That sounds weird because grid trail and exo+ are lighter and thinner than supertrail, radial trail or supergravity. I rode grid trail and supertrail back to back with similar pressures and the rim impacts with grid trail compared to supertrail sounded and felt way worse.
Compared to the gravity radial casing, I'd say most mid-weight (ex. Specialized GridTrail, Maxxis EXO+) or gravity casings offer more support. As for damping, I've been...
Compared to the gravity radial casing, I'd say most mid-weight (ex. Specialized GridTrail, Maxxis EXO+) or gravity casings offer more support. As for damping, I've been impressed by Maxxis latest EXO+, e*thirteen's enduro and gravity casing, and Vee's DH Core casing. I liked Schwalbe's Super Gravity, but it was still a bit more malleable than other enduro/gravity tires, which didn't equate to more damping or calmness, but rather tire roll and rim impacts.
really? i always felt that the latest super gravity is very stiff and has a damp feeling compared to double down, Michelin enduro chasing, Conti enduro which are more soft and supple both by touch and on the trail i could always run 2psi less in the back compared to all the other chasing mentioned, always as a rear. tried all pressures on all these but settled on 24psi with the super gravity ( both Hans and Mary ) and 26 on all others as anything below that i was hitting the rim on rocks.
That sounds weird because grid trail and exo+ are lighter and thinner than supertrail, radial trail or supergravity. I rode grid trail and supertrail back to...
That sounds weird because grid trail and exo+ are lighter and thinner than supertrail, radial trail or supergravity. I rode grid trail and supertrail back to back with similar pressures and the rim impacts with grid trail compared to supertrail sounded and felt way worse.
honestly i believe that the Super Trail is something in between Exo+ and DD to name a famous chasing, i can run mine up front at 18psi everywhere, even in super rocky and dry Italian dolomites or West Slovenia were there's plenty of super sharp pointy rocks with no issues at 82kg, not the fastest or hardest rider but i have a preference for nasty lines
Yeah, reading the tire shootout test I get the impression since they didn't know about the radial stuff they ran the pressures too low ans yeah then the casing will feel too unsupportive. You can and should run more pressure with them for similar if not better grip and damping. Comparing them with other tires running the same pressures will not work.
Yeah, reading the tire shootout test I get the impression since they didn't know about the radial stuff they ran the pressures too low ans yeah...
Yeah, reading the tire shootout test I get the impression since they didn't know about the radial stuff they ran the pressures too low ans yeah then the casing will feel too unsupportive. You can and should run more pressure with them for similar if not better grip and damping. Comparing them with other tires running the same pressures will not work.
We did run pressures too low and thus didn't get great sidewall support. However, the last thing I was going to do was add more pressure when the Albert was sliding all over the place in our dry conditions. As I mentioned above, when I tested more back home with higher pressures, lateral support improved, but so did tire rebound, reducing tire damping.
More pressure solved one issue and introduced another with the Albert Gravity. There are many other tires I can run at my usual pressure range and achieve support, rim protection, and good ground feel (damping).
Compared to the gravity radial casing, I'd say most mid-weight (ex. Specialized GridTrail, Maxxis EXO+) or gravity casings offer more support. As for damping, I've been...
Compared to the gravity radial casing, I'd say most mid-weight (ex. Specialized GridTrail, Maxxis EXO+) or gravity casings offer more support. As for damping, I've been impressed by Maxxis latest EXO+, e*thirteen's enduro and gravity casing, and Vee's DH Core casing. I liked Schwalbe's Super Gravity, but it was still a bit more malleable than other enduro/gravity tires, which didn't equate to more damping or calmness, but rather tire roll and rim impacts.
really? i always felt that the latest super gravity is very stiff and has a damp feeling compared to double down, Michelin enduro chasing, Conti enduro...
really? i always felt that the latest super gravity is very stiff and has a damp feeling compared to double down, Michelin enduro chasing, Conti enduro which are more soft and supple both by touch and on the trail i could always run 2psi less in the back compared to all the other chasing mentioned, always as a rear. tried all pressures on all these but settled on 24psi with the super gravity ( both Hans and Mary ) and 26 on all others as anything below that i was hitting the rim on rocks.
