Tire choices?????

Ron

Well-Known Member
So I picked up a new Pivot Trail 429. I hate the front tire and not really fond of back tire, not a Maxxis guy. So I will be riding the bike more cross country with very lite enduro, pushing my downhills a little more though. On my Niner SS I ride Bontrager xr3’s in 29 x 2.4 and love them. Prior to those I was a diehard Racing Ralph guy.

I rode the Hans Dampf on a demo bike. They were 29 x 2.6. I liked the tread but the 2.6 seamed really wide to me. Does anyone run the 2.35?

What are you guys riding on a set up like this?
 

JDurk

Well-Known Member
So I picked up a new Pivot Trail 429. I hate the front tire and not really fond of back tire, not a Maxxis guy. So I will be riding the bike more cross country with very lite enduro, pushing my downhills a little more though. On my Niner SS I ride Bontrager xr3’s in 29 x 2.4 and love them. Prior to those I was a diehard Racing Ralph guy.

I rode the Hans Dampf on a demo bike. They were 29 x 2.6. I liked the tread but the 2.6 seamed really wide to me. Does anyone run the 2.35?

What are you guys riding on a set up like this?
What Maxxis tires are on the bike now?
 
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jackx

Well-Known Member
For Cross country, I've been Running 2.35 Maxxis Ignitor up front, and on rear have been running Ignitor 2.1 or Schwalbe Nobby Nic 2.25.

Tried the WTB Trail Boss 2.25 up front, but didn't really like it and it couldn't tolerate the Stan's, which ate through it.
 
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threefour

Member
Schwalbe Nobby Nic 27.5x2.35 front, 2.25 rear, on my full-sus bike. My prime concern is reliability, and in two years with the same tires and tubes I haven't had a single flat.
 
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Norm

Mayor McCheese
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I have this same bike.

DHF and DHR both work wonderfully for me. The bike came with something else on the rear which I killed in 300 miles. So far the DHR has been great.

Not a huge fan of putting the R on the front.

Short of that I’ve only got 600 miles on this bike so I don’t have a wealth of experience to lend here.
 
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Rusty

Well-Known Member
I have same bike. Took the DHR off the front in favor of a 2.4 trail boss (no stans issues) and have a 2.4 Rekon on the back and I've been happy with that.
 

Ron

Well-Known Member
Thanks all for the replies.

Right now I am thinking a Hans Dampf 2.35 front and a Nobby Nic 2.35 rear. I run the Rocket Ron’s on the wife’s 27.5”+ plus bike and she seems to like it there.
 

qclabrat

Well-Known Member
Not a fan of 2.6
Thanks all for the replies.

Right now I am thinking a Hans Dampf 2.35 front and a Nobby Nic 2.35 rear. I run the Rocket Ron’s on the wife’s 27.5”+ plus bike and she seems to like it there.
The old compound of the Hans weren't good for wet rocks and slick roots for me. Perhaps the Addix compound solve it. But if I'm going that route, I'd choose a DHF over a Hans. Have you considered moving the Recon to the front and adding a faster Rekon Race to the rear for a more XCish roll?
 
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JDurk

Well-Known Member
Long time Maxxis user and XC racer/rider in SJ, PA, MD and DE. Ignitors were my goto for XC, still have a 2.35/2.1 combo on my HT. Don't see them listed on the Maxxis website anymore, so I assume they've been discontinued.. On the FS and rigid SS, been using Ardents. 2.4/2.25 on FS and 2.4 F/R on the SS. Been thinking of trying the Forecaster as a front with an Ardent Race or Rekon on the rear. I've seen too many fellow riders with torn sidewalls and torn-off knobs on Racing Ralphs.
 
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pygmypony

Well-Known Member
i have the same bike too...i went for a bit burlier set up...2.6 Schwalbe Magic Mary in the front and 2.6 Hans Dampf in the rear. i only have 300 miles on the bike so far (bought it in december!)

i love this set up...it's great for some of the stupid off piste bikewhacking i like to do (train tracks, exploring local woods with no trails, etc)...and they were great in the rock gardens and i don't feel like they are sluggish on climbs...
 

Ron

Well-Known Member
Maybe I will move the Rekon to the front and see what I have laying around Maxxis off another bike. Wife has a Maxxis Cross(something) on the rear of her Tallboy. She likes it. Has had not traction issues. But would not be a good muddy tire
 

JonF

Well-Known Member
Rekons are terrible in the wet, mud and loose leafy winter trails. I had put Rekons on my Ripley before the winter and shortly after things started to get moist around here, the front was washing out harder than 60 y/o glam rocker. Some research and advise led me to the Forekaster, a specifically designed wet/slippery weather tire from MAxxis. I put one on the front as a test and wow was i amazed. Whereas the Rekon packs up mud and doesn't penetrate the leafy winter trails, the Forekaster just digs right in, sheds and hooks. I kept the rekon in the rear as it gives me a little oversteer which is fine compared to the front washing out before installing the FK. One thing i'm not certain about is when the weather gets warm and trails dry up and clear off, will the FK still be a superior tire than the Rekon? Not sure yet, but i still have the other Rekon to swap back on for summer duty if it comes to it. But for now, the FK blows the doors off the Rekon.
 

jdog

Shop: Halter's Cycles
Shop Keep
I have the same bike. I'm running the Hans Damph 2.6" f&r with no complaints about speed and loving the endless traction. The Zipp moto rims make any tires work better though.
 
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oobaa47

Well-Known Member
A lot of trail429 fans here...... I picked up one as well in the fall. I tore through the rear rekon in less than 2 months. Went with a 2.5 maxis aggressor double down in the rear, and a 2.6 XR4. I've read very good reviews about the XR4, so I decided to put my maxxis fanboy syndrome aside and try it. Very impressed so far. Love the grip and traction these larger volume tires provide when riding here in NNJ.
 
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jdog

Shop: Halter's Cycles
Shop Keep
I’ll add something here that many don’t talk about.

Maxxis tires are the lowest cost oem tire. They actually sell their tires to the bike companies for less than any other brand and consider oem to be a loss leader and marketing expense. The plan is that most people will just rebuy what came on by he bike when they wear out.

Their strategy works.

Ive never been a fan of their tires. They aren’t horrible, but they aren’t the best or better than other brands.
 

Patrick

Overthinking the draft from the basement already
Staff member
^^^ there is a classic Harvard Business Case about Sears and their appliance suppliers related to this.
The suppliers get such great economy of scale, and repeat business, that they do not need to make anything off sears sales.
If sears wants $0.25 off of something, they get it.

In the end, Sears decides people will still want to see things before buying, remodels all their stores, and goes up in a ball of flame.
 
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