I need help understanding a few things about running 2.1 or 2.35 tires on the front. Lately I have been switching between the two sizes and don't quite understand the results I seem to be getting.
I ride in Southern California mostly XC trails. A few rocks here and there but I would say XC. It sure seems to be getting drier and drier so lots of loose dirt/sandy conditions. And I would say I'm more of an XC rider more than anything else. After numerous rides on the same trails, I seem to prefer 2.1 tires over 2.35 tires. The tires I have been using are the Specialized Adrenaline 2.0(worn) vs. the older Specialized Resolution 2.2(new). So exactly the same tread just one bigger and one smaller. They both actually measure bigger and come out to be about a 2.1 and a 2.35. Two other tires are the Kenda Nevegal DTC 2.1(maybe 1/4 worn) and 2.35(new). Both seem correctly sized. My rims are the Mavic 117-not tubeless. I have tested all the tires at 35psi and 30 psi on the same trails. For some reason the 2.35 tires always seem to slip more and not feel as stable. I seem to like the 2.1's over the 2.35's in either tire. All seem better at 30psi, but that makes sense. So, my main question would be if all things are the same, why the heck wouldn't a fatter tire perform better? So also comes a few questions.
1. Do my rims have anything to do with not handling a fatter tire better?
2. Could it be that the 2.1 tires, with the smaller knobs, be the reason why they are sticking better. And if so, could them being worn have anything to do with it?
3. Should I be running the 2.35 at an even lower pressure?
This is all just for the front. For the record, I have run the Adrenaline 2.0 and the Nevegal 2.1 DTC in the back and I definetly prefer the Nevegals in the back. But so far, and I'm probably in the minority, I seem to like to Adrenaline's better in the front.
But again, if all is the same, why wouldn't the 2.35 perform better for me? Any help understanding tires would be awesome.
I ride in Southern California mostly XC trails. A few rocks here and there but I would say XC. It sure seems to be getting drier and drier so lots of loose dirt/sandy conditions. And I would say I'm more of an XC rider more than anything else. After numerous rides on the same trails, I seem to prefer 2.1 tires over 2.35 tires. The tires I have been using are the Specialized Adrenaline 2.0(worn) vs. the older Specialized Resolution 2.2(new). So exactly the same tread just one bigger and one smaller. They both actually measure bigger and come out to be about a 2.1 and a 2.35. Two other tires are the Kenda Nevegal DTC 2.1(maybe 1/4 worn) and 2.35(new). Both seem correctly sized. My rims are the Mavic 117-not tubeless. I have tested all the tires at 35psi and 30 psi on the same trails. For some reason the 2.35 tires always seem to slip more and not feel as stable. I seem to like the 2.1's over the 2.35's in either tire. All seem better at 30psi, but that makes sense. So, my main question would be if all things are the same, why the heck wouldn't a fatter tire perform better? So also comes a few questions.
1. Do my rims have anything to do with not handling a fatter tire better?
2. Could it be that the 2.1 tires, with the smaller knobs, be the reason why they are sticking better. And if so, could them being worn have anything to do with it?
3. Should I be running the 2.35 at an even lower pressure?
This is all just for the front. For the record, I have run the Adrenaline 2.0 and the Nevegal 2.1 DTC in the back and I definetly prefer the Nevegals in the back. But so far, and I'm probably in the minority, I seem to like to Adrenaline's better in the front.
But again, if all is the same, why wouldn't the 2.35 perform better for me? Any help understanding tires would be awesome.