I agree with your comparison of Super Gravity to DoubleDown. I think DoubleDown feels a bit dead/soft for an enduro casing, and I enjoyed Super Gravity more. Between SuperGravity, Michelin enduro, and Conti enduro, all were solid to me and I'd have a hard time saying one was better from a damping/rim protection perspective. I'd pick one based on tread pattern and price.
I agree with your comparison of Super Gravity to DoubleDown. I think DoubleDown feels a bit dead/soft for an enduro casing, and I enjoyed Super Gravity...
I agree with your comparison of Super Gravity to DoubleDown. I think DoubleDown feels a bit dead/soft for an enduro casing, and I enjoyed Super Gravity more. Between SuperGravity, Michelin enduro, and Conti enduro, all were solid to me and I'd have a hard time saying one was better from a damping/rim protection perspective. I'd pick one based on tread pattern and price.
Same, i must admit that my favourite in rocky loose condition was the conti when paired with cush core xc, it felt the best also on roots, perhaps it deforms a bit more and that's why i liked it more but all are really good for sure
Anyone ride the Kryptotal-FR as a rear? Have any comparisons or recommendations for us? I am aware some racers use it as a rear in some conditions, but I don't know those guys to ask.
Anyone ride the Kryptotal-FR as a rear? Have any comparisons or recommendations for us? I am aware some racers use it as a rear in some...
Anyone ride the Kryptotal-FR as a rear? Have any comparisons or recommendations for us? I am aware some racers use it as a rear in some conditions, but I don't know those guys to ask.
My favorite conti setup has been DH SS Argotal in the front and the KRF DH SS in the rear. Rolls better, than the KRR and has really good braking grip in the soft loamy/dusty/loose conditions. The Argo in the rear works well but doesn't brake as well and rolls noticeably worse. Not the best setup for loose over hard, but its not bad. I liked the KRF in the front but didnt love it, the transition from center to edge never felt definitive, somewhat vague is the best way I could describe it.
Anyone ride the Kryptotal-FR as a rear? Have any comparisons or recommendations for us? I am aware some racers use it as a rear in some...
Anyone ride the Kryptotal-FR as a rear? Have any comparisons or recommendations for us? I am aware some racers use it as a rear in some conditions, but I don't know those guys to ask.
I have one on the rear of the dh bike. Got it on sale. I have no issues with it stopping and all that.
Anyone ride the Kryptotal-FR as a rear? Have any comparisons or recommendations for us? I am aware some racers use it as a rear in some...
Anyone ride the Kryptotal-FR as a rear? Have any comparisons or recommendations for us? I am aware some racers use it as a rear in some conditions, but I don't know those guys to ask.
Been running enduro/soft 2.4"s on my trail bike for well over a year, no real complaints other then waiting for Conti to get off their ass and release the enduro/super soft iteration.
Anyone ride the Kryptotal-FR as a rear? Have any comparisons or recommendations for us? I am aware some racers use it as a rear in some...
Anyone ride the Kryptotal-FR as a rear? Have any comparisons or recommendations for us? I am aware some racers use it as a rear in some conditions, but I don't know those guys to ask.
Been running enduro/soft 2.4"s on my trail bike for well over a year, no real complaints other then waiting for Conti to get off their ass...
Been running enduro/soft 2.4"s on my trail bike for well over a year, no real complaints other then waiting for Conti to get off their ass and release the enduro/super soft iteration.
I emailed continental yesterday about the enduro casing in super soft. They said April or May of 2025 so a bit more of a wait. Now I have to figure out what to get in the mean time since my DH super soft tires are finally needing to be replaced.
