[Cloxxki]

Okay slackers, I'll run this one on my own. (see "your turn" thread)

Let's come up with a list of tires that don't exist in 29" which we'd have stacked up on in 2005 for sure. Money lost by tire comps, by just not making the friggin' tires.

I'll do some tires I missed myself, and some I think would really sell well.

-Schwalbe Racing Ralph 29x2.4" (really fat, pretty light, superfast rolling, excellent dry/sandy terrain grip.
-Schwalbe Racing Ralph 29x2.1". The standard in race tires.
-Schwalbe Supermoto 29x2.35" (Road slick with mtb compound, insanely fast, off-roadable on sand)
-Maxxis Minotaur 1.9. (wet-weather cx-like 26" tire. Grip/speed ratio on grass off charts. Got me my 26" wins.
-Maxxis Wormdrive. Discontinued in 26"? The 42mm performs well for a 42.
-Hutchinson Python (people seem to like it)

Name some more you'd have bought sight unseen?

 

[ozlongboarder]

Kenda Blue Groove 2.35 or 2.5
Kenda Nevegal 2.35 or 2.5

 

[shiggy]

The 26" Wormdrive is in the '06 US catalog. The Minotaur has not been sold in the US for 3-4 years. It was considered a generally bad tire. Maxxis markets different tires in different parts of the world. I have seen a few GB magazine ads for models not on the US market.

 

[shiggy]

• Hutchinson Spider 2.1 or 2.3
• Schwalbe Racing Ralph 2.25 or 2.40
• Schwalbe Big Betty 2.40
• Panaracer TrailRaker 2.1
• WTB TimberWolf 2.3 and 2.5
• Nokian NBX Lite 2.2
• Syncros Point N Chute 2.3 or 2.5
• Kenda Blue Groove/Nevegal DTC 2.10 and 2.35
• Maxxis Minion F/R 2.35
• IRC Mibro 2.1
• Bontrager Big Earl 2.5

 

[Bogus]

FWIW, I just got word from Kenda that the 29" Karmas (I think 2.2's) will be available in late January or early February. Their E-mail called them Karma DTC's, so I'm cautiously optimistic that they'll have that awesome dual tread compound...

 

[A_A]

How about a real studded tire 2.0 or bigger. Somthing similar to the Nokian extreme or hakka models

 

[Old_Bashturd]

Pythons

Air lites......

 

[Cloxxki]

The Minotaur is really bad on wet pavement (read : dangerous), and pointless in gravel and rocks. Anything resembing a CX course, like many European XC races, it totally rocks. My ex-girlfriend won't use any other tire in sloppy conditions.

A_A, could you give an example of a specific Nokian studded model that would be a real help for winter riders?

 

[Padre]

WTB Weirwolf 2.5
WTB Weirwolf 2.5 dual ply
WTB Weirwolf 2.7 dual-ply sticky rubber

WTB Exiwolf 2.5
WTB Exiwolf 2.7 dual ply

WTB MutanoRaptor 2.4 (light and fast like the 26" version)

Maxxis Ignitor 2.4
Maxxis High Roller 2.5 dual ply sticky-rubber

you guys can have your glorified cx tires so you can be 7 seconds faster.

 

[Cloxxki]

Hmmm, only 10 can make it to the award show.
Padre, would a 2.7" fit anything else but a rigid frame or snow bike? Or is the Exi than just the size of a normal 2.4"?

Shiggy and Padre, which of your lists make it to your shortlist?

I think it would be wise to put the 2 most popular sub-2" tires in the poll, the 4 most popular 2.0-2.3's and the 3 most popular 2.3"+'s. Room for one extra, depending on which category gets the most passionate nominations?

 

[A_A]

The Minotaur is really bad on wet pavement (read : dangerous), and pointless in gravel and rocks. Anything resembing a CX course, like many European XC races, it totally rocks. My ex-girlfriend won't use any other tire in sloppy conditions.

A_A, could you give an example of a specific Nokian studded model that would be a real help for winter riders?

Either the Nokian Hakka WCX300 (300 studs, 2.1 folding) or the Extreme 296 (296 studs, 2.1 wire bead) in a 29er version would be ideal. For the bigger tire a few more studs would be required if you wanted to use the same tread pattern.

