Submitted by
Jurgen
a Racer
from Germany Date Reviewed: December 27, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Local TT
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Perfect allround tire with tall knobs. Specially for soft conditions and also wet trails.
Weaknesses:
Abit narrow, but that's not a big deal.
Similar Products Used:
Schwalbe, Michelin, Maxxis, Conti etc.
Bike Setup:
Kona Stinky DeLuxe
Bottom Line:
Super grip on all conditions, strong structure and no flats! Works also on snow.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Lukasz LooK OuT
a Downhiller
from Wroclaw, PL Date Reviewed: May 25, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Spindleruv Mlyn
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$35.00
Purchased At:
local shops
Strengths:
great look, high knobs, square profile, wear resistant
Weaknesses:
soft walls
Similar Products Used:
many different tires from SYncros, Continental, Nokian, Michelin
Bike Setup:
DC Cane Corso, 5th Element, Boxxer, Avid Code, Truvativ, Sun Ringle / Da Bomb + Single Track rims
Bottom Line:
Probably it's one of the lightest 2.6 wide tires out there. Weighs slightly more than 1000g, but rolls pretty fast on hard terrain. You feel with them like with 850g. tires, which is really good. The only flaw I have ever experienced with them is that you can't ride them with low pressure - they fold like a piece of paper when cornering, so the only option is to ride them with about 55psi or even more. Duals like to loose grip when cornering on dry and sandy surfaces, but only few tires can handle such harsh conditions (any soft tire - 40A - or Syncros BHT). Perfect environment: soft soil, European early spring or autumn. Not the deep mud though.
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Submitted by
loonyone
a Weekend Warrior
from Waterloo, IA Date Reviewed: March 27, 2007
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Strengths:
MASSIVE traction in almost every situation Flex-free knobs Confidence-inspiring tires Not too heavy, but kind of heavy for XC
Weaknesses:
MASSIVE rolling resistance Clogs up a bit in muck/leaves, HOWEVER, easily self-cleaning Heavy for XC, but not too heavy
Similar Products Used:
Nokian Gazzalodi S...only other tire that I've used that compares.
Bike Setup:
DeKerf Generation, and Wojcik custom
Bottom Line:
BAR NONE, THE most confidence-inspiring tire out there, in it's class anyway. The tread mocks the venerable Gazzalodi 3.0, 'nuff said! This is a long term follow up review. The tire is light enough to RIDE XC, but should not be expected to pull race duty...personal experience here. The traction on off-camber stuff this tire provides is just plain scary. THE most positive hookup I've ever experienced. Ya, it clogs in the muck...ya, it rolls kind of slow, but the fun factor it provides in respect of usable traction far over-rides the negative impacts. FULL PULL Nokian!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Aaron
a Weekend Warrior
from Rainier, OR Date Reviewed: March 23, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Stella
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$40.00
Purchased At:
Fat Tire Farm
Strengths:
Massive grip in soft, muddy, and wet conditions. Great durability.
Weaknesses:
High rolling resistance and a tad heavy
Similar Products Used:
WTB Wierwolf 2.3 FR, IRC V-Claw
Bike Setup:
2005 Jamis XLT
Bottom Line:
I've had these tires for three years as they are my winter weapon of choice. They have massive amounts of grip in the mud and soft dirt of the wet PNW trails. When things dry out I switch to a lighter, less rolling resistant tire.
But for what I use them for, they are great.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Tom Freeman
a Downhiller
from Suffolk, England Date Reviewed: February 7, 2005
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$55.00
Purchased At:
Madgetts cycles
Strengths:
Strong tire excellent grip in muddy surfaces
Weaknesses:
Bit on the heavy side and bit heavy on road
Bike Setup:
Halo Tornados 26”, Hope Mono Mini F/R,DMR V8 and BBB head set.
Bottom Line:
Really good solid tire nothing else compares to them.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
jo
a Cross Country Rider
from hd Date Reviewed: October 22, 2004
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
www.circle-cycle.at
Strengths:
great in cornering and at any terrain besides asphault
Weaknesses:
tricky in asphault -> does not matter but on the way to the outdoors - for all of us who dont live just besides the woods ;-)
Similar Products Used:
from panaracer smokes many ritcheys, specialized to irc's and nokian nbx many kinds
Bike Setup:
sc superlight with fox vanilla and rear vanilla coil shock, xt ...