Any good tire recommendations for cold weather riding? Rode last Friday and it was about 30 out, the tires were pinging off rocks and generally just seemed hard because of the low temps. I have Conti Enduro Soft F&R on right now, they're pretty good at anything above 40 but there's going to be another month or two of cold ahead.
I don't know if there are tires for that. I rode magic mary trail radial and supertrails ultrasoft/soft recently in similar temps and they also started feeling stiffer.
Any good tire recommendations for cold weather riding? Rode last Friday and it was about 30 out, the tires were pinging off rocks and generally just...
Any good tire recommendations for cold weather riding? Rode last Friday and it was about 30 out, the tires were pinging off rocks and generally just seemed hard because of the low temps. I have Conti Enduro Soft F&R on right now, they're pretty good at anything above 40 but there's going to be another month or two of cold ahead.
You should look into winter specific tire companies like 45NRTH and Terrene. 45NRTH has their Wrathchild which I've used in well below zero frozen dirt and it grips so good. You really need to glue the studs in that tire for frozen dirt otherwise you'll lose them quickly. Something cheaper and non studded would be "Chunk tough/grip" which is basically a DHF with tough casing and very tacky compound https://www.terrenetires.com/collections/sale-items/products/chunk-29x2…
Any good tire recommendations for cold weather riding? Rode last Friday and it was about 30 out, the tires were pinging off rocks and generally just...
Any good tire recommendations for cold weather riding? Rode last Friday and it was about 30 out, the tires were pinging off rocks and generally just seemed hard because of the low temps. I have Conti Enduro Soft F&R on right now, they're pretty good at anything above 40 but there's going to be another month or two of cold ahead.
If you want more performance (grip, damping, suspension, etc) from your tires at lower temps or any temps, the simplest solution is to run softer tires. In my riding circles, we only refer to hard compound tires and soft compound tires, and nothing in between, and if you're not running the softest tires a brand makes, you're running hard tires. Your Schwalbe Softs, Conti Soft, Maxxis MaxxTerra, and most Specialized tires other than the newest Cannibal, all qualify as hard compound tires.
@sprungmass Seeing that you're from Calgary, I'm going to trust your judgement on this and see what they have to offer. @TEAMROBOT Taking Conti all freakin year to release some Supersoft Enduro casings...I don't want to ride DH casing tires for Supersoft compound on my 125mm bike. Maybe time to look at good ol Maxxis for some lighter casing MaxxGrips again.
Any good tire recommendations for cold weather riding? Rode last Friday and it was about 30 out, the tires were pinging off rocks and generally just...
Any good tire recommendations for cold weather riding? Rode last Friday and it was about 30 out, the tires were pinging off rocks and generally just seemed hard because of the low temps. I have Conti Enduro Soft F&R on right now, they're pretty good at anything above 40 but there's going to be another month or two of cold ahead.
Personal preference is Maxxis in EXO+ with a pool noodle type insert, big as you can get to fit. Changes the air pressure ramp characteristic and provides better support at the contact patch so the tread remains in contact rather than trying to squeeze off the terrain irregularities. I don't know of any tires that tout their temperature neutrality, but IME super soft tires tend to get super dicey when it drops below freezing. Won't speak for every brand as I've only run Maxxis and Contis in winter conditions that I wasn't on a fat bike.
@sprungmass Seeing that you're from Calgary, I'm going to trust your judgement on this and see what they have to offer. @TEAMROBOT Taking Conti all freakin...
@sprungmass Seeing that you're from Calgary, I'm going to trust your judgement on this and see what they have to offer. @TEAMROBOT Taking Conti all freakin year to release some Supersoft Enduro casings...I don't want to ride DH casing tires for Supersoft compound on my 125mm bike. Maybe time to look at good ol Maxxis for some lighter casing MaxxGrips again.
