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Any mountain bikers??
- Thread starter iamdenialNJ
- Start date
I've been really interested in those Rubber Queens ... I too have heard some good things about them. My main hesitations are ... they're a heavy 29'er UST tire @ 1140 grams for the 2.4's.
The tubeless ready 2.2's aren't so bad @ 850 grams though, but from what I've seen the 2.2's do run a bit narrow ... although with my Stan's Flow's they should seat the tire a bit flatter/wider than on narrower rims.But none of that really matters to me as long as they've got great grip for wet or dry and low rolling resistance ... cause it really doesn't matter how heavy or fast your tires are, if you're too busy slipping on roots, rocks and other crap.
Keep us posted though ...
Can't do Nevegals, they always feel squirmy to me.
Given our terrain and weather, traction always trumps low rolling resistance so it's usually super tacky Minions (2.5) for me. This spring I gambled on the 3C Maxterra ones with the EXO sidewall and they're wonderful when it's dry or not very wet, but they fall apart rather badly when it's really wet. I'm spinning out and sliding on stuff that I never did on the ST tires. I'm getting the ST ones as soon as they get them in stock at CRC. I don't skimp on tires, good grip is too important.
I have also threatened to try the Schwalbe Hans Dampf but I'm told they wear really quickly.
Given our terrain and weather, traction always trumps low rolling resistance so it's usually super tacky Minions (2.5) for me. This spring I gambled on the 3C Maxterra ones with the EXO sidewall and they're wonderful when it's dry or not very wet, but they fall apart rather badly when it's really wet. I'm spinning out and sliding on stuff that I never did on the ST tires. I'm getting the ST ones as soon as they get them in stock at CRC. I don't skimp on tires, good grip is too important.
I have also threatened to try the Schwalbe Hans Dampf but I'm told they wear really quickly.
I like Nevegals as a rear tire ... in front I agree, they seem a bit squirmy. But as a wet terrain tire, I really like them as a rear tire. They seem to handle the off-cambered slippery roots here in western NC. But given that, they are just too slow to me ... and make me work harder than I'd like; so I can't see myself going back to them.
I do like Maxxis Minions, both DHF & DHR ... I find the DHR's are a pretty good rear tire, with decent rolling resistance, and both have great wear. The DHR's don't handle the slick off-cambered roots as well as the Nevegals, but they do the job. Currently my 26" On-One 456EVO is sporting a DHF/DHR combo ... and am pretty darn happy with them. Wet or dry ... they deliver. If they offered a 29'er DHR I'd be all over that ... unfortunately they only offer the DHF & DHR II (which has a totally different tread pattern than the original DHR) in a 29'er tire. I'd be interested in a DHF if the Ardent doesn't work out as a rear tire.
@ Mark ... When it comes to Schwable ... they all wear quick. Which is seems to be the trade off ... they have great grip, and great rolling resistance ... but terrible wear. Which was a big reason why I chose Ardents over the Nobby Nic's ... of course cost factored in there too.
I do like Maxxis Minions, both DHF & DHR ... I find the DHR's are a pretty good rear tire, with decent rolling resistance, and both have great wear. The DHR's don't handle the slick off-cambered roots as well as the Nevegals, but they do the job. Currently my 26" On-One 456EVO is sporting a DHF/DHR combo ... and am pretty darn happy with them. Wet or dry ... they deliver. If they offered a 29'er DHR I'd be all over that ... unfortunately they only offer the DHF & DHR II (which has a totally different tread pattern than the original DHR) in a 29'er tire. I'd be interested in a DHF if the Ardent doesn't work out as a rear tire.
@ Mark ... When it comes to Schwable ... they all wear quick. Which is seems to be the trade off ... they have great grip, and great rolling resistance ... but terrible wear. Which was a big reason why I chose Ardents over the Nobby Nic's ... of course cost factored in there too.
Here's the latest version of my '12 Transition TransAM 29'er ...
Swapped out my Hussefelt 675mm bars for some Easton Haven Carbon 711mm ones.
Picked up a set of '13 Shimano Deore 596 brakes ... my Hayes Stoker Ryde's just couldn't keep up. Gotta say ... these new 596's (which are really Shimano XTR's from a few years back) for the price, they can't be beat. Total one finger braking. Nice modulation. Quiet. Perfect for aggressive trail riding. So far no complaints.
This past week I blew my White Brothers Loop 120mm forks after just a few months riding ... picked up a set of Rock Shox Revelation 140mm (dual position 110/140 ... 20mm axle). Although I really liked the WB's, I need at least 5" of travel for how I ride. I was really in the market for 130mm's, but its difficult to find a decent set of 130mm 29'ers, since those are typically OEM forks and difficult to come by; so I opted for 140mm's. I'll most likely swap these Revelations out with a buddy of mine's Revelation 140mm Dual Air 29'er forks in the next few days ... since he is in desperate need for additional steer tube ... and as you can see, I have more than enough.
... how I see it, I doubt I'll ever use the 110mm setting; and I would like the ability to drop to 130mm, plus the dual air's have the ability to be dialed in a bit better than that of a solo-air w/rebound control fork. Since both forks have about the same amount of hours on them, and seemingly about the same amount of wear and tear ... I don't mind swapping to help out a friend. Plus, he's gonna sweeten the pot a bit too. 
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Swapped out my Hussefelt 675mm bars for some Easton Haven Carbon 711mm ones.
