# bike packing tires



## neil.beltchenko (May 29, 2011)

hey,

Curious what tires everyone is using on there rigs, also mention what type of terrain/trail you are riding to get a better idea why you picked that certain tire! 

Thanks!!!


----------



## SuPrBuGmAn (Jun 20, 2009)

Fast Trak Controls and Renegade Controls on hardpack, clay, gravel and sand


----------



## DG Going Uphill (Apr 27, 2012)

WTB Nano UST. Running tubeless. Mixed terrain of road, gravel, loose over hard, buff, and occasional mud.


----------



## wahday (Mar 23, 2012)

I ride all rigid. Have a 2.4 WTB Mutano up front and a 2.35 Kenda Lopes 55 on the back. Terrain is the gamut - sandy, hard pack, rock gardens. Fairly steep descents. I'm pretty happy with this setup - the front floats nicely and the rear gives good stability and traction for driving through tricky situations. I might consider a 2.5, too.


----------



## TobyGadd (Sep 9, 2009)

I've been using Continental X-Kings and Mountain Kings (ProTection versions), for a couple of years now. They have really tough sidewalls, which is important for riding in the Colorado mountains. In just a few weeks, I'll be lining up for the Colorado Trail Race--with a X-King on the rear, and a Mountain King II on the front. A good combination for me so far!


----------



## jmmUT (Sep 15, 2008)

For pure dirt and techy stuff I use Kenda Karma L3Rs 29x1.9 (700cx50mm)

When I am on mixed terrain with road and easy gravel I use Continental TourRide 700x47. They have enough grip that I can drop the psi and get decent traction on dirt roads.

I only bought the Contis because they discontinued Halo Twin Rails in higher volume 700c. but they're back, so I'll probably buy those once I get some spending money. They are really nice all-arounders that come in all sorts of sizes. Due to the design the terrain they work well on changes depending on the psi ran.


----------



## bmike (Nov 17, 2009)

Fargo On Dirt and gravel road with some single track and pave mixed in I really like the WTB Vulpines. Also ran the race kings for a bit. 

If I was riding far more single track I'd have something with a bit more volume and grip.


----------



## vikb (Sep 7, 2008)

Schwalbe Racing Ralphs in 29 x 2.4" setup tubeless. Dirt, gravel, roots, rocks, dry in summer and slimy in winter. So far so good.


----------



## Outsider (Jan 1, 2007)

With the Salsa Fargo on gravel, dirt roads, rocks and roots the Mountain King and Race King have been great tires. The Schwalbe Racing Ralph Evo (version without SnakeSking walls) did not last long before a sharp rock slit the sidewalls open.


----------



## neil.beltchenko (May 29, 2011)

TobyGadd said:


> I've been using Continental X-Kings and Mountain Kings (ProTection versions), for a couple of years now. They have really tough sidewalls, which is important for riding in the Colorado mountains. In just a few weeks, I'll be lining up for the Colorado Trail Race--with a X-King on the rear, and a Mountain King II on the front. A good combination for me so far!


Interesting!!! I might have to take a look at those. Anyone else have any Colorado Trail specific tire combinations??


----------



## intheways (Apr 19, 2004)

I've been using some Schwalbe Marathon Mondials for asphalt and mild singletrack in the PNW. They are OK, but I would want to go with more volume for techy singletrack. I've been considering some Smart Sam 2.25s.


----------



## dumb_argentinean (Nov 25, 2010)

I have tried Racing Ralph TL-ready on Coconino 250 and local riding here in AK. It didn't go very well. I slashed sidewalls on three tires in one summer. Went to WTB's Wolverines (heavy but high volume) and Hutchinson somethings (very skinny for a claimed 2.1). 
Ultimately I was talked into trying the Racing Ralph TL-ready snake skin version. Have been pretty happy with those. Did a few long rides and races (24 hours, Stagecoach 400, Soggy Bottom 100 and much more) and didn't have a flat the entire summer. They can be difficult to come by and they're kinda pricey, but definitely a relatively light, fast rolling do-everything (bikepacking and xc-race) tire.


----------



## De La Pena (Oct 7, 2008)

Kenda Excavators. Tough and lots of grip.


----------



## flumphboy (Jan 15, 2010)

Currently: 26in. 2.4 X-King front. 2.2 Race King rear. There have been times I've wanted more traction in the back.

