Smith's Squad goggles and PivLok sunglasses will soon be available with the company's ChromaPop lens technology that's claimed to increased clarity and definition out on the trail. Mike Kazimer photo
Tara Llanes was out trail riding her e-assist three-wheeler yesterday and will be competing the downhill today.
Maxxis is pushing hard to develop a comprehensive Plus-sized tire range.
In the Plus category, the 2.8-inch Rekon is one of the best trail bike tires we have ridden so far.
Even with EXO sidewall reinforcement and a full-width "Silk Shield" layer, the Rekon weighs only 885 grams. The lightest version is 825 grams.
Maxxis also added Plus versions of its two most popular gravity-inspired treads: The Minion DHR and DHF.
SRAM pro mechanics offer their services to all riders for a reasonable charge, and the line stretches around the tent each morning. Today's appointments were full up before noon.
Nice trick: Polygon Mechanic Jamie Tilbury was replacing rims on Tracey Hannah's race wheels.
To insert the nipples into the rim, he threads them from the back onto an old spoke. I've built a lot of wheels, and wished I had known that one.
Five Ten's Danny Macaskill signature shoe is based upon the new Freeride Pro, but understated, with a synthetic suede upper, a hidden toe reinforcement, and a lighter foot-bed insert. The medium-stiffness sole is cushioned with EVA foam from the mid-sole, through the heel to soften impacts and to give the shoe a better stride. The sole is Five Ten's durable S-1 rubber compound.Three colorways will be available.
The EVA cushion is color-matched to the sole to minimize its look.
The signature shoe is one of Five Ten's lightest, but it's durable and the toe area is well reinforced.
I had lunch with Mike Redding, the Global Brand Director Bike Marketing at Fox Head, The conversation turned to freeride competition - and the discussion centered upon why a female freerider has yet to appear in professional competition. Style, creativity, tricks - there is nothing on that list that would dismiss females from entering professional FMB events. DH pros like Anne Caro and Rachel Atherton have shown enough power and volume to make a convincing argument. Redding believes that there may be hundreds of women who are secretly considering it, but it will take a breakthrough rider to make it happen. It's a question worth considering.
If another standard is needed, it's how to measure a f**cking tire. It's absolutely silly that tire manufacturers can't measure and publish the same way. Especially at a time when frame manufacturers are designing frames around certain tires sizes. I get it - everyone wants an edge or to be different but this is at the cost of the consumer. While all of the tires manufacturers are guilty to an extent, Maxxis is the worst. And this is coming from someone who loves Maxxis tires but won't give them another cent until they can learn to measure...
@TheFunkyMonkey: there are two things going on here: - rim width: 2mm difference in rim width equals 1mm difference in how wide the same tyre will actually be. - marketing: the weight of a tyre has always been one of the first things that consumers look at. By making the tyre a bit skinnier than you labeled it, your tyre will be lighter as other companies their tyres labeled at the same width, meaning your sales will increase. This is the main reason for unreliable tyre widths.
@Mattin: I completely understand how tires change with different widths. Perfectly clear. How about the manufacturers agree, for the sake of the consumer, to provide measurements using a certain width rim at a set pressure? At least then the consumer has a baseline to work from. But @Mattin, you hit the nail on the head - it's all about marketing. My exact point above...
@TheFunkyMonkey: the problem is the lack of rules about on what rim to measure the tyre. For example if Schwalbe measures it on 25mm rims, Maxxis could still claim their width is correct, but they just measured it on 32mm rims. There should be some rule that tyres of a certain width have to be measured on rims of a certain width. Now tyre brands are free to label their tyres however they want to, without having any consequences.
@Mattin: They could just publish bead to bead measurements, it wouldn't translate directly to any on-bike measurement, but would not depend on any setup question. If they were interested in conveying accurate info. I'd think it would be pretty easy for a couple bigger players to start this and shame those that don't publish bead-bead as being dishonest.
