The Maxxis equivalent to Super Trail, is EXO+.

The Maxxis equivalent to Super Gravity, is Double Down.

The Maxxis equivalent to Addix Soft, is MaxxTerra, The Maxxis equivalent of Addix Ultra Soft is MaxxGrip.

Broad strokes here, the Magic Mary is considered in the same class of tire as the Assegai, as a "lots and lots of traction" tire, that people usually use on the front. However, the Magic Mary and Assegai excel in slightly different conditions. The Assegai clogs with mud easily, and is usually more of a dry, to hero dirt conditions sort of tire. The Magic Mary is more open in its tread design, and therefore does better when the conditions get wetter/looser. There is some overlap of course, but broad strokes, thats an ok way to think about it.

Also, width is somewhat contested. I'd say there is a goldilocks width that is great for each rider, but that width might depend on the riders size, speed, and terrain. The TRUELY fast people out there (pros) don't appear to like tires as wide as 2.6in, presumably because they squirm more at speed. Most world cup downhill racers, race with 2.4, or 2.5in tires, if that helps you at all.

However, most of us are mere mortals, and are NOT that fast. So a higher volume tire might not have as many downsides, and may have more upsides. But its hard to just "know that" without any testing for each person.

And finally, Maxxis is known to have tires that are somewhat undersized. Their 2.5's and 2.6's aren't quite as large as some other brands. Scwhalbe used to be the opposite. Their old 2.35in Magic Marys used to measure almost 2.5in. But they appear to have gone to a more true to size rating system now, as their 2.4in MM is smaller than their old 2.35in version.

Personally, I'm quite happy with my 2.5in WTB Verdict out front.

 

The Maxxis equivalent to Super Trail, is EXO+.

The Maxxis equivalent to Super Gravity, is Double Down.

The Maxxis equivalent to Addix Soft, is MaxxTerra, The Maxxis equivalent of Addix Ultra Soft is MaxxGrip.

Broad strokes here, the Magic Mary is considered in the same class of tire as the Assegai, as a "lots and lots of traction" tire, that people usually use on the front. However, the Magic Mary and Assegai excel in slightly different conditions. The Assegai clogs with mud easily, and is usually more of a dry, to hero dirt conditions sort of tire. The Magic Mary is more open in its tread design, and therefore does better when the conditions get wetter/looser. There is some overlap of course, but broad strokes, thats an ok way to think about it.

Also, width is somewhat contested. I'd say there is a goldilocks width that is great for each rider, but that width might depend on the riders size, speed, and terrain. The TRUELY fast people out there (pros) don't appear to like tires as wide as 2.6in, presumably because they squirm more at speed. Most world cup downhill racers, race with 2.4, or 2.5in tires, if that helps you at all.

However, most of us are mere mortals, and are NOT that fast. So a higher volume tire might not have as many downsides, and may have more upsides. But its hard to just "know that" without any testing for each person.

And finally, Maxxis is known to have tires that are somewhat undersized. Their 2.5's and 2.6's aren't quite as large as some other brands. Scwhalbe used to be the opposite. Their old 2.35in Magic Marys used to measure almost 2.5in. But they appear to have gone to a more true to size rating system now, as their 2.4in MM is smaller than their old 2.35in version.

Personally, I'm quite happy with my 2.5in WTB Verdict out front.

Thanks for that, VERY clear and concise, I really appreciate that!

And that last part agrees with what I "thought" I had read in the past, but couldn't remember. That Maxxis tires are a little smaller than what they say they are, and Scwalbe a bit bigger. But didn't know that their new tires are actually the correct width or slightly smaller though. Good to know.

So follow up, in your opinion, does a wider tire make more of a difference or a softer rubber compound for better cornering and traction in general?

 

2.6" in Maxxis's lineup is like a half plus tire. They're for higher volume lighter duty applications. Racers generally run 2.3-2.5" tires so that's why you don't see DH 2.6" tires from most brands.

 

@SuperWookie Good to hear you’re starting to come to GRIPS with your setup, and trying things out in the wild. There’s some really great advice in this thread.

It’s mentioned in a few threads that buying tires in Germany can save you considerable $$$. For the most part they ring in at 35-50% off the prices here. Even with shipping you end up saving, and buying a few sets of a favorite tire is wise in these trying times.

