Aggressive 2 stage VFA tread design for traction in extreme conditions
• Plush 2.4 and 2.6 widths for freeriding, DH and dual slalom
• Reinforced knobs for predictable all-around performance
• SC, Pro and Comp versions
• 26x2.1, 26x2.4 and 26x2.6
Submitted by
Brian
a Cross Country Rider
from Williamsburg, VA USA
Date Reviewed: June 1, 2007
Strengths: Great dry traction, cushy and comfortable
Weaknesses: Questionable in wet and mud. Not exactly light weight.
Bottom Line:
This is my first experience with a wide/high volume XC or all-mountain tire. I love it on my fully rigid ride. I run the tire around 22 psi with a tube (I'm 180lbs) and have yet to pinch flat (after 3 months). This tire is huge. It almost doesn't fit between the chainstays. It's so much more comfortable than even the 2.1" tire I was riding, and way better than the 1.95 I tried first. It's almost like having an inch of suspension in the rear, though no one will confuse it with a rear shock. It hooks up great in the dry, clay conditions in eastern VA. I'm not sure how it would perform in the wet or mud. I highly recommend it for the comfort value.
Bike Setup: Single speed fully rigid 96er: Performance(Supergo) Access frame; Raleigh XXIX fork; misc other parts.
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Submitted by
mtb rider
a Weekend Warrior
from houston
Date Reviewed: October 1, 2006
Strengths: Grippy, corners well and powers up climbs. I agree with other reviewers on this point.
Weaknesses: The tread is huge, so rolling resistance is significant. Tread wears rather quickly (4 months of weekend off-roading, weekday urban commuting have cracked and square off the tread). Commuters should look elsewhere.
Submitted by
Stephen
a Weekend Warrior
from Albany, NY
Date Reviewed: September 14, 2005
Strengths: Good high volume, tracks and breaks, hooks up in most terrain.
Weaknesses: Off camber mud and its all over.
Bottom Line:
I ride this tire up front. It is sick. Has absorbed so many hits and allowed me to take bigger hits than maybe i should -- I pretend to be a freerider. I usually ride it at about 25psi (i weigh 155lbs). I am looking for another tire like this with high volume, probably gonna go with the zed millenniums at some point, but i fear change. The only issue is the price, which i wish was lower.
I don't think anyone should be disappointed by this tire. I have the WCS version and it destroys all the east coast nasties except off camber mud...which it slides down.
Bike Setup: GF HKEK, Thomson elite stem and seatpost, selle italia saddle, mavic rims on XT hubs, avid Ti V-brakes and levers, Manitou black super air fork, CB candy SLs, SRAM XO RD, lx FD blah blah blah...
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Submitted by
Glenn
a Weekend Warrior
from Auckland NZ
Date Reviewed: October 12, 2004
Strengths: Relativley inexpensive, have lots of grip, roll well
Weaknesses: Availability in nz
Bottom Line:
Got these tires a while back when reviews were a little scarce, so took a punt because i did'nt fancy forking out mega bucks for maxxis rubber and boy was i pleasantly surprised. Most of my riding is local forest with a variety of surfaces, sand, roots, pine needles, ramps, loose soil 'an mud. What this tire does'nt excell at, more than makes up for with sheer ridability. The largish footprint at lowish psi gives predictability in both traction and steering, coupled with a dh tube (1 reducing the risk of pinch flats 2 making the tire stronger for harder hits), covers just about all these conditions with ease, what more could you ask for. These might not have as much grip as say the super tacky swampthing or high roller, but @#*% they don't retail at anywhere near the price either!! Well done Ritchey for making such a good product. If you can get hold of them, buy 'em, you will not be dissapointed.
Submitted by
rick
a Weekend Warrior
from Winnipeg,Canada
Date Reviewed: May 10, 2004
Strengths: stick like sh!t to blanket on everything so far, great edge for hanging on to rock.
Weaknesses: rolling resistance, but then what's not a sacrifice these days ?
Bottom Line:
Great tire for Canadian Shield type riding, large granite rock, slippery moss covered surfaces, rooty ,babyheads (lots of 6-12 inch rocks exposed 1/2 way, very freakin gnarly. Steep climbs and crazy, short, steep decents.