Apparently Continental super soft has a durometer rating of 40/42a for the side lugs while those Terrene Chunk are listed at 48a/56a. So technically a Argotal DH SS would be pretty good
I own the wrathchilds and can stand by their performance in the cold. The knobs never feel hard to the tough. I do a lot of big mountain riding in the winter and they have never let me down in the freeze thaw cycles where you could be riding on frozen dirt and ice.
Any good tire recommendations for cold weather riding? Rode last Friday and it was about 30 out, the tires were pinging off rocks and generally just...
Any good tire recommendations for cold weather riding? Rode last Friday and it was about 30 out, the tires were pinging off rocks and generally just seemed hard because of the low temps. I have Conti Enduro Soft F&R on right now, they're pretty good at anything above 40 but there's going to be another month or two of cold ahead.
Apparently Continental super soft has a durometer rating of 40/42a for the side lugs while those Terrene Chunk are listed at 48a/56a. So technically a Argotal...
Apparently Continental super soft has a durometer rating of 40/42a for the side lugs while those Terrene Chunk are listed at 48a/56a. So technically a Argotal DH SS would be pretty good
I own the wrathchilds and can stand by their performance in the cold. The knobs never feel hard to the tough. I do a lot of big mountain riding in the winter and they have never let me down in the freeze thaw cycles where you could be riding on frozen dirt and ice.
is there a website or something with all the durometer ratings?
is there a website or something with all the durometer ratings?
Not that I found so far. I find it odd how no tire reviews measure that number and always compare the feel instead. I just ordered a durometer gauge so let's see how my collection of tires measure. I can even even compare cold vs indoor temp.
Any good tire recommendations for cold weather riding? Rode last Friday and it was about 30 out, the tires were pinging off rocks and generally just...
Any good tire recommendations for cold weather riding? Rode last Friday and it was about 30 out, the tires were pinging off rocks and generally just seemed hard because of the low temps. I have Conti Enduro Soft F&R on right now, they're pretty good at anything above 40 but there's going to be another month or two of cold ahead.
Mazza has an uber soft compound. Might want to look into that.
I remember reading something that stated soft tires don't necessarily stay soft in the cold. That's a separate property of the rubber compound - how much the durometer changes in cold temps. Not to say the Mazza doesn't stay soft, but don't assume any soft tire will do well in cold temps.
I remember reading something that stated soft tires don't necessarily stay soft in the cold. That's a separate property of the rubber compound - how much...
I remember reading something that stated soft tires don't necessarily stay soft in the cold. That's a separate property of the rubber compound - how much the durometer changes in cold temps. Not to say the Mazza doesn't stay soft, but don't assume any soft tire will do well in cold temps.
I believe Maxxis said in low temps there's no point in their MaxxGrip rubber as it'll harden up and their compounds ride about the same near freezing. Schwalbe purportedly uses a different rubber construction that stays a little softer in cold temps.
Magic Mary Ultra Soft was always my wet/cold season tire of choice, so that's what I usually ran up front for half the year in the PNW. Seemed to work well.
This, I also remember people saying soft tires get rock hard in the cold. FWIW, running 3C tyres in the winter made them bald over the sides as the knobs just broke off. A dual compound (hardest Maxxis compound they offer) stays intact.
Apparently Contis Black Chilli compound worked in the cold too. But do they still offer it? Vert riders doing sketchy stuff in the winter back in the day swore they are good in the winter.
Soft/super soft compounds are not meant for winter/freezing rides, the compound doesn't stay soft and tires start cracking, take it from someone who rides half of the year in snow and freezing temps. What you want is the hardest compound from a manufacturer and when that isn't enough swap to studded/screw tires.
If you want more performance (grip, damping, suspension, etc) from your tires at lower temps or any temps, the simplest solution is to run softer tires...
If you want more performance (grip, damping, suspension, etc) from your tires at lower temps or any temps, the simplest solution is to run softer tires. In my riding circles, we only refer to hard compound tires and soft compound tires, and nothing in between, and if you're not running the softest tires a brand makes, you're running hard tires. Your Schwalbe Softs, Conti Soft, Maxxis MaxxTerra, and most Specialized tires other than the newest Cannibal, all qualify as hard compound tires.
