New front tire advice.

[evad]

Need a new front tire. Currently riding a 2015 Fuel 27.5 got some 30mm int rims and went with a ardent race 2.35 rear and a 2.6 Nobby Nic up front. I ran this combo in a 2.25 and 2.35 on 22mm int rims and it hooked up pretty good but this new big bagged tire won't work for me, I'm loading the front end so hard I'm doing handstands into the corners and it's still like riding on sheet ice! I jumped on my mates trance with a 2.35 Hans Dampf and it was fricken amazing! I like the small bump compliance of the big tires but do they hook up as well on dry dusty single track and rocky fire trails? I mostly ride in Sydney.
Was thinking a Hans Dampf 2.35 or a DHF in 2.5 up front and maybe a minion ss 2.3 in rear. Rear 2.35 ardent can rub the frame chain stays if I put it down hard so wondering if the minion might be too wide with the big side knobs?
Weight is always a consideration for me and I'm willing run higher pressure over a heavier tire.
Thanks

 

[ChrisJC]

Tubeless? What pressure?

 

[evad]

Yeah tubeless and everything from about 15 (rolling off the rims) to 35 (bouncing off shit) usually about 28 f and 33 r any lower and I will pinch flat side walls on a bad line.

 

[ChrisJC]

Yeah tubeless and everything from about 15 (rolling off the rims) to 35 (bouncing off shit) usually about 28 f and 33 r any lower and I will pinch flat side walls on a bad line.

You would have to be taking some seriously bad lines or riding some gnarly shit to get front rim strike with 28psi/2.6” tyre... unless you weigh 120kg!

 

[evad]

Haha, not had a problem with the front back wheels and I don't get on that well.
I can run lower front but it rolls a bit linking up turns and landing jumps, feels more stable with a bit more in it but washes out in the dry dusty stuff.
Anyone running a minion dhf 2.5 or hans dampf 2.3 front on xc, light trail plus a few jumps and liking it?

 

[ChrisJC]

Hans Dampf are a great front tyre. I have a 2.35 on my trail bike running at 21-22psi (I'm 80kg) and it sticks better than a NN in most conditions.

 

[ChrisJC]

I'm sure others will chime in; however given reasonable technique, and suspension pressure/rebound dialled in a 2.6 NN should stick like poo to a blanket! At 28psi up front I know I'd be bouncing off everything and would struggle to keep the front tyre planted in corners!

 

[Mr Crudley]

I have a Hans Dampf 2.35 upfront and am really happy with it so far. I still have tubes at about 33 psi and it smoothes out the smaller stuff but hangs on.

I'm in Sydney and mainly ride the same semi-loose dirt and sandy covered hardpack.

The Performance versions in the Schwalbe range are reputed to last longer at the expense of some traction. The stickery Hans Dampf are reported to loose knobs occasionally.

Sent from my F5121 using Tapatalk

 

[evad]

I'm sure others will chime in; however given reasonable technique, and suspension pressure/rebound dialled in a 2.6 NN should stick like poo to a blanket! At 28psi up front I know I'd be bouncing off everything and would struggle to keep the front tyre planted in corners!

It should... That's why I spent $100 on a tire. If I drop the pressure more it deforms a lot, great for small bump compliance but not so good for landing jumps or hard cornering. It just feels skatie or squirmy I can't find an in between. Rode a Hans down the same track similar pressure and it was a night and day difference. I'm figuring it's the compliance in the side wall of the bigger light weight tire that makes it squirm at low pressure under load (I'm about 85kg kitted), the weight penalty of DH casings is unacceptable for me. The more tires I'm googling the more I'm thinking I need to run a 2.35.

 

[ChrisJC]

It should... That's why I spent $100 on a tire. If I drop the pressure more it deforms a lot, great for small bump compliance but not so good for landing jumps or hard cornering. It just feels skatie or squirmy I can't find an in between. Rode a Hans down the same track similar pressure and it was a night and day difference. I'm figuring it's the compliance in the side wall of the bigger light weight tire that makes it squirm at low pressure under load (I'm about 85kg kitted), the weight penalty of DH casings is unacceptable for me. The more tires I'm googling the more I'm thinking I need to run a 2.35.

You won’t be unhappy with a Hans Dampf up front! Go the trailstar compound if you want a little extra grip.

I got myself a 2.8” minion for a build I’m doing. I was tossing up between that and a 2.8 NN. I recall reading some ordinary reviews of the plus size Nobby Nics. I run Nics on my Hardtail in 2.35 and they’ve been fine!

 

[schred]

It almost sounds like you are describing in a round about way the soft side knob criticism many have of Schwalbes in general. Can't really get around it with tyre pressure.

