# Hardtail best tyre combination



## [email protected] (Sep 3, 2012)

Hello guys,

i would like your opinions on what combination of tires to use for my hardtail 26''. i like both doing uphills and downhills. Certainly i am looking for tires that offer u safety and stability with their grip, but also i would like speed. It would be better if my new front had good grip and durability and my new rear offered me more speed, but grip as well.
Currently, i am riding on continental X King 2.4 rear and front. I know its kind of heavy. On kind of wet trails they of course slippery, but when dry no problem at all. I ride like a boss on dry.

thx. 
(Maybe from what i have seen i can use Rocket ron front and racing ralph rear ?)


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## Larry_K (Jul 10, 2010)

You could try a Trail King/Rubber Queen up front and leave the X King in the rear. I know a few riders around West TN that run this combo and they're very happy. 

Another combo that some of the same guys like is Nobby Nic front/rear. I'm not sure about the Rocket ron/racing ralph combo, I don't ride with anyone that's run that combo. I personally love running Maxxis Ignitor front/rear in the winter, Ignitor front/Crossmark rear in the spring/fall and Crossmark front/rear through much of the summer.


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## [email protected] (Sep 3, 2012)

a u are rich  u have 3 different sets. well i am from greece, we have 2 months winter yet, then spring. And i would like to use only 1 set of tires. I was thinking about maxxis too. they are so strong. But arent they heavy ?


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## JoePAz (May 7, 2012)

I have been happy with Nobby Nics 26x2.25 F/R. This for my 26" hardtail. I run the Az desert and I have been happy with balance of grip, weight and durability. Have run in them in a race and they did good and have worked well for general trail riding. There are more durable tires out there and lighter tires with less rolling resistance, but these seem to have good combination features.


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## Larry_K (Jul 10, 2010)

To do those combos it just takes two complete sets, so it's not really too pricey. I paid less for the two sets of Maxxis tires than it would be for one set of Schwalbe tires that are in the Evolution line. They do have a Performance Line of tires that are more inline with the prices from Maxxis & Kenda but the few guys I know thta tried out the cheaper version they worked great but didn't last much more than about 700-800 miles before they wore out the rear tires.

The Ignitor & Crossmark are about 100-150gr heavier than the Scwalbe tires you mentioned, depending on the version you go with they're not "heavy" unless you go with the UST versions.


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

First, of course *there is no global optimum.* In other words, every tire is a compromise and which compromise is the best depends on you and your trails.

I have the Rocket Ron/Racing Ralph combo and I like it a lot. They're both lower-knob tires than the X-King appears to be, so I'd expect you'd give up some traction. But it's a fast combination and I imagine that the 2.25" tires I'm using are lighter than yours.

I think you need to learn to manage traction. 

What tire pressure are you running? What do you weigh? One of the biggest things people can do for their traction is figure out "their" tire pressure.

My suggestion, given that you're having trouble with traction, would be to stick with the X-King on the front and consider something a little bit lighter on the rear. I have a 2.1" Nobby Nic I was using for a while last year. Now that I've gone to 2.25", I probably won't go back to smaller tires unless I also go back to weighing 145 lb or so and I'm targeting some races. I just don't think the weight's that important, and I'm liking the traction and smoothness of the fatter tires. But maybe a 2.25" Nobby Nic would be a good rear tire for you.


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## CRchris1996 (Apr 4, 2012)

I can say maxxis but it depends on the conditions you ride I ride in gravel, rocks, roots, pavement, grass (a hell for pedal), gravel and I also want good control on downhills (I ride XC but enjoy the technical stuff) and a good allrounder for me is Larsen TT in front and ranchero in the rear both from maxxis


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## [email protected] (Sep 3, 2012)

i am pretty heavy (around 88-90 kg) and tall. i certainly want a strong grip in front so as to have the control, and a bit more fast in the rear. Maybe a 2.20-2.25.


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## bigfruits (Mar 21, 2011)

JoePAz said:


> I have been happy with Nobby Nics 26x2.25 F/R.


me too. you can always swap out the front tire if it is not grippy enough on the wet. i think these are a good compromise of speed and grip.


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

[email protected] said:


> i am pretty heavy (around 88-90 kg) and tall. i certainly want a strong grip in front so as to have the control, and a bit more fast in the rear. Maybe a 2.20-2.25.


I'm around 160 lb right now and moved up to 2.25" tires to get "my" pressure back. I'm not sure if I'd recommend going to a smaller tire to someone who weighs 20% more than me.

Do you have grip problems with both of your tires? What pressure are you running? They look like a full knob, it just doesn't seem like there's a lot to improve, although that depends on the rubber compound. I'm not sure if Conti offers them in a cheap rubber compound, but it does make a difference.

I think you might throw money at some new tires and find that you skid just as much and don't go any faster.


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## tTramp14 (Jun 13, 2012)

I'm running a kenda small block 8 up front and a kenda karma in the back. I have not had any problems with them. They lock up great on corners and uphill, but have pretty low rolling resistance for downhill.


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## Millfox (Jun 22, 2012)

You could Get your self Mountain King II for front. It's even a recommended combo by Continental. I'm riding Mountain king II F/R and its a decent all-rounder combo.You can feel the knobs slowing you down when you try to stomp the big ring but it grips great in any condition except steeper off chamber situations. My another tyre set is Michelin Wild Grip'r 2012 2,25F/2.10R. They're great in hardpack and LOH and offer a good ammount of traction in dry/damp conditions. If you buy the dual compound Advanced version they're pretty much universal XC tyres except deep snow and ice.


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