Just to mix it up, I might switch to Toby's setup next year. M-King front. X-King rear.


----------



## neil.beltchenko (May 29, 2011)

Wtb 26in Bronson front and wolverine rear! Colorado trail worked great! Heavy but trusting sidewalls! 

Toby, 

My buddy and myself just finishe the CT. His x-kings with protection were shot after our ten days! He was pissed about it! Albeit he could have used more Stan's. his sidewalls were leaking air! Did you have any problems? He's a pretty solid rider and avoid rock rub as best he could!


----------



## TobyGadd (Sep 9, 2009)

neil.beltchenko said:


> Wtb 26in Bronson front and wolverine rear! Colorado trail worked great! Heavy but trusting sidewalls!
> 
> Toby,
> 
> My buddy and myself just finished the CT. His x-kings with protection were shot after our ten days! He was pissed about it! Albeit he could have used more Stan's. his sidewalls were leaking air! Did you have any problems? He's a pretty solid rider and avoid rock rub as best he could!


I got one small sidewall tear the the San Juans this year. I actually saw the rock that did it, but I wasn't quick enough to avoid the damn thing. I think that it would have cut open ANY tire. You probably remember how sharp some of those volcanic rocks are!

Other than that, both tires were fine. There's some decent wear on them--but that's to be expected I think. Bashing through rocky trails with a fully-loaded bike for 7 days and 500 miles is probably the ultimate test of any tire.

On a different note, I really liked their performance. The Mountain King II up front was super-solid, especially in the rain and muck. The X-King in the rear tracked well and hooked up well on the climbs. I don't have a lot of experience with other tires, but I never felt like the Contis were letting me down.

But everyone rides differently and has different expectations. I'm actually a pretty unskilled rider, so my experience shouldn't be taken for gospel by any means. I weigh 170 pounds, and rode a full-suspension bike with about 20 pounds of gear, food, and water. Sounds like the WTBs that you mentioned were excellent too. Nice to have options!


----------



## neil.beltchenko (May 29, 2011)

got cha! yeah I saw your setup, he had more weight in his saddle bag as he did not carry a frame bag. That could have been the difference. Like you said its truly all personal preference!


----------



## redfox1939 (Sep 16, 2012)

you may want to stick with a medium to square profile with wider knob spacing to minimize wheel spin. Some tires that work well in these conditions are the Kenda Nevegal, Maxxis Minion DHF and Schwalbe Fat Albert.

____________________________________

*restaurants in Sedona* It's all here!!


----------



## neil.beltchenko (May 29, 2011)

redfox1939 said:


> you may want to stick with a medium to square profile with wider knob spacing to minimize wheel spin. Some tires that work well in these conditions are the Kenda Nevegal, Maxxis Minion DHF and Schwalbe Fat Albert.
> 
> ____________________________________
> 
> *restaurants in Sedona* It's all here!!


do you live in arizona area? I'm starting to think about the AZT 300 and was wondering what tires are best for that area? Im also not sure what bike I'm using but I'm leaning toward stumpjumper HT 29 with maxis icon exo's.


----------



## dumb_argentinean (Nov 25, 2010)

Conti Protection Mountain King 2.2 tubeless worked just fine on AZT300. No flats, no damage to sidewalls. You may lose a knob or two if you bomb down stuff like the beginning of Oracle Ridge, etc. I'm 200lb. Not the fastest rolling tire, but better than the Kenda Nevegals and the Panaracer Rampage many people use IMO.


----------



## brokebike (Jan 31, 2013)

Kenda Slant Six 26 x 2.5 on my Troll (tubeless). Riding a mix of loose and leafy, sandstone, hardpack and gravel. The tread grips well in most situations except super muddy, and when you have to ride on asphalt, they are relatively quiet and smooth.


----------



## eastman115 (Dec 6, 2009)

I use a fatbike for bikepacking and ride the stock Endo/Larry tires and am pleased with how well they work in a variety of terrains. What do others use on their fatties when bikepacking?


----------



## 4Crawler (Oct 30, 2011)

intheways said:


> I've been using some Schwalbe Marathon Mondials for asphalt and mild singletrack in the PNW. They are OK, but I would want to go with more volume for techy singletrack. I've been considering some Smart Sam 2.25s.


