mikethebike234 Posted February 10, 2019 Share Hmm you guys putting me off the crossmarks ..I'm going to have a closer look at the chaoyongs but really there's not much in the way of decent budget 26 tyres left on the market is there ..I used to have some fancy Kendall tyres on the bike before I got the monorails and they were brilliant off road but pretty shocking on the road which didn't really bother me since I didn't ride much on the road ..I forget what they were called though... The bike was faster on gravel than on tar it was truly amazing....Forgot about the Chaoyang brand, I have a set of their road tyres on my roadie, good value for money IMHO. They should be more than fine if your getting into the swing of things again. In fact 2 brothers I know who are not exactly front field guys but do the Cape Epic, the Wines2Whales and similar big races every year have been running Chaoyang on their Spark RC's for the past two years and have had very little problems with these tyres.Would personally also opt for these over the Crossmarks for better grip, preferably the Zippering as I like the tread pattern on them as apose to the Hornet, however I think you only get the Hornet in 26, still maybe better than Crossmark. The Crossmark is a very strong(heavy) hardy tyre but offers very little grip wise hence Myles's post about your face. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikethebike234 Posted February 10, 2019 Share https://photos.app.goo.gl/5WwnDBRzfFc4Ysqk6Does this work? It's a picture of the bike in question..it's a bit old but it used to ride really nicely and since a new one is totally out of the question it'll have to do???? BenReaper 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenReaper Posted February 10, 2019 Share That looks like a really well put together decently specced bike of its time.The Crossmarks are probably not as bad as us guy's who like to think we can shread make them out to be. They are the tyre of choice for some of the older guys in my area who have also done Cape Epics, Wines2Whales and other big races on them, these guys do take it much easier than me though. In my experience with our terrain I've learnt that on our slate rock banks most tyres dont hold up as well as the Crossmarks strength wise but if you hit anything loose over hardpack, or wet and muddy they don't really grip well.If you can get those Chaoyang's for cheaper I'd go for them if I were you. Mojoman and mikethebike234 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikethebike234 Posted February 10, 2019 Share I think that's what I'm going to do try find some chaoyongs for a good price I'm not bothered if they are 2.1 or 2.2 ...so the hunt begins... Tbh I don't think I'm going to have much of a choice given my crappy budget and the fact my bike is virtually an extinct dinosuar...That looks like a really well put together decently specced bike of its time.The Crossmarks are probably not as bad as us guy's who like to think we can shread make them out to be. They are the tyre of choice for some of the older guys in my area who have also done Cape Epics, Wines2Whales and other big races on them, these guys do take it much easier than me though. In my experience with our terrain I've learnt that on our slate rock banks most tyres dont hold up as well as the Crossmarks strength wise but if you hit anything loose over hardpack, or wet and muddy they don't really grip well.If you can get those Chaoyang's for cheaper I'd go for them if I were you. BenReaper 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikethebike234 Posted February 10, 2019 Share I suppose the next question is who has the best prices???????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mojoman Posted February 10, 2019 Share Ran Crossmarks for years and probably always will, hard wearing and cheap for me (on both my 26in & 29in bikes)....They can be a bit pratty but generally for me they are pretty predictable. Not the best for mud though....! Clog up very very quickly.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted February 10, 2019 Share Ran Crossmarks for years and probably always will, hard wearing and cheap for me (on both my 26in & 29in bikes)....They can be a bit pratty but generally for me they are pretty predictable. Not the best for mud though....! Clog up very very quickly....Only thing they're good for is hard pack and gravel. As soon as you ask a bit more of them, they slide and fail. Strong casings, but that's pretty much it. They're a roadie's MTB tyres. BenReaper 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christofison Posted February 10, 2019 Share I think that's what I'm going to do try find some chaoyongs for a good price I'm not bothered if they are 2.1 or 2.2 ...so the hunt begins... Tbh I don't think I'm going to have much of a choice given my crappy budget and the fact my bike is virtually an extinct dinosuar... Don't do that, rather go see Stoke. I'm sure they'll have some 26" Maxxis Ardent's at a decent price. And if you're feeling adventurous, get a Minnion for the front with the Ardent on the back. Captain Fastbastard Mayhem and BenReaper 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisF Posted February 10, 2019 Share https://photos.app.goo.gl/5WwnDBRzfFc4Ysqk6Does this work? It's a picture of the bike in question..it's a bit old but it used to ride really nicely and since a new one is totally out of the question it'll have to do VERY nice bike !! We have the exact bike. Hoping Maritz can go straight from the 24'' to this bike .... as soon as he can manage the stand-over height .... Absolutely nothing on the market at the moment with the same quality of components, in the small sizes .