700c Mountain Bike Tires

I’ve been lucky enough to sample many 29 inch mountain bike tires over the past five years. If you’d like to hear my opinion of how they ride then read on.

The first tires I ever rode on a big wheel bike were WTB Nanoraptors. The nano is not exactly the same as it was then but has basically the same tread. It was a great tire then and is even better now. WTB has one of the most durable and best feeling tire casings of any manufacturer. The nano raptor is super tall so you have to really pound it to get to the rim but it’s narrow and fast. Dry or tacky hard pack is where this tire works best.

I believe the second tire I tried was the IRC Mythos XC 2.1 front and rear specific tires. Sorry guys but major suckola. Too low profile and wimpy side walls. I may as well lump in the IRC Notos here. I liked the Notos better than the Mythos especially since they were very inexpensive. They seemed to have the same quality of side wall which were poor. Also the bead broke in a few that I knew of.

Fortunately I never had the misfortune of paying for a pair of WTBs Veloslowcraptors, enough said. Sorry fellas, I love your tires except for that one.

A few years back I purchased a pair of Schwalbe Little Alberts. They worked okay for me in a muddy race but were so low profile I was scared to ride any rocky single track with them. That’s right, I forgot about the Spring race at Michaux where I used them on a rigid single speed. It was raining that day but that place doesn’t get muddy. That day my bike beat me like a read headed step child. I threw the Little Alberts in my basement never to be ridden again. I’m confident that the Schwalbe Racing Ralph is the best tire now but I have yet to get my hands on a pair.

If you’re looking for a tire that is tough, lasts a long time, and works in all conditions (except for greasy slime), look no further than the Exiwolf. It’s not light and not particularly fast but it grips like no other on rocks, roots, loose gravel, everywhere. This tire is on the big side.

The Weirwolf is the largest volume 29 inch tire I’ve ever ridden. Despite its hugeness the Weirwolf is actually quite fast. This is the best front tire in the world especially if you’re using it on a rigid fork. Whenever I try to use one in the rear with the tread pattern reversed my bikes track funny when turning. This has happened on more than one bike. Believe it or not I attribute this to the Weirwolf simply trying to tear a hole in the ground. Most geared production bikes do not have the clearance for this tire as a rear.

In preparation for the Fairhill Classic last year I mounted up a pair of Stans Crow tires onto my geared hardtail. Sadly I also installed a rigid fork to said bike. Drew spotted me in this dimwitted endeavor and promptly poked fun at me. “I’ll show him!” I thought. This is gonna be the fastest setup out there. I’ll spare you the rest of the story. Let’s just say they’re hanging on the same hook as the Little Alberts.

Bontrager Jones XR may be the tire I’ve ridden the most. It’s very big and round but has low tread so it rolls fast. The XR grips well but wears quickly. Thankfully it’s not a very expensive tire since it’s my wife’s tire of choice. These side walls will tear easily, sharp rocks will eat them for breakfast. As with all the tires I’ve mentioned so far these are not intended to be used without inner tubes. I’ve attempted to use them tubeless with sealant. Their skin is far too thin, you won’t hold a turn with them unless over pressurized. This tire is available in a tubeless ready version. The TLR compound is much better and seems to last longer but are not nearly as inexpensive as the standard compound tires.

Another tire I’ve put a lot of time on and am currently riding is the Jones ACX. I should say that it’s the TLR version I’m on. I’ve gone through at least three pairs of the standard ACX as they wear quickly. This tire has tall square knobs that are really supple independent from the casing. I think that’s why I find I must run them at low pressure only. They are no good for super hard dry trail but they are great on loose or slimy terrain. I find them awful on completely frozen ground but when the sun beats down and thaws the surface it creates a greasy condition. The ACX is the best tire in my opinion for holding traction on that type of greasiness.

Maybe I left a couple out or something but looking back that’s not many tires at all. There’s tons more tires on the market I’ve never tried. I only mentioned the ones that have been on my own bikes. Just jumping on a friend’s bike is not enough to get a feel for the tire itself. Well, I’ve got my work cut out for me this summer with all these other tires to try.

Full Suspension Mountain Bikes

Most of you who know me well have heard me say there’s no need for rear suspension on a cross country bike, especially one with proper sized wheels. I still believe that to be true but I’m realizing now that there’s something more to this full suspension thing. Big wheels almost made me give up on squishy bikes forever.

My last one (FS) also had big wheels but was far too long in the rear and steered like a truck. That bike rode well in some situations but lacked the quickness and maneuverability that I like a bicycle to have. It was pretty much a Michaux race only rig. It got the job done but wasn’t nimble enough to be fun to ride. After less than a year of use that bike was replaced by a steel hardtail.

The more bikes I ride the more I realize that it’s all about the geometry and design of a bike rather than the category it fits into. For the last couple of months I’ve been riding (pretty much daily) a four inch travel custom Engin bicycle with the rear end of a Ventana El Rey. Having personally owned more than twenty true mountain bikes of all styles and ridden the tar out of every last one I’ve developed a sense for what works. This monster bike drew has built for me does it all well and has yet to show any limitations.

One of the great things about a dialed in squishy bike is the balance front to rear. I also like the ride of a fully rigid bike in tight singletrack because the angles of the bike do not change in turns. With a front suspension hardtail your fork will dive when pressing hard in a turn. This steepens the bikes angles at a time when you need front wheel traction the most. Not an issue when going slow but at high speed this can lead to disaster. On my squishy bike I’m able to commit to a turn at higher speed than any rigid bike I’ve tried. My fork dives in the turn but so does the back end of my bike. So the only ride feature that changes is lowering of the bottom bracket which just adds stability.

Honestly the prospect of riding a four inch travel 29er again seemed boring. I like trails, I like the way they feel when I’m riding on them. I figured that being aboard such a beast I would lose touch with some of that feel but it’s the opposite. It must be because my tires stay on the ground more. Whatever it is, it works for me because I’m having a great time on it. Thanks to Drew and thanks to the rain that’s pinned me indoors so I could write about my bike instead of riding it.

Spring Classic #2

It is sad to say that knee pain has sidelined me from yet another Spring Classic. However, I was able to get in on some of the action and snap a few shots….

After attacking early, This Guy endured some suffering and made it to the bridge first.

Followed by Joe

And the Bearded Man with a smile on his face.

Pete sportin’ pink (possibly in zone 6) with Roberto wearing yellow.

The ride regrouped at the constitution center, and after socializing with some visitors they staged for the final push towards Manyunk, the Wall, Hermit Lane, Forbidden Drive, and last but not least Springfield Ave.

And they’re off.