@TheFunkyMonkey: I think you're underestimating people. Do you really think there are riders out there that wouldn't understand that a larger bead-bead corresponds to a wider tire? Sure, it would take a little while to get used to, and sure the guys on here that complain about everything would complain about it (probably calling it a new standard), but I think after a year we'd reminisce about how stupid tire width measurements were, right along with cantilever brakes and fixed seatposts
@Weens: Fair points, Weens, including my underestimating riders. I think that most that post here would understand b2b measurements but I'm not convinced the entire riding population could grasp b2b (at first at least). I think there are plenty that don't understand what a tire bead is - go over to MTBR if you need clear evidence. BUT as you point out, over time, it could be understood and accepted. What I think we all agree on is that we need a better process than what we have now...
@TheFunkyMonkey: true that. I've met way too many cyclists who don't know how to change a tyre or how to get the play out of your headset (one guy even thought his stem was f*cked because it kepts slipping no matter how tight he tensioned his top cap bolt). I think most Pinkbike readers know more about bikes than the average cyclist, first of all because they are here searching for information, second of all because you can learn a lot from Pinkbike (even more from the comments, since they'll burn the sugar coating off the articles and unleash the truth).
@TheFunkyMonkey: We totally agree and strive to make accurately sized tires. Our reputation of having undersized tires comes as a result of how we measure tires during the design process. Maxxis tires are designed to be true to width when mounted on the intended rim width at maximum pressure, with the width being the widest point on the tire (normally the tread). We realize that many riders will run tires on wider rims and gain a bit of width or at less pressure and lose a little but would rather be consistent in knowing that our tires will clear a given frame rated at a particular tire width. Nobody wants to have a tire rub on a frame when you add a few PSI to maintain tire performance when you're loaded down with camera gear, an extra winter coat, lunch beers, or weekend camping gear. Our OE partners agree and would rather know that the tires that come on their bikes fit within the engineering considerations they used when designing suspension performance and frame geometry. Also note that many of our tires will grow a bit over the first few days as the casing relaxes under pressure, it's normal for tires to grow a few millimeters after being inflated.
Feel free to shoot over a PM if you have any other questions about how we measure our tires.
@Maxxis: Just a thought: that measurement is useful for bike companies, but next to useless for a regular person, who, depending on the tire, will never approach max pressure, & will often mount the tire on a different width rim.
Have you considered having a spec width you give out to bike companies, but actually putting a "real world width" on the hotpatch? Or, as I know you've been reasonably candid about what rim width(40mm) the plus tires are measured on, publishing exactly what rim width each tire is measured on? Heck, add to that a recommend range of rim widths for each tire as well. Give us more information so we can make educated decisions!
@groghunter: no matter what measurements they come up with it will still be simpler than automobile tires where the numbers are all wonky with the thickness being a certain percentage of the width.
@TheFunkyMonkey: Kinda off topic but The actual measurement of the wheel drives me crazy. 24 inch wheels have a dia of about 22 inches. 26inch maybe around 24 inches dia. I have an old ccm with 28 inch wheels, they measure 25 inches in dia. Wheels and tires are ridiculous.
@Maxxis: Thank you for taking the time to reply. It speaks volumes, at least to me, when manufacturers take the time to follow-up on comments. And I appreciate the insight into your measuring approach and why it is the way it is. That being said, you admit to the reputation of undersized tires which is not a good reputation - even when explained. When I put three 2.35 tires from different manufacturers side by side, all things being equal, they should be pretty damn close. And we all know that isn't the case in a lot of situations and this is what causes confusion and frustration. This confusion and frustration isn't good for Maxxis, any other tire manufacturer but most importantly the consumer who purchases product. While we scream and kick every time a new standard is pushed down our throats, it's clear the time has come for some tire measurement standard that all tire manufacturers commit to. If not, they can get hung out to dry in the court of public opinion when their 2.35 actually is a 2.25. Allowing this confusion to carry on isn't good for anyone. As a leader in this space you are squarely positioned to lead in this way - please do so. And I appreciate the offer to PM with any other questions. Thanks again!
