Tyres for Anthem with AC Wide Lightning

[greg_sa]

Hi,

 

I am new to the MTB scene, and bought a used Anthem X 29er with a AC Wide Lightning wheel set. I am riding the Tygerberg MTB trails and Grabouw Lebanon trails.

 

I currently have Schwalbe Racing Ralph 29x2.25 Snakeskin front and rear. The rear seems pretty worn to me, and I was thinking that I'd also prefer something with more grip in front to give me more confidence in the corners... especially at Lebanon where there is quite a lot of sand and loose surfaces in places.

 

Is that rear tyre ready for the bin?

 

 

This is the front (excuse the old Stans busy weeping)

 

 

I was thinking of moving the less worn front Racing Ralph tyre to the rear and fitting a Nobby Nic to the front?

 

Seems like most places only stock the Nobby Nic in 2.25. Would the 2.35 be a much better option (if I can find it)?

 

Will either width be fine on the Wide Lightning rims?

 

Any advice?

 

Thanks,

Greg

[Iwan Kemp]

Hi Greg,

 

The rear looks done with. Especially on a tire like the RR. Move the front to the back and get a NN for the front. Make sure its the new version (has been out for a while so should be) and if the 2.25 is what you can get then go for it. 

 

It's a great tyre and will offer you the extra grip you're after without going too far out. 

[avalanx]

Stans has a pretty cool article on their website explaining their idea of "wide right" essentially speaking about having a rim that is the right width for tyre you are using. So not all tyres widths will do well on all rims(Bell and Lightbulb effect). Check it out, http://www.notubes.com/WideRight/ 

 

The AC Wide Lightenings have an internal rim width of 29.3mm, which is awesome I wish my Crest's were that accommodating. However this also means that you should ideally avoid the really skinny race tyres and go for something a little wider, this is a good thing and isn't going to add rolling resistance, contrary to popular belief. Also should it be kept in mind that not all tyre profiles are the same, one brand's 2.25 might be a lot fatter than another's etc.

 

That being said, I wouldn't run anything less than 2.25". Schwalbe make great tyres but aren't great value. Consider a Maxxis Ikon 2.25 on the back(or front as well) and a Maxxis Ardent or Ardent race 2.35 on the front. Also the Specialized ground control 2.3 at front would be great, impressive rolling resistance and a lot of grip. If you are not phased about the cost of the tyres, definitely consider Vittoria, their tyres do best with a wider rim profile. Saguarro on the back and Barzo on the front is a dream setup.

If you really want to analyze the details check out http://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/ 

 

You could run any setup though, most Specialized teams the run skinny 1.95" Renegade tyres on wide Roval carbon rims. This does risk the "bell" effect which exposes you to side wall cuts(team songo has struggled with this at the Epic).

 

Anyways you can't go massively wrong with any tyre setup, as someone new to the scene, don't waste money on expensive tyres just get the cheapest and strongest tyres that your local bike shop has in stock, erring on the wider side in your case.

[greg_sa]

Thanks guys.

 

When it comes to price, my LBS has the Nobby Nic, Ardent and Barzo all at the same price... R800. So will the Schwalbes typically wear faster than the others?

 

Reviews seem to rate both the NN and Brazo highly...

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Depends on the compound

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

But if they're all the same price then I'd get the nobby for sure

[greg_sa]

Cool, thanks.

 

I'll see if I can find the Nobby Nic in 2.35 otherwise I'll have to take the 2.25

[MTBeer]

Spaz tyres also good and well priced. Purgatory front and Ground rear. Grid version is more durable.

[dee_biker]

Vittoria Saqauro back and Barzo front a very good combination.

[Zorro5614]

I ride Maxxis Ikon 2.2 rear and Maxxis Ardent 2.4 front on my Wide Lightnings.

 

The 2.4 Ardent runs really wide

[greg_sa]

Hmmm... I just read a review here about the Wide Lightings:

 

http://www.ambmag.com.au/news/tested-american-classic-wide-lightning-wheels-429323

 

They say:

 

Not every tyre is designed to be run on such a wide rim, and certain tread profiles just didn’t play well with the 29.3mm internal rim width.

 

Two options in particular that I didn’t enjoy on the Wide Lightnings were the Maxxis High Roller II and the new Schwalbe Nobby Nic. Both tyres feature substantial cornering blocks that are most effective when protruding away from the tyre casing. On a super wide rim, the squarer tyre profile saw those cornering blocks protruding vertically, with the tyre casing actually sitting wider than the tread. This led to inconsistent traction when cornering aggressively, where the tyres would suddenly skip out once you leant them past those edging knobs.

 

So maybe the Nobby Nic isn't the best option?

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Hmmmm. Food for thought

[greg_sa]

Not sure if that test used 2.25 or 2.35.

 

I suppose the 2.35 would be better...

 

Or go with Vittoria or Maxxis

[JeremyCPT]

Im now a big fan of the Barzo. Not sure how it would be on the wide rims.

used to run Racing Ralphs and I moved over to Barzo front and Saguaro rear.

Its a great combo.

Barzo great front tire that gets the balance right between high grip, low rolling resistance, side wall strength and light weight.

worth a try.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Ask Iwan Kemp how rocket Ron's perform on wide lightning rims. I think it's summed up by holy crap, try actually grip!

[greg_sa]

Thanks. I'm going to see what I can get in a 2.35 or 2.4.

 

Most places only seem to keep around 2.2