CS-057 Tire Choices

[adbl]

Hey all,

I recently built a CS-057 and have been riding it for a few months now. I have to say i love the bike!!! Coming off a Giant FS 26er is like night and day 

One question i have is with tires. The bike now has Maxxis Ikon 2.20s front and rear. There are times where i feel i need more plushness or versatility. I built the bike as a XC bike but to be honest, i mostly do trail riding with it. I do have rear grip issues especially on roots and rock (more so when they're wet). I am thinking about switching to Maxxis Ikon 2.35s front and rear. I hear they are a much different tire than the 2.20s. My thought is the extra volume might be just what i'm looking for. Help make the bike a more "trail bike" than a pure XC bike but without losing too much in the speed/efficiency department.

Also I've been reading about how some people classify XC bikes in 3 different categories: XC, Aggressive XC and Trail. Does anyone have any thoughts on these classifications? I guess in a perfect world i'm trying to turn my bike into an Aggressive XC or even a Trail bike. Makes sense???

[Carbon_Dude]

If you want to make your bike more trail oriented by changing tires, I would say the biggest change riders are making is moving to a 27.5"x35mm rim and adding WTB Trailblazer 2.8" tires.  However, the -057 would not accommodate a 2.8" tire very well, Patrick C had a good post about his trial with moving to a wider, high volume tire.  If the frame could accommodate a 2.8" tire, that would be the way to go.

Otherwise, you can move to a 29"x2.4" tire, however, it's not going to make a huge difference over a Maxxis Ikon 2.2.  Might be a bit noticeable but not much more than that.  You could try a Continental X-King 2.4, that tire has worked well for me in the past.  If you like Maxxis and want a more aggressive tire, the Maxxis Ardent 2.4" would be a pretty good choice.  Another good choice would be a Schwalbe Nobby Nic 2.35".  However, while Schwalbe tires are good, I find them on the more expensive side and they seem to wear down quicker than other brands of tires I've tried.

[adbl]

As always, thanks for the info CD! I'm still debating on whether making a change is viable. Some of what i'm feeling might be just the fact of being a hard tail. This is the first one I've ever ridden.

So, speaking of larger tires, any word on the new Stache copy that Peter has? Hell, if you're going to go larger might as well go to a 29+....no???

[RS VR6]

If you're going to go a bit more aggressive XC, you can also look into the Specialized Ground Control 2.3. It's a good performing tire that often gets overlooked. I'm running the S-Works 2.3 version up front and a 2.25 Rocket Ron in the rear. It pretty much works for all the So Cal hard pack along with the sandy and rocky Vegas terrain.

[Carbon_Dude]

So, speaking of larger tires, any word on the new Stache copy that Peter has? Hell, if you're going to go larger might as well go to a 29+....no???

Yep, might as well!

[outriding9800]

i am really fond of the Bontrager XR2... and it comes in a 2.35 (i measured it and it is right on 2.35...)

http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/equipment/cycling-components/bike-tires-tubes/bontrager-xr2-team-issue-tlr-mtb-tire/p/11866

[Carbon_Dude]

i am really fond of the Bontrager XR2... and it comes in a 2.35 (i measured it and it is right on 2.35...)

http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/equipment/cycling-components/bike-tires-tubes/bontrager-xr2-team-issue-tlr-mtb-tire/p/11866

The tread pattern of the XR2 is very much like on my Bontrager Chupacabra 29"x3.0" tires, I'd bet they do work well.  Too bad the cost of Bontrager tires is at the high end.

[adbl]

So CD, since you are now riding a 29+ plus bike can you give a brief review on how it feels and what conditions it's best for? I did read that you mentioned after switching to it there's no going back 

[adbl]

i am really fond of the Bontrager XR2... and it comes in a 2.35 (i measured it and it is right on 2.35...)

http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/equipment/cycling-components/bike-tires-tubes/bontrager-xr2-team-issue-tlr-mtb-tire/p/11866

I've been reading all the reviews on the XR2 tire and it might be what i'm looking for. The question is width: 2.2 or 2.35......hmmmmm 

[Quags]

I ran an Ikon 2.35 in the front and a 2.2 in the back for a bit.  Worked great on both gravel roads and single track.  Now running Ikon 2.2s both front and back.   Fast tire.

[Carbon_Dude]

So CD, since you are now riding a 29+ plus bike can you give a brief review on how it feels and what conditions it's best for? I did read that you mentioned after switching to it there's no going back 

Yep, no going back, for me, the 29+ bike obsoleted my other two bikes.  Some of what made the Stache so much better is the tire size, some of it is frame geometry.  The 29+ tire has much more air volume giving it a much softer ride on the trails in my area.  We have lots of roots and rocks here so a tire that can absorb some of that impact is nice to have.  A 29+ tire also has tremendous grip, so you can ride faster, feel more stable, no need to be so selective with your choice of line since the tire is doing so much for you.  Meanwhile, the tire still feels like a 29er, no squirm like a 26"x4" fat bike tire.  Weight of the Chupacabra isn't bad either, 890g is the spec from Trek.

[stockae92]

Does 29+ takes more effort to go up hills or get up to speed? Say than a 29 with 2.4 tires?

So CD, since you are now riding a 29+ plus bike can you give a brief review on how it feels and what conditions it's best for? I did read that you mentioned after switching to it there's no going back 

Yep, no going back, for me, the 29+ bike obsoleted my other two bikes.  Some of what made the Stache so much better is the tire size, some of it is frame geometry.  The 29+ tire has much more air volume giving it a much softer ride on the trails in my area.  We have lots of roots and rocks here so a tire that can absorb some of that impact is nice to have.  A 29+ tire also has tremendous grip, so you can ride faster, feel more stable, no need to be so selective with your choice of line since the tire is doing so much for you.  Meanwhile, the tire still feels like a 29er, no squirm like a 26"x4" fat bike tire.  Weight of the Chupacabra isn't bad either, 890g is the spec from Trek.

[Carbon_Dude]

Does 29+ takes more effort to go up hills or get up to speed? Say than a 29 with 2.4 tires?

Of course there is a bit more effort, there is no free lunch.  It doesn't seem so much that it's the tire but the extra couple of pounds of weight.  If you had carbon wheels, I think the extra effort would be substantially less.