Bottom Line:
great tire 4 the rough ridin, not 4 the shaved legs fraction, though
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jim
a Weekend Warrior
from Bangor, Maine, USA Date Reviewed: May 29, 2004
Favorite Trail:
City Forest
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$43.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
This review is for the Gazzi CORE 2.3 Traction is unbeatable in Mud and on damp hardpack. I'm sure the high speed cornering is great too, judging from the shoulder lugs.
Weaknesses:
For it's intended purpose, none.
Similar Products Used:
Weirwolf, Python, Scorpion.
Bike Setup:
5 Spot, Z1 FR, Romic, F219, Avid cable disc with Mutanoraptor on the front.
Bottom Line:
I've ridden the 2.5 Weirwolf for the past year front and rear. But I began to wonder if a heavier lug tire would work better on the rear for sloppy mud and the edge of your seat climbs. The WWs would break traction and spin out through slimey, tire sucking mud and if a ledge or roots stuck through the surface on a tough climb the WW's would also spin. When that happens you're done. This is an hour after my first ride on the Core and it is a BIG improvement in mud and really climbs much better. Keep in mind we just had 7 days of rain and the trails are soft and damp. Through the mud holes (gooey 4" deep stuff) I could actually stand and crank and the tire stayed hooked up. I could never put that much power through the Wierwolfs. On 45 degree climbs on wet hardpack that snaked between ledge and loose gravel (damp stuff) I never wasted a revolution. At the top of the climb I could look down and follow my track up the wall. These tires bite!
I'm neither a weight weenie nor a crosscountry specific rider. I like to test myself on the technical stuff and I'll ride the same stunt over and over until I can clean it. This tire works well on the rear for my riding style. I can't speak for "rolling resistance" or weight issues, but if you want ultimate traction for difficult terrain you will enjoy the traction the core delivers on the rear.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Philip
a Cross Country Rider
from Kodiak, Alaska USA Date Reviewed: December 1, 2003
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
Mountain High Cyclery
Strengths:
This review is for both the Core and Dual 2.3s. Very durable, endless braking and climbing traction, decent cornering in soft stuff, the best mud performance of any tire I have tried. Very straight casing mold.
Weaknesses:
Hardpack rolling resistance, cornering on hardpack. Rubber could be grippier on wet surfaces. The kevlar bead version weighs as much as the wire.
Similar Products Used:
Nokian Dual and Cores 2.3, Weirwolf 2.5, Motoraptor 2.4, Mutanoraptor 2.4, Conti Survival 2.3, Geax Blade 225 and Sturdy 225, Nokian Extreme 296 and Hakka 300 (both studded for winter), some others...
Bike Setup:
Turner XCE (Fox Vanilla/Fox Vanilla) and 5-Spot (Romic/Z1 SL)
Bottom Line:
This is a one year followup. I bought some Cores (same tire as the Dual but with a kevlar bead) thinking I could save a few grams. Well, my Cores weight exactly the same as my Duals (within 5 grams). Strange but true. My Duals are about a year old and I have run a little tread off them, but both came in right at 850g. I could not air the Duals up with Stan's and I can get the Cores to hold air, so not a total loss.
I have not had any more knobs come loose and all my sets are holding together very well. The rubber is pretty durable if you don't ride on tons of abrasive rock (sandstone) but that hard rubber also does not grip wet rock/wood that well. A sticky rubber version of these tires would be pretty cool, though with the tall knobs really squishy rubber may feel too squirmy.
I am still very happy with these tires (I have 2 sets of Dual 2.3s and one set of Core 2.3s). I have tried other tires in the last year, but they have all been disappointments in one way or another and make me come back to my Nokians. My local conditions offer some packed gravel, soft wet mud, mossy rooty forest trails, nasty sharp rock descents, packed volcanic ash (fine sand), dry frozen ground, you name it. Everything except real hard pack (well, I guess the frozen ground qualifies) or loose sandy/dusty stuff. The Duals and Cores simply beat all other tires listed above for all around in all these conditions. The Geax roll faster but don't offer the mud performance and don't corner well. The WTBs suck in the mud and get cut up too easily. The Nokians are just the best all around.
I am upping my ratings to 5 flaming podgers all around because after comparing a number of other tires, these only look better all the time.
