The future of MTB tyres...radial?

[mboy]

Another great vid explaining the tech and the potential benefits...

[weeksy]

I'm hoping by the end of Oct we can get a pair bought in something compatible for Dyfi. We're going to do some tyre/things testing over winter this year so a test up at Dyfi in half-term would be pretty good.

[Mr Moofo]

75 GBP plus for a tyre. That's a damned good margin per unit

@mboy Is it only the Albert or will all tyres go "radial". And with radial be the only option, or a premium product?

[weeksy]

75 GBP plus for a tyre. That's a damned good margin per unit

@mboy Is it only the Albert or will all tyres go "radial". And with radial be the only option, or a premium product?

Welcome to the modern world. If you want cheap there's loads of options. I bought a Hans Dampf for the back of my Status last week for £20. However the Contis that go on the race bike are £70 a pop. It's a stinger that's for sure.

[Mr Moofo]

75 GBP plus for a tyre. That's a damned good margin per unit

@mboy Is it only the Albert or will all tyres go "radial". And with radial be the only option, or a premium product?

Welcome to the modern world. If you want cheap there's loads of options. I bought a Hans Dampf for the back of my Status last week for £20. However the Contis that go on the race bike are £70 a pop. It's a stinger that's for sure.

I have run to Pirellis and various Maxxis at 50 gbp a pop.
That said, I have give up in Maxxis as they seem fragile/warped/ easy to puncture. And mboy told me to buy SChwalbe in future

[weeksy]

https://www.merlincycles.com/schwalbe-h ... 49062.html

27.5 on back of Status.. but a cheap one.

Plenty of 29 stuff though too.
https://www.merlincycles.com/mountain-b ... ameter=29-

[Mr Moofo]

https://www.merlincycles.com/schwalbe-h ... 49062.html

27.5 on back of Status.. but a cheap one.

Plenty of 29 stuff though too.
https://www.merlincycles.com/mountain-b ... ameter=29-

I tend to buy a few when they have their usual discounts on

[MingtheMerciless]

75 GBP plus for a tyre. That's a damned good margin per unit

@mboy Is it only the Albert or will all tyres go "radial". And with radial be the only option, or a premium product?

Welcome to the modern world. If you want cheap there's loads of options. I bought a Hans Dampf for the back of my Status last week for £20. However the Contis that go on the race bike are £70 a pop. It's a stinger that's for sure.

I have run to Pirellis and various Maxxis at 50 gbp a pop.
That said, I have give up in Maxxis as they seem fragile/warped/ easy to puncture. And mboy told me to buy SChwalbe in future

Maxxis are well known for going out of round after big impacts or even changing from one wheel to another. Michelin E-Wild are more resistant to this.

[Mr Moofo]

I have a Michelin Wild as a fronty on the eeb

[Mr. Dazzle]

I'm genuinely amazed they weren't already radial!

Maybe it means something differnet in MTB land, but road car/bike tyres have been radial for donkeys. Indeed, non-radial tyres are considered ditchfinders you fitted to your old Ford Cortina.

Does it mean something different on MTBs? If I'm reading this blurb right, no, it doesn't. As above...I'm amazed

The basis for this is the completely rethought construction of the carcass. The carcass threads, which run diagonally across the tire at a 45° angle in conventional bicycle tires, are arranged at a much more obtuse angle in our radial tires. This technology opens up a completely new dimension in the function of bicycle tires.

"45° angle". AKA like your old cross plies. The R in "225/45/R17" for example means radial. Have you ever bought a road car or bike tyre which didn't have that R?

[mangocrazy]

I'm genuinely amazed they weren't already radial!

Maybe it means something differnet in MTB land, but road car/bike tyres have been radial for donkeys. Indeed, non-radial tyres are considered ditchfinders you fitted to your old Ford Cortina.

I have to say that was my reaction on reading the MTB tyre blurb. Radials were big news in the early/mid 1980s, but I just assumed that everything had gone radial decades (centuries, millenia!) ago. You can still get cross-plies for your old Fanny Barnett or Bantam, but that's about the level the tech is at.

[Mr Moofo]

I was always a bit 'meh' about tyres and pressures, running mainly nobby nics simply because I didn't know any different.

Then I did a wet day in FOD on the eeb Rail with stock bontys and had loads of really sketchy moments, after a particularly sketchy trail and there some discussion with Weeksy and some random others who all said it's your tyres. The cafe/bike shop in Park End had Contis in and Weeksy pointed out the variations and that James loves them, I bought a set. A wet, slippy day in the Peaks convinced me they are superb, unreal grip.

I have some new Contis hanging in the garage but once they're gone I'll probably try a radial front as I do like a bit of grip but that might be a while as tyres tend to last me a long time (lack of riding time).