Picked up a set of '13 Shimano Deore 596 brakes ... my Hayes Stoker Ryde's just couldn't keep up. Gotta say ... these new 596's (which are really Shimano XTR's from a few years back) for the price, they can't be beat. Total one finger braking. Nice modulation. Quiet. Perfect for aggressive trail riding. So far no complaints.
This past week I blew my White Brothers Loop 120mm forks after just a few months riding ... picked up a set of Rock Shox Revelation 140mm (dual position 110/140 ... 20mm axle). Although I really liked the WB's, I need at least 5" of travel for how I ride. I was really in the market for 130mm's, but its difficult to find a decent set of 130mm 29'ers, since those are typically OEM forks and difficult to come by; so I opted for 140mm's. I'll most likely swap these Revelations out with a buddy of mine's Revelation 140mm Dual Air 29'er forks in the next few days ... since he is in desperate need for additional steer tube ... and as you can see, I have more than enough.
... how I see it, I doubt I'll ever use the 110mm setting; and I would like the ability to drop to 130mm, plus the dual air's have the ability to be dialed in a bit better than that of a solo-air w/rebound control fork. Since both forks have about the same amount of hours on them, and seemingly about the same amount of wear and tear ... I don't mind swapping to help out a friend. Plus, he's gonna sweeten the pot a bit too. [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
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Hello everyone! Joining the discussion with my new bike, a 2013 Kona Fire Mountain. Great bike:
I took a few years off and just got back into riding this season. Then I broke my arm in July and got sidelined until last month. Until that happened, I forgot how much I loved riding a hardtail. My previous 2 bikes were a Jamis Dakar Expert (1999 model) and before that, a Mongoose Amplifier with twin downtubes (purchased as a bike shop build in 1996). I still am on the fence regarding 29ers, though. My neighbor let me try his Specialized Hardrock Disc, and I wasn't sold just yet. The steering seemed slower than i was used to, but I also liked the increased bb clearance. Maybe my next bike.....
I took a few years off and just got back into riding this season. Then I broke my arm in July and got sidelined until last month. Until that happened, I forgot how much I loved riding a hardtail. My previous 2 bikes were a Jamis Dakar Expert (1999 model) and before that, a Mongoose Amplifier with twin downtubes (purchased as a bike shop build in 1996). I still am on the fence regarding 29ers, though. My neighbor let me try his Specialized Hardrock Disc, and I wasn't sold just yet. The steering seemed slower than i was used to, but I also liked the increased bb clearance. Maybe my next bike.....
Hey, tbone- welcome to the party! I just found a couple of nice FB MTB pgs- vintage mountain bikes and retro mountain bikes; awesome if you're into the old stuff. My wife had one of those Mongoose/AMP bikes- a nice ride but she broke it
Edit: Oops, I see I already mention the Vintage page- anyway, a BIG yeeeah on HTs
Edit: Oops, I see I already mention the Vintage page- anyway, a BIG yeeeah on HTs
Hey, tbone- welcome to the party! I just found a couple of nice FB MTB pgs- vintage mountain bikes and retro mountain bikes; awesome if you're into the old stuff. My wife had one of those Mongoose/AMP bikes- a nice ride but she broke it
Edit: Oops, I see I already mention the Vintage page- anyway, a BIG yeeeah on HTs
I don't do the facebook thing, but thanks for the info. The big thing I remember about the AMP was that it was fairly lightweight. It also had the funky AMP Parallelogram fork. The bike only had around 2" rear travel, but i loved that bike. I completely disassembled it, and eventually tossed the frame and parts. I didn't realize that there's a market for 20+ year old bikes and parts. Otherwise I would have probably sold it on the web. I know there's a few websites dedicated to buying, selling and restoring some of the oldies out there. Before my Amplifier I used to race amateur class races with a Mongoose Rockadile SX. This
Was back before Mongoose became more of a discount brand. Hopefully next season I'll get some good riding in without injuring myself like a moron!
Yeah, I had a sweet carbon Epic hardtail w/an early AMP fork- best-fitting bike I ever had. Those forks had some very interesting quirks- I love how the front end will *reach over* stuff when you lift the front end on technical climbs.
True, and the little oil cylinder on the side didn't operate under pressure, so the seals lasted a lot longer. And it had those little spindly fork arms. It really was a neat design. The carbon Epic was a sharp looking bike, Beautiful. The early/mid 90's was a free-for-all in suspension designs for bikes. Elastomer, air/oil , inverted forks, the Slingshot bike, etc. and I also remember a couple of disc brake systems coming out. Thn there were the carbon/kevlar rear "suspension" wheels. Everything was open to experiment. Racing was different, too. Pros were using the same bikes for xc and downhill, and the Mammoth Kamikaze had riders using front chainrings that looked like pizza pans. Ahh, nostalgia!! I always wanted a Klein but they were way out of the range of affordability.
I had a Klein Pinnacle- absolutely THE most unforgiving, rigid ride ever. Hit a pothole, its anyone's guess which direction the bike would bounce. I could feel it when I rode over shadows. It was pretty, though
That's the beauty of large diameter aluminum tubing! I'm jealous! I wanted an Adroit. I vividly remember Tinker Juarez' crazy thunderstorm paint job on his race bike. Still the best paint job I've ever seen on a bike, imo. And that guy is insane! Talk about staying power!
