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

I’ve noticed that with XR4s too. Taller side knobs will help like others said. I know my cornering isn’t consistent either but getting that bike down on flat corners is key

 

I run my SJ ST with 2.6 Eliminator front and 2.6 Ground Control rear. I have 0 complaints. I dont like the older Purgatory's, the newer Purgatory's look to be a little faster rolling.

Run 2.6 Nobby Nics on the Chameleon.

 

The new Purgatorys definitely look better than the old ones.

 

have you tried the maxxis recon? Its got gobs of grip, little rolling resistance, and weighs less than a minion. I had a minion DHF and changed it to the recon and its hands down faster with just as much grip. just my experience.

 

I've ran a 2.4 EXO on the rear and liked it a lot, if you could get it in a heavier casing (DD) i'd still be running it.

 

I have not. thanks for the insight.

 

Missing a high pivot for maximum super-coolness factor.

Yeah, I get what you’re saying, but tweaking shit to your preference can make you a better rider through confidence.
I find that running a super grippy and aggressive front tire has almost zero downsides. Almost no perceptible drag on dirt, but knowing the thing will not throw you on your face when you slide will give you some confidence when pushing corners. That in turn allows you to push your technique and get better.
Best front tire I’ve run is the Maxxis Assegai. Double down on the big bike, exo+ on the trail bike.
On the rear though, drag is important, as is weight. I personally will pay the penalty on both for the added protection against flats. But I ride some rocky ass trails and I don’t like braking into anything chunky. Double down Maxxis, or tough casings on wtb and I’m good. Weight is a factor though, as most of those are about 1300 G.

 

Yes, we need rain, but meanwhile trail conditions in the Bay Area are perfect. Rode Wilder on Thursday, UC on Sunday and Soquel Demo today. Very nice!

 

I miss that place!

 

Rakattach installed. It adds about 6-8" of extension to the 1up and lifts it up about 3". There is a minor loss of clearance but not a big deal for where I take this truck. It's way easier to get into the bed now without having to tilt the rack up and down. The Rakattach itself weighs around 50lbs.

 

truck, bike, and rack = awesome

 

Bike tires are like a#$holes, everyone has them, some are bigger than others and all are usually dirtier than we care to acknowledge. All joking aside, you guys bring up some good points. Tires are the only contact point we have with the ground and thats why they are so important. Most of the weird tire combos we see on stock bikes are product managers trying to keep overall bike weight and price into certain categories. My overall advice for buying tires is that you buy them based upon the terrain you ride and your style. By style I mean aggressive DH/trail, leisure trail/XC. Another technique is to observe what bike shop employees run on their bikes. That can be misleading if you live in an area that has one bike shop that only carries one brand of tire.

I have not tried a big bike brand set of tires in a very long time but I know they have improved. I switched to Maxxis and I have never looked back. I've ridden High Rollers and the DHF/DHR combo and I couldn't be happier. The DHF/DHR combo handle the granite gravel here in the Front Range. I want to try the Assegai/Dissector combo but I'm going to run another set of DHF/DHR before I go for it.

 

is that on the 29 or 27.5+ Wheel? I have the 27.5+ on my Hightower and my Chameleon but have wanted to get a set of 29ers for them.

 

You won't regret moving over to the Assegai from the DHF, better on all fronts (except weight). What casings are you running? On the front range I can't run anything less than DD on the rear and exo+ front. Even the exo+ gets slashed on some of the rockier trails. Haven't tried the Dissector, but the Aggressor is perfect for most of the year.

 

I'm running EXO in the front and I just purchased exo+ for the rear. I'm running wide trails 2.5 front and 2.4 rear. I don't ride hard/crazy enough to justify the DD. I occasionally go to Crested Butte for the DH trails but I just rent a bike when I do. I run my pressures a little higher than most so thats probably why I'm not slashing sidewalls (25psi front and 27psi rear). I also haven't had any issues since I got wheels with a 30mm inner rim width. I cannot wait to run an Assegai.

 

What do you guys think of an Ibis Ripmo in the SLX build as a first FS bike? A shop about an hour and a half away from me has them on close out for $3,900, basically the same price as the ripmo af slx. Trying to decide if it’s worth the drive to go check it out. I don’t have any experience with FS bikes, currently have an almost 10 year old specialized hard tail. I’ve been doing my research and this seems like a killer deal for a great do it all bike. And I’m all about buy once, cry once.

 

I'd go for it! I promise you that bike will feel like something from outer space compared to what you are riding now. I'm sure the price is good if you have done your research.

 

Also, if you can bring your riding gear that will help immensely. The shop can set up your sag properly with your riding weight (cambelback, tools, etc).

 

First ride of the year.

 

I know RCI sells the side mount bike mount for their bed rack, but does anyone know a rack that fits a 29’er, preferably wheel on, on top of an rci bed rack?