[laughing_guitarist]

Ok so I just put down some good money for a 2010 Schwalbe Nobby Nic 2.25 snake skin. My bike came with Maxxis Highrollers back (2.1) and front (2.35) and the back tire was out of tread. I moved the 2.35 tire to the back and put the new NN up front. The Highrollers (HR) are definitely lower volume since the 2.35 looks very similar to the NN 2.25.

Anyways, just a quick test ride on my driveway and street have left me feeling quite unsure about my purchase. The roads were wet with dry patches and the NN as a front locks up (and hence slides out) quite easily. This is compared to the 2.35 HR which never, ever, EVER locked up at the front. Once the roads dried up, this behavior continued, albeit to a smaller degree. Also, just making some sharply banked turns on pavement caused the front NN to wash out while the HR has never done that on me.

I'm sure the behavior in the dirt will be very different, but I can't help but wonder if I should have just gone with the (cheaper) HR once again. Is the lighter weight and rolling resistance (alleged) of the NN worth it? Or is this like car tires that need to be broken in before wet traction is at the spec'd amount?

Thoughts?

 

[ozzybmx]

As the best tyre for tarmac/pavement are slicks .... i would probably go ride your normal dirt trails before writing the tyre off, you might find it was the high Knobs or Nobs in this case that are breaking loose on the hard surface :thumbsup:

 

[i1dry]

What psi are you running on the NN?

i1dry?

 

[laughing_guitarist]

What psi are you running on the NN?

Running 35psi front and 40 back. Same as before.

As the best tyre for tarmac/pavement are slicks .... i would probably go ride your normal dirt trails before writing the tyre off, you might find it was the high Knobs or Nobs in this case that are breaking loose on the hard surface :thumbsup:

No doubt that slicks grip better on pavement. But I'm guessing the behavior of these tires (tyres) on pavement are representative of them on slick rocks. Which would be concerning. Guess I'm just comparing the NN to the HR which was very sure footed everywhere.

 

[scoutcat]

the high roller is a much less compliant tire that is going to do better on rougher terrain but will also slow you down a bit. the NN is a good all-rounder but its rubber is much softer. they are both good tires but i would reserve high rollers to AM and mild downhill riding and the NN for XC/trail...

you need to lower your tire pressures... try 28-30psi

 

[laughing_guitarist]

NN as rear tire?

I'm thinking what I might do is put the 2.35 HR back up front and move the 2.25 NN to the back. Having a really sure-footed front tire is quite crucial to me.

Any issues running the NN as a rear tire?

 

[i1dry]

Running 35psi front and 40 back. Same as before.

No doubt that slicks grip better on pavement. But I'm guessing the behavior of these tires (tyres) on pavement are representative of them on slick rocks. Which would be concerning. Guess I'm just comparing the NN to the HR which was very sure footed everywhere.

I've found that the psi sweet spot for the NN is within 2-3 psi and that it performs best at a lower psi. From my experience, 35 psi is way too high and the tire will have very poor grip when wet. I initially hated the tire in the wet when I first used it at 30 psi. I'm about 175 lbs with gear. At 20 psi front and 22 psi rear I really like the tire in all conditions. It's not as good as some of the softer compound tires on wet rock and roots but, predictable with reasonable grip.

I'd suggest that you run the NN as low as you can without it being squirmy and that you start with about 20 - 25 psi depending upon rim width and how heavy you are. Then play around with the psi until you find what works best for you.

I've run the NN front and rear with good results.

Best of luck.

i1dry?

 

[gvs_nz]

I 2nd nobby nic as low as possible. I run Evo non snakeskin 22 psi front on ztr 355 and 25 to 28 in the rear.I'm 170 lbs on forest trails with lots of wet tree roots. I run snakeskin 2.4's at 20 psi front and I could go lower.[ uncalibrated pressure gauge]

 

[J.Mc.]

Lower that psi..

 

[Chuckie]

just in case anyone wanted to know, just swapped my 2.35 High roller at front ,for Nobby Nic front & rear in 2.25. weighed both
High Roller 2.35 60a singly ply = bang on 700g
Nobby nic Evo 2.25 = 540g

 

[Chuckie]

after reading about the pre 2010 Nobby Nics I was a lil worried about these tyres I must admit
Ok had the first chance to test the new 2.25 Nobby Nic's Evo today on my Mbuzi (6" AM bike) at the local DH/FR trail!! Australian trail, loose ,dusty,sandy

I was worried at first because they seemed a little small for this type of riding and looks a lil smaller than my 2.35HR in comparison but all I can say is that I am STOKED!!!!! each run I gained more and more confidence and going faster each time.
This is a trail I normally hit on my Makulu DH rig with 2.5 Minion f and High roller rear so I was tentative hitting it up on a six inch bike. but they were brilliant!!
They roll very quickly and the corner knobs really dig in when you need them. I hit a jump with a 6ft gap and landed a bit sideways in the loose stuff but the tires just dug in and on I went, even tho I was expecting the worse
Considering how much weight i have saved on my bike now with these tyres, I am damn happy so far!!
I may try a 2.4 in the front some day...

 

[gvs_nz]

If you like the 2.25 youll love the 2.4 snakeskin on the front.
Refeshing to get some positive feedback on No Ni tires.
Most forget that they might not be the best at anything but they are still streets ahead of the average tire on the rack.

 

[Chuckie]

yep will try the 2.4 but they didint come with the white racing stripes

 

[Tjay]

I'm 145 lbs geared up.
-17 psi Front
-22-25 psi Rear
-'09 Scott Genius 50
-fire road, loose rocks, rocky terrain & paved (tested on dry weather only)

I dont race or go very fast descending. I just ride down at an average speed (ie 15 mph max limit, I'd probably do max of 20-24 mph. While others I know does it at 34+mph). I also dont do drops or jumps. So, I haven't had pinch flats and I've never felt the tire bottoming out in the front although, running <22 psi in the rear does feel like it bottoms out when used on a very rocky terrain at a faster pace. Nonetheless, I have nothing but good things about this tire. Sidewalls are hard, no puncture flats so far, no visible tire wear although I use this tire/bike daily for both paved and dirt. Also, it is quieter on paved vs, Conti SK and Panaracer tires.

I've had these tires on for 3 weeks and used them 2 hours from M-F and a total of 8 hours on the weekends. Lots of runtime with them already!

 

[chas_martel]

Running 35psi front and 40 back.

Wow.

I forecast you are gonna have problems on the dirt as well.

PS: Might should have tried the Fat Alberts over the NN's if you are having grip problems. My 2 cents worth.

 

[ActivEric]

I'm thinking what I might do is put the 2.35 HR back up front and move the 2.25 NN to the back. Having a really sure-footed front tire is quite crucial to me.

Any issues running the NN as a rear tire?

This is the setup I'm thinking of running on my SC Tallboy. how did this work out for you? I can get the non-snakeskin NN for 1/2 price to mate up in the rear with the HR2 up front. Riding a mix of hardpack, loose over hardpack, roots/rocks with not much time on either straight rock, sand, or mud.