I’ve had good success with bike24 when ordering Magura parts and other goodies. Not so much with bike-components. However YMMV…

 

10 posts till someone mentions DHF for a great front tire with grip for days

Avoid the Assegai in anything less than Maxxgrip- it has an odd rebound resonance that will make the front free skittish

 

Not my experience. IMO, a maxxterra assegai is superior to a maxxterra dhf for front grip and consistency, although it needs 1-2 less psi then the dhf to feel secure. Maxxgrip is superior across the board, but the assegai vs dhf comparison is still true for me in maxxgrip.

It's also worth noting that in good, dry, loamy and rocky conditions there is little noticable difference in grip between max grip and max terra. Grip difference is noticable in the wet!.....

Lastly, if you go for full dh casing, full super tacky you will find times when that combo is slower and less fun to ride than lighter less grip tires..... it has to be quite gnarly before the dh casing max grip option yields faster results.

Everyone's terrain is different... but in our socal, dry, rocky, loose conditions, the maxxgrip is significantly more grippy then the maxxterra. I do agree on the dh tires though, I need to be able to let the bike fly and ride mach chicken on steeps that are typically steeper then most bike parks have, for a maxxgrip dh tire to be worth it. Otherwise it feels like i'm pedaling into jumps and struggling to maintain rolling speed.

 

I'm currently running max grip minion dhf 2.5 3c exo casing. I dont have too many rocks so a dh casing is not generally required. Plus I ride/carry/push most rides so some efficiency and weight savings is of benefit.

Next step up is to dh casing super tacky minion to the rear. Then dual super tack dh casings front and rear.. for ultimate park smashing when its steep an there's 100% shuttle.

I have more wet that super dry so the assgay not the go around here.

Note. Each time you step up grip you increase rolling resistance and make your bike feel more like a tank.

If you have to pedal then its worth striking a compromise between grip and efficiency. Eg run exo casing on the front, max terra compound on the back.......

It's also worth noting that in good, dry, loamy and rocky conditions there is little noticable difference in grip between max grip and max terra. Grip difference is noticable in the wet!.....

Lastly, if you go for full dh casing, full super tacky you will find times when that combo is slower and less fun to ride than lighter less grip tires..... it has to be quite gnarly before the dh casing max grip option yields faster results.

 

WTB vigilante 2.6

 

2.5. That 2.6 should be called a 2.8!

 

I have both the Assegai 2.5 Double Down and the Magic Mary 2.4 Super Gravity. To echo what you've already read, the Assegai excels in dry and loose conditions. The Magic Mary is better than the Assegai in wet and sloppy. The Schwalbe tire has more pronounce knobs and I think they just fold over more easily.

When you put the two tires up to each other the Maxxis is visibly larger.

I have a Kenda Hellkat 2.6 and for enduro/DH riding it's too bouncy and thin-walled. It's great for flotation in soft dust as long as you don't expect to go DH speeds. For the type of riding that you like to do you don’t want a 2.6. Although they’re higher volume they also have light duty casings. They’d be ridiculously heavy if they came in a DH casing so that’s why you haven’t been able to find them.

30+ psi is really abnormally high despite what Dougal says.

Cush Core will let you drop a few pounds of pressure and increases sidewall support, which improves cornering. It also protects the rim from damage (rather than cause it, despite what Dougal says).

Summary: If you want to try an Assegai (and based upon good reviews from your local riders you should), then I'd say you want a 29x2.5WT Double Down MaxxGrip with CushCore Pro insert. Start at 25psi front/28psi rear and adjust from there.

 

Disclaimer— I’ve never tried an Assegai, but might try one mid-summer this season when it’s dry. Most of our trails have a lot of clay and I worry about how tight the Assegai’s knob placement is for the wet seasons.

A lot of the trails I ride have a pretty soft, loamy surface with some roots and rocks, and most of the time a very knobby tire with bigger spacing (Magic Mary, hint hint) excels if not wipes the floor with most Maxxis tires.*

*The Shorty is an amazing tire in the same conditions.

With the Shorty and MM, it doesn’t matter if the conditions are wet or dry; powder, even— they hook up in soft conditions like nothing else.

