Best Tyres for Cape Epic

[Firozfx]

I used 

Front: Vittoria Barzo 2.25 

Rear: Vittoria Saquaro 2.20 (traction rolling direction)

Not 1 puncture, not one front washing out

Perfect combo

[Thin Al]

3 Epics on Maxxis Ikons. I burp flat, no punctures.

[Jbr]

yeaaah Aspen jokes aside, I've only ever been riding Maxxxis (Minion DHR on the enduro, on the XC bike Crossmarks, ardent, aspens and rekon race....) and so far I plugged my MTB tyres a grand total of 0 times. If I were to do it, I'd just run Rekon races as they're the tyres I've ran the last 3 seasons and I know pretty well what sort of pressure works for me

Edited January 30, 2023 by Jbr

[JasonNZ246]

22 hours ago, michaelbiker said:

I would go Schwalbe Racing Ray / Racing Ralph in Superground as a combo. Maxxis Ikon / Rekon Race would also be a good one that I have ridden a lot in this region (Hermanus / Oak Valley etc). 2.35 / 2.4 width. I’d also put in a light noodle in the rear just for peace of mind  something like the tubolights or Vittoria airliners.

Specialized also make some durable, fast rolling tires too.

Thanks you’ve mentioned the three I’ve narrowed it down to .. racing Ray/Ralph, ikon and Specialized ground control 

[flowCountry]

On 1/29/2023 at 1:55 PM, Jewbacca said:

I am incredibly underwhelmed by Onza tires. 

I found they wore quickly and were prone to cuts between the knobs that didn't disintegrate or rip off by the 5th ride.

OP, I have 2 questions for you.

Are you racing in a space where weight is a factor? Like top 30 overall.

If not, run a heavier, more reliable tire. Within reason for those about to smash me with DH double down casings.

If it were me, I'd be tempted to run the Spez Fast Track Grid Gripton front and rear in either 2.3 or 2.6, depending on your weight (Under 75kg or over 75kg)

Or Ikon front and rear. Thay are fast, reliable and have more than sufficient grip to safely navigate 7 days at Epic.

I would also recommend running them NOT at the lowest possible pressure but a couple of PSI above that. Again, snake bikes and rim dings equal lots of hassle, time and trailside repair stress. This vs the 3% you 'might' lose in grip to have some peace of mind just isn't worth it if you're not trying to cut out seconds.

If you're viewing time chunks in 20 minute blocks (not 30 second blocks) ride smart, ride reliable and get over the line as hassle free as possible.

But of course you knew that

Which model did you try and for what riding style?

This feedback is a bit irritating since the Onza rubber compound was always known to be on the harder side of things and the old Canis had the same casing technology as Maxxis XC tires (because also made by the same factory)...

[Jewbacca]

35 minutes ago, flowCountry said:

Which model did you try and for what riding style?

This feedback is a bit irritating since the Onza rubber compound was always known to be on the harder side of things and the old Canis had the same casing technology as Maxxis XC tires (because also made by the same factory)...

Why is it 'irrirating?'

I have run Ibex, Canis and Svelt. All of which lost their side knobs and the straight line high centre knobs cut up really quickly. The rubber between the tread went shiny and aged quickly, which caused splits and cuts inbetween the tread pattern/knobs.

I did not have a good experience with the tires. 

I ran them on my trail/down country bike while it performed various tasks.

This compared to running other tires over a number of expedition Adventure races in some pretty rough terrain, general trail riding, Enduro and daily hooning around South Africa and a few other places in the world.

I had the same experience with Hoka running shoes. They disintegrated off my feet while doing some things so are on my 'junk equipment' list, despite being comfortable.

[Raphael Martignoni]

Hey guys, greetings from Brazil!

This is my first Epic and it seems that the terrain is a little different from what we see here in Brazil, specially at Brasil Ride, which is the biggest stage race that we have here.

I am planning to use Rekon Race EXO/TR and Ardent Race 3C/EXO/TR front. What are you thoughts on that?

[DieselnDust]

6 minutes ago, Raphael Martignoni said:

Hey guys, greetings from Brazil!

This is my first Epic and it seems that the terrain is a little different from what we see here in Brazil, specially at Brasil Ride, which is the biggest stage race that we have here.

I am planning to use Rekon Race EXO/TR and Ardent Race 3C/EXO/TR front. What are you thoughts on that?

These are typical choices and work ok. 
You may want to opt for Ardent Race front and rear due to the amount of loose sand and loose gravel you will encounter that will overwhelm the reckon race and leave you walking.

 

oh and bring spares since supply of like for like replacements is not guaranteed with stock shortages still a reality we are dealing with

Edited February 1, 2023 by DieselnDust

[Raphael Martignoni]

@DieselnDust I have a spare Ikon here. I think it would be better suited than rekon race is this case, right?

[DieselnDust]

45 minutes ago, Raphael Martignoni said:

@DieselnDust I have a spare Ikon here. I think it would be better suited than rekon race is this case, right?

Yip 

[Danger Dassie]

On 1/30/2023 at 11:48 AM, JasonNZ246 said:

Thanks you’ve mentioned the three I’ve narrowed it down to .. racing Ray/Ralph, ikon and Specialized ground control 

The Ray/Ralph mix is my new favourite combo, particularly for something like Epic. Addix compound speed (red label) on the rear and Speed grip (blue) up front. Current set are 2.25 wide. 
If there were a limitation, I’d say it’s in snotty type mud under forest canopy. The tread packs up with dirt quickly. As I found out in Karkloof recently, but to be fair it would need more ride time to be sure. I was also being cautious.

Found them pretty bomb proof compared to my Vitorria Barzo 2.35 previously on the same wheelset. Sun Ringle.

Maxxis Rekon, Ikon and/or Ardent are pretty the safest benchmark. 
Specialized have really upped their game and I’ve often found their tyres underrated. 
Bontrager deserve a special mention as well, in particular the XR3 tyres. Great all rounder, decent weight and fast rolling. 
Conti, I think they’re doing good things and there seem to be some damn good product out there. But what’s the point if you’re not sure of availability/pricing.

Marketing questionnaires are great for showing who has market share. But lacks context such as volume of import, pricing, variety etc

Edited February 2, 2023 by Danger Dassie

[devvydoesdonuts]

Not sure if many people have tried the Pirelli Scorpions, I have heard some good things about them, thinking of trying them out when my current set of tires give up.

[DieselnDust]

Just now, devvydoesdonuts said:

Not sure if many people have tried the Pirelli Scorpions, I have heard some good things about them, thinking of trying them out when my current set of tires give up.

The Scorpions have been my go to race tyre for 3 seasons now. I train / muck about on Kenda karma II but my race tyres have been scorpion XCRC Lite. I love the grip and the fact I get long life and grip for the life of the tyre. 
the Scorpion H is a nice marathon tyre for our summer and the M(ixed) is good year round. I highly recommend them. 

[devvydoesdonuts]

1 minute ago, DieselnDust said:

The Scorpions have been my go to race tyre for 3 seasons now. I train / muck about on Kenda karma II but my race tyres have been scorpion XCRC Lite. I love the grip and the fact I get long life and grip for the life of the tyre. 
the Scorpion H is a nice marathon tyre for our summer and the M(ixed) is good year round. I highly recommend them. 

Thanks for the feedback @DieselnDust I am currently on Maxxis Aspen, have had zero issues with them, but want to try something else, I have gained interest in doing more endurance races this year and in the future so need to find something that can manage all terrains well.