What tire is the best?

[markz]

This is my rim - 26" Wide Downhill Crysatlyte Rim (31mm wide rim) - $56

These are my available tires to choose from. Will these tires fit my rim?
Green Font Color is what I was thinking of buying. I think because one of the Maxxis High Rollers folds and maybe whatever EXO means its $30 more.

Maxxis High Roller II 26 x 2.4 EXO Folding Tire $75.00 CAD
Maxxis Holy Roller 26 x 2.4 Wire Tire $45.00 CAD

Maxxis Minion 26 x 2.35 DHR Folding Tire $62.00 CAD

Maxxis Ardent 26 x 2.40 EXO Folding Tire $67.00 CAD
Maxxis Minion DHR II 26 x 2.4 3C Maxx Grip Wire Tire $90.00 CAD


Kenda Nevegal 26 x 2.35 DTC Folding Tire $52.00 CAD

 

[wesnewell]

Any 26" tire will fit that rim, but I wouldn't go below a 1.95" or above a 2.7" tire.

 

[MadRhino]

Yep, all those tires do fit your rim.

There is no best tire by itself.
The best choice has to be made in accordance with many factors: Bike type, weight, power, speed... Terrain type and average condition... Rider weight, riding style, requirements, priorities and preference.

There are many factors of selection, and some are in conflict with each other.
Once you narrow your expectations, you realize there is not so much choice after all, and you need to make a compromise.

A clincher is safer, a folder is lighter. If your bike is powerful, fast, or you ride aggressively... don't bother looking at folders unless you target max performance and don't care about life (tires and yours).

A softer gum does grip better on hard surfaces, but wears much faster.
A wider tire does grip better, all other factors being equal.
A lower PSI does grip better but does wear faster.

Thicker tires, with more or better layers, are more robust but heavier.
Higher knobs are more robust, do give better grip on soft terrain, but heavier.
Fewer knobs does make a tire cleaning itself faster, making it better in mud or snow, but giving less grip on hard surfaces.
Slicker tire sole gives lower rolling resistance and better grip on hard surfaces, but less grip on dust, wet, dirt.

You fist need to define your requirement priorities, then make a compromise. You can't have it all: A light weight tire that is robust, sticky, long lasting on dirt and street, can take very low and very high pressure, riding fine hard or soft terrain, with low rolling resistance... doesn't exist.

 

[dogman dan]

Best for what? Street, Dirt, Mixed, or just your wallet? I assume all will fit your rim.

 

[MadRhino]

I made my choice according which tire has specifications so to be used with ebike.
And so far I have not see another vendor to offer any certification which comes close to Marathon Plus tires.

City, low to med power.

There are no certifications. A tire is good for what you are doing with it, or it is not.

 

[MAGICPIE3FOCUSPOWER]

Yep, all those tires do fit your rim.

There is no best tire by itself.
The best choice has to be made in accordance with many factors: Bike type, weight, power, speed... Terrain type and average condition... Rider weight, riding style, requirements, priorities and preference.

There are many factors of selection, and some are in conflict with each other.
Once you narrow your expectations, you realize there is not so much choice after all, and you need to make a compromise.

A clincher is safer, a folder is lighter. If your bike is powerful, fast, or you ride aggressively... don't bother looking at folders unless you target max performance and don't care about life (tires and yours).

A softer gum does grip better on hard surfaces, but wears much faster.
A wider tire does grip better, all other factors being equal.
A lower PSI does grip better but does wear faster.

Thicker tires, with more or better layers, are more robust but heavier.
Higher knobs are more robust, do give better grip on soft terrain, but heavier.
Fewer knobs does make a tire cleaning itself faster, making it better in mud or snow, but giving less grip on hard surfaces.
Slicker tire sole gives lower rolling resistance and better grip on hard surfaces, but less grip on dust, wet, dirt.

You fist need to define your requirement priorities, then make a compromise. You can't have it all: A light weight tire that is robust, sticky, long lasting on dirt and street, can take very low and very high pressure, riding fine hard or soft terrain, with low rolling resistance... doesn't exist.

Yup totally agree, that's why I have tried many tires to suits my preferences.
Only way is testing....testing...

 

[999zip999]

I'm happy with the sefas drifter the Kevlar survivorer series is a street tire.

 

[MadRhino]

Try to ride them in mountain trails, you will see how useless and dangerous they are. A tire is good for some usage, another tire is good for another usage. This has to do with its size, gum, thread and construction, There are no ISO certifications for bicycle tires. It is not because a manufacture says it is an ebike tire, that it is good for all ebikes to ride anywhere. To ride 50 Kmh on pavement with the average ebike, it is very good, that is what it is made for.

 

[markz]

I should've specified my type of riding, a noob mistake on my part.
Well I guess I would be buying 2 sets of tires. Thinking I might do a little DIY studded action on my current tires for the winter, or leave them be until they wear out.

I have to think about my style of riding. I love trail riding, where I am at we have a very long park that runs all the way through my city. Only provincial park within a city in all of Canada as far as I am aware. So with that park there is the paved dual lane pathway with yellow line in middle. Then there is the red crushed gravel pathway, same width. Both pathways have enough room for 4 people to stand side by side width wise. So that would be the Maxxis Hookworm recommendation.

Next is the single path (fairly flat, minor slopes) through the bush type pathway, has ruts and roots and bumps and rocks, is hard-packed dirt, when it rains puddles of standing water. So that is your general mountain bike tire recommendation.

Next is the same path as mentioned except now its steeper grades, more of a downhill single track technical kind of riding. Hence DH tire.

Of course there is then the street riding. Hookworm recommendation.