Now, if the tread is packed, Minions and the Assegai get the upper hand. Don’t overlook the DHR II up front. I ran one on the front of my hardtail for the latter half of last season and it never let me down.

Really, you just need to analyze whether your trails are primarily soft or primarily hardpacked.

If soft, go MM, Shorty, WTB Verdict or Vigilante

If hard, go Assegai, or Minions.

I like 2.6s on my hardtail, but prefer 2.4-2.5s on my enduro bike. Maxxgrip or Schwalbe Ultra Soft up front at all times.

 

Fully agree with @cookieMonster on his experience with the Schwalbe MM. I ran the 29 x 2.4 evo sg early in the 2021 season as a front tire and they are phenomenal in soft wet conditions, but the western NC granite chewed it up in short order. Once the tread blocks were rounded they started to push through the corners especially on loose over hard pack. I switched back to DHF exo maxxgrip, which seem to give me better performance and life on red clay soil while still acceptable in soft wet conditions. The bike was originally equipped with Assegai 2.5 DD’s but the tires had noticeably more pedal resistance than both MM or the DHF. Also, I do more trail riding these days so I didn’t want the added heft of the DD casing, which came in at 1340 grams in the 29 x 2.5 WT size.

 

Having ridden many versions of the MM and currently on an Assegai front, here's my thoughts.

MM 2.35 (old) and 2.4 (current) is great in soft or very loose conditions and works best with rims 25-30mm. Massive levels of grip on the right terrain. Currently I have a 35mm rim on the front and the 2.4 MM isn't a good match. Profile becomes too square and the sideknobs don't engage as they should when you lean. That for me meant less cornering speed. Even with my old 23mm rim the MM worked better.

The Assegai works better on hardpack and dry, loose conditions. Damp is great too, mud not so much. The carcass is very big and the tyre is actually designed for a 35mm rim. It sits very differently on my mates 30mm compared to my 35mm. I also seem more enthusiastic about it. For our mostly dry terrain it's the best front I've ever tried. It's notable how smooth it transitions from side to side. Cornering grip is amazing. Braking is very very good, but doesn't match MM levels.

Casings: Schwalbe tend to be heavier/sturdier than the Maxxis "equivalents". The SuperTrail casing is probably strong enough for most riders as a rear.

I also want to try the updated Shorty. The old version was similar to the MM, but had more of the signature Maxxis channel and cornering. The new one looks like it will be even better.

 

I switched to Assegai after my stock MM wore out after about a year or so. As mentioned above Western NC conditions did wear both Schwalbe's pretty good after a year of so. I like the Assegai and it's definitely more durable than the MM. However, I will go back to the MM next as the rolling resistance on the Assegai is much much more noticeable.

 

As a Clydesdale I feel for traction and stability, thick casing, wide rims, and wide tires have a big effect. Also a stiff chassis. So the 2.6 Vigilante on a 35mm rim with a 38/Zeb is going to give you the stability and traction the little guys[emoji6]have with lesser setups. I have a 38 on my Switchblade and I’m running a 2.6 Butcher on a Nox 36mm rim. Night and day on slow and fast chunk when compared to the usual AM setups. If you ride a lot of true double blacks, maybe a chopped dual crown fork would be of benefit.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

You have to be careful with cockpit setup; especially if lengthening effective reach also increases bar height (longer stem, rolling bars forward). I rolled my bars forward recently and thought the forward weight shift would offset the traction loss from the bar height increase...nope, much worse.

Increasing bar height can take weight off the front wheel as we all know. So generally the advice to shift the weight bias toward the front wheel is a lower and more forward bar position. This is true...kinda. Shifting the bar forward (while height stays the same) moves the static weight bias forward, mainly while seated. When standing, it's good practice to keep your weight centered over the BB and light/neutral hands. So as the bar moves forward to keep neutral weight you have to straighten your arms and your COM is now further behind the bars. At some point it actually gets harder to weight the bars. You'll find in corners it feels harder to get "on top" of the bars and therefore harder to dynamically weight the front. So to properly dynamically weight the bars and front wheel my advice is lower the bars but keep the effective reach kinda short. Basically it should be easy to get over/on the bars while still being comfortable (not too much pressure in the hands).