 

[yuley95]

Haha, not had a problem with the front back wheels and I don't get on that well.
I can run lower front but it rolls a bit linking up turns and landing jumps, feels more stable with a bit more in it but washes out in the dry dusty stuff.
Anyone running a minion dhf 2.5 or hans dampf 2.3 front on xc, light trail plus a few jumps and liking it?

I was running a minion DHF 2.5 up front till recently. It was the super tacky compound and was the grippiest tyre I’ve ever run.

To be honest, it’s more tyre than I need for most of my riding. trail plus a few jumps would describe 80% of my riding.

I’m now trying a DHR II 2.4 up front with a minion ss out back. Had a fall on my first run that dented my confidence a bit but with more time on that combo, I’m really liking it. As a combo, it’s much better rolling that DHF and high roller that I was running

 

[evad]

It almost sounds like you are describing in a round about way the soft side knob criticism many have of Schwalbes in general. Can't really get around it with tyre pressure.

I used to love my 2.35 nobby nics this big one is just not hooking up for me, wondering if it's across the board with the bigger tires in light weight casing.

 

[evad]

I was running a minion DHF 2.5 up front till recently. It was the super tacky compound and was the grippiest tyre I’ve ever run.

To be honest, it’s more tyre than I need for most of my riding. trail plus a few jumps would describe 80% of my riding.

I’m now trying a DHR II 2.4 up front with a minion ss out back. Had a fall on my first run that dented my confidence a bit but with more time on that combo, I’m really liking it. As a combo, it’s much better rolling that DHF and high roller that I was running

Interesting, I had read the dhr 2 was super grippy but heaps slower rolling. Does the minion ss handle loose climbs ok?

 

[yuley95]

Interesting, I had read the dhr 2 was super grippy but heaps slower rolling. Does the minion ss handle loose climbs ok?

My comparison is not apples for apples. Went from a DHF 2.5 super tacky to a DHR II 2.4 dual compound.

That particular version of the DHR II rolls better than the super tacky DHF. Looking at the tread though, I can’t imagine they would roll any slower in apples for apples test.

I’ve been happily surprised by the SS. As long as you have weight over it, it handles loose climbs just as well as the high roller I had on there before. It corners as well as you would imagine too and, of course, rolls really well.

Only downside so far is braking but you can guess that going in. The DHR II has a rediculous amount of braking grip so the combo works well.

 

[beezlbub]

Yep I run the DHR II front, SS rear combo for general trail riding in summer and really rate it. As yuley said, the only real compromise I experience with the SS is a reduction in braking - cornering and climbing it is excellent.

 

[NUTTTR]

Depends on what you are doing, but I have an Aggressor on the front now (had DHR 2, 2.3) and I prefer the DHR 2.. Aggressor is OK, but does feel a bit slower and I'm definitely sure it's no grippier than the DHR 2.

I currently run a Minion SS on the rear and while it's good and grippy, it's slow on the road. I used to run IKON 2.35 on the rear and I prefer that too, better grip for climbing but a bit looser in the rear on corners and braking, which suits my style better. I'm definitely going back to DHR 2/Ikon combo once I wear out the current set

 

[freeriding]

Is magic mary soft/trailstar a better all around tyre than dhf maxterra?

 

[born-again-biker]

I've just changed my front from a HRII 2.4 EXO multi compound to a DHF 2.3 EXO.
I had a series of front end wash outs / falls on dry loose-over-hard with the HRII. Some of the problem is the poor riding technique employed by the ape perched on the bike.....but I also think the HRII needs a tiny bit of moisture on the trail to really grip hard. It has incredible straight line/upright braking traction...but it let-go too many times on the side knobs for me.
(I did previously post about how awesome it was elsewhere on RB, but this was before the trails dried out & I started eating shit)

So far the DHF feels better. But some of that might be a psychological effect - my confidence was pretty low.
The downside is that the DHF in a 2.3 inflates to a pretty small/skinny profile by comparison - so now I'm wondering if the 2.5 (non WT) would have been better for my 26mm ID rims....

 

[Majin]

I'll second the DHR II and the minion SS.
My DHR (WT 2.4) rolls a little faster than my DHF did ( albeit on different bikes). The DHR also hooks up nicely when braking.( noticeably more than the DHF). The WT profile would blow it up nicely on the 30mm ID rims.
The minion SS is great, but you need to weary that you have to lean it over for it to bite properly. And as Nutttr said, it rolls really slow on pavement. ( even at higher 30+ PSI). But on dirt, i don't notice it.
I've heard that the Schwalbe rock razor does roll a little faster. But its fat compared to the same size in Maxxis and would most likely rub your frame.
Depending on your terrain I've also heard good things about the continental der baron. Never used it myself though( doesn't come in 29 yet )