[Lord09]

Hello all,

I bet this gets posted a lot, but I've read tons of posts from the forum and searching, but I'm still unclear as to what tires to upgrade to, so I figure I may as well ask...

I have a 04 Fuel and I do a lot of street riding, so low resistance would definately be a plus. Otherwise I mostly do moderate XC type stuff, with mostly dirt roads and some loose gravel and rocks here and there. I also do some downhill stuff as well on the trails I goto, they seem pretty advanced to me, but then again, I'm a total beginner. They'd probably be beginnner level to everyone else.

I just want a good lightweight tire to handle all my riding situations above. I'm not too worried about tire wear, but something durable would be nice, since I'm sure I'll making a lot of mistakes here and there, but at least I'll be making them while having fun...

Thanks a lot...

 

[DaFireMedic]

Hello all,

I bet this gets posted a lot, but I've read tons of posts from the forum and searching, but I'm still unclear as to what tires to upgrade to, so I figure I may as well ask...

I have a 04 Fuel and I do a lot of street riding, so low resistance would definately be a plus. Otherwise I mostly do moderate XC type stuff, with mostly dirt roads and some loose gravel and rocks here and there. I also do some downhill stuff as well on the trails I goto, they seem pretty advanced to me, but then again, I'm a total beginner. They'd probably be beginnner level to everyone else.

I just want a good lightweight tire to handle all my riding situations above. I'm not too worried about tire wear, but something durable would be nice, since I'm sure I'll making a lot of mistakes here and there, but at least I'll be making them while having fun...

Thanks a lot...

Unfortunately, you are asking alot. Lightweight, durable and able to perform well in all of the above situations is going to be difficult to find. Lightweight tires generally mean thin walls and small knobs.

The Kenda Karma DTC would be the tire I would recommend, but it wears fairly quickly. Its got large volume, and seems to be reasonably durable, for a racing tire. The Hutchinson Python Airlight is similar, but I don't know about its durability.

The Schwalbe Racing Ralph wears well for a racing tire according to others on the forum. It might be worth trying, but they are still a tad hard to get right now. If you can get some (try Light-Bikes.com or Performance), they may be your best bet.

 

[dgangi]

Not possible

Unfortunately, you are asking alot. Lightweight, durable and able to perform well in all of the above situations is going to be difficult to find. Lightweight tires generally mean thin walls and small knobs.

The Kenda Karma DTC would be the tire I would recommend, but it wears fairly quickly. Its got large volume, and seems to be reasonably durable, for a racing tire. The Hutchinson Python Airlight is similar, but I don't know about its durability.

The Schwalbe Racing Ralph wears well for a racing tire according to others on the forum. It might be worth trying, but they are still a tad hard to get right now. If you can get some (try Light-Bikes.com or Performance), they may be your best bet.

Lightweight and durable?? IMHO that combination is completely impossible (depending on your definition of "durable").

In my experience, you need a 127tpi tire to be truly "durable". A 127tpi casing provides better support and overall strength for the tire. It also provides better pinch flat resistance (if the tire is engineered properly). And 127tpi means more threads per inch...or more weight.

The Hutchinson Python Gold Elite's are VERY durable tires and weigh 585g each. Their lightweight counterpart, the Huthinson Python Gold Air Lite's are CRAPPY in terms of durability and weigh about 480g each. The Python Gold Elite's are 127tpi...the Python Gold Air Lite's are 60tpi. Stay away from the latter unless you want is a tire that is as light as possible that will only hold up for a race or 2.

Most of your better XC tires are 127tpi and weight around 550-600g. The tires that we like in Arizona, where the terrain is VERY demanding, are: Panaracer Fire XC 2.1 (NOT the 1.8's), WTB Mutanoraptors, and Hutchinson Python Gold Elites. Some people out there ride Kendas and other brands in the desert, but they do not have the universal praise that the 3 tires I mentioned do.

Also note your terrain. The 3 tires I mentioned work very well in the dry hardpack. They SUCK in mud. A good mudder will be heavier than an XC tire but well worth the extra weight -- nothing is worse than a tire turned into a slick because it cannot shed mud.

Thx...Doug

 

[Trevor!]

These are all popular and reasonable in weight and good in performance and price too!

Kenda Karma DTC
Schwalbe Racing ralph
Nokian NBX Lite 2.0
Hutchinson Python
Michelin Comp S Lite
Hutchinson Mosquito
Continental Supersonics

I couldn't agree more The mistakes, falls, sweat and tears and what not do add to the fun - Nothing like a nice challenge.

Trevor!

 

[Lord09]

Thanks a lot,

I'm gonna try and win a bid on some Kenda Karma DTCs, wish me luck...!

And I couldn't agree more, this is a great hobby, much better than sitting home and playing games, too bad much more expensive...

Daniel