 

You have to be careful with cockpit setup; especially if lengthening effective reach also increases bar height (longer stem, rolling bars forward). I rolled my bars forward recently and thought the forward weight shift would offset the traction loss from the bar height increase...nope, much worse.

Increasing bar height can take weight off the front wheel as we all know. So generally the advice to shift the weight bias toward the front wheel is a lower and more forward bar position. This is true...kinda. Shifting the bar forward (while height stays the same) moves the static weight bias forward, mainly while seated. When standing, it's good practice to keep your weight centered over the BB and light/neutral hands. So as the bar moves forward to keep neutral weight you have to straighten your arms and your COM is now further behind the bars. At some point it actually gets harder to weight the bars. You'll find in corners it feels harder to get "on top" of the bars and therefore harder to dynamically weight the front. So to properly dynamically weight the bars and front wheel my advice is lower the bars but keep the effective reach kinda short. Basically it should be easy to get over/on the bars while still being comfortable (not too much pressure in the hands).

So with my height being such a big issue, I'm not sure how much I can do to help myself out here ? I chose the Megatower XXL as it's basically the largest bike I can find in an Enduro/DH type bike, that is from a very good brand. There was maybe 1-2 other bikes out there that were around the same size (at the time I bought it. Now of course there are 2-3 bikes even bigger that I wish I could try), but not with the reputation and amazing warranty of SC.

Then, I have the Enve Alloy 35 stem in the longest length, 65mm. Deity Racepoint alloy bars in the 25mm rise. And then I never cut the steerer on my Manitou Mezzer Pro fork. So I have at least 1-1.5" of spacers under the stem, and an additional 1/2-3/4" on top of the stem. I have the bars set neutral (not rolled back or rolled forward).

And even with all of that, I'm still pretty sure I'm not at the correct reach for my height. My bike is 666 stack and 515 reach, but with the longer stem, it's around 535-540. I always feel like I'm ON top of my bike, not IN it, like all these people around 6' or shorter look. I'm assuming I'd need something more in the 700 +/- stack range, 540 or more reach, and much larger tires to be IN the bike. But that's never going to happen. But... it's the biggest bike I could find and I'm just trying to make do and do my best. I love it and am having SO much fun, even if it doesn't fit right. I already knew that going into this, with my height always being an issue.

Another issue is the place I ride has a lot of very steep and fast trails and areas on trails. So I've read that having a higher rise bar is good for that, to help keep my upper body UP more and my weight back a little. So I've been thinking of going to an even higher rise bar. The Racepoint comes in a 38mm rise, so was thinking of trying that. There are more than a few times on certain trails I feel like I'm going to tip over the front of my bike, even with my legs bent and my butt way out back past my saddle. It's because I'm so tall. So having a higher rise bar, in my mind, makes sense to get me even more up, so I don't endo over the front on the steep sections. But then you and some others saying I may need to get even lower to help with cornering is confusing me, haha.

I'll try lowering my stem 5-10mm by putting it underneath the stack of spacers. See if that helps. But I can't do much about the actual reach, as I have a 65mm stem and not going to buy another one. It was a pretty expensive part (looks the TITS though). And hold off on getting a higher rise bar for now. Thanks

 

I really didn't know when I bought these tires about the different widths and just got what I thought was normal (2.4). But after reading articles and talking to some local riders, a wider tire is better in almost every single way.

[snip]

And then last question, what is more important for grip/traction/keeping speed high through corners? Going from 2.4 width tire to a 2.6 width? Or going from Soft compound to Ultra soft compound?

Thanks

I tried 2.6 tires briefly (DHR2 and Rekon). They felt slow and vague, especially in loose flat corners. I’d say wider tires provide better grip for faster rolling tires, but for an aggressive knobby tire, you want the knobs to do their work. 2.4-2.5 is the idea size for that.

Along these lines, I’m building a gravity wheel set for park use this year. Since I won’t be climbing with them, I want the grippiest tires I can. They will be DH casings and soft compounds. I’m leaning Magic Mary (my experience with them is impressive), but I’m curious about the Michelin options. The Wild Rock’R 2 was the grippiest tire I’ve ever tried. It rained sand on me for the first few weeks. Anyone have experience with the Michelins?

