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We are in the middle of a hot summer here in Oz, all the trails I ride on are very dry and dusty.
I have been using Exi's front and rear on the 29'er and have been happy with their performance until yesterday.
On my last ride, I had noticed some sliding and washout from the front tire. I have attributed this to the very dry condition of the trails and the thin layer of sandy dusty mix on top of the hardpacked dirt...but i'm not sure, as this is the first time the tires have been anything short of fantastic for me.
Yesterday, I had a few very unsettling front wheel slides, one of which dumped me on my butt. I run both Exi's @ 30 psi with lightweight Salsa tubes. This is the first time the Exi's have actually let me down. Up until yesterday, they have been excellent.
The incident happened as I sprinted towards a stiff little climb. Just before the climb there is a flat section that curves to the left which is hardpack covered in a fairly thick layer of dust / sand / pebble mix and where I usually gain my momentum for the climb.
Without the run-up I can never get up to the top because of the roots and rock steps, I usually just stall out halfway up through loss of traction or get pushed offline towards a steep drop-off to the right of the trail, so I need the run-up to make it to the top.
As I was powering towards the start of the climb, and swinging to the left around the curve, the front tire just let go and down I went in a cloud of dust...
I re-mounted, backtracked and tried it again. The second try I got through ok, but I could feel that the front tire was on the edge of adhesion through the left curve before the climb.
The curve is not sharp, quite gentle in fact. I examined my tracks in the dirt and looked at the spot the front end let go on me, but apart from the top layer of sandy dusty junk on the hardpack, could find no real reason to account for the way the tire just dumped me.
At another section of this same trail, I barely escaped a nasty crash when the front tire let go as I was crossing a dry creekbed. I got it under control, but I was damn close to another crash.
Has anyone else who rides in dry dusty conditions experienced any front end washouts with the Exi's like me?
It seems quite suspicious that these tires just suddenly start to let go and slide around so easily even though the conditions are dry.
R.
I have been using Exi's front and rear on the 29'er and have been happy with their performance until yesterday.
On my last ride, I had noticed some sliding and washout from the front tire. I have attributed this to the very dry condition of the trails and the thin layer of sandy dusty mix on top of the hardpacked dirt...but i'm not sure, as this is the first time the tires have been anything short of fantastic for me.
Yesterday, I had a few very unsettling front wheel slides, one of which dumped me on my butt. I run both Exi's @ 30 psi with lightweight Salsa tubes. This is the first time the Exi's have actually let me down. Up until yesterday, they have been excellent.
The incident happened as I sprinted towards a stiff little climb. Just before the climb there is a flat section that curves to the left which is hardpack covered in a fairly thick layer of dust / sand / pebble mix and where I usually gain my momentum for the climb.
Without the run-up I can never get up to the top because of the roots and rock steps, I usually just stall out halfway up through loss of traction or get pushed offline towards a steep drop-off to the right of the trail, so I need the run-up to make it to the top.
As I was powering towards the start of the climb, and swinging to the left around the curve, the front tire just let go and down I went in a cloud of dust...
I re-mounted, backtracked and tried it again. The second try I got through ok, but I could feel that the front tire was on the edge of adhesion through the left curve before the climb.
The curve is not sharp, quite gentle in fact. I examined my tracks in the dirt and looked at the spot the front end let go on me, but apart from the top layer of sandy dusty junk on the hardpack, could find no real reason to account for the way the tire just dumped me.
At another section of this same trail, I barely escaped a nasty crash when the front tire let go as I was crossing a dry creekbed. I got it under control, but I was damn close to another crash.
Has anyone else who rides in dry dusty conditions experienced any front end washouts with the Exi's like me?
It seems quite suspicious that these tires just suddenly start to let go and slide around so easily even though the conditions are dry.
R.
