Tire questions...

[Consuela]

Okay, I'm looking for some quick feedback, so jump on in..

1. Thoughts on Panaracer Fire XC Pro 2.1 vs. WTB VelociRaptor 2.1?

2. Have 26 x 1.95 tires now... tacky/dangerous to mix and match? i.e. leave old tire on front and replace back tire with new 26 x 2.1?

3. Okay, not a tire question, but anyone ride the Santa Cruz Superlight and/or Santa Cruz Juliana?

Got a nice ride planned at Wilder Ranch in Santa Cruz on Saturday AM! I have a busted stem on my back tube and need to either replace just the tube or the tube and tire by then.

Cheers,
Connie2

 

[altagirl]

Nope, it's not like car tires. There's no reason not to mix and match front and rear tires. Very often you'll see people run a larger front tire than rear - both since it's more dangerous to wash out on your front wheel, and because your rear wheel is the drive and you want it to have minimal rolling resistance. Though on my singlespeed right now I have a 2.25 Racing Ralph on the front, and a 2.35 Tioga DH on the rear. I just couldn't find another Racing Ralph to put on the back and had the Tioga in the garage brand new, so that's what's on there. And it works fine- just a little heavier than I'd like.

I haven't ridden either of the tires you're asking about in years, so it would be really tough for me to give an opinion on them.

 

[Consuela]

Thanks!

Thanks AG! Will stop by the shop on my way home from work today. Gonna give Lil Red a bath and lube tonight along with the fresh tube.

Will see if can talk hubby into the new tires. I need to swap them out at some point and since they will require a different tube, maybe just do it now. You know, save money in the long run, right? hehe

Sadly, he does not share my addiction... YET. I'm sure he tells his friends the same thing about me and baseball. haha

 

[volklgirl]

A lot of tire choice depends on where and how you ride. We have a mixture of loose sand (Michigan sand dunes) and loamy clay-based hard pack. The current rage here is a Kenda Nevegal on the front and a Kenda Blue Groove or Small Block 8 on the rear. All my bikes are now sporting the IRC Mythos XC - I love the paddle tread on the rear for grip on rough climbs and the arrow tread on the front for decreased rolling resistance. My single speed has the 1.95 width but all the rest have the 2.1. I much prefer the 2.1 for its better float through the sand. The crazy DH and stunt guys are using Maxxis High Roller or Holy Roller here, and most are running 2.5+ for width.

I have demoed the Juliana. While the women specific set-up means that neither shock was meaty enough to handle my weight or more agressive style, it is a very smooth ride and a fairly comfortable position for someone with short arms and torso and longer legs. What other bikes have you tried out?

 

[Consuela]

Thanks! I haven't demo'd any of the Santa Cruz yet. The shop didn't have any in stock tonight. Amusingly, the guy was so excited about the new Blur LT and the Nomad that he hardly wanted to talk to me about the Heckler, Superlight, or Juliana.

I did ride a couple of the Specialized around the parking lot: the Saphire (girl frame) and the Pitch.

Both bikes were interesting, but I didn't like the forks on the Pitch.. they were coil and weren't quite the right tension for me, but that's something that could be corrected. I did like being able to just ride straight for the curb and roll right up it without even getting off the seat. Wild!

PS. Got the Panaracer Fire XC 2.1. So, I have now joined 2005... at least as far as tires go! haha