All Things Bikes and Tacos! (...and every vehicle imaginable)

I'm really used to it but I have (skinny) friends who seem to struggle a bit. I had my sliders made at 0 degrees and with fill plates so I stand on those since I'm short. I do have one buddy who is 6'6" who can put his bike on there from the ground.

 

And here I thought mid-April meant the trails were starting to thaw out...

18” and 17 degrees. Mountains got double that. I guess it’s still winter here a little longer.

EDIT: And the resorts are closed, so no pow-pow slash days for me either...

 

@mtskibum16
Better yet, call your local bike shop and see what they can do for you. Online purchases are a one and done kind of deal. If you have a local shop source you or build you a nice custom set of wheels, you’ll have their support for service/warranty issues in the future should something go wrong. Most new wheels will need to be touched up/trued within the first season of riding, and there are shops that won’t charge for that initial wheel true. Plus, bike nerds love building wheels and being able to pay our bills.


edited to include wheel porn.

High polish Paul Components hubs with super rare i9 internals, laced to high polish Velocity Blunt 35’s with DT Champion straight gauge spokes and brass nipples, all wrapped up in Schwalbe Rocket Ron rear and Nobby Nic front tires, both in 27.5x2.6. I built these a couple years ago for my Soma B-Side and they’ve taken a serious whalloping and still have tons of life left in them.

 

I'd go passenger exactly for the reason you stated. Curbside loading/unloading may be tricky on busy streets.

 

Let me hear your tire opinions. I’m looking at primarily these two possible setups for my next trail bike. I’m not closed off to other brands/models, but would prefer to stick with what I’m proposing unless there is just something else that’s far better.

Maxxis DHR II (front) / Maxxis Aggressor (rear)
or
WTB Vigilante (front) / WTB Trail Boss (rear)

 

Maxxis DHR II (front) / Maxxis Aggressor (rear) is what came on my bike and I think its the best combo out there. I've run through three sets now and they have never let me down. 2.5" front, 2.3" rear.

 

I plan to either run that sizing combo or 2.4 on both depending on what is available and pricing.

 

I've got a buddy who runs 2.4 F/R and it seems a LOT smaller than the 2.5, more than .1". He is planning to swap to 2.5, I think Maxxis has some funny measurements.

 

what would be considered "plus size"? My bike came with 2.6 front and 2.3 rear and I actually love it, but I'm also not very experienced. I know I can bulldoze over stuff with that front tire though haha!

 

2.6 is getting there but I would think Plus would be 2.8-3"

 

once I get more experienced and agile I might consider smaller, but right now I'm loving the 2.6 honestly.

 

Definitely consider the Assegai over the DHRII on the front. Much more predictable tire, and grip is better all around (except braking on super loose). I've run DHF/Aggressor, DHRII/Aggressor, Assegai/Aggressor, Vigilante/TB, and other combos. For wetter months I've settled on Assegai/Vigilante, drier months Assegai/TB. I like the TB out back over the aggressor, has more braking, climbing, and corner grip. Also has a tougher casing and rolls faster. Downside is that it's heavier and wears faster (though it is cheaper).

Yeah, it's weird how a 2.4 and 2.5 from Maxxis are nowhere near each other. Definitely stick to the 2.5 front, 2.4 rear.
*Maxxis 2.6 actually have shorter knobs than their counterparts... They roll faster and are about the same weight as 2.5s, but have less grip due to the shorter knobs.

 

The Assegai is definitely on my radar as a front option. It’s just a bit heavier than the others and from what I’ve read doesn’t roll as fast. A good bit of my riding is on drier hard pack XC stuff so I do value rolling resistance/weight a little more than durability and beef.

 

Roll resistance and weight are much less of an issue on the front tire. You won't feel a difference. I'd also go with the MaxxGrip compound, it's a game changer.

 

Tougher, stickier tire is prob good for @abacall in CO. I still think the DHF II is a better choice for our trails here Jonathan.

 

Get a swing out! Lots of options and you get to keep the hitch rack you love. It's about the same price as a roof rack too. https://www.google.com/search?q=hit...1.69i57j0l7.5238j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

 

Here's my digger from last week
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-svv9pjtdT/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

DJs are fun! Our town got a new bike park with an enormous pump track and jump lines so I've been way more involved on the DJ scene recently. Its so difficult swapping between big bike and a dirt jumper though, totally different beasts

 

I saw that when you posted it, haha.

 

THIS!

I don't think anyone can tell you what kind of tire to run unless they know your local trails. I've been debating building up a second set of wheels for my Rallon so that I can run one set of tires here on the dirt in the Wasatch and a different set of tires for desert slick rock.

 

@backcountryj and I ride the same trails...