[crembz]

Hi there,

Apologies for yet another tyre post. I've been reading and researching for the past several days on this one.

I have a Nukeproof Scout 275 running factory 27.5 x 2.6 DHF DC f&r. on 29mm inner wheels.

I ride a mixture of terrain including hardpack, loose gravel and sand over hard with rocks, roots, both slower technical stuff and faster sweeping trails. Only thing I don't often deal with is mud.

I'm riding both up and downhill on most of this wet and dry. I'm not a super aggressive rider and for the most part avoid massive jumps and drops where I can.

I'm happy with my setup downhill, the bike shines here. Uphill, I don't really care, I get up there eventually. I am trying to improve how much speed I can carry through the flats and how quickly I can accelerate.

E.g. Exit berm one, short flat, enter berm two in most cases has me pedaling constantly to keep my speed up. I feel like the DHFs are sucking too much momentum from me.

Would anyone know which of these combinations are likely to give me respectable traction downhill without robbing momentum on the flats? I guess I'm chasing more AM characteristics out of the front and more XC like characteristics out of the rear. Not sure if that is wise or even doable.

2.6 DHF DC/2.6 Forekaster DC
2.6 DHF DC/2.6 Rekon/Rekon Race/Ardent Race DC
2.6 Forekaster 3C/ 2.6 Rekon/Rekon Race/Ardent Race DC
2.6 or 2.8 Butcher/2.6 or 2.8 Ground control or slaughter(GRID)
2.6 or 2.8 Purgatory/2.6 or 2.8 GC or slaughter (GRID)
2.6 or 2.8 GC/2.6/2.8 GC or slaughter (GRID)
2.6 XR5/2.6 or 2.4 XR4
2.6 XR4/2.6 or 2.4 XR4
2.8 XR4/2.8 XR3 (new XR3)
2.6 XR4/2.35 XR3 (old XR3)
2.6 XR4/2.6 XR2

I'm including 2.8"s as an option for the Spec tyres because I keep reading that they are undersized and actually come in closer to 2.6.

Cheapest option is to keep the DC minion up front and swap the rear to a FK, Rekon or Ardent Race.
I have 0 experience with Specialized other than the LBS are super helpful and very knowledgeable.
I've never tried the more aggressive tyre options from Bonti so I do not know how much better the XR5/4 are at rolling than the DHF.
I'm not sure of the wetter weather (not mud) capabilities of the lighter Maxxis options in the rear.

Also, given I have no rear squish, is a move to 2.8" tyres worth considering? I keep reading about folding sidewalls and bouncing behavior which I'd rather avoid.

Thanks everyone.

 

[*OneSpeed*]

I really like the Forekaster in 29x2.35. That or the Recon will be a faster/lighter tire than the minions and still offer good grip.

 

[Schulze]

2.6 XR5/XR5. It's not a slow tire. But for "aggressive" trail I'd put an SE version on the rear.

 

[jeremy3220]

I am trying to improve how much speed I can carry through the flats and how quickly I can accelerate.

I'd go with a 2.6 Rekon in the rear (that's what I'm running on my GG Pedalhead). 2.8 will accelerate slower. The Rekon out back should be enough traction for nearly any trail riding (except mud or extended steep descents). It rolls very fast and honestly for most of my trail riding I don't mind the rear getting a bit loose (loose = fun).

E.g. Exit berm one, short flat, enter berm two in most cases has me pedaling constantly to keep my speed up.

If you're having to pedal much to maintain speed on a descent then you're undoubtedly going to be faster overall with a faster rolling tire.

 

[crembz]

It rolls very fast and honestly for most of my trail riding I don't mind the rear getting a bit loose (loose = fun).

If you're having to pedal much to maintain speed on a descent then you're undoubtedly going to be faster overall with a faster rolling tire.

I agree, a loose end i don't mind. I'm fine on the descent but as soon as the trail flattens out momentum seems to go out the window.

How would the rekon compare to the forekaster? Some are saying it rolls slower, in other places i read its quicker. I'm also getting mixed information about their braking and climbing ability.

@Schulze XR5 has my interest but seems like a lot of tyre to go f&r. I have no experience with them but they seem very similar to a dhr2. I tried seeing if anyone has done a direct comparison but couldn't find anything. Have you been able to ride them both and compare?

