EmptyB Posted November 24, 2015 Posted November 24, 2015 Anyone interested in my feedback on my Michelin Wild Grip'R / Wild Race'R combo? Too lazy to type otherwise. We waiting patiently.....
Odinson Posted November 24, 2015 Posted November 24, 2015 (edited) We waiting patiently..... Fixed Okay, okay! Here goes: Bought a combo set of Michelin's 27.5 Wild Grip'R Advanced Reinforced 2.35" and 27.5 Wild Racer'R Advanced Reinforced 2.25". The Grip'R is touted as a mixed terrain tyre, with Michelin describing the Racer'R as a rear-specific #Enduro®© tyre for primarily dry conditions. Both tyres are part of the GUM-X series of compounds and the tread is noticeably soft and tacky to touch. Michelin recommends running a [edit] MAGI-X GUM-X series tyre up front for increased grip and a [edit] GUM-X MAGI-X tyre at the rear for increased longevity. The Reinforced carcass feels absolutely bulletproof. The sidewalls are thick and the protection layer beneath the tread is very noticeable. The tyres weigh in at 1070g each, according to Michelin. I haven't weighed them myself, but they aren't light tyres. In regards to tyres, I'll sacrifice weight for reliability and peace of mind any day of the week. I'm running the front tyre tubeless, but not the rear, as I simply haven't gotten around to converting the rear rim. The GUM-X compound does make things tricky when mounting and removing the tyres, as the tyres grips the rim like crazy. The front tyre sealed perfectly and it wasn't even necessary for me to go nuts with the track pump, as the tyre already had a seal the moment it was mounted. I'm using Stan's sealant and it's been fit and forget since I've done the conversion. As you can see from the pics below, the tyres have a "short" sidewall. However, I enjoy this, as I've been running very low pressures (between 1.2 and 1.4 bar up front - 1.6 at the rear) and haven't experienced any carcass roll. This is also due to the sturdiness of the Reinforced casing. The tyres also roll pretty damn fast. The Grip'R has very tall blocks, which are quite closely spaced. It therefore has a good balance between rolling resistance, grip and self-cleaning. The Racer'R rolls damn fast, due to it's low center tread. The Racer'R has arrows on the sidewall, indicating which direction to run the tyre when using it at the front or rear. I'm running mine in the "front" orientation for increased grip. The Grip'R has very high grip levels in the different terrains I'm riding. It has a very consistent feel, in that there is no "transition" or "on-off" sensation, depending on where the tyre is contacting the ground. I'm riding everything from pavement and cobblestones to leafy, goopy mud and gravelly trails and it never flinches. Just constant grip. Braking performance is also excellent. Very consistent across different trails surfaces. The Racer'R has been the biggest revelation. A tyre with its tread shouldn't offer the grip it does. It's uncanny. I've been purposely trying to get it to falter by riding up muddy, grassy and rocky mounds, but it just keeps on gripping. There is also little drift during hard cornering, as the tall side-knobs hook up well. Braking performance is average - it stops quickly enough, but not as quickly as more aggressive tyres. My only gripe would be sizing. The tyres don't have a lot of volume and the 2.25 Race'R looks almost identical in size to the 2.35 Grip'R. If you enjoy high volume tyres, such as Schwalbe's Hans Dampf and Maxxis High Rollers/Minions, you might be put off by the size of the tyres. However, if you dismiss these tyres as an option for new rubber solely on the sizing, you'll be doing yourself a disservice. Overall, I would list this as the best general trail riding combo I've ever used. It'll be a perfect choice for most Gauteng and KZN trails. For the gravity oriented riders (particularly in the WC) I'd recommend the Racer'R at the rear and a Wild Rock'R2 upfront for a very fast roll/high grip combo. In closing, put these tyres on your shortlist when you're considering new rubber. Edited November 24, 2015 by Odinson EmptyB, TAAHIRWP, popcorn_skollie and 1 other 4
Hairy Posted November 24, 2015 Posted November 24, 2015 nice review any ideas on cost per tyre? popcorn_skollie 1
popcorn_skollie Posted November 24, 2015 Posted November 24, 2015 In closing, put these tyres on your shortlist when you're considering new rubber. Prices?
Odinson Posted November 24, 2015 Posted November 24, 2015 nice review any ideas on cost per tyre? Prices? I bought the set from bike-components.de and they cost €74.95. I'm in Europe, so they're relatively good value. I can't however comment on prices in SA. Hairy 1
EmptyB Posted November 24, 2015 Posted November 24, 2015 Very cool review....I like the sounds of the grip you getting from the front!! Odinson 1
Bizkit031 Posted November 24, 2015 Posted November 24, 2015 Have not seen any Michelin tires anywhere in SA,so clearly no agents or the agents could not be bothered
TAAHIRWP Posted December 7, 2015 Posted December 7, 2015 I've got the 2.5 minion dhf maxxterra foldable exo set up on the rear.. only had one ride so far. Was good. Keen to hear if anyone has run this tyre for a longer time on the back, and what your experience was like?
Skylark Posted December 7, 2015 Posted December 7, 2015 I've got the 2.5 minion dhf maxxterra foldable exo set up on the rear.. only had one ride so far. Was good. Keen to hear if anyone has run this tyre for a longer time on the back, and what your experience was like?How's a pic or 2, those must be pretty enormous, do they run true to size?
TAAHIRWP Posted December 7, 2015 Posted December 7, 2015 (edited) How's a pic or 2, those must be pretty enormous, do they run true to size?Pic... I'll take one soon. True to size.... I dunno, they do measure 55mm according to the stated 55/559 specification, and that's on a 19mm internal width rim. Edited December 7, 2015 by TAAHIRWP Hairy 1
zappa Posted December 7, 2015 Posted December 7, 2015 [You can also check out the Spaz Butcher for front & Slaughter (Grid version) at the back.Good grip on the front & not too much rolling resistance Any thoughts Slaughter front and rear?
Odinson Posted December 7, 2015 Posted December 7, 2015 I've got the 2.5 minion dhf maxxterra foldable exo set up on the rear.. only had one ride so far. Was good. Keen to hear if anyone has run this tyre for a longer time on the back, and what your experience was like? Why such an aggressive tyre at the rear?
NicNacDH Posted December 7, 2015 Posted December 7, 2015 Why such an aggressive tyre at the rear?Asked myself the same question, would it not be better in front?
TAAHIRWP Posted December 7, 2015 Posted December 7, 2015 Why such an aggressive tyre at the rear?To tell you the truth I wanted an ardent, but hard to find in 26. So I did the next best thing... Moved my front tyre to the rear and new front tyre on. Yes, for winter makes sense to go aggressive back and front... like ibex b&f or dampf b&f, or high roller 2. But for now, tyres are expensive so ill work with what I have.... Hairy 1
TAAHIRWP Posted December 7, 2015 Posted December 7, 2015 How's a pic or 2, those must be pretty enormous, do they run true to size?Sorry for the poor quality Size is similar to the old nobby nic 2.25.. just has more spikey nobs. Hairy 1
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