Yazpeter Posted July 12, 2019 Posted July 12, 2019 Good evening guys. So the past weekend I did my first trail and Shu what an experience. I struggled with grip.. I have a very standard GT timberland with 2.1 tyres front and rear. My riding buddy who is more professional than me suggested we let some air out to make the tyre grip a bit better ? We did but I still struggled. I eventually slid while taking a turn ... Suppose the grip just wasn't there. So the question is was my lack of experience the reason I struggled or my tyre width ?
Butterbean Posted July 12, 2019 Posted July 12, 2019 First, invest in tubeless.. It's worth its weight in sealant.. I prefer the widest tyre my frame and fork can fit, so if you need new tyres to go tubeless, then nows your chance... 2.3 up front and 2.2 out back works well.. Then, experiment with tyre pressures. Lower will mean more grip but can also cause both tyre and extreme grip problems... So its all about the sweet spot for your riding terrain...
porqui Posted July 12, 2019 Posted July 12, 2019 So what type of terrain were you riding and what type of tread on your tyres?
Letum911 Posted July 12, 2019 Posted July 12, 2019 Very good chance that you rand out of talent and that your mind is just telling you it's the tyres. We have all been there and have multiple t-shirts to confirm the story. As for tyres:There are many many many options on the market. Personally run a Vittoria Saguaro/Barzo combo, which I love!!!! Get tubeless, this is not a request nor a proposal but rather an order with your best interest at heart! Secondly match the tyres and treat to your environment.
love2fly Posted July 12, 2019 Posted July 12, 2019 Ok this is about to set the cat amongst the pigeons.... I don't buy the "go bigger front tyre" philosophy.When I bought my new MTB 18 months ago it had asymmetric ie 2.1 rear and 2.25 up front. I used to find I was understeering/the bike was slow to turn into a corner at any sort of speed...I considered the science for a bit and my belief is that the smaller rear will always turn inside the front to a greater extent than the same size rear would and this makes it slow to get the rear around the corner. In saloon car racing the idea was the get the car to oversteer so that its pointing in the "new" direction asap.I went to same size and much better and you have to work hard to stay with my on fast twisties...I vote got with same size (I use a Crossmark 2 rear and Ardent, not Ardent Race up front. Both 2.25)I weight 108kg and with my nice wide rims I can run the front at 1,2 bar and the rear at 1,5 and NO risk of snakebite. In soft sand ala Namaqua I would drop to 1,1 bar and 1,3-4.Find what you are comfortable with by experimenting and recording and comparing. And yes, you MUST have tubeless.First, invest in tubeless.. It's worth its weight in sealant.. I prefer the widest tyre my frame and fork can fit, so if you need new tyres to go tubeless, then nows your chance... 2.3 up front and 2.2 out back works well..Then, experiment with tyre pressures. Lower will mean more grip but can also cause both tyre and extreme grip problems... So its all about the sweet spot for your riding terrain...
greg_sa Posted July 13, 2019 Posted July 13, 2019 Ok this is about to set the cat amongst the pigeons.... I don't buy the "go bigger front tyre" philosophy.When I bought my new MTB 18 months ago it had asymmetric ie 2.1 rear and 2.25 up front. I used to find I was understeering/the bike was slow to turn into a corner at any sort of speed...I considered the science for a bit and my belief is that the smaller rear will always turn inside the front to a greater extent than the same size rear would and this makes it slow to get the rear around the corner. In saloon car racing the idea was the get the car to oversteer so that its pointing in the "new" direction asap.I went to same size and much better and you have to work hard to stay with my on fast twisties...I vote got with same size (I use a Crossmark 2 rear and Ardent, not Ardent Race up front. Both 2.25)I weight 108kg and with my nice wide rims I can run the front at 1,2 bar and the rear at 1,5 and NO risk of snakebite. In soft sand ala Namaqua I would drop to 1,1 bar and 1,3-4.Find what you are comfortable with by experimenting and recording and comparing. And yes, you MUST have tubeless.Hmmm... So when you changed the tyre size, did you change the model too? So the downhill guys running 29" front and 27.5" rear must be understeering terribly?
