Enduro/gravity bike suspension and geo

[BaGearA]

Slaughter grid or DH. or the new E13?

No stock and E13 tyres are wayyyy too expensive

[Capricorn]

Slaughter grid or DH. or the new E13?

if you value grip over everything else, then E13. Granted, i'm referring to rev 0 of E13. I have rev 1 in the corner here.

I really hope they resolved that rolling resistance problem. Riding with those rev 0s felt like your big was kitted with a drag chute permanently deployed. But for a first try, the grip of that tyre was stupendous, besting even the much loved magic mary.

Edited January 23, 2019 by Capricorn

[Grease_Monkey]

No stock and E13 tyres are wayyyy too expensive

You can also try the WTB Weir Wolf - not a true SS, but very similar - and the compound is super tacky. I lost mine to a sidewall cut doing a stupid line at Haka, but was one of my favourite tyres to date. With the exception the swearing that took place to mount and dismount those tyres, they sit tight!!

[Thermophage]

What’s going on the back?

TBH I am gonna run an Elim out back next too when it drops locally in the BLK DMND casing. Looks like it'll roll pretty good and it already grips super well up front, so should provide ample out back too.

[Grease_Monkey]

TBH I am gonna run an Elim out back next too when it drops locally in the BLK DMND casing. Looks like it'll roll pretty good and it already grips super well up front, so should provide ample out back too.

Also noticed the Spaz tyres roll very well for what they are. Eg: the butcher feels like it has alot less resistance than a DHF - but that could all be in my head as it's on different bikes.

[Thermophage]

Also noticed the Spaz tyres roll very well for what they are. Eg: the butcher feels like it has alot less resistance than a DHF - but that could all be in my head as it's on different bikes.

2.6 or 2.6 Butcher? I ask as the 2.6 is a much stickier compound.

TBH my fav rear tyre for a long time was the Slaughter 2.3, then moved to the 2.6 when it came out. They are great. They roll very well adn brake very well and even climb tech damp stuff very well. However they wear rather fast so have a relatively short lifespan before there is a noticeable degradation in braking performance.  The 2.6 was quite an improvement over the 2.3, but I suspect that's more to do with the stickier compound and perhaps ever so slightly higher centre knobs than the 2.3, rather than the width.

But anyhoo, after fitting the Elim 2.6 up front and seeing the fitted profile and knob spacing I def think it'll be really sweet out back for all conditions. Whereas the Elim up front looks like (still to be seen) it will sukkel a little when things get more damp and/or muddy.

[Grease_Monkey]

2.6 or 2.6 Butcher? I ask as the 2.6 is a much stickier compound.

TBH my fav rear tyre for a long time was the Slaughter 2.3, then moved to the 2.6 when it came out. They are great. They roll very well adn brake very well and even climb tech damp stuff very well. However they wear rather fast so have a relatively short lifespan before there is a noticeable degradation in braking performance. The 2.6 was quite an improvement over the 2.3, but I suspect that's more to do with the stickier compound and perhaps ever so slightly higher centre knobs than the 2.3, rather than the width.

But anyhoo, after fitting the Elim 2.6 up front and seeing the fitted profile and knob spacing I def think it'll be really sweet out back for all conditions. Whereas the Elim up front looks like (still to be seen) it will sukkel a little when things get more damp and/or muddy.

Mine is a 2.8 Butcher on the front and 2.8 Slaughter on the rear. This Eliminator sounds like a real winner though, just a pity it's not gonna be available in 2.8 - as I'd like to replace the Butcher with one when it dies.

 

Anyhow, have ridden in the mud with them once, and I gotta say it was a slippery afair. But I think that may have more to do with the width than anything else - +tyres do tend to float over mud instead of biting.

[stefmeister]

2.6 or 2.6 Butcher? I ask as the 2.6 is a much stickier compound.

TBH my fav rear tyre for a long time was the Slaughter 2.3, then moved to the 2.6 when it came out. They are great. They roll very well adn brake very well and even climb tech damp stuff very well. However they wear rather fast so have a relatively short lifespan before there is a noticeable degradation in braking performance.  The 2.6 was quite an improvement over the 2.3, but I suspect that's more to do with the stickier compound and perhaps ever so slightly higher centre knobs than the 2.3, rather than the width.

But anyhoo, after fitting the Elim 2.6 up front and seeing the fitted profile and knob spacing I def think it'll be really sweet out back for all conditions. Whereas the Elim up front looks like (still to be seen) it will sukkel a little when things get more damp and/or muddy.

