need tire advice

[Phil]

hello!
my name is phil, im new to the forums and figured a good ol advice thread would be a good way to start the madness...

i am going westerly this next week to the black hills in SO DAK for a little riding and camping and i am looking for suggestions on what tires to run. around here i usually run Conti Speed Kings, but i have a feeling there is going to be a little more umph in the trails out there. I am thinking the Conti Mt Kings either 2.2 or 2.4 steel bead (keep the cost down :))...

thoughts on what i should be looking for?

THANKS.

[gtbikes]

Continental Vertical Pro on rear, Panracer fire xc pro front

I also run a kenda kharma on the front of the SS and it grips like C4 stealth rubber (see fine ten rock climbing shoes).

[mvangundy]

I ride Kenda sb'8s there are a really great fast tire traction however is soso at the speed they roll makes up for that thought, another are the kenda Nevegal's there are great long lasting tire they will hold on to anything.
Kendas can be a bit spendy but the are great an really long lasting.
http://www.kendausa.com/bicycle/mountain.html

http://www.kendausa.com/_IMAGES/_tire_photos/07sb8.jpg http://www.kendausa.com/_IMAGES/_tire_photos/07nevegal.jpg

[biking_stickman]

I ride Kenda sb'8s

Has anyone tried the Small Block 8s in the UST tubeless version?

[Phil]

yeah i thought about those Kenda Nevegals...they look bomb proof. Are they still a decently fast tire?

[dave t]

I got these last fall but just tried them for the first time on Sunday.
They stuck really well and I would expect them to do a great job on rocky trails. At this price, they could be "out west" tires.
Might be way heavier than you are used to but I have been running big treads for a long time now so they didn't really seem too bad. They aren't a super fast roller like SB8 or Mutanoraptors.

http://www.blueskycycling.com/product3930_52_-Kenda_Kinetics_StickE_Kevlar_Tire.htm

[Stonehenge]

Continental Vertical Pro on rear, Panracer fire xc pro front

I also run a kenda kharma on the front of the SS and it grips like C4 stealth rubber (see fine ten rock climbing shoes).

This is the combo I rode out there last year ( not by choice ) and worked fine. Verticle pro front and rear would be better. This year Verticle pro in front and explorer tubless (heavier body) with tube in rear only because I did not have 2 of the verticle pro.
There is plenty of rock and soft stuff out there. I suggest more than a cross county tire ( you like flats?) Also depends on how hard you ride too. Maybe Trent will chime in here?
Realisticly - Anything MTB with good amount of rubber - wire bead or not will be fine....
one rider had small block 8s another had karmas and so on....best comfort and stability alaround was a verticle pro or similar type tire.

[Steven W.]

I used to ride the Black Hills a lot...around the Custer, SD area...I was riding Michelin Wildgripper Lites and they were just fine. That's the tire I rode when I first starting riding Leb and they were great there too. Honestly, you will have a blast with whatever you ride...they have a lot of fire roads that are fun to haul down.

[Phil]

I ended up getting some Conti Gravity Steel bead tires. They have plenty of rubber and corner pretty well (rode them at leb). They should do well. And if the trails I am riding don't look to sharp and deadly I plan on just throwing my Speed Kings back on because I love those tires.

Thanks for all the advice guys! I am heading out tomorrow morning and i am psyched.:banana:

[Yeti-Mclovin']

Minion DHF (and only DHF do not use the DHR)
http://www.maxxis.com/intellicms/_exec/ecommerce_thumbnail.aspx?maxmode=true&noresizeiffit=false&dozoom=false&width=100&height=500&url=/temp/intellicms.modules.ecommerce/product_images//f_minion_dhf.jpg (javascript:void(0);)

Or
Maxxis High Roller
http://www.maxxis.com/intellicms/_exec/ecommerce_thumbnail.aspx?maxmode=true&noresizeiffit=false&dozoom=false&width=100&height=500&url=/bike_images/3_4/done/f_high roller_dh~237~80.jpg (javascript:void(0);)

Both Tires run awesome (kinda soft composite) but roll really fast and shed mud like nothing else even given the aggressive patterns they have. I've used Minion's at the Dakota 5-O in spearfish last year and they were perfect.

That being said - you gotta go with what you like. I've just had incredible luck with the Minion's in all conditions from Fruita & Moab to Paul Buny and and Spearfish.