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Submitted by
Timothy Freund
a Cross Country Rider
from Thousand Oaks, Ca USA Date Reviewed: October 24, 2003
This tire is out of this world awesome. It pulls you up ruts. Allows you to ride on banks without fear of falling in... ok with fear but with confidence. By far the best tire ever made. But, they cost $80 for a pair - Universalcycles.com, and they don't last more than a month, month and a half tops. These are racing tires that you have to change regularly and they cost so bloody much! Still, hard to buy anything else once you've had these. Use these if you can afford them, but be aware that like an excellent Cabernet, it costs alot, you use it, enjoy it and face the reality that unless you pony up to spend again, anything else leaves you wanting.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Tom
a Cross Country Rider
from Waterloo, IA, USA Date Reviewed: October 6, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Ulrich & Sugarbottom
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$13.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
At 2.3", great tread print. Super traction in every situation thus far.
Weaknesses:
Pretty heavy compared to the IRC Mythos I was using. Wire bead.
I have never used a tire with this much usable traction. It does barely fit between the chainstays on the Bontrager, but definitely worth the risk to get this result. It is a heavy tire, and maybe the Boazobeana would be a better choice, but the price was right and the performance was definitely spot on.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Philip
a Cross Country Rider
from Kodiak, AK USA Date Reviewed: May 14, 2003
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$15.00
Purchased At:
eBay
Strengths:
Phenomenal mud/soft conditions traction. Sheds mud and what mud does stick does not seem to limit traction that much: the tips of the knobs always seem to protrude. Durable. I like them enough to own 2 sets now. I have rotated a few other tires through my bike but always come right back to the Nokians.
Weaknesses:
One knob developed a "flapper"- partially torn loose from the casing. I Glued it back in place and it has stayed. Not great cornering on firm surfaces. The crazy tall and soft side knobs just fold flat sort of unexpectedly. There is no transition here, the tire just mushes/washes out suddenly. Some tires will start to drift when really pushed, these just skate. Expect it and you will do fine.
I am being tough on them here, because no tire with such great mud performance is going to corner well on firm surfaces.
Similar Products Used:
Lots
Bike Setup:
XCE
Bottom Line:
This is a 6 month follow-up review. I still love them. They are wearing very well. We have lots of extremely sharp rocks here and though I have gotten a few cuts and pinch flats, the tires are holding up extremely well. Some tread wear, but I have a good 1000 miles on them, so I'm happy.
Nokian really put huge knobs on a 2.1 casing to make it a 2.3. The tire would likely corner better with a bigger volume casing and reduced size shoulder knobs, but this would detract from the mud performance, so it is a trade-off. I would hate to use these on slickrock or high-angle/speed cornering on any relatively firm surface, but in the soft stuff we have here where I live, they are tough to beat.
I have swapped the MutanoRaptors and Weirwolfs through my bike a few times this winter and was immediately so turned off by their performance I always threw the Duals right back on. The WTBs do ok when it is bone dry, but as soon as there is a little mud, forget it.
My next set will be the Cores to save a few grams. Otherwise these are the (almost) perfect coastal Alaska tire.
4 chilis for value because they aren't free. 5 for overall if you use them as a soft conditions tire (otherwise subtract a few chilis if you use them for an all-around tire).
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jim Razz
a Downhiller
from Los Gatos, CA. USA Date Reviewed: April 11, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Sawpit
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$45.00
Purchased At:
Online
Strengths:
Deep tread spits rocks
Weaknesses:
Deep tread spits rocks
Similar Products Used:
Kujo + a million others
Bike Setup:
Blur with Fox 125 RLC
Bottom Line:
I wanted to make my Blur more of a Freeride bike. The 2.3's barely fit, (but they fit!) Made my bike handle the fast tight twisties like you would not believe! I bought the "Core" version. Same as the Dual but with a kevlar bead. 8 bucks more expensive, a little lighter. You notice the extra tire wieght, but to me it's way worth it.I'm thinking of buying another set for my Bullit/Foes DH bike. My advice from 15 years of riding MTB...Use different tires for different rides! If you want to go fast downhill, be prepared to pedal the extra wieght on the uphills. If you just want to pass people on the climbs, then stick with the wimpy floppy tires and pump them up to 60 psi, and jack your seatpost up around 3 feet. Just don't cry when you slide off the trail and faceplant because it was "too slippery"
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dimm
a Cross Country Rider
from new york Date Reviewed: March 26, 2003
Favorite Trail:
all of them
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$40.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Everything, these tires are diesel, they dont mess around...u dont slip, slide...they grasp to the ground...and hold their own..nothing else like it
Weaknesses:
none!!!!