Where I live in New England we get lots of thaw / freeze conditions during the winter and studs are often needed. Right now I am using an old 26" bike w/ Nokians while my Karate Monkey sits collecting dust... I'd rater be riding the 29er but staying upright takes priority.

 

[ORM]

Michelin

Michelin XCR AT 2.0 and all mountain 2.2

 

[Cloxxki]

People, time to start repeating tires names, so we get an idea which are most loved, thus to be nominated in the next award thread.

 

[shiggy]

Shiggy and Padre, which of your lists make it to your shortlist?

That was my short list!

 

[Tobias/Frost]

There can only be one: Nokian Gazzalodi 29" 3.0 !!!

I know... not a snowball chance in hell... but you must keep the dream alive...

And they did it in the begining, they created a DH tire that no frames o forks could fit at the moment but after a year they had created a whole new world of bikes, forks and riding...

So they could do it again...
I wish...

 

[shiggy]

That was my short list!

To add some details (listed from XC race to FR):

• Schwalbe Racing Ralph 2.25 or 2.40
  XC race/trail use. Fast, grippy good volume. Great on hardpack to intermediate, dry to damp.
• Nokian NBX Lite 2.2
  XC race/XC. Similar to the Racing Ralph, fast and grippy. Corners a bit better for me. Good volume in the 2.2.
• Hutchinson Python 2.0
  XC race/XC. Still one of the best dry condition tires around. High volume. Fast rolling.
• IRC Mibro 2.1
  XC/trail. Love these until it get muddy. Rolls well. Corners great! Light. Moderate volume. Have been using them on my Coiler for trail rides with no complaints.
• Hutchinson Spider 2.1 or 2.3
  Currently one of the best "most-conditions" treads. General XC/trail/FR use. Grips well wet or dry, rocks or mud, hardpack or loam. High volume casing in either size. Rolls pretty well, too.
• Panaracer TrailRaker 2.1
  Winter/mud tire. This is THE mud tire at the moment. Grips and clears in the muck. does pretty well on the wet roots/rocks and holds it own on hardpack and in the dry.
• Kenda Blue Groove/Nevegal DTC 2.10 and 2.35
  XC/trail/FR. Very good tires. 'nough said
• Syncros Point N Chute 2.3
  XC/trail/FR. A fairly tight tread with wide blocks. Rolls very well on dirt or pavement. Very good DRY all-rounder.
• Maxxis Minion F/R 2.35
  Trail/FR. Aggressive tires. Grippy. Moderate volume for a 2.35
• WTB TimberWolf 2.3 and 2.5
  Trail/FR. Big wide spaced knobs. Another versatile tread for aggressive riding. Much better in the muck than other WTB offerings.
• Bontrager Big Earl 2.5
  Trail/FR. Big, aggressive, grippy. Works wet or dry and on most surfaces.
• Schwalbe Big Betty 2.40
  Trail/FR use. BIG volume, heavy duty casing with a folding bead. Nice tread that works in most conditions until the muck gets deep/loose.

 

[Cloxxki]

Ik like the Surly Pugsley and it's Endomorph tires, but really, we do need a 29x3.0 or even 3.7. It's not that heavy, we can add 10% to that. I'm pretty sure the 29x3.0 would fit the current Pugsley frame too!

 

[Frank Tuesday]

Blue Groove 2.35

 

[AteMrYeats]

I always liked the Geax Sturdy and Blade models for rough conditions, and the Mezcal and Barro Mountain from the '06 catalogue look great too. The WTB Mutano 2.4 with the light casing was always on my SS in the summer, though; it had a combination of a fast-rolling tread pattern and relatively high volume without much of a weight penalty. 'Twas a fine tire.

 

[Surlydave]

More manufactures

I think it'd be best if we could get more manufactures in on the scene. Panaracer (other then CX) Hutchinson, Geax, and Michelin all make nice stuff and they need to jump on the bandwagon.

But if I could wish for one tire in 29" model? Hutchinson Mosqutio 2.3 no doubt.