 

I tried 2.6 tires briefly (DHR2 and Rekon). They felt slow and vague, especially in loose flat corners. I’d say wider tires provide better grip for faster rolling tires, but for an aggressive knobby tire, you want the knobs to do their work. 2.4-2.5 is the idea size for that.

Along these lines, I’m building a gravity wheel set for park use this year. Since I won’t be climbing with them, I want the grippiest tires I can. They will be DH casings and soft compounds. I’m leaning Magic Mary (my experience with them is impressive), but I’m curious about the Michelin options. The Wild Rock’R 2 was the grippiest tire I’ve ever tried. It rained sand on me for the first few weeks. Anyone have experience with the Michelins?

I have been running a 29x2.6 Michelin Wild AM2 in front and the same in 2.4 out back. I had the 2.4 in the fro t originally in 30mm internal width rims and the front end would wash out briefly and catch in the SoCal conditions I ride. Not as bad as the DHF it replaced but it was noticeable. I put the 2.6 Wild AM2 on front and it was noticeable better than the 2.4. Generally run 25ish psi in the front with the 2.6.
Also gad Wild Enduro gum-x in front and did not like it. Sude knobs would fold and wash out worse than DHF

 

I can't really say what your setup should be specifically because I'm 3" shorter. Ben Cathro (6'7" WC DH racer) has an XXL Megatower so you can check out how his bike is setup (YouTube and Instagram).

You're 6'8", you'll never look like someone 5'6" riding a bike. I don't try to copy short rider's position and set up. I'd also warn it's easy to get caught up thinking your bike always needs to be bigger. Cathro's setup is nothing extreme, he doesn't have a super tall bar, long stem and a bunch of stem spacers.

Simply put, the cockpit needs to small enough you can get on/over the bars but not so small you feel you can't get off of them.

 

Crap, I lost my reply somehow. A few things:

1) Tires- Pick from the WTB Verdict, Magic Mary, Assegai, Vittoria Mazza, Michelin Wild Enduro, or others. They are all close, just feel a bit different. Stay at the 2.4-2.5, wider on your rims will round the tire more making the edges harder to engage, plus you will have less support as the wider tires want a wider rim. As you are a big rider, you already need as much support from your casings as you can get.

2) Bars/Reach- You are having the classic tall rider problem. As you move your bars up with spacers, you move them up about 9mm and back about 4.5 mm for every 10mm spacer you run under the stem. You end up in a situation where you keep shortening the reach to get the height you need because the headtubes on XXL bikes are not scaled properly. The solution is much taller bars like the Diety 80mm rise or Spank 35 Vibrocore 60mm. I would try the Spanks, you can remove 30mm or spacers and pick up 13 mm of reach with the bars 5mm higher than now. In addition, because they are an 8 degree sweep instead of your current bar's 9 degree, you will pick up another 7mm of reach, effectively moving to a 85mm stem with your current setup. This will get your weight more when you need it without dropping the bars so you feel like you are going over the front and likely get you the traction you need on the front.

 

Lots of great responses in this thread.

My favorite front tire is the Tioga Edge 22 2.5 x 29 Soft by a fair margin as it has phenomenal traction and rolls quite reasonably.

If I was only riding at bike parks and rolling resistance didn't matter at all I'd run the Mazza and then maybe the Assagai, both of which I've tried and quite liked. Mazza was better for me though of these 2. It's just they didn't provide any more traction than the E22 while rolling notably slower.

Context: I only ride hardpack dry rocky conditions and my front wheel is 33mm ID.

 

Going to a super high rise bar and lowering stem spacers is the same as running a lot of spacers and a longer stem (both increase bar distance from the steering axis). There's no free lunch. The steering axis (steerer tube) cannot be moved. So going up in bar height vertically has diminishing returns to prevent that OTB feeling because the higher you go the further in front of the steering axis you get.

You already have a long stem, going to a vertically positioned super high rise bar is going to make that feel even longer. I'm 6'5" and run a 40mm stem and have my 25 mm rise bars rolled to be parallel with the steering axis. I understand wanting the bike to fit but at some point moving the bars up and forward is going to be too much of a trade off in handling. I've owned bikes that were too small and I'd rather have the bike fit on the small side than to have the effective stem length get ridiculous. Personally, I get the bars as high as I need but the stem length (including effective stem length) is based on handling characteristics regardless of whether or not I prefer a longer cockpit. Moving the bars forward with a longer stem works great for sitting down but for out of the saddle handling you can't cheat frame sizing.

