Discussion: MTB tires & combination suggestions

I have nevagal which offers plenty of traction but sucks up all the speed & bontrager xc racing tires which are super fast but offers little confidence in terms of traction! These bontrager XC tires suck in wet conditions and resulted in my recent sabbatical!!

So I am looking for new tires with enough traction & speed. Tires that comes to mind immediately are Small block 8, Slant six & Racing Ralph. Has anyone use these?

Also any recommendations on front and back combination ?? I currently run 2.2 nevagal in the front and 2.0 rear bontrager xc.

Your inputs will be much appreciated.

I run a Racing Ralph on the back, and Rocket Ron on the front and I have been very happy with this combo. The Rocket Ron gives you a little more traction up front, but it isn't super aggressive.

I'm quite partial to Small Block 8s. They are fast rolling and have perfectly good traction. You'd notice a big improvement over the Nevegals which are quite luggy and anti-fast.

+2 for small block 8s. They roll amazingly and while in slick mud/clay conditions they do clog, you just need to adjust and focus more.

-1 for Racing Ralph. Only because BiT said he likes it.

My combo of tires used to be just like yours: nevegals for recreation and great traction, and then I would switch to a Bontrager Jones XR (not the square knobbed tread pattern, more like a chevron or arrowhead tread that used to come stock on the Treks) for racing because they were light (tubeless-ready, about 600 grams or less for 2.2 width) and rolled easily. The traction on the Bontragers wasn't great so you had to compensate for them.
Then I tried the Racing Ralphs (on my first set, I went with full UST instead of tubeless-ready because I wasn't sure if the ARWC in Tasmania might have some nasty terrain that might need a tough tire). I love them. I'd say they're as fast as my Bontrager race tires (some say a little faster) and yet they actually have some useable grip. We tested them on some fresh snow on our first ride before ARWC and were pleasantly surprised. On wet stuff, they actually stand a bit of a chance of gripping versus the Bontys which were sure to slip. I haven't bothered changing back to my Nevegals even though I ride lots of roots and loose rocks on the east side of the Rockies (Canmore, Banff) because the Ralphs do quite well and the light weight is nice (and much lower rolling resistance versus the Nevegal). I feel they are worth trying out. I see quite a few folks riding the tubeless-ready version around here (even lighter than the UST) but I'm still nervous that it might be a little too delicate for our conditions.
I'm tempted to try the Rocket Ron up front for the reason BiT mentions. That said, I'm not unhappy with a Racing Ralph up front.
I haven't tried a small block 8 and have heard good things. Still, I'd be quite happy to buy another set of Ralphs when these one wear out, and probably will.

I switched from Nevegals to the Slant Six this year and didn't notice much traction lost on the slippery stuff but definitely an improvement to the Nevegals for road sections.

Small Block 8 on the back and Specialized Captain on the front.

But if we're doing a race like Thunder Rolls and we KNOW there will be no singletrack, Boroughs at both ends will get you down the road pretty quick. Just don't go leaning into any corners :)

i ride maxxis larsen tt 2.0. little rolling resistance and good traction even in mud. and loose rocks. best for smooth single track, recommended by shonny V. should be great for kelso area from what i've seen of kelso.

Specialized Fast Trax LST. Durable, low roll resistance, and edging grip (as long as it isn't super muddy).

Do they still make the Fast Trax? They are really nice. They went great in the rear with a Specialized Rollex up front, but the Rollex was discontinued. There'e probably an equivalent in the Specialized lineup somewhere, but I ended up switching to the Small Block 8 and haven't looked back.

(Until I got suited up with Geax Arrojo UST tires. They are definitely hard to find these days so I didn't mention it.)

I am a big fan of the SB8's but I must say they are not effective in mud. It can handle wet conditions but in the mud they clog up very quickly. Still rideable but not a good position to be in. I would often change to Nevegals (which I also like a lot) if I knew conditions would be rough for a whole race.

I just got 29er and it came with Rocket Ron. They are ok but I am not a fan of 2.25, too fat for me. I got the Slant Six's (2.0) hoping they would be a nice mix of traction and speed. I am pretty happy with them but feel they are maybe a little more slick than I'd like in bad conditions. I am comfortable using them in most conditions but if it is wet or muddy I use a Rocket Ron in front.

I suggest getting two pairs (like SB8s and Nev) and being able to switch depending on the race and conditions. That has worked well for me.

I would suggest 1.9-2.1. Running a 1.9 tire with more lugs is sometimes a nice compromise. Tire pressure is another factor that you can use to adjust your tires work for the conditions.

I don't run tubeless but I have found slime tubes are just as effective with the down side of the added weight.

Thanks guys for you input. I ordered pair of Slant 6 2.1 & a small block. Will play around with the combo based on the terrain and see how it goes!

I think you can handle any terrain with 3 tires small bock 8, racing ralph, and nobby nic...

small block is a good place to start though I would not be throwing one on the front personally,

For weight, the above are the best.

I went with Racing Ralph, Snakeskin version set up tubeless with Stan's.
Love 'em, and haven't changed tires for different conditions. With the tubeless setup I run lower pressure for things like Moab rocks or soft sand.

If I could only have one tire on my AR bike for the rest of my life, it would be the Ardent 2.25 by Maxxis. I run them tubeless but don't use the heavy LUST version, just the standard one. They seal up on my Stan's Crest rims with a good floor pump.

http://www.maxxis.com/Bicycle/Mountain/ardent.aspx