Similar Products Used:
maxxis mobster
Bike Setup:
gary fisher sugar 1, all xtr, mavic sl disc, fox float 100rlc, thompson seat post and stem, easton handle bars selle italia saddle
Bottom Line:
the best freeride tires out there, under rated in my opinion, worth the price they are more expensive then most, but then again u get what u paid for!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Derek
a Downhiller
from Fresno, CA Date Reviewed: March 14, 2003
Favorite Trail:
007 @ Bass Lake
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$40.00
Strengths:
-Great Grip all the time! Corners, braking, hard, loose, all perfect -Stiff sidewalls -No pinch flats last year! -Makes my DH bike feel light(2lb lighter than nokian 2.6)
Weaknesses:
-Maybe a tad heavy on my hard tail, but I am calling this a moot point since they grip so well. -Maybe a bit pricey
Similar Products Used:
Panaracer Fire DH (crap), IRC Kujo, nokian 2.6, IRC Back country, and many many more.
Bike Setup:
XC Bike: Trek carbon hard tail, xt and other light stuff DH Bike: Santa Cruz Super 8, white bros fork, magura brakes
Bottom Line:
I use these on my 24lb xc bike for after work rides and on my DH bike when I free ride. I like to bring up the point that a tire has one job and one job only, and that is traction. That said this tire is perfect if you don't want to crash. It is the best cornering xc tire I have ever ridden. I ride mostly in dry coditions ranging from hardpack to loose loam and sand. Although I did ride them in Moab as well and they were great there. I never get flats with them and they are light weight. Well, for use on the DH bike they are light, most people would say they are heavy and stupid for the hardtail, but I don't agree. Good tires are the only way to go fast and have fun on a hard tail and these tire let me do that. I would buy another pair in a second. Worth every penny and every gram. I am tired of constant flats and crashed you get on 2.0" tires. These solve that problem. They are expensive but worth it since they work so well and are wearing very good.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Philip
a
from Kodiak, Alaska USA Date Reviewed: November 29, 2002
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$15.00
Purchased At:
eBay
Strengths:
Great mud tire. Excellent in medium-soft conditions, grass, packed sand, small to medium gravel. Big tire and wide shoulders for a 2.3 (finally, a "true" 2.3). Super tough casing. Surprisingly fast on hard surfaces for such big knobs. Actually pretty slow in soft conditions as the tall knobs punch into surface and slow you down (but, hey, that is how they grip so well).
Weaknesses:
Heavy. Tall knobs squirm a little on rock surfaces. Rubber not that grippy on wet rock (or on wet roots but no tire is) compared to WTB DNA rubber, for instance. Hard to find. Prices all over the place. Not that great on solid rock, large cobbles, and stuff where the knobs don't have a chance to dig in and do their thing.
Similar Products Used:
WTB Weirwolf 2.5 race (lame durability), Conti Survival Pro 2.3 (great tire), and about a million XC tires.
Bike Setup:
Turner XCE, etc.
Bottom Line:
I got these because my Weirwolfs kept popping on me. I cannot believe WTB bills the Weirwolf race as a freeride tire. It is actually an overinflated light XC tire. The Nokians certainly have a much burlier casing than the Weirwolf race, but are also heavier and have a smaller volume. The Weirwolfs beat the Nokians on hardpack, large rocks, and wet rock surfaces. The Nokians spank the Weirwolfs in any soft conditions like mud or sand where the tread might pack up, or anyplace with sharp rocks where casing punctures could be an issue. The Nokians are a little like the Survivals in terms of grip and mud shedding in the wet, but the Nokians roll much faster (the Survivals are like freaking paddlewheels). The Survivals have very supple yet durable casings (need high pressure not to fold over), and are lighter than the Nokians, but the grip and mud shedding is similar. I think the Nokians will take more abuse, but we will see. For folks who spend a lot of time in mud and soft stuff, the Nokians are incredible, but if you also cross a lot of wet rock and roots, this may not be as good a choice as some other company's rubber.
