My tyres feel dead and lifeless.

Big JD

Big JD

Wheel size expert
Anyone else notice that certain tyres feel dead and harsh and lack dampening. Going from Schwalbe to Maxxis I really notice this feeling on both my HT and FS. It must come down to the compounds as I run similar air pressures. I was running the harder Schwalbe compound and EXO Maxxis.
Schwalbe and Onza have great dampening- any others??
 
Yep I get this too. As a heavier guy, I really notice. But not lately since I have pretty much landed on my preferred tyre setups now.

I think it's to do with sidewall stiffness. Comparable tyre models between brands seem to have wildly varying weights (quoted and actual) and the difference reflects in damage protection and ride qualities.
 
Tread patterns and lug size would have something to do with it too. Say if you are you going from a Magic Mary to a Minion SS for example.
 
BT180 said:
Tread patterns and lug size would have something to do with it too. Say if you are you going from a Magic Mary to a Minion SS for example.
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yes mate this has a big affect like from Nobby Nic to Ardent race on the HT but I I wouldnt have thought there would be such a big difference from Nobby to Forecaster. All my Maxxis feel dead compared to Schwalbes regardless of tread patterns- i find.
Yes I am a big bloke- 6.5 and 100kgs so cant run the low air pressures that others can. Perhaps that is it- perhaps Maxxis sidewalls are stiffer to allow lower air pressures but cause Im a fat bastard, I cant run those pressures to get the benefits. What you think
 
I can't stand running any tyre pressures less than 28 psi but I normally run around the 29~30psi mark. To compensate I run the suspension softer and use a rear shock that has a pretty firm climb mode or get it retuned so that it does. Being a heavy bloke I'd imagine you'll have the problem of blowing through travel and will need to run larger volume spacers. You might be better off going to a bigger bagged tyre if you can.
 
Fat bastard club member here, around 97-98kg kitted up so my rear pressures are always 28psi or higher for really rocky stuff. I've found both Schwalbe and Conti tyres to have a much more supple feel than Maxxis tyres on the trail (Contis are probably my favourite), however they squirm considerably more at equivalent pressures than Maxxis tyres and wear faster, particularly on the sidewalls. Shock tuning does help, but it never completely gets rid of that high frequency chatter that good damping tyres have the ability to do. For me it's a trade off between traction, tyre wear, protection and damping. I'd love to run Contis but when they are tubelessified I've found that to stop the squirming I have to run the pressures so high it unacceptably reduces traction.
 
Big JD said:
Anyone else notice that certain tyres feel dead and harsh and lack dampening. Going from Schwalbe to Maxxis I really notice this feeling on both my HT and FS. It must come down to the compounds as I run similar air pressures. I was running the harder Schwalbe compound and EXO Maxxis.
Schwalbe and Onza have great dampening- any others??
Click to expand...


Well for starters an equivalent size marking Maxxis is a smaller tyre than Schwalbe. E.g. 2.35 schwalbe is massive compared to 2.3 Maxxis. The tread pattern and how much corner knobs it has makes a difference too.
 
It's not fat, it is big boned...and muscle. Sooooooooooo much muscle.

Big JD said:
Anyone else notice that certain tyres feel dead and harsh and lack dampening. Going from Schwalbe to Maxxis I really notice this feeling on both my HT and FS. It must come down to the compounds as I run similar air pressures. I was running the harder Schwalbe compound and EXO Maxxis.
Schwalbe and Onza have great dampening- any others??
Click to expand...

I also find that Schwalbe have a really big bag compared to most other tyres. I think this also helps.
 
As another not that small unit...I've noticed that most of the Schwalbe cases are fairly light/thin and nice and supple as a result even when pumped into the low 30s. Do this with a Maxxis and it goes more like a road tyre feel. I have just swapped out a dead Thunder Bart (casing died) for the Vittoria Mezcal G+ and enjoy the same pressures with lower squirm. Still running a newish Maxxis Treadlite on the Twinzer and it feels OK but it had a nice Bontrager Jones XC on the front until it too snuffed it so it'll get a used Geax Saguaro TNT for a bit. Upshot is that I do like the feel of the Vittoria TNT casings in the 29er tyres.
 
wesdadude said:
I thought 29ers are supposed to feel dead and lifeless :behindsofa:
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Ahahahahaha! Wesdadude 1 - Big JD 0.

I've switched between Schwalbe and Maxxis heaps of times and yep, there is a big difference in not just the reaction of the tyre from a different treat pattern but the sidewall and compound too. In a nut shell, the Maxxis tread will last longer than the matching compound on a Schwalbe but the Maxxis does feel.............brittle I guess is the word. The sidewalls in a Maxxis tyre seem to generate too much tyre roll for me and makes the tyre seem like it's 10 psi lower than what I want and almost forces me to ride more conservatively in fear of rolling a tyre off. To compensate, I have to go for a heavy Maxxis tyre to get the same feel as I do on a Schwalbe tyre but then I really feel the extra weight from the heavier tyre. I do like the way a Maxxis tyre (Minion especially) grips in turns and brakes but to me, the Schwalbe (say....a Magic Mary) feels more predictable and rewards you for pushing it.
 
Sorry I can't be of more help. I'm a light bugger (sub 70kg) and my experience is pretty much exclusive to downhill casings on 26ers.
I don't run super low pressures to avoid destroying expensive wheels. The UST Magic Marys that came on my DH bike squirmed too much at pressures that were low enough to be compliant, Maxxis have always felt adequate.
 
Dozer said:
Ahahahahaha! Wesdadude 1 - Big JD 0.

I've switched between Schwalbe and Maxxis heaps of times and yep, there is a big difference in not just the reaction of the tyre from a different treat pattern but the sidewall and compound too. In a nut shell, the Maxxis tread will last longer than the matching compound on a Schwalbe but the Maxxis does feel.............brittle I guess is the word. The sidewalls in a Maxxis tyre seem to generate too much tyre roll for me and makes the tyre seem like it's 10 psi lower than what I want and almost forces me to ride more conservatively in fear of rolling a tyre off. To compensate, I have to go for a heavy Maxxis tyre to get the same feel as I do on a Schwalbe tyre but then I really feel the extra weight from the heavier tyre. I do like the way a Maxxis tyre (Minion especially) grips in turns and brakes but to me, the Schwalbe (say....a Magic Mary) feels more predictable and rewards you for pushing it.
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exactly the same for me......
 
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