@Maxxis: Things have improved with your widths - was very weird to buy a 26" 2.5" DHF and a 2,4DHR2, mount them on the same rims, and fing the 2,4 was much wider. The 27.5s all seem to size up true.
Please hurry with the 2.8 Miniions.... people are waiting for plus tyres, and the ones from a certain German competitor of yours just aren't up to it
@TheFunkyMonkey: We are definitely aware and you may have noticed that on a lot of newer tires we are designing around more realistic maximum pressures in order to provide products that are truer to size for the end users and OE partners, both of whom care about these things. All this being said, ETRTO doesnt lie, if you are comparing one tire to the next, that is the number to look for on the side of the tire. You will also begin seeing recommended rim widths accompanying newer tires, something we started with fat and plus tire packaging and have continued with our Wide Trail tires in order to educate consumers.
Just for reference, I walked out to my garage and measured a Knobby Nick and Rekon on the same rim. Both tires are labeled 27.5 x 2.8 and both are mounted on the same DT XM551 (40mm Internal). Both were pumped up to 30 psi, which was weird to have them feel like rocks, and honestly I didn't want to fill them up to full max. I also read their ERTRO numbers and this was the measured results:
Rekon (71-584): 69mm wide Knobby Nick (70-584): 71mm wide
To be fair to Maxxis the Rekon side walls did start to stretch more as I was pumping, though the Knobby Nick really didn't change noticeably with higher pressure. The Rekon even hit a point where I was not measuring at the side nobs, but the side casing was growing wider as I approached 30psi. Under normal pressure (23 psi) I was using the side nobs and the width was more around a 67mm, which translates to a 27.5 x 2.63. Remounted the Rekon on a 35mm internal, and you get a 66.5mm or 27.5x2.62 which maybe could call a Mid-Plus (tm).
@robbiedunks1: If you take the time to actually learn how the Metric sizing for automotive tires work, it makes perfect sense, and I seldom need to go to a mfg'r webpage to get the actual overall height, etc, as on a good day, I can do it in my head, on a bad day, it takes me about a minute with a calculator........
oops...that was supposed to be 4.0, although...maxxis having read that might get the idea to do a 3.0 to compete with Surly's 26 dirt wizard offerings.
My experiences with durability on suede Fivetens is much better than my expieriences with other materials, so these may get the nod from me purely for that reason. I do wish the toe leather was less one big gray piece of leather though, makes them look kinda like safety shoes.
bloody hell... i was super excited seeing maxxis in the preview in the hope that they are finally going to release doubledown versions of hr2 / dhr2 / minion semislick in 2.4....
come on maxxis, that seems like a no brainer. Enduro is exploding and lots of people should be out there looking for burly back tires. my last 3 exo tires lasted tubeless only one or two rides...then i ripped them (no, no stupid low pressure...around ~2,1bar because i already knew its gonna happen) and had to run tubes since then. That sucks big time.
Well you must be unlucky. I've had pretty good results with EXO tires on the back so far. I only ripped the sidewall on my Ardent 2.4 once in over a year, when I smashed into a huge boulder on the side of the trail. Back at home I stitched it with some dental floss and put a patch on the inside, no trouble since.
one back landing or big rock hit and your rear EXO tire will deform instantly... they're good but you need to keep it smooth to make them last in the rear.. SG Schwalbes (and I guess DD MAXXIS) are the way to go for the rear tire if you dont want DH casing for your Enduro bike. EDIT: My contis Der Baron projekt 2.4 have taken a beating as well with bad landings and poor line choice, still fine for 4 months...
@kopaczus: I've given up on the exo TR casing. It rips, it leaks, it punctures, it rolls and burps, it stretches and won't seat properly. I only weigh 75kg and had to run near 40psi in the back just to keep the tire on the rim.
I've gone to WTB's tough enduro casing and it's night and day. I'm finally confident in my tires.