How much saddle to bar drop do you have now?

 

If you want the most front tire grip possible, the WTB verdict (or verdict wet if you need it) is unbeatable imo. Noticeably more grip than a maxxgrip assegai, vigilante, butcher, etc. It is a slow roller though so not for all applications; I have one mounted on a bike i save for the gnarliest of adventures. Wouldn't use one on a trail bike.

 

I love my Verdict. Of the tires you listed, I can only concur with it having noticably more traction than the Vigilante I had on before. I can't disagree on the other tires... I just haven't ridden/owned those tires, so I have "no data" on them, other than hearsay.

I will say though, the Verdict is more like the MM, mixed with a shorty though. Its larger, taller, more open blocks work GREAT in the softer conditions, but I think in harder packed conditions it might squirm more than some others. Just thought it worth mentioning.

Going to a super high rise bar and lowering stem spacers is the same as running a lot of spacers and a longer stem (both increase bar distance from the steering axis). There's no free lunch. The steering axis (steerer tube) cannot be moved. So going up in bar height vertically has diminishing returns to prevent that OTB feeling because the higher you go the further in front of the steering axis you get.

You already have a long stem, going to a vertically positioned super high rise bar is going to make that feel even longer. I'm 6'5" and run a 40mm stem and have my 25 mm rise bars rolled to be parallel with the steering axis. I understand wanting the bike to fit but at some point moving the bars up and forward is going to be too much of a trade off in handling. I've owned bikes that were too small and I'd rather have the bike fit on the small side than to have the effective stem length get ridiculous. Personally, I get the bars as high as I need but the stem length (including effective stem length) is based on handling characteristics regardless of whether or not I prefer a longer cockpit. Moving the bars forward with a longer stem works great for sitting down but for out of the saddle handling you can't cheat frame sizing.

How much saddle to bar drop do you have now?

Totally correct.

One small caveat to what you've said above, is IIRC, most fork manufacturers list a max amount of stems over the top of the headset, which I assume the OP is already at, or close to. So at some point, you'll probably need either a longer stem, or higher rise bars to get around that.

The real solution here is a bigger frame. But understandably, that might not be a real option. So some compromises will have to be made somewhere (longer than ideal stem, taller than ideal bars, etc).

 

Very roughly, the height of your grips should be the same height as your saddle as a starting point. Most will end up with their bars within an inch or so of that. To get there, you need a 60mm+ bar to get the bars high enough without a stack of spacers. To give you an idea, the large megatower has a stack of 625mm while your XXL has a stack of 666mm, an increase of only 40mm when you are 200mm taller than a 6’ tall rider and on average will have about 4” longer legs and in turn saddle height. Really the stack should be about 700mm. To make this up, you need taller bars, or run into the problem you are having, fighting reach getting shorter while you are trying to get the bars where you need them.

Your solutions are taller bars or a longer stem, not shorter and lower. Don’t get hung up that many riders are on 35-50mm stems, most riders are 5’8” to 5’11”, you are 9-12” taller than most. What works for us smaller guys (I say this as someone who is just under 6’) goes out the window at 6’8”.

 

Very roughly, the height of your grips should be the same height as your saddle as a starting point. Most will end up with their bars within an inch or so of that. To get there, you need a 60mm+ bar to get the bars high enough without a stack of spacers. To give you an idea, the large megatower has a stack of 625mm while your XXL has a stack of 666mm, an increase of only 40mm when you are 200mm taller than a 6’ tall rider and on average will have about 4” longer legs and in turn saddle height. Really the stack should be about 700mm. To make this up, you need taller bars, or run into the problem you are having, fighting reach getting shorter while you are trying to get the bars where you need them.

Your solutions are taller bars or a longer stem, not shorter and lower. Don’t get hung up that many riders are on 35-50mm stems, most riders are 5’8” to 5’11”, you are 9-12” taller than most. What works for us smaller guys (I say this as someone who is just under 6’) goes out the window at 6’8”.