Maxxis Hookworm tire seems to be popular, the russians were using it in their youtube video on the highway vid, people on here seem to rave about it too. I saw a video of Maxxis Holy Roller on here (E.S.), I cant seem to find it. Seems like its in the Eastern part of europe, looked like urban slums riding, mounds of hard packed dirt, nice looking consentrict knobs. They Maxxis website states its used for "Urban Riding" "Handles the spectrum from asphalt to dirt". So I put that in the same category as hookworm. So what about mountain and DH. I can assume DH you will need large if not huge outter knobs for cornering. I dont do that. I like my traditional mountain riding. Slow down steeps, controlled downhill descents. So what the Ardent, looks good.

So I just assumed Maxxis is where its at in terms of tires.
I found this, very helpful in me choosing a tire for my riding.
This is under the Mountain Section. They have Road Racing Road Training Hybrid Mountain Downhill Urban BMX sections.


View attachment 1

 

[toshy]

Another one with pretty much the same problem here - spring is on its way, and I'll need to buy some "summer tires" for my ebike, and I'm a bit confused what to buy.
I own a no suspension bike with 1000W rear motor, max speed 45km/h - average 30km/h, max. tire size is 26x2.25", I ride mostly on asphalt, but sometimes I need to take a ride on sandy roads and maybe some grass - riding style: 80% asphalt, 15% sandy roads, 5% wet grass, mud, snow. This is my commute bike, so theres no aggresive riding style.
So, therefore I'm looking for a tire which would also have some knobs, which would provide me some tracking on sandy roads, or if there is some sand on the asphalt, some puncture protection, it wouldnt wear out in 1000km, and the max. I would pay for, its 25eur/tire.

For the winter I've bought Schwalbe Nobby Nics, and I'm pretty impressed with its grip on a few centimeters of snow, sandy roads and asphalt, but I miss some puncture protection - this tire has very thin sidewalls and thread.

When I was ordering nobby nics, I gave a shot to schwalbe smart sam plus (3mm puncture protection) - rode it only for a few km's, then switched back to nobby nics, so I cant say much about them.
I was also looking at schwalbe big ben (which has some "air suspension" since its a baloon tire), but I think, this wouldnt be a good choice for sandy roads, and if the snow comes too early.

So, what tires do you guys suggest I should look for?
Anyone riding with smart sam plus? Should I just get another smart sam plus and thats it?


Thanks!

 

[MadRhino]

Mixed terrain, forget about the Hookworms. You will need to accept some rolling resistance if you want to ride safely in the park trails, especially wet or rocky.

Now define your riding style, and bike performance.

 

[markz]

I would say I like a bit of everything.

From house, ride on asphalt doing 40kph to park . Then on asphalt pathways and red crushed gravel pathways to my single track pathways where I am at one with nature. So ya single track hills. Flats a fat knobby tire will do double duty with downhill mud, ruts, rocks. I do river bank riding, rocks too. Plus I want to get into mountain riding, so a good quality, wire bead 2 ply mountain bike tire, that can do double duty in the wet mud.

I think I got it figured out, that maxxis website helped so much.

 

[MadRhino]

Doesn't look to me you'll be riding very fast, not an aggressive riding style. I believe your idea about a Holly Roller might be a good compromise for the summer. In the winter try a Kenda Nevegal.

 

[dogman dan]

Holy roller, or something like it sounds like a good choice then.

On a more 95% street type ride, I run a typical beach cruiser tire on my longtail. Wide for a good grip in corners, but has very short knobs on it, so a tiny bit of sand on a corner doesn't dump me. I can't ride slicks in my town, I need to push some sand aside, and grip pavement with the tread.

This is NOT a dirt tire by any means, but this bike is expected to run 25-30 mph down a sandy dirt washboard road at times, and it does! Mostly it's just the extra width that helps, vs a much skinnier street tire.

This is a cheap tire, I get at most 2000 miles from one in the rear. But my reason for choosing this tire is that I can get a replacement in any town with a walmart. So on a tour, I carry one spare, and can get another in the next town.

Here is a link to another beach cruiser tire, with some small knobs. http://www.beachbikeoutlet.com/shop/street-s-7-classic

Like the Holy roller, the idea is the knobs on these tires are very close to each other, so the rolling resistance is not bad. Holy rollers, or a tire with similar tread still the best choice, especially if the riding will be as much as 20% dirt. I'm just throwing out the beach bike tire idea for a bike that's more like 5% dirt riding.

 

[wesnewell]

Best bang for buck imo. Make sure it's the Pro model. It has an extra layer the non pro model doesn't have and they last longer.
http://www.niagaracycle.com/categories/cst-cyclops-pro-tire-26-x-2-4-black-steel-bead

 

[toshy]

If anyone owns a 26x2.20 HolyRoller, can you please measure the width of the tire?
How is with the puncture protection on HolyRoller?

 

[Drunkskunk]

CST (Cheng Shin Tire) is the maker of Maxxis tires, and it's fairly well known that the original Cyclops was just a Hookworm in disguise. Over time, things have changed a bit. the Hookworm stayed the same heavy DH casing with urban tread, while the Cyclops evolved into a more conventional tire with thinner sidewalls but a puncture resistant strip added. It's still a heavyweight badass in the world of tires, but it has evolved away from just being a cheap Hookworm into a tire for a different market segment.
And lets be clear on this, This is still a heavy weight, asskicking, 1010 gram tire based on a DH carcass, it's just refined into something meant for asskicking commuter bikes instead of asskicking Urban freestyle riders.

If you plan to get off road much, you'll probably want the Hollyroller or one of the other tires. while I'm amazed at how well my Hookworms grip off road in hardpack, rock, snow, sand, and thorn bushes, and I've been running them for 8 years in those places, I'm also aware that actual tread blocks do grip better in lose dirt and mud.

But if you really want a cool tire, try this:
[youtube]pSlBk1uWH88[/youtube]