Submitted by
Richard Eckert
a Cross Country Rider
from Waikoloa, Hawaii
Date Reviewed: April 24, 2004
Strengths: (Motovader 26x2.6 Kevlar bead) Predictable cornering. Hard to flat. Low rolling resistance. This tire has not been chunked up due to the harsh conditions presented by lava cinder/rock trail riding.
Weaknesses: Does not hook up when climbing in loose rocks or gravel. I seem to have to put too much effort in keeping the back end hooked up as compared with the z-max
Bottom Line:
This is a great tire that makes me long for the beautiful dirt trails of Cali. Mostly lots of lava cinder trails here that are very unforgiving. A predictable tire means a lot when spills are guaranteed to draw lotsa blood. The Motovader handles well in most conditions except the above mentioned. If you're mostly riding in dirt, hard pack or medium-hard, this is a great tire.
Similar Products Used: Ritchey z-max 2.2,2.4, Specialized Enduro Pro 2.2
Bike Setup: 2003 Specialized Enduro with stock suspension.
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Submitted by
Patrick
a Cross Country Rider
from Monterey, CA
Date Reviewed: March 15, 2004
Strengths: Runs where you point it, and doesn't get bogged down in anything. There are deep ruts filled with sand around here...if you plow through the sand, the Motovader doesn't stop and it'll haul the front tire up before you slip. If you want to run along the side of the rut on the edge of the tread, you can do that too. They've been unstoppable so far!
Weaknesses: Nothing yet!
Bottom Line:
Can't really go wrong with this tire. I was looking for something that would keep traction in pretty much everything including deep sand, and this is it. Fort Ord has nearly everything you could really get stuck in or have to climb, and the Motovader does it all well.
Similar Products Used: Bontrager Jones AC - they suck.
Bike Setup: '01 Trek 4500: Ritchey Motovader on the rear, Ritchey Z.E.D. Race in the front.
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Submitted by
Chris
a Cross Country Rider
from Canberra,A.C.T, Australia
Date Reviewed: January 4, 2004
Strengths: Fantastic Grip in all conditions, great comfort, fast rollers on the trail(for a 2.4).
Weaknesses: none really, although I can't use stans with them anymore after removing them off the rim several times, just cant get the bead to seal,even with a high volume air compressor. oh well thats what tubes are for.
Bottom Line:
This is for the 2.4's. Great tire for just about everything, yes they are slower on tarmac with added noise to boot, but fast where it counts on the trail. Great cornering grip in all conditions, great for maintaining speed through the rough stuff, nice and comfy with the big bag size. I even use these for XC racing, i'd switched to XC specific tyres(roll x sports, mythos xc)to get some extra speed but put the motovaders back on as they're way faster and more predictable when maintaing speed through the corners and through the rougher sections. The only thing i don't reccommend them for is fast hardpack with sandy corners above 40psi. Easly solved by using below 40psi. Next on the to try list is the same tyre in a 2.1
Submitted by
Jay Foerster
a Cross Country Rider
from Pordenone/North Italy
Date Reviewed: September 13, 2003
Strengths: Grip,Grip,Grip
Weaknesses: Rolling resistance on hard surfaces
Bottom Line:
I recently bought the 2.1 motovaders because I do some races every now and then so I wanted a ´´thin,fast´´ tire.My first reaction:Dissapointment!They don´t roll as easy as I´ve thought they would.But then I took a trip into the italian Dolomites where I live..and changed my mind!The Grip is fantastic,even in mud.I feel more secure than I did with my 2.25 big jim`s!So if concrete isn´t your main playground...I highly recommend this tire with the unusual profile!
Similar Products Used: schwalbe big jim 2.25/continental explorer pro 2.1
Bike Setup: Canyon FX 4000 fullsuspension(german brand)
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Submitted by
Luca
a Weekend Warrior
from Milano.Italy
Date Reviewed: August 14, 2003
Strengths: I have bought the 2.4 Pro version..they are so comfortable and very confidence inspiring.They are cheap too.I think they are perfect for light freeride.
Weaknesses: none found yet
Bottom Line:
I found these tires to be very goog in every situation I have tried them ...I dont know about mud since it is not raining for a while and these tires are new..I am very happy and I think I would raccomend these ones to anybody is asking me for a light freeride tire.They are wide,light,and comfortable when you have to move to the pavement to reach the woods...They dont sound like a tank rolling on the road.I think Tom has done a very good work witht hese ones...Abd they cost a lot less than many others.