@adrennan: in my experience Exo is the toughest of 1ply casings. And 1-ply casings are not tough enough for most modern bikes. If you rip, then you need at least GRID/ SuperGravity kind of stuff, not only for puncture and cut protection but also for stability. I got it rather quickly when riding exo on trails which are mixed machine dug/natural. I got to some speed on machine dug stuff, and it felt only slightly vague in berms, then I come into natural sht at speed and wooofukkkkkkk. Changed tyres to 2 ply for the next day, and suddenly I am not being thrown around all over the place. I want to buy Minion SS Double down as soon as they become available in Sweden.
DoubleDown versions of the DHF, DHRII, HRII, and Minion SS should be making their way out to shops around the world any week now. We already have them in the USA and I know that they are on the way to Europe. DD Griffin is also just around the corner. All of these are 26, 27.5, and 29 x2.30". For high-volume tires, the 27.5x2.50 DHF is the only large tire available with DD.
@Maxxis: Any word on if those will also available as DD with the wide trail? I know there is a DD WT DHF out. Would love to have a DD WT DHRII and minion SS.
Been running exo tyre perfect with the Deaneasy inner tub as past year. 20 psi in tyre 130 psi in tub. No burps, punctures or anything. Dont need dualply and heavy tube anymore like I used to.
@Lagr1980: happened to me on too many rear tires that are not DD or dh casing. The tire burps hard to the point the casing deforms. Looks like a bump or an untrue rim but it's the tire. 3 tires in one season
@Maxxis: Would really love to see more wide tyres in DD casing, as EXO isn't enough protection for the trails I'm riding, and I really like some of your treads.
@WAKIdesigns@adrennan: from my experience, trailstars snakeskins/grid/exo/grid aren't cutting for fast rocky trails, destroyed them all. Maybe Super Gravity and Double Down would be fine but that remains to be seen. Only tire I had luck with so far is the Michelin Wild Rock'r 2 Reinforced (~1000g though but worth it). No SG for me though as schwalbes 2.35 are too big to fit my rear triangle if I can't manage to keep my rear wheel 100% true. DD was hardly available for 26" last I checked, maybe I'll have a go at them when they start getting to the shops.
I wish I was there for that conversation. My female friends who I jump with have these conversations often! There are a few events where women do compete but rarely is their mention of it.
I seriously wouldn't be surprised if Maxxis would be the one changing the Plus industry. They are known for burlier / Moore stable casings than Schwalbe, and that is exactly where the Plus thing still has to improve. Will this Rekon be the game changer that will make Plus bikes feel better while cornering?
Or will the Plus trend fade and will the new 2.6" wide trend become the new standard that vanishes away both normal and plus tyres? Without having tried these Maxxis yet, I think the 2.6" would be a great trend. Basically meaning you get faster rolling tyres than normal size, but not losing the feel of cornering like you do on Plus. Basically it would mean light XC tyres in enduro widths. If they'd be smart and want more people to accept it, they'd go for 2.5" wide though instead of 2.6".
@Maxxis: please make more 60 compound tire combinations. We like our rear tires to last longer. The DHR 2 is such a great tire but doesn't last long in the 3C.
@build-n-ride: the more grip, the faster the tyre wears. There's a good reason some tyres wear faster than others. Especially tyres are a part where you shouldn't be a cheapass on if you want your bike to ride decently.
@Maxxis: Glad to hear. I've really enjoyed a Tomahawk 29 up front on my Ripley LS, but as the trails have dried out and the dust has gotten a lot deeper (Grand Junction/Fruita), I've been wanting something with a taller tread. I'd love to try the Rekon in a 29, or the 29x3.0 DHF (when are they coming?). Also, I'm not sure which tires are on the old sizing and which are new. Would a 29x2.5 DHF be wider than my 29x2.3 Tomahawk? I just remember when an Ardent 2.4 or even my Ikon 2.35 were far wider than my DHF/R 2.5's of the past. Thanks
@Mattin: I don't think a tire that lasts for 10 rides or so and cost $100 is a good roi. You are going to have more traction with a knobby tire that's a harder compound that a bald tire with a sticky compound.