I'm running the Mondials on my cross bike, 700x40 tubeless and I find they work very well for me on gravel and dirt roads and single track. They were OK with tubes, but really came to life without tubes at around 30psi:



















I think they have a 47mm width but so far happy with the 40s. I only do day trips so no heavy gear. Plus side is they roll really fast on pavement, only a tiny bit of tread noise on very smooth surfaces. Also seem to wear well, I have ~1700 miles on them so far and have just barely worn off the center mold line.


----------



## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

I'm a Geax guy and on unknown or rougher terrain I use Saguaros and on more 'buff' roads I go with AKAs.


----------



## plasticmann (May 7, 2006)

On One Chunky Monkey 2.4 on front and their Smorgasbord on back. To be honest I bought them because of the low cost. Was finishing my bikepacking 29er build, (On One Scandal 29er), and funds were getting low. Was going to run Racing Ralphs but had to place an order with On One and these were $20 a pop. Been riding with them for the last month and pretty happy.


----------



## Ivan67 (Aug 23, 2013)

Tioga Square Eight 26 X 2.10.

Mud, Granite trail, Sand Stone trail, Snow and light packed sand (no loose).

Range: Rear average about 2000 kilometers, Front average about 2300 kilometers.

Why?????? Two years ago down in Italy I was at a Bazaar having a look around and pushing my rig along side me. When I left I was crossing the street to get to where I wanted to go camping at on the beach and some fella out of Africa approached me with a bag of new boxed tires and asked if I wanted to buy some tires. I said how much, he said €5 each, I asked how many he had and he showed me ten (all new) and I told him €3 each for the bag. He took and I figured at best I had some crap tires for a cheap price just in case.

Later that day I saw him on the beach selling thin quarter sliced watermelon for €3 a slice to all the drunk tourist, the same watermelon I could get whole at the store across the street for €1. LOL

Next day, he was selling coconut pieces for €2 a chunk. LOL

All I could think is this man steels some weird stuff and finds all the suckers, he found me. LOL


----------



## eugenemtbing (Nov 16, 2010)

I would like to further this discussion by getting input on tread patterns appropriate for loaded dirt/gravel bikepacking on a rigid 29er (with the hope of tires that would be not too difficult on asphalt detours).

I am looking at the Geax offerings because I have had great experiences with Gato and Saguaro tires -- both TNT with Stan's liquid on i23 rims -- for singletrack MTBing.

I welcome any suggestions on the tread patterns in the "cross country" and "asphalt" categories on the following photo, snapped from the Geax website.

Pros of the tires in the cross country category are most are available in TNT and the 29x2.0 realm.

Pros of those in the asphalt category are they offer less rolling resistance, but are in the 29x1.5-1.9 realm and are not TNT.

I would prefer TNT to run tubeless. All of my experience has been on various types of singletrack with a focus on traction, so these new criteria for dirt/gravel bikepacking are new for me.

Thanks for any suggestions!


----------



## 1 Speed (Jan 8, 2004)

Hey Eugene.... I'm a Geax guy too. They're on nearly all my bikes (road bikes excluded... Vittoria). Saguaro is my favorite all around tire but for on/off road, I recommend the AKA. It's never failed me and rolls really nicely on just about everything. Mud might be the only thing I'd worry a bit about. Used AKA's on the Grenzstein last year and Saguaros on the TDR the year before. FYI - I use the normal version as the TNT are way heavy and I find murderous to get on/off the rims. I've never blown off a bead with the normal versions and they're way lighter. I also typically use the 2.1-2.25 versions as I run about 185-190 lbs. before I start loading up the bike.


----------



## eugenemtbing (Nov 16, 2010)

I was considering the AKA. It has a bit lower tread profile than the Saguaro, which I am currently using for a rear tire.

I know some long-distance off-road tourers use the Mondial and other much smoother tread patterns. I wonder how they maintain grip in gravel and other loose stuff. Anyone know?


----------



## 4Crawler (Oct 30, 2011)

I've not done any touring on my Mondials, but they are working great in the dirt and gravel that I have ridden the last 1.5 years/2500 miles. Rode a really steep, loose gravel hill yesterday and going down was able to hold the speed down with ease and climbing back up I made it all the way on the pedals. The back tire did spin a little a few times when it rode up over some of the larger gravel but gained traction and kept pulling all the way to the top. I was sure that was going to be a hike-a-bike section. 