@crust Which Contis did you go for - Kryptotal or Argotal?

[weeksy]

He got an Argotal in Endurance. If you make the 3rd I can bring a lightly used one with me.

[Mr Moofo]

He got an Argotal in Endurance. If you make the 3rd I can bring a lightly used one with me.

The 3rd is possible
I just need to move a restaurant booking. Let you know tomorrow

[mboy]

https://www.merlincycles.com/schwalbe-h ... 49062.html

27.5 on back of Status.. but a cheap one.

Plenty of 29 stuff though too.
https://www.merlincycles.com/mountain-b ... ameter=29-

Just be careful buying tyres from Merlin…

Anything cheap will be OEM, which means no aftermarket comeback should anything go wrong with them… Your statutory rights still apply with the vendor of course, but you are entirely at their behest and no other reseller will get involved… It’s an odd situation for sure, but owing to Merlin’s ownership they still get their hands on far too many tyres that are supposed to end up on brand new bikes (but don’t), and they sell them in incredibly cheap whenever they have some spare…

Most of the time the performance is no different to aftermarket so you can get a bargain for sure, but don’t always count on it being identical to an aftermarket product if the performance is critical, and like I say, if anything goes wrong, you are entirely reliant on Merlin’s own warranty…

Also unlikely to happen that anything more recent and in demand would end up selling for £20 too… £20 for a Hans Dampf is still a bargain mind!

[weeksy]

Yeah the H-D is never going to be the ultimate in tyre choice, but it's a solid autumn/spring throw it round the local trails kind of tyre It'll be used by me not the lad, so getting a much lower workout level and just for local trails when the Butcher that's on there wears out (won't be that long).

[Mr Moofo]

https://www.merlincycles.com/schwalbe-h ... 49062.html

27.5 on back of Status.. but a cheap one.

Plenty of 29 stuff though too.
https://www.merlincycles.com/mountain-b ... ameter=29-

Just be careful buying tyres from Merlin…

Anything cheap will be OEM, which means no aftermarket comeback should anything go wrong with them… Your statutory rights still apply with the vendor of course, but you are entirely at their behest and no other reseller will get involved… It’s an odd situation for sure, but owing to Merlin’s ownership they still get their hands on far too many tyres that are supposed to end up on brand new bikes (but don’t), and they sell them in incredibly cheap whenever they have some spare…

Most of the time the performance is no different to aftermarket so you can get a bargain for sure, but don’t always count on it being identical to an aftermarket product if the performance is critical, and like I say, if anything goes wrong, you are entirely reliant on Merlin’s own warranty…

Also unlikely to happen that anything more recent and in demand would end up selling for £20 too… £20 for a Hans Dampf is still a bargain mind!

So manufacturers make to a different std for OEM?

[weeksy]

https://www.merlincycles.com/schwalbe-h ... 49062.html

27.5 on back of Status.. but a cheap one.

Plenty of 29 stuff though too.
https://www.merlincycles.com/mountain-b ... ameter=29-

Just be careful buying tyres from Merlin…

Anything cheap will be OEM, which means no aftermarket comeback should anything go wrong with them… Your statutory rights still apply with the vendor of course, but you are entirely at their behest and no other reseller will get involved… It’s an odd situation for sure, but owing to Merlin’s ownership they still get their hands on far too many tyres that are supposed to end up on brand new bikes (but don’t), and they sell them in incredibly cheap whenever they have some spare…

Most of the time the performance is no different to aftermarket so you can get a bargain for sure, but don’t always count on it being identical to an aftermarket product if the performance is critical, and like I say, if anything goes wrong, you are entirely reliant on Merlin’s own warranty…

Also unlikely to happen that anything more recent and in demand would end up selling for £20 too… £20 for a Hans Dampf is still a bargain mind!

So manufacturers make to a different std for OEM?

That's been very much debated and some say yes, some no. Some Schwalbes i've had have been a shit-show, as are some of the much talked about white lettered Maxxis for example. CRC used to knock out the Schwalbes years ago and some you got were horrible to ride upon... I'm hoping this one isn't but at £20 if i have to give it away i won't lose sleep.

[mboy]

So manufacturers make to a different std for OEM?

Some manufacturers more than others… MUCH more than others…

It’s not as big a thing as it used to be by some margin (and still is in the motorbike world! Best thing you can do on a new motorbike is ditch the OEM tyres asap… But it does still happen…

If it came in retail packaging when you bought it, then you know you’ve got the real thing. If not, then you need to look for tell tale signs (slightly different specs being the most obvious, lighter than you would expect, different colour lettering etc. all being obvious giveaways)…

[Mr. Dazzle]

It's the other way around in cars AFAIK, the OEM tyres are the ones you want. Especially with a Ferrari type car.