@jaydawg69: retail price for the 3C here is about €70 for 3C, meaning you can buy them online for about €35-40. My current Minion EXO has about 15-20 rides on them and is still good as new, no signs of wear.
Any real proper tyre will cost you about the same amount of money.
@Mattin: Well obviously that was mostly sarcasm there bro. Still running a single compound or even a dual rear would be much nicer than having to run 2 3c tires. My 3c DHF in the rear was shot after 8 days of riding half of which were bike park days at whistler. Cornering knobs are all cracked and breaking down same with breaking knobs. Sure two 3c max grips are the way to go if your racing, but not if your trying to get at least a month out of a set of tires. They are still way better than Schwable vert star compound at least.
@Maxxis I was running 2 nobby nic 2.8 trailstar in the apex casing. Been hammering them for a while no issues. Decided to try Maxxis HR2 2.8 up front Rekon rear both in EXO 3C. First ride out today and the rekon on the back tore. Put a tube in and 10 mins later that was punctured too (running quite a high 20psi too). I can't remeber the last time I had to push my bike like I did today. Can Maxxis tell me if the silkshield will be anywhere near as strong as Schwalbe Apex? Gutted the tyre is screwed after just one ride!
@supermike306: We would definitely recommend picking up one of the SilkShield/EXO models if you are riding in terrain with sharp rocks. It approaches DoubleDown levels of reliability while meeting a lower weight goal for the 27.5+ platform.
Marketing guy: OK we sold em 29 inch tires and then we came up with 27.5............. Hey no one will remember that wide tires were all the rage during the Free Ride era. Free Ride............... Hey lets bring that back! ........well need a new tire size...... Exelent$
I still have my krampus and I hope to put plus tires on it soon just waiting for the price to get better. The bike still rips with regular tires. I have a wrist that acts up from time to time so I would love to have a chance at trying those Minions if the sidewalls are supple enough.
I hate to brag, but that bit with the nipple, I came up with it myself after being forced to by a very tall rim. What I do is I thread nipples on 3-5 spokes in one go. It goes super fast and smooth if you do it in "batches".
I find it funny that the caption said "I've built a lot of wheels." I thought people learned this on the first build? If not their own, from a teaching hand
I use a variation of this at times but with a nipple threaded on backwards to act as a stop for the nipple that is going to be used in the build. That said, the EVT spoke tools are awesome and I really should buy my own set some time.
I learned that from a shop I worked in like 15 years ago haha. It's not a new trick at all. We made a tool for it with 2 nipples lockd together and a bit of thread showing, with a T end. Works pretty good.
Ardent 4.0 please.
The way to go is to use a section of the tube from a can of GT85, it is the right size and soft enough that the thread cuts into it a little bit so you can thread them on and off easily but they don't turn without you wanting them to. @djpearce taught me that trick and it makes building wheels about 10 times easier with a quarter of the swearing.
Minion 2.80s just landed in the US, shouldnt be long on your side of the world. DH casing 2.5" Minion SS are also available if you want the extra volume. Jesse and Richie showed that pedaling around a DH rear tire and DD front tire can work well for enduro riding
@Maxxis: + 1 for DH casing rear DD up front, just ran this setup on a two week biking holiday. Its fine to pedal if you can handle the extra weight and not a single flat all trip. switched back to butcher/slaughter control for the mellow trails back home
@Maxxis: Thanks for the clarification on the Minion 2.8's for those interested:"Typically when we say tires have landed it means they are on US soil in our warehouse and about to be sent out to all of the distributors and shops. You should start seeing these in shops over the next few weeks."
I'd really like something in between, like a 3.0 Rekon. Or, you know, for Rekons to actually be a thing you can buy, rather than a thing you see pictures of
@Mattin: Actually the 27.5+ tires are 2.80" and the 29+ tires are 3.00 since the 29+ frames these days are designed for the added tire width without any other compromises.
- rim width: 2mm difference in rim width equals 1mm difference in how wide the same tyre will actually be.