Yeah, taller rise bars is probably what I need. And then drop spacers. I found this on Enduro MTB mag and remember glossing over this when I was thinking about my bike build

High MTB bar height – Riser Bar
At the other end of the spectrum, when we swapped to a 40 mm riser bar the changes were instantly noticeable. The riding position is more open with the head and chest higher for a more comfortable ride. On steeper trails we found we were more centralised on the bike, with the weight spread more between the legs and arms, feeling less fatigue. The front wheel was well weighted in corners on steep trails, but we found we could still unweight the wheel over obstacles.

However, on flat trails and slow speed corners, we did not feel as connected to the front wheel and we had to actively ride further forward on the bike for maximum control. In flat turns we had to ride more dynamically, pulling our weight over the bars by stretching our legs to weight the front wheel and avoid understeering.

So for me, this would be ideal! I'm only riding steep DH shuttle assisted trails. Never pedaling much, and almost never have my saddle up. It's always slammed down. I never ride flatter or flat trails, that's boring, haha. I'm first going to try pushing my stem down by taking out all the spacers. See how that works. If I feel way too low, then I'll try out a 40-60mm rise bar at that point. Thanks Cary and everyone else.

 

RAD'ish might be a good idea for him, though he's likely going to have to come up with his own preference and it doesn't look like he's established that yet. I say that being 5'11", but 6'6" wingspan and that's what I had to do. Being around basketball my whole life, if he's 6'8", good chance his ape index has him over a 7 foot wingspan and that's going to blow those formulas out of the water as constructed.

Definitely give Ben Castro's videos a peak, since he's closer in size and currently riding Santa Cruz bikes. Doesn't look like he's doing anything wild with his setup just eyeballing it though.

 

Yeah, mostly saying if he's got no idea where he should be for bar/stem length, its at least a reasonable approach to attempt to find some clarity.

To be clear though, I'm not suggesting he use the formulas for calculating RAD, as that will likely super off as you said. But if he measures it I have higher hopes for accuracy.

 

I have a 2.5 Assegai maxxterra exo+ on the front and took it off because the dry grip wasn't great and it rolled slow. This was hardpack, blown out dust, limestone, and loose pebbles. I guess the maxxgrip would have been slower. I don't envy you guys who ride in mud and wet roots, having to use these soft boat anchor tires.

 

At the end of the day you have to run what’s comfortable to you. I’m 5’11” with a 35in inseam. For years I was receiving misinformation from LBS employees regarding fit. It was only when I was professionally fitted for a road bike I received appropriate advice. I just put my daughter on a bike. I think her bars are too high. I feel the bars are too high on another friend’s bike. I also feel that the 17mm head tube spacer on a friend’s bike to compensate for B+ has made his 29er too slack. They are all happy.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

It was only when I was professionally fitted for a road bike I received appropriate advice.

Does your road bike fit the same as your mountain bike?

 

Going to a 35-36mm wide rim is going to give you better cornering traction with the tires you already have and like.

 

This thread blew up! Lots of good info.

I'm 6'4" on a good day and can echo some of the earlier comments. For a long time I was trying to get maximum bar height out of my bikes. I had a 47mm riser bar (ENVE DH) and a bunch of spacers underneath. I was trying to help my lower back out, and I also just figured that all the M and L bikes had bars level with the saddle so i should too.

I found a really good deal on a 25mm carbon bar and snapped it up for a build, then ended up with a short steerer, so i was forced to have a low bar height on a recent bike build. Suddenly my front tire doesn't wander as much on climbs and i'm able to trust my front tire on corners. I even figured out that my brake levers were what caused the back pain (I had them rotated too far up so i was trying to hunch too much when sprinting out of the saddle).

 

I also just figured that all the M and L bikes had bars level with the saddle so i should too.

I found a really good deal on a 25mm carbon bar and snapped it up for a build, then ended up with a short steerer, so i was forced to have a low bar height on a recent bike build. Suddenly my front tire doesn't wander as much on climbs and i'm able to trust my front tire on corners. I even figured out that my brake levers were what caused the back pain (I had them rotated too far up so i was trying to hunch too much when sprinting out of the saddle).

Yep and that's why I asked Wookie what his saddle to bar drop was. If I had my bars level with my saddle I would have a really hard time keeping grip on my front tire.