Update: Don’t listen to what I said about soft tires in cold temps.
That sounds weird because grid trail and exo+ are lighter and thinner than supertrail, radial trail or supergravity. I rode grid trail and supertrail back to back with similar pressures and the rim impacts with grid trail compared to supertrail sounded and felt way worse.
really? i always felt that the latest super gravity is very stiff and has a damp feeling compared to double down, Michelin enduro chasing, Conti enduro which are more soft and supple both by touch and on the trail i could always run 2psi less in the back compared to all the other chasing mentioned, always as a rear. tried all pressures on all these but settled on 24psi with the super gravity ( both Hans and Mary ) and 26 on all others as anything below that i was hitting the rim on rocks.
honestly i believe that the Super Trail is something in between Exo+ and DD to name a famous chasing, i can run mine up front at 18psi everywhere, even in super rocky and dry Italian dolomites or West Slovenia were there's plenty of super sharp pointy rocks with no issues at 82kg, not the fastest or hardest rider but i have a preference for nasty lines
Yeah, reading the tire shootout test I get the impression since they didn't know about the radial stuff they ran the pressures too low ans yeah then the casing will feel too unsupportive. You can and should run more pressure with them for similar if not better grip and damping. Comparing them with other tires running the same pressures will not work.
We did run pressures too low and thus didn't get great sidewall support. However, the last thing I was going to do was add more pressure when the Albert was sliding all over the place in our dry conditions. As I mentioned above, when I tested more back home with higher pressures, lateral support improved, but so did tire rebound, reducing tire damping.
More pressure solved one issue and introduced another with the Albert Gravity. There are many other tires I can run at my usual pressure range and achieve support, rim protection, and good ground feel (damping).
I agree with your comparison of Super Gravity to DoubleDown. I think DoubleDown feels a bit dead/soft for an enduro casing, and I enjoyed Super Gravity more. Between SuperGravity, Michelin enduro, and Conti enduro, all were solid to me and I'd have a hard time saying one was better from a damping/rim protection perspective. I'd pick one based on tread pattern and price.
Same, i must admit that my favourite in rocky loose condition was the conti when paired with cush core xc, it felt the best also on roots, perhaps it deforms a bit more and that's why i liked it more but all are really good for sure
Anyone ride the Kryptotal-FR as a rear? Have any comparisons or recommendations for us? I am aware some racers use it as a rear in some conditions, but I don't know those guys to ask.
My favorite conti setup has been DH SS Argotal in the front and the KRF DH SS in the rear. Rolls better, than the KRR and has really good braking grip in the soft loamy/dusty/loose conditions. The Argo in the rear works well but doesn't brake as well and rolls noticeably worse. Not the best setup for loose over hard, but its not bad. I liked the KRF in the front but didnt love it, the transition from center to edge never felt definitive, somewhat vague is the best way I could describe it.
I have one on the rear of the dh bike. Got it on sale. I have no issues with it stopping and all that.
Been running enduro/soft 2.4"s on my trail bike for well over a year, no real complaints other then waiting for Conti to get off their ass and release the enduro/super soft iteration.
I emailed continental yesterday about the enduro casing in super soft. They said April or May of 2025 so a bit more of a wait. Now I have to figure out what to get in the mean time since my DH super soft tires are finally needing to be replaced.
Any good tire recommendations for cold weather riding? Rode last Friday and it was about 30 out, the tires were pinging off rocks and generally just seemed hard because of the low temps. I have Conti Enduro Soft F&R on right now, they're pretty good at anything above 40 but there's going to be another month or two of cold ahead.
I don't know if there are tires for that. I rode magic mary trail radial and supertrails ultrasoft/soft recently in similar temps and they also started feeling stiffer.
