think the inward angled side knobs on the Schwalbe made it like to drift, while the Bronson bites unexpectedly hard, which is a strange feeling if you're used to sweeping the rear a bit to realign it behind the direction the front is pointed. That thing sticks so much that it makes it feel like you cornered with significantly more Gs at the same speed. I'm thinking about putting it up front and maybe putting a high roller out back. If my suspicion is right, that thing will let you take turns on your front tire alone and I'm familiar enough with the High Roller to push it to its limits.

What I love about grippy tires like this is the ability to use the entire trail, no matter if there's 4 sets of cross crossing ruts covering the entire trail or a huge braking rut down the middle with gaps, dips, and bumps around it. It's just point and shoot, as it climbs up the sides of the ruts and sticks to your line on the off cambers. No worrying about it slipping back down into the rut like some other tires. No need to line them up 45 degrees or perpendicular to bumps. Makes it so much easier to blast through sections fast. I'd rather have the grip to have fun than to compromise to make climbs easier, especially since I'm not racing. Though, I hear Joe Lawwill wins Super Ds with the Bronson up front [and, I think, a Weirwolf in the back].

I haven't tried 'em in 29er though. 29ers can get away with less aggressive tires, in my experience.
 
#82 · (Edited)
I have used both and prefer the Nobby Nics at the front 26 x2.25. They are lighter (an honest 540 grams), roll faster and grip much better. (Keep in mind that a 1.95 DTC Kenda is 530 grams and a 2.10 Kenda is well over 600 grams)

Downside, yes they are expensive and can be hard to get.

I will not go back to Nevegals unless there is no other choice. Rotating mass and traction trump cost.

+1 for Panaracer Fire XC Pro. Good traction, light and inexpensive what is not to like?
 
#77 ·
I'm also interested in the Nobby Nic's, but it seems that Schwalbes have a rather short useable life in comparison to some other brands. I am particularly interested in the Hans Dampf, as I hear it really is all that it claims to be. But at $90 a pop and for some folks claiming to get less than a year, that ain't so good.

I'm thinking I am going to give the Rubber Queen 2.2s a try when I get my new wheelset up.
 
#78 · (Edited)
The Nobby Nics I tried (26x2.25) are much faster feeling, but a lot sketchier. You don't have that "sure-grip" feeling with them. They have sort of a light on its feet feel to them, more attuned to riders that like to skip over obstacles, touch and go, drift, and spend a lot of time with their tires off the ground or biting at an angle, rather than to riders who take it easy and roll over everything steadily, preferring to stick to the ground and staying mostly upright. I think you have to have that certain riding style to really like them, else you won't know what's so great about them.

I find their angled side knobs create the sweetest controlled drifts ever--you just need to trust them and not be afraid to get a little sideways or sketchy or insecure. They're something I wouldn't recommend to a beginner used to Nevegals unless I knew they were aiming for that riding style (mimicking the likes of some noteworthy "shredders" in the mtb world, like Aaron Gwin). The trails around me don't really promote that style of riding (lots of wide rutted trails on slow rolling hills). I have to note that I do welcome that kind of controlled drift feel on the rear of my bike. They just seem much better suited for tight twisty & fast and relatively smooth XCish singletrack trails.

Fat Alberts have a similar design, with more rubber on them, meant for a bit gnarilier stuff, but then you really need to have some bigger balls, since their light and sketchy feel requires a loose and highly adaptive riding style. I had a set of Fat Alberts on my Yeti that I almost fully wore down and I definitely didn't have an urge to replace them with the same. The Yeti gets so fast that it's scary with those tires. Under the the right rider, they would definitely be fun though, as I get the biggest rushes when I nail sections and the tire just gets through it oh so sweetly. I need to build up some strength so I can wrangle my bike a bit better, since I'm getting the barely able to hold on feeling on some descents and, from that feeling, I tend to do more plowing instead of unweighting/pumping, which throws me off even more, notably on trails like M-trail and Two Trees at Box Springs Mtn.

A riding buddy of mine also had some Nobby Nics on his 575 and found they weren't so great for conditions here. He flatted on creek crossings and it felt too sketchy for him, since it liked to bounce around a bit. I think he ended up getting Spec Purgatories.
 
#80 ·
That's just your trail... that area is so loose and dusty that it makes other parts of SoCal look like hero dirt when in their dusty and dry conditions. You just need experience/technique honestly, for those parts. If Nevegals are drifting, I think 90% of other tires would drift. I dunno, try Muddy Mary maybe? They're about the same weight as the Nevegals. The taller lugs helps give a bit more security in the really deep loose parts.
 
#81 ·
I disagree. I live in the North County area of SD and 90% of my riding is done in SoCal. think Nobby Nics are the best front tire I've ever used and they lasted me almost (6) months riding at least twice a week. To be honest, I get rid of tires earlier than most people so most would think there was still plenty of tread life left when I took it off. That being said, $90 a pop is still silly to me.