Similar Products Used: Michelin hot s(not happy with them),Hutchinson Mosquitos 2.3(good allround tire..but a bit weak)Maxxis Mofo DH(very good but a bit too hardcore for my style)
Bike Setup: 2002 Rocky Mountain Slayer stock except for tires
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Submitted by
marco alberio
a Weekend Warrior
from Italy
Date Reviewed: July 29, 2003
Strengths: . price (gift) . big section and big volume(2.4) . traction . weight
Weaknesses: I have to find one...
Bottom Line:
My initial fear was about mud, 2.4 tires cannot compete to 1.9 (or less) tires. After a tour in mud I'm surprised, motovader *can* compete with my other "thin" tires in mud (take care about my previous tires). About other terrain motovader goes smoothly, they absorb little (little means 2 inches) asperity like roots, stones...(where suspension works partially). Now I have another bike, and this due 2 tires only ! The rolling resistance is slightly worst than ZMax or ZED, but the size must have some drawback. I mounted the front tire in reverse rolling direction, this improves braking. Take care about "your rigth" pressure, these tires are strongly influenced by this, perform many tests to find the best pressure for you. I use the bike for Enduro/light freeride, I found *my* tires...
Submitted by
cRock
a Cross Country Rider
from Atlanta, GA
Date Reviewed: July 23, 2003
Strengths: -It's big (running the 2.4) -Pro version is not too heavy given the size -reasonable price -tread design gives solid rear traction
Weaknesses: -rubber is a litttle soft and wears quicker than some, I guess that's the price of performance. -good in mud, not great
Bottom Line:
This a big, mean knobby. Around here the trails are criss-crossed with big slick roots that can send the rear of my hard tail skipping and spinning up steep climbs without some serious rubber take the edge off. The 'vader 2.4 has plenty of volume and grip to keep the rear end anchored to the trail. This tire is "a purist's rear suspension". Rolling resistance is pretty low considering these tires are big and burly.
Similar Products Used: Panaracer Smoke Comp 2.1, WTB Motoraptor 2.1
Bike Setup: Bianchi Kingbee
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Submitted by
Tony
a Cross Country Rider
from Boulder
Date Reviewed: July 20, 2003
Strengths: * Excellent climbing traction * Low rolling resistance * Predictable Cornering (on the back) * Lightweight for the size
Weaknesses: * Pro version doesn't have strong enough sidewalls for long-term durability in Colorado rock gardens * Braking traction on the back could be better
Bottom Line:
This review is for the Ritchey Motovader Pro 2.4. I am very happy with this tire overall as it provides the best combination of traction and air-volume I've found. The tread pattern provides good stick to smooth rock while still having enough paddle to power through sand and loose gravel. The side-knobs bite well leading to good cornering confidence. It has a very progressive feel in corners which allows me to approach the limit safely. It is the largest tire I can fit on the rear of my Switchblade. The 2.25 Geax Sturdy is too tall, the 2.1 Sturdy isn't big enough and the Tioga Factory DH wore out too fast. I've been riding the MV about 10 rides and it seems to be wearing ok, but a little fast (probably about 1/3 worn out now) and I have 1 moderate scuff on the sidewall which may cause premature tire death. I would reccomend buying the SC casing model for the rear if you ride rock gardens.
I do not intend to try the MV on the front as I am 100% happy with the WTB Weirwolf 2.5.
Strengths: -It's HUGE and very, very comfortable! -Very hucky =) Hucks ANYTHING -Rather cheap
Weaknesses: -These wont live as long as Nokians, not as Maxxis, not as many other tires - these are soft and very hucky so they'll be worn out very fast - in 1 season probably... =(
Bottom Line:
What can I say? 3-4 times cheaper than Nokian ones, uncopromisingly one of the most hucking and good-on-turns tires! MUST buy for its price! You know, big assets are that these are wide - 2.4 and well looking out - it's good to hear while riding when people show on your tires and ask: "What a f*ck are these!?" =) Yes, and there is a small hint: DONT buy usual ones, buy COMP version - much lighter, but the same quality... Ritchey well done! MUST BUY! 5 onions
