[DaveW]

I've been running the Attack HPL on the rear of a couple of my bikes matched to the Vee Flow Snap WCE on the front.
Most people run the attack as a front, but I've found it pretty awesome on the rear, faster rolling than the WCE but not as much grip in mud or loam.
All in all very very happy with it and plan to try it on the front of the Honzo when the Maxxis ass guy burns out.

 

[Bike078]

What's the inner width of the rim you have the Attack HPL on? You think 35 mm inner would be ok for the front?

 

[DaveW]

30mm internal, I think the 35 would be on the limit.

 

[Jozz]

Ended up grabbing an enduro casing soft Argotal (1160g 29 x 2.4) and a trail casing endurance compound Xynotal (1080g 29x 2.4) for my Smuggler trail bike. The Enduro casing seems on par with a DD casing thickness wise, while the trail is perhaps an EXO+ or thereabouts.

I initially wanted the casings reversed (enduro for the rear, trail up front) as I'm way harder on rear tyres, but Conti hasn't trickled down the soft compound to the trail casing yet and I didn't want to risk the trail compound up front. Glad I didn't because it feels pretty hard, kinda like a MaxxSpeed or dual compound from Maxxis. The soft compound seems like a MaxxTerra maybe? I don't have a durometer, but the calibrated thumbnail comparison seems about that.

Not sure if its the different rims or just the lighter casings but they fitted up waaaay easier than the DH casing Kryptotals on my Deemax did. First spin on them yesterday, the Xynotal was pretty drifty and I'm less excited about it on the first ride. Less grip than the DHR2 it replaced, a bit spicy on cross-camber. I'd compare it to the Dissector if anything. Not crazy about it but whatever, as long as it holds air and doesn't kill me it will suffice.

The Argotal is bonkers good though. Wasn't sure what they meant by 'loose condition' tyre specifically - like does that mean mud? gravel? loam? soft broken up dirt? Turns out it means all those things - so far so good. Really really good edges in loose gravel and stuff. A bit daunting when it finally does let go, and there is a narrow but noticeable transition 'empty spot' if you tip them in slowly but absolutely gold on the edges. Huge oversteer moments when combined with the Xynotal out back - would probably pair better with a Krypto rear for serious riding/racing but for mucking about and rut banging its a good giggle.

Didn't get to test the Argo on any hard, slippery roots but it worked fine even on slick hard forest clay. Really fun in pea gravel and loose jungle leaf litter. I suspect it would roll terrible on the rear but the 2.4" size might save it, I probably wouldn't run one rear unless I was smashing lift-assist laps on steep loose loamers or something.

Pretty much came to the same conclusion. Except maybe the driftyness of the Xynotal, not feeling it. But on the soft DH casing at 22psi.

 

[Andeh]

Yeah, I ran Argotals during the winter here, and they're pretty great as long as the dirt is somewhat loose. They're not terrible on hardpack, but now that conditions here have gone to majority hard, I'm back on the Kryptotal Front. I could see it being a good year round front tire for somewhere with a lot of loose silty sand / loam - maybe Oregon?

Argotal rear is a boat anchor, and I'd say only run in the same sort of conditions where you'd want a Shorty / Hillbilly out back.

 

[toodles]

Pretty much came to the same conclusion. Except maybe the driftyness of the Xynotal, not feeling it. But on the soft DH casing at 22psi.

To be fair to the Xynotal I was riding in on stuff that the Argotal was excelling at and they're kind of polarised tyres in that regard. For a "fast rolling" tyre, one of the riding crew commented how noisy it was on the tarmac climb to the trail, but it was brand new so maybe a bit stickier than normal?

Argotal rear is a boat anchor, and I'd say only run in the same sort of conditions where you'd want a Shorty / Hillbilly out back.

Yeah I'm not strong enough to want to try the Argotal out back for anything involving climbing. Hell I won't even run an Assegai or Magic Mary on the rear if I can avoid it. Half due to rolling resistance and half due to preferring the oversteer vs understeer option while descending.

 

[Kanye West]

I think we have discovered a website that is even WORSE than Michelin's bike tire website.

Ridemonkey?

 

[SkaredShtles]

Ridemonkey?

I was talking from a navigation standpoint... not a content standpoint.