I ride a Tallboy and ran them at about 28-30 psi. Compared to Nevegals, they are the best tire on the planet at any price. I used to drink the Nevegal kool-aid until I tried something else. Now I wouldn't run Nevegals, front or rear, if they were free. My favorite all around tire, taking cost into consideration, is the Geax Saguaro. I just ordered some for $38 for the TNT version from Price Point. They are great tires for SoCal conditions and last longer than any tire I've ever had (so far). I'm currently running the Panaracer CG tires. They are nice tires as well...long lasting and priced nicely. I think they corner a touch better than the Saguaros but the Saguaros defintely seem to run faster.

I have a buddy who runs the Hans Dampf on both ends on his carbon Nomad. He says they are the best tire he's ever had. I wouldn't say they are wearing down too fast but he said this weekend his rear is starting to lose grip. He rides 3 days a week and put them on in late September.
 
#85 · (Edited)
I tested the Nobby Nics favorably on hardpacked decomposed granite (coarse loose over hardpack). I noted that it was a vast contrast to the Nevegal, being much faster and lighter feeling. To rephrase what I said, I felt they encouraged you to hammer fast and get out of the saddle and attack the trail more aggressively. If it didn't have the grip, there's no way you'd have the confidence to do that, but I basically discovered that it's sort of a false confidence, as its limits in its grip are not that great (esp. compared to the Nevegal's grip). I rode Nevegal DTC 2.35 on a Reign X0 (and on my Kona Dawg before I went to High Roller 2.35), both overkill for trails like Sycamore Canyon and much of Big Bear, making pedaling a serious chore; I thought it was the altitude of Big Bear, but I took another bike there with different tires and discovered otherwise. Taking the Nobby Nics to various other areas... when you go down a few times with them, trying to be a badass, you will know it's not a coincidence. Hell, you should know if you push your current trails hard enough on them that their grip limits aren't that high. They're a fast lightweight trail tire--I guess you can call me a fool for trying to push it like a grippier "AM" tire and finding its limits to not be higher than its "class of tires", but with people implying its grip is so great (without specifying what exactly they're comparing it to), I feel a need to put it into context.

By suggesting those other tires, you clue me into what kind of trails you ride and what style you ride with. Basically the same kind of style and trails I ride, pedal fast and hard, attacking aggressively, especially for sections you find fun, finding a nice balance of your own skill's limits and bike's limits, while being efficient and being able to do it for hours. On the trails I like the Nobby Nics on, I actually like micro knob tires better on (Ikons specifically, not the SB8) and currently also run the Panaracer CG tires, since they make my XC bike feel as capable as a bigger bike. They're great light loose over hardpack tires. Expect to get flak for saying anything is the best, especially if you point out cons about them...

You prob just misunderstood my post as something negative about the NN for SoCal dirt. I'm more or less just doing a comparison of the NN vs the Nevegal. The Nevegal is a solid choice for a "beginner" wanting to ride more features and giving confidence riding new trails you haven't ridden before, as it provides a secure grip on lots of stuff. It's just slow and feels heavier than it really is. It gives other tires in its weight range a bad name, making plp avoid tires in that range in fear that they're as slow. The NN is better for fast hardpack that lets you lean and rewards a more aggressive style. The better you know your trails and limits, the more you get out of the NN, implying Nevegals are more of a starter tire and NN more of an advanced rider's tire that knows what they want in a tire.

I have 2 riding buddies riding Purgatories on their Nomads. One's a clyde that really knows how to spec his bike with reliable good performing parts. I can't really say much about the tires, since I only rode them when I took my friend's new Enduro for a spin (too big for me to ride seriously), but that was good enough to seriously give me a good impression of them. I was leaving sharp marks on the trail from pushing them so hard and they barely made any of that scratching sound that tires usually make at the limit of their traction. Took 'em to Mammoth, Big Bear. Skyline, Skinsuit, Sycamore, Two Trees, M-Trail... they worked well everywhere and I should note that he's a complete beginner. He was a trail runner that simply wanted to try mtn biking due to seeing how fun it looked when he encountered bikers on the trail. Seems like a good general suggestion for most looking for a tire with that level of secure grip, on the level of the Nevegal, but faster and only about $50 ea, which is reasonable for a high performance tire.

Since he pointed out what trail he rides, it makes it easier to know how to answer that NN vs Nevegal question. The NN is going to be undoubtedly worse for him.
 
#87 ·
Nevegal in the front and Slant Six in the back. Seems to be working pretty well. Moved from Nevegal both front and back, and I can see a big difference in less rolling resistance with the Slant Six.

Undecided about what my next experiment will be with in the front, possibly a Maxxis Ardent.
 
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