Pah Bear Posted July 13, 2019 Posted July 13, 2019 ... As for tyres:There are many many many options on the market. Personally run a Vittoria Saguaro/Barzo combo, which I love!!!! Get tubeless, this is not a request nor a proposal but rather an order with your best interest at heart! Secondly match the tyres and treat to your environment. Use the same and enjoy the Vittorio combo for toughness, durability, and grip.
Yazpeter Posted July 13, 2019 Author Posted July 13, 2019 So I double checked the tyres... They are crossmark maxxis. They aren't tubeless not sure if tubeless assists with grip ? What is the widest I could go a standard rim ? 2.3? Im hitting magik forest tomorrow will try and lower the tyre pressure a bit and see what happens. Last week terrain was plenty of tree roots, single track and some rocky climbs. Bike handled we'll just when cornering I was very confident ...
greg_sa Posted July 13, 2019 Posted July 13, 2019 Crossmarks aren't known for good grip. I'd change to something like Ardent, in a 2.25 for a normal narrowish rim. Maybe wait till the current tyres are worn out?
Yazpeter Posted July 13, 2019 Author Posted July 13, 2019 Are you referring to these ? http://app-1805.appdeep.link/products/203915001865
love2fly Posted July 13, 2019 Posted July 13, 2019 I kept tothe same model, just put on a wider rear to match.A DH bike has vastly different geometry and weight distribution, and necessarily so to cope with the gradient.. I'm talking about a MTB.Hmmm... So when you changed the tyre size, did you change the model too?So the downhill guys running 29" front and 27.5" rear must be understeering terribly?
greg_sa Posted July 13, 2019 Posted July 13, 2019 I kept tothe same model, just put on a wider rear to match.A DH bike has vastly different geometry and weight distribution, and necessarily so to cope with the gradient.. I'm talking about a MTB.Cool, intetesting observations, but I didn't notice any understeer running mixed sizes. But there are just so many variables in the mix...
MudLark Posted July 13, 2019 Posted July 13, 2019 So I double checked the tyres... They are crossmark maxxis. They aren't tubeless not sure if tubeless assists with grip ? What is the widest I could go a standard rim ? 2.3? Im hitting magik forest tomorrow will try and lower the tyre pressure a bit and see what happens. Last week terrain was plenty of tree roots, single track and some rocky climbs. Bike handled we'll just when cornering I was very confident ...I had a pair of Crossmark IIs 2.25 front and back. I saw my gat on them - so badiy I compressed my C4 vertebra - precisely because of that lack of grip you're experiencing. I took them off, new though they were and replaced with Contis; never looked back. The Crossmark tyres are not "bad" tyres but they're low rolling resistance and with a 2.1 only, you're not going to get great grip on any sort of sandy or slippery surface, even if you deflate them a bit.
V18 Posted July 13, 2019 Posted July 13, 2019 Crossmarks aren't exactly the grippiest. That being said. They can be run pretty well in yhe right hands. I'd suggest something super grippy with a lekker footprint. You should be able to put onza ibex 2.4 up front if your fork will clear it. Rear... Meh. Whatever you like. Larger volume with foamo if you going to be running low pressures. I'd prolly keep the crossmark on the rear and insert a foamo and the Ibex front.
Ascension Posted July 13, 2019 Posted July 13, 2019 So I double checked the tyres... They are crossmark maxxis. They aren't tubeless not sure if tubeless assists with grip ? What is the widest I could go a standard rim ? 2.3? Im hitting magik forest tomorrow will try and lower the tyre pressure a bit and see what happens. Last week terrain was plenty of tree roots, single track and some rocky climbs. Bike handled we'll just when cornering I was very confident ... That is the problem = crossmarks. My suggestion is replace with a Rocket Ron or Racing Ralph snakeskin 2.25 front. Rear is fine to go 2.1. For rear look at something like Specialized Fast Track or Renegade 2.1 and thank me later
Letum911 Posted July 13, 2019 Posted July 13, 2019 I have never owned a pair of crossmarks, but from the tread pattern I will guess that they are not ideally suited to a front tyre. That being said a friend of mine runs a Crossmark in the back and Ardent in the front and he's happy with it.
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