 

[Bikael Molton]

From today's PB review of Revel bike:

"Continental Trail Tires:I've ridden both of these treads before and found they performed well beyond their intended drier conditions, however, they were of the SuperSoft, DH casing. I expected that the lighter Trail casing and firm Endurance compound would rival a Maxxis EXO+/Maxx Terra combo, but that wasn't the case. I've noticed that Continental tires tend to be very slippery out of the box, so I gave them a good gravel slalom break in but that never changed their performance. They were downright unrideable on wet rocks, even at sub 20 psi pressures, and persisted to glance off roots."

 

[toodles]

Yeah the Endurance compound is pretty shit. The soft and super soft are the go. They need to trickle those down to the lighter casings (been promised but I haven't seen them available) ASAP.

 

[djjohnr]

Is the new Conti stuff substantially better than the Maxxis equivalents in the softer compounds? I have way too many tires in my shed from past experiments; at this point I won't deviate from Maxxis unless there's a hell of a good reason.

 

[toodles]

I've found the Krypto and Argotal in Enduro and DH casings are less prone to sidewall damage and punctures and last much longer than Maxxis offerings. Grip is on par with Maxxis.

For trail bikes the lighter "Trail" casing is only available in their shitty Endurance compound for now which isn't much good.

Stick with Maxxis if you're not killing tyres and aren't concerned with longevity or get them cheap. For me the Contis are worth the slight price bump though

 

[mykel]

Is the new Conti stuff substantially better than the Maxxis equivalents in the softer compounds? I have way too many tires in my shed from past experiments; at this point I won't deviate from Maxxis unless there's a hell of a good reason.

Kenda
Maxxis
Continental
Maxxis
Schwalbe
Maxxis
Michelin
Maxxis

There seems to be a pattern.

 

[slimshady]

at this point I won't deviate from Maxxis unless there's a hell of a good reason

Same same, but sticking with Minion DHFs.

And for trail riding, maybe Specialized Butchers in Grid Trail T9 front, T7 rear.

I'll stick with directional tire patterns and pass on the knob vomit bandwagon.

 

[Jm_]

Is the new Conti stuff substantially better than the Maxxis equivalents in the softer compounds? I have way too many tires in my shed from past experiments; at this point I won't deviate from Maxxis unless there's a hell of a good reason.

IDK, but I got a set of their high end XC racing tires in 2.3 to try out and there's just no fucking way you can put them on without stretching the bead and getting all wobbly. IME, with meatier tires, they tend to rely on more rubber and they stretch better, even if you still have to use a lever. These XC things were absolutely impossible with every trick in the book to get on w/o a lever and then when you use a lever, there's no way to prevent the wobble. As a rock-climber, I can manhandle DH casing tires on rims just fine. When I think I'm going crazy, I mount up my old training/trail bontrager tires and notice they set up completely straight, so I'm just dumbfounded by the Conti's shit design. I warrantied, they sent me the wrong size back...I figured whatever, tried every trick I new, tons and tons of soapy water, etc...still ended up wobble. It's ridable, but it's annoying and I'm not going to buy any more of their cray. I want to ride some of the newer wider XC race tires, but moving away from the narrower Schwalbes, which I consider so fragile I don't use them for training at all...but the Continentals were unexpected shitty. They rode well enough, but again, crooked as hell.

I'm in the market for some EXO-ish sidewall tires like Minion DHF/Assguy 2.5 and DHRII 2.4 out back. I got the DDs covered already, but for more tame trail riding on soft dirt we have here the EXO works fine (until you try to take it to the park).

 

[konifere]

I'm now running Enduro and DH casing Continentals with inserts (Cushcore pro and Tubolito) without any wobble, but my favorite "trail bike" tires ever are still the E13 TRS+ AT in Mopo compound. They upped their prices considerably though, and their sidewalls used to leak like hell (they don't do the trail casing anymore, probably for this reason), so I just switched to Conti because I like to try different tires each year.

Looking forward to a sale on the E13 Grappler (assegai clone) if they ever have any.

 

[toodles]

Maxxis EXO+ is still pretty much the best light casing option although if I really liked the old Speshy Slaughter GRID on the rear for hardpack stuff as well.