- marketing: the weight of a tyre has always been one of the first things that consumers look at. By making the tyre a bit skinnier than you labeled it, your tyre will be lighter as other companies their tyres labeled at the same width, meaning your sales will increase. This is the main reason for unreliable tyre widths.
If they were interested in conveying accurate info. I'd think it would be pretty easy for a couple bigger players to start this and shame those that don't publish bead-bead as being dishonest.
Sure, it would take a little while to get used to, and sure the guys on here that complain about everything would complain about it (probably calling it a new standard), but I think after a year we'd reminisce about how stupid tire width measurements were, right along with cantilever brakes and fixed seatposts
Feel free to shoot over a PM if you have any other questions about how we measure our tires.
Have you considered having a spec width you give out to bike companies, but actually putting a "real world width" on the hotpatch? Or, as I know you've been reasonably candid about what rim width(40mm) the plus tires are measured on, publishing exactly what rim width each tire is measured on? Heck, add to that a recommend range of rim widths for each tire as well. Give us more information so we can make educated decisions!
Please hurry with the 2.8 Miniions.... people are waiting for plus tyres, and the ones from a certain German competitor of yours just aren't up to it
Rekon (71-584): 69mm wide
Knobby Nick (70-584): 71mm wide
To be fair to Maxxis the Rekon side walls did start to stretch more as I was pumping, though the Knobby Nick really didn't change noticeably with higher pressure. The Rekon even hit a point where I was not measuring at the side nobs, but the side casing was growing wider as I approached 30psi. Under normal pressure (23 psi) I was using the side nobs and the width was more around a 67mm, which translates to a 27.5 x 2.63. Remounted the Rekon on a 35mm internal, and you get a 66.5mm or 27.5x2.62 which maybe could call a Mid-Plus (tm).
DHF will be in a 650B x 2.7 and 2.8, DHR II will be in a 650B x 2.8. For full fat owners, Minion FBF and FBR in 650B x 3.8, 26 x 3.0 and 26 x 4.8.
Damn, I got excited for a second, then realized "26 x 3.0" was probably a typo....
oops...that was supposed to be 4.0, although...maxxis having read that might get the idea to do a 3.0 to compete with Surly's 26 dirt wizard offerings.
come on maxxis, that seems like a no brainer. Enduro is exploding and lots of people should be out there looking for burly back tires.
my last 3 exo tires lasted tubeless only one or two rides...then i ripped them (no, no stupid low pressure...around ~2,1bar because i already knew its gonna happen) and had to run tubes since then.
That sucks big time.
EDIT: My contis Der Baron projekt 2.4 have taken a beating as well with bad landings and poor line choice, still fine for 4 months...
I've gone to WTB's tough enduro casing and it's night and day. I'm finally confident in my tires.
Or will the Plus trend fade and will the new 2.6" wide trend become the new standard that vanishes away both normal and plus tyres? Without having tried these Maxxis yet, I think the 2.6" would be a great trend. Basically meaning you get faster rolling tyres than normal size, but not losing the feel of cornering like you do on Plus. Basically it would mean light XC tyres in enduro widths. If they'd be smart and want more people to accept it, they'd go for 2.5" wide though instead of 2.6".
Thanks
Any real proper tyre will cost you about the same amount of money.
Hey no one will remember that wide tires were all the rage during the Free Ride era.
Free Ride............... Hey lets bring that back! ........well need a new tire size......
Exelent$
Where have folding DH tyres gone?
Minion 2.8 pleaaaase! And Minion SS in 2.5".
www.urbanvelo.org/issue26/images/p88-89.jpg
I made one myself, but with a round loop at the end instead of a T. I also used some heat shrink tubing instead of tape for the grip area.
www.ninerbikes.com/ros9plus
surlybikes.com/bikes/krampus_ops
www.chumbausa.com/ursa
www.murucycles.com/#!mungo-plus/c1c4n
salsacycles.com/culture/introducing_woodsmoke
salsacycles.com/culture/introducing_deadwood
www.jonesbikes.com/jones-plus-frame-and-fork-set