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted February 10, 2019 Share Don't do that, rather go see Stoke. I'm sure they'll have some 26" Maxxis Ardent's at a decent price. And if you're feeling adventurous, get a Minnion for the front with the Ardent on the back.THIS. They have more than that, btw. BenReaper 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mojoman Posted February 10, 2019 Share Only thing they're good for is hard pack and gravel. As soon as you ask a bit more of them, they slide and fail. Strong casings, but that's pretty much it. They're a roadie's MTB tyres. Works fine here in Magalies, but as you say they are a bit tougher and there is a fair bit of slate and sharp quartzite rock out here so I've learnt the cheaper and tougher the better....nothing worse than a new pricey tyre and 2 weeks later its f...d thanks to a significant cut in the sidewall....(and stiching with dental floss and then applying a patch over the hole just always seem to make the tyre bubble for me!) Captain Fastbastard Mayhem and BenReaper 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikethebike234 Posted February 10, 2019 Share Thanks I've had it Jim for a long time it's been thrashed up and down Tokai many a time and as for the Mavic wheels that was a bit of a mad upgrade they were probably more than what the bike was worth????????(oh and never shall the wife find out what they cost????????????) but oh how they changed the whole dynamic of the bike it's weight was massively reduced and Handling completely changed as a result ..it was a lot faster than my skills that's for sure ..it'll be fun getting back in the saddle .. I'm get the tyres sorted then take it for a spin then see what else needs to be done .. shouldn't be much .. hopefully... VERY nice bike !! We have the exact bike. Hoping Maritz can go straight from the 24'' to this bike .... as soon as he can manage the stand-over height .... Absolutely nothing on the market at the moment with the same quality of components, in the small sizes .... Edited February 10, 2019 by mikethebike234 ChrisF 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swany05 Posted February 11, 2019 Share Found some 26" tyres at solomans Cycles a while ago Went with Vredestein Black Panther for the rear and Bob Cat for the front. 2.0 and 2.35 respectively. These are tubeless and the were on special for R149 each. For the amount i ride my mountain bike these made more sense than anything else they had. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikethebike234 Posted February 14, 2019 Share Well I took the bike to stokes suspension works and asked for advice etc and promptly went mad ...I am getting and ardent for the back and a minion for the front both 2.4 the widest possible for the bike ???????? then we discovered that the wheel needs to be dished then we found the wheel slightly out of true then I decided to get them to clean up the bill oh well at least I've got a few days to rob a bank or sell the wheels off my car or something ????????????...oh and no one who knows me shall ever know what I spent if anyone does find out I will have to kill them ...???????????? Anyway looking really looking forward to getting the bike back and going up Tokai for the first time since the fires ... Speaking of which how does it work with riding there these days? How much is it where do you pay etc etc ChrisF and BenReaper 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikethebike234 Posted February 14, 2019 Share Well I took the bike to stokes suspension works and asked for advice etc and promptly went mad ...I am getting and ardent for the back and a minion for the front both 2.4 the widest possible for the bike ???????? then we discovered that the wheel needs to be dished then we found the wheel slightly out of true then I decided to get them to clean up the bill oh well at least I've got a few days to rob a bank or sell the wheels off my car or something ????????????...oh and no one who knows me shall ever know what I spent if anyone does find out I will have to kill them ...???????????? Anyway looking really looking forward to getting the bike back and going up Tokai for the first time since the fires ... Speaking of which how does it work with riding there these days? How much is it where do you pay etc etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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