You should look into winter specific tire companies like 45NRTH and Terrene. 45NRTH has their Wrathchild which I've used in well below zero frozen dirt and it grips so good. You really need to glue the studs in that tire for frozen dirt otherwise you'll lose them quickly. Something cheaper and non studded would be "Chunk tough/grip" which is basically a DHF with tough casing and very tacky compound https://www.terrenetires.com/collections/sale-items/products/chunk-29x2…
If you want more performance (grip, damping, suspension, etc) from your tires at lower temps or any temps, the simplest solution is to run softer tires. In my riding circles, we only refer to hard compound tires and soft compound tires, and nothing in between, and if you're not running the softest tires a brand makes, you're running hard tires. Your Schwalbe Softs, Conti Soft, Maxxis MaxxTerra, and most Specialized tires other than the newest Cannibal, all qualify as hard compound tires.
@sprungmass Seeing that you're from Calgary, I'm going to trust your judgement on this and see what they have to offer. @TEAMROBOT Taking Conti all freakin year to release some Supersoft Enduro casings...I don't want to ride DH casing tires for Supersoft compound on my 125mm bike. Maybe time to look at good ol Maxxis for some lighter casing MaxxGrips again.
Personal preference is Maxxis in EXO+ with a pool noodle type insert, big as you can get to fit. Changes the air pressure ramp characteristic and provides better support at the contact patch so the tread remains in contact rather than trying to squeeze off the terrain irregularities. I don't know of any tires that tout their temperature neutrality, but IME super soft tires tend to get super dicey when it drops below freezing. Won't speak for every brand as I've only run Maxxis and Contis in winter conditions that I wasn't on a fat bike.
Apparently Continental super soft has a durometer rating of 40/42a for the side lugs while those Terrene Chunk are listed at 48a/56a. So technically a Argotal DH SS would be pretty good
I own the wrathchilds and can stand by their performance in the cold. The knobs never feel hard to the tough. I do a lot of big mountain riding in the winter and they have never let me down in the freeze thaw cycles where you could be riding on frozen dirt and ice.
Review: Vittoria Mazza Enduro Race Tires - A Compound Too Far? - Pinkbike
Mazza has an uber soft compound. Might want to look into that.
is there a website or something with all the durometer ratings?
Not that I found so far. I find it odd how no tire reviews measure that number and always compare the feel instead. I just ordered a durometer gauge so let's see how my collection of tires measure. I can even even compare cold vs indoor temp.
I remember reading something that stated soft tires don't necessarily stay soft in the cold. That's a separate property of the rubber compound - how much the durometer changes in cold temps. Not to say the Mazza doesn't stay soft, but don't assume any soft tire will do well in cold temps.
I believe Maxxis said in low temps there's no point in their MaxxGrip rubber as it'll harden up and their compounds ride about the same near freezing. Schwalbe purportedly uses a different rubber construction that stays a little softer in cold temps.
Magic Mary Ultra Soft was always my wet/cold season tire of choice, so that's what I usually ran up front for half the year in the PNW. Seemed to work well.
This, I also remember people saying soft tires get rock hard in the cold. FWIW, running 3C tyres in the winter made them bald over the sides as the knobs just broke off. A dual compound (hardest Maxxis compound they offer) stays intact.
Apparently Contis Black Chilli compound worked in the cold too. But do they still offer it? Vert riders doing sketchy stuff in the winter back in the day swore they are good in the winter.
Soft/super soft compounds are not meant for winter/freezing rides, the compound doesn't stay soft and tires start cracking, take it from someone who rides half of the year in snow and freezing temps. What you want is the hardest compound from a manufacturer and when that isn't enough swap to studded/screw tires.
Update: Don’t listen to what I said about soft tires in cold temps.
I much prefer soft compounds for miserable cold and wet days above freezing temps. A T9 Hillbilly is a blessing.
Cold and wet days being above 10°C? We're talking about temperatures around and below 5°C. Tyres get rock hard in those temps.
Great compound in your summer/autumn cold and wet days, not so much when its -10c (5 freedom units).
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