 

[jeremy3220]

I haven't had a chance to directly compare the Forekaster and Rekon in the same size or on the same bike. I'm fairly certain the Rekon rolls faster (assuming it's the same compound and size). The Forekaster definitely has a more aggressive tread pattern and you can feel those knobs more on smooth surfaces. The 2.6 Rekon feels faster rollng than the 2.35 Forekaster (again different bikes).

 

[Schulze]

I agree, a loose end i don't mind. I'm fine on the descent but as soon as the trail flattens out momentum seems to go out the window.

How would the rekon compare to the forekaster? Some are saying it rolls slower, in other places i read its quicker. I'm also getting mixed information about their braking and climbing ability.

@Schulze XR5 has my interest but seems like a lot of tyre to go f&r. I have no experience with them but they seem very similar to a dhr2. I tried seeing if anyone has done a direct comparison but couldn't find anything. Have you been able to ride them both and compare?

I haven't compared them size for size and compound for compound. The XR5 would be similar to the DC DHR but XR5 has 120 tpi casing. On the German drum tests, the DHR DC does quite well.

 

[jeremy3220]

The XR4 is a good alternative to a DHR2 for an aggressive but still fairly fast rolling trail tire. That's what I'm running on the front of my hardtail now. The 2.6 XR4 rolls slightly faster than the 2.4 DHR2 I took off with slightly less traction.

 

[Legbacon]

Well almost anything is better than the DHF on the rear, DHR is much faster. I would try the Forecaster or Butcher. I have never had a Bontrager tire so can't comment on em.

 

[mikkosan]

I really like the Forekaster in 29x2.35. That or the Recon will be a faster/lighter tire than the minions and still offer good grip.

I've been looking at the 29x2.35 Forekasters for some time. How does it wear? Do you use it front and rear? And what rim width are you running them on?

 

[Frosty2019]

WTB Vigilante 2.6 front with a Trail Boss 2.4 on the rear. Really impressed by that combo on my hardtail. Rolls well and the front has stacks of grip for burying it into corners aggressively and the rear just gracefully gives up with a gentle slide on exit. Surprisingly ok braking too for the small knobs on the rear.

 

[crembz]

I've been looking at the 29x2.35 Forekasters for some time. How does it wear? Do you use it front and rear? And what rim width are you running them on?

Hey mate,

I ran the 29x2.35 Forekaster on my 29er hardtail. I only used it for about 400kms on the rear with a DHR2 up front on 21mm inner rims. I didn't have any complaints about traction and up or down hill on loose or hard. It wore well and rolled OK but I did find the sidewalls were taking a battering. I had sealant seeping through a new spot on almost every ride but I never punctured or ended up walking. It's a 120TPI in that size so I wonder whether a 60TPI would hold up a little better.

 

[crembz]

The XR4 is a good alternative to a DHR2 for an aggressive but still fairly fast rolling trail tire. That's what I'm running on the front of my hardtail now. The 2.6 XR4 rolls slightly faster than the 2.4 DHR2 I took off with slightly less traction.

What do you run in the rear with the XR4? Looking at sizing there's the XR4 in 2.6 or 2.4 or the XR2 in 2.6 or 2.2. I'm not certain the XR2 will cut the mustard once things get a little damp.

 

[crembz]

I haven't compared them size for size and compound for compound. The XR5 would be similar to the DC DHR but XR5 has 120 tpi casing. On the German drum tests, the DHR DC does quite well.

I'm not sure what the German drum test is?

 

[Schulze]

It's where the German bike mag tests the rolling resistance over a mildly bumpy hard surface. It doesn't take into account soft surface tread interaction.

 

[crembz]

Just looked them up, they have some very nice tests. Too bad my googlefu skills didn't find them. Thanks for that!

 

[MegaStoke]

2.8 Rekon front, 2.6 Vittoria Mezcal rear. Fast rolling, predictable, and grippy enough to manage pretty much anything you’ll encounter.

 

[crembz]

Any particular reason for the 2.8 rekon up front over the 2.6?

 

[MegaStoke]

The Rekons seem undersized to me. The 2.6 is way smaller than the Mezcal. That and I generally prefer a slightly wider tire up front on any mtb

 

[crembz]

Hrm that's good to know re the rekons. With a 29mm inner width would the 2.8 not end up being a little too wide for the rim?