The Duals strike a good balance between a DH tire and an XC tire. I was a little concerned about descending on the Duals after feeling knob squirm on the climbs, but they handled pretty well. They are not the best at speed on rock and cobbles, but we have so much mud here that I will sacrifice a little hardpack cornering performance for extra grip in the goo. They really hook up in the soft stuff and shed mud exceptionally well.
4 stars for value if you can find them cheap.
4 stars for overall because they are good at what they were designed for, but don't confuse them with a true all-around tire.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Kelly
a
from Upstate NY Date Reviewed: November 15, 2002
Favorite Trail:
anything (but especially Plattekill)
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$34.00
Purchased At:
Universalcycles.com
Strengths:
This is for the Gazz. 2.3 Core, not the dual. I'm told the core is a kevlar bead, and the dual is steel. Core is a bit lighter. Grip, stability, climbing.
Weaknesses:
weight
Similar Products Used:
WTB velociraptor, Conti. vert. pro 2.3
Bike Setup:
San Andreas, Risse astro5, Marz. Z1FR, xt drive, rhyno lites, gazz. core rear, conti. vert. pro 2.3 front
Bottom Line:
Wow. After riding wtb & contis, this is a different world of grip. I can climb things I could not before. Grip over wet off-camber roots that caused problems with others are much tamed with this. Huge confidence builder. I'm running about 36 psi rear without a pinch in about 20 rides. I tried it in front, but I agree it is too much traction, so stayed with the conti up front. When Plattekill opens up in the spring, though, I'll put another on the front. It is a bit heavy, particularly with rhyno lites, but once rolling it will crunch & roll over anything. Super product for a fair price. 5x5
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Joe
a Cross Country Rider
from Buckley, Wa usa Date Reviewed: August 31, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Dry
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
Bonney Lake Bike shop
Strengths:
Climbing and cornering. Best I've had. Back tire only for me though.
Weaknesses:
When on the front I felt it got too much traction. Not really a weakness if you get use to it though.
Similar Products Used:
I have quite the collection in the garage.
Bike Setup:
2.4 Motor Raptor in front and 2.3 Gaz in back.
Bottom Line:
This is my favorite all around tractor tire for the trails I ride here in Washington. I haven't tried them in severe mud but soft, hardpack, wet/dry and in anything in between has been excellent. Great climbing tire. I have no problem getting this tire set up going fast. I go over roots and log piles confidently(predictably).
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Busta Browne
a Cross Country Rider
from Austin Date Reviewed: April 29, 2002
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
Nokian Freebie
Strengths:
Corners like mad... Big knobs... Excellent grip... Tough.
Weaknesses:
Heavy... Slow rollin.
Similar Products Used:
WTB MotoRaptor, Hutchinson Mosquito Air Lite 2.3
Bike Setup:
Two wheels and frame and dirt
Bottom Line:
Of all the tires I've tried so far in the 2.3-inch or bigger category, this has been by far the best cornering tire of the lot. It's not a miracle by any means so you still have to weight the front end but there wasn't near as much sliding out as the other tires I've used. When turning sharp through dirt then over rock and back to dirt, the tire never flinched. Kept me upright the entire time. The rear did admirably too keeping me chugging on the steep uphills and not washing out unless provoked.
The sidewalls are relatively tough and the tire overall seems tougher than others I've tried. Definately stiffer than the svelt Hutchinsons. I didn't pinch flat at any time or flat at all for any reason for that matter. I have yet to notice any wear on the rear either although I've yet to really do a long-term run of the tires.
The few drawbacks to this tire are the weight and rolling resistance. I do XC riding so lugging around almost 800 grams worth of tire was a bit slow. Adding to the reduction in pace was the slow rolling of the tires. Like I said earlier, the knobs are big. Big knobs tend to lead to slow rolling. This tire was no exception. These two drawbacks however are the price paid for gripping swoopy goodness.
Considering these tires were free compliments of Dad at Nokian, the minuses can be overlooked but I still had to mention them since most people have to buy their tires. Also, most tires in this size with large knobs will be about the same weight so there really is no reason to use weight as a comparison. Eh.
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Submitted by
Neil
a Downhiller
from oz Date Reviewed: January 1, 2002
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
Incredible traction, lighter than standard gazzy, high quality
Awesome urban and slalom tire. They are lighter than the standard gaazy, but don't have the heavy duty sidealls, so need a little more air pressure to prevent pinch flatting. Incredible traction, cheaper than maxxis/michelin. Highly reccomend
$ 55.00
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