Yet ANOTHER Tire Thread

[liznotter]

Sorry to start another one of these, but I have a very specific tire question:

I have a race at Fountainhead next Sunday. Right now it's very dusty, loose, and the roots are as bad as they've ever been (so I'm told by someone who rides there alot). I ride an Epic with small block Fast Trak Pros. I love these tires, but think I may be better served by a more aggressive tire on this course right now (barring some sort of Tropical event).

I have a set of Panaracer Cinders on my other bike, which could be easily swapped out, or I've been thinking about getting a set of Nevegals. Maybe run a more aggressive tread on the front and keep my Fast Trak on the back?

Any suggestions welcome.

Liz

[riderx]

With only a week away, personally I would stick with something you know and can predict how it will handle.

[starcitymtb]

I have noticed the conditions deteriorating there as well. I will say that I have been running lower tire pressure on my 2.3 IRCs. They have a larger block pattern but with the lower tire pressure I am able to have a more sure footed experience over the roots. Where I usually run at around 40 psi (I run tubes on a full suspension) when I am riding at Fountainhead, I have been running around 35 psi. IMO, too hard a tire ends up sliding off the roots instead of grabbing the roots at a lower tire pressure.

I agree that you should keep your Cinders on there and experiment with lower tire pressure. Good luck on Sunday.

Edit: Going back and reading the post, I should have said for you to experiment with your Fast Trax. Thanks!

[tuba_transport]

I ain't a racer, but like Fountainhead. Kenda Stick-E compound in Nevegals will stick to any root. I feel like I am invincible with Nevegals at that place.

[jed]

Sorry to start another one of these, but I have a very specific tire question:

I have a race at Fountainhead next Sunday. Right now it's very dusty, loose, and the roots are as bad as they've ever been (so I'm told by someone who rides there alot). I ride an Epic with small block Fast Trak Pros. I love these tires, but think I may be better served by a more aggressive tire on this course right now (barring some sort of Tropical event).

I have a set of Panaracer Cinders on my other bike, which could be easily swapped out, or I've been thinking about getting a set of Nevegals. Maybe run a more aggressive tread on the front and keep my Fast Trak on the back?

Any suggestions welcome.

Liz

Stick with the Fast Traks. They are perfect for that course. They have enough side knobs to grab in the slightly loose stuff but they will still roll fast on the harder sections. For FH, tire pressure is probably more important than tread pattern. You want to run them low enough to conform to the roots but obviously not low enough to pinch. Also make sure your suspension is set up for small bump compliance, that will also help your traction a lot, particularly in the corners.

FWIW I ran the S-Works version of those tires on an Epic last year at the Cranky Monkey FH race in similar conditions, and it worked out well.

Nevagals are great tires but are simply too slow and heavy for XC racing unless it's muddy or really soft. In loose dusty conditions they don't grip any better than the Fast Traks in the corners.

Edit: At this year's Cranky Monkey FH race I ran Maxxis CrossMarks at 28/30 psi front/rear on my Giant Anthem and they were awesome. The CrossMark is a similar tire to the Fast Trak. Conditions were also dry this year.

[smusante]

I'm not familiar with the tires you have so can't offer opinions on those specific choices, but if you're trying to choose between a heavier knobbie vs. a lighter tire with a lower profile tread, I'd suggest going with the lighter tire and experimenting with tire pressure. Fntnhd is no 'Shed so lighter is good for speed there IMO plus in general it's a fast course. If the lighter/smoother tire has knobs on the sides then you should be good to go because you can lean the wheel and have the tire grab then.

It's really amazing how much tire pressure matters. Obviously too low is bad because you'll flat or (if you have tubeless) you can roll the tire off the rim, and it can also bog down your speed if it's too low, but I think most people err on the side of too much pressure (at least that's what I used to always do!). The "just right" goldilocks pressure can help tires stick amazingly well to roots/rocks and in turns and still let you go fast.

If you have time this week and are comfortable doing so I'd say experiment a bit. Try lowering the pressure with the tires you have and do the "rock test" - find a rock with a nice edge sticking up then place your tire on it and push down hard a few times. How does the tire look? Feel? How much does the tire give? Do you hit the rim? You'll be able to tell a good bit about how the tire will react to objects in its path by doing this test. (You could actually do this testing on a curb too.) Once you've got the pressure low but not too low, jump on the bike and ride it and get a feel that way.

Good luck in your race!!

[g_barr]

...(barring some sort of Tropical event).

I doubt this week's forecasted rain (Wednesday & Thursday) will qualify but any showers should help. I agree with jed about keeping the Fast Traks. I'm riding the LK Pro 26x2.0 between 35 and 40 psi. They really felt good at FH for this year's Cranky Monkey.

I was at Schaeffer in conditions like we're experiencing now. At just under 40 psi, the LKs were sloppy. So I opened both Prestas and tapped the valve three times each - they took the roots and dust great after that.

Good luck Liz!