The 2.3 Slaughter grids I've fitted 2 - 3 months ago is turning out to be the most expensive tyre yet. They're almost worn out - and once those sipes are fading the braking traction goes with it. The 2.3 now also come in the new softer gripton compound like the 2.6. I also have to run it at 2 bars to get it feel more supportive. Not sure if the softer compound affects the casing, but it certainly feels that way. 

Next up will be aggressors - maxxis at least gave me good mileage.

Edited January 23, 2019 by stefmeister

[Headshot]

My experience with a semi slick is that they really dont last. They are fine and then after some wear the grip deteriorates hugely.. climbing and braking deteriorates massively. Something like an Aggressor or Ardent out back makes far more sense to me.

[Yo-Yo]

My experience with a semi slick is that they really dont last. They are fine and then after some wear the grip deteriorates hugely.. climbing and braking deteriorates massively. Something like an Aggressor or Ardent out back makes far more sense to me.

 

I'm not sure if it's a damning indictment of my recent riding total but I've had my Slaughter on for about 20 months and I've only just started noticing it get a bit loose. Lean it over and it still hooks up great but on flatter corners in looser stuff / dust it starts to drift. 

 

I found an Ardent Race to be a good dry summer tyre out black with something big up front. 

Edited January 23, 2019 by Yo-yo

[Headshot]

As I have said before, and worth repeating IMO, your tyre choice is very much bike and terrain dependent. A MM up front on my HT was just too much tyre. For the first time I thought it was too draggy up front. The front wheel felt slot car secure, al because the HT geo changes so much up front when you sit on it and the fork compresses. On my previous Enduro I had no such sensation. 

 

The Butchers I love to hate have too little grip for a slacker dual suspension bike. The geo does not change as much when riding. The only time they feel okay is in steep terrain where the front really does get weighted. On the day at the JH enduro despite the sensation of more grip I still had one of those nasty front wheel slides. Too unpredictable to be a decent front tyre IMO. 

 

Perfect tyre combo for me would offer a very grippy wide front tyre and a slightly narrower faster rolling back tyre that will always lose traction before the front does. A safety net and more fun too.

[Hairy]

here is a little funduro exercise for you ... take the fork and front wheel from the big bike and run this on the HT for a couple of runs ... will be an interested ride for sure!

 

As I have said before, and worth repeating IMO, your tyre choice is very much bike and terrain dependent. A MM up front on my HT was just too much tyre. For the first time I thought it was too draggy up front. The front wheel felt slot car secure, al because the HT geo changes so much up front when you sit on it and the fork compresses. On my previous Enduro I had no such sensation. 

 

The Butchers I love to hate have too little grip for a slacker dual suspension bike. The geo does not change as much when riding. The only time they feel okay is in steep terrain where the front really does get weighted. On the day at the JH enduro despite the sensation of more grip I still had one of those nasty front wheel slides. Too unpredictable to be a decent front tyre IMO. 

 

Perfect tyre combo for me would offer a very grippy wide front tyre and a slightly narrower faster rolling back tyre that will always lose traction before the front does. A safety net and more fun too.

[Headshot]

here is a little funduro exercise for you ... take the fork and front wheel from the big bike and run this on the HT for a couple of runs ... will be an interested ride for sure!

One day when I'm bored...

[Headshot]

I have a theory which is about to be tested - a 2.5 WT Aggressor up front on my Enduro. Going to fit one tomorrow. 

 

My theory runs along the lines of - 99% of my riding takes place on hard or loose over hard and rocky trails. Even in Winter the CT trails are rarely clogged with mud. That said, a smaller block with a more dense tread pattern is probably the way to go. Fewer squirming knobs and  faster rolling. 

 

Should have a ride report by Wednesday (if my snotty throat clears up by then). Bike needs to be ridden up and cornered on the same turn my Butcher felt like a banana peel had replaced the tread. 

[Thermophage]

I have a theory which is about to be tested - a 2.5 WT Aggressor up front on my Enduro. Going to fit one tomorrow. 

 

My theory runs along the lines of - 99% of my riding takes place on hard or loose over hard and rocky trails. Even in Winter the CT trails are rarely clogged with mud. That said, a smaller block with a more dense tread pattern is probably the way to go. Fewer squirming knobs and  faster rolling. 

 

Should have a ride report by Wednesday (if my snotty throat clears up by then). Bike needs to be ridden up and cornered on the same turn my Butcher felt like a banana peel had replaced the tread. 

I have thought the same thing. Bu the Eliminator seems a slightly more aggressive while still having the same braking and rolling featured of the Agg having ridden both and if you check

em side by side.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Rad, let us know!