I did find the traction was greatly improved when I converted those tires to tubeless.


----------



## eugenemtbing (Nov 16, 2010)

How do the Mondials feel on asphalt? Noticeably faster than regular MTB tires?


----------



## 4Crawler (Oct 30, 2011)

I really like them on pavement, they ride very smooth and relatively fast. I then they ride within 1-2MPH of my road bike with 28mm Marathon Supremes. I had some mild tread MTB tires on my mtn. bike and there is no comparison to the speed with the Mondials. There is a slight tread hum if riding on smooth concrete bike paths, but on regular asphalt they are fairly quiet. I find I can hang with the occasional roadie group ride I encounter to and from the trails.

Again, I found that with tubes, those same tires were OK on pavement, but when I went tubeless, the ride and speed on pavement really improved. When I first got the tires, I started at the 50psi minimum rec. pressure (for the 700x40 folding) and that nearly rattled my fillings out. Gradually lowered the pressure to about 35psi w/ tubes, then lost the tubes and dropped to 30psi. And the tread wear seems to be minimal, it took about 1500-2000 miles to finally wear the mold line off the center tread.


----------



## eugenemtbing (Nov 16, 2010)

I see on the Schwalbe site that they make them in 700C and "28" which I think is our 29er size. I don't see any TLR options. Can you elaborate on your rims and tubeless setup? Using a standard tire with Stan's liquid?

Thanks for the info. I am using WTB i23 UST rims.


----------



## 4Crawler (Oct 30, 2011)

I am using the Stans ArchEX rims and sealant with the 700x40 folding tires:
- DSCF1446










Used the rims as they came (supplied rim strip), mounted the tires and an ounce or two of sealant and filled them up. Did take a day or two of shaking and laying flat on one side and the other to get them to fully seal, but since then they have worked fairly well. They lose about 5-10psi per week and have to add a scoop of sealant maybe 2-3 times a year.


----------



## bsieb (Aug 23, 2003)

Really liking the 29er 2.35 Ikons (3c Exo) on the Pacenti TL 28 mm rims with the Carver semi rigid ust liners. 2-3mm wider than than 2.4 Ardents on c29ssmax, same beefy sidewalls, roll well, not too heavy, wear well. The rim liners can be removed and put back on if you have to replace a spoke, as they use no adhesive and simply "slip (!)" on and off. Can be run true ust (no sealant) with ust tires. I have them laced to a Phil Wood front and an Alfine8 rear, nice rigid rim, laced up easy. Running them on my rigid Coconino, nice smooth ride on almost everything.


----------



## eugenemtbing (Nov 16, 2010)

Looks like a high-volume fast-rolling tire with just a but less knobby-ness than the Geax AKA.


----------



## melan47 (Nov 27, 2012)

Schwalbe Big Ben HS 439 dirt, rocks, road


----------



## Addy Marx (Jul 18, 2009)

I don't really have bikepacking specific tires, just the tires I run on my mountain bike al the time that are also on there when I go touring or bikepacking. 

I've been on a pair of Maxxis Ikon's 2.35" (3C EXO) tubeless on Arch EX's on my rigid 29er. 2000km's bike touring through Chile in November/December; from paved to really crappy golf ball gravel roads and about 500km of mountain biking in the North Shore throughout the relatively dry BC winter we've been having. The rear is getting a little slick but I've already got another pair of the same waiting to change over. Moved up from the 2.2" Ikon's (3c EXO) after burning through a few pairs since 2012 and what a difference in comfort, especially rigid. Don't see why I'd go back to the 2.2's except to possibly save a bit of weight....nah.


----------



## that guy again (Oct 6, 2006)

Been rolling with the Vredestein Black Panthers. The solid center tread rolls really well on pavement without that annoying vibration from most mtb tires.


----------



## bncrshr77 (Jun 19, 2007)

I ride all over in NM and CO. My go-to tires are Maxxis Ardent full UST tires loaded with Stans. They are tough, decent rolling resistance and I've been trouble free. Also, I don't really care about tire weight so that might be a factor because they sure aren't the lightest ones out there.


----------

