|   Tire size (X/C) - do you run same size front and rear? | Santa Cruz
Feb 18, 2002 10:41 AM | | Currently running same size (1.95) front and rear. Just curious as to your set up. I know the benefits of a wider tire in the front, more stability and traction.
I'm setting my ride up for the Sea Otter and trying to determine the best config? |
| Nope... | DeRanger
Feb 18, 2002 11:03 AM | | ...presently I have a WTB Motoraptor 2.4 up front, and a Panaracer FireXCPro 2.1 in the rear. I just ordered a new Continental VerticalPro 2.3 to replace the Moto, however - the Moto rolls over anything, but it has this annoying (to me) tendency to slide sideways over roots and stuff, which generally isn't an ideal quality in a front tire.
I'm not a racer, so weight is not a huge deal to me, but for Sea Otter, it's probably something to think about. As a generic recreational trail rider, the added stability and traction of the larger front tire is a huge plus on techy trail segments.
(I also have a slightly beefier front rim - 25mm WTB LaserBeam 'freeride' compared to the 22mm 'XC' in the rear - which increases my comfort level while negotiating the technical stuff.)
DeR |
| Nope... | Steve Young
Feb 18, 2002 11:19 AM | | That's quite interesting - I have typically run a bigger one at the rear and a smaller one at the front. At the moment I am running a Fire XC 2.1 at the rear for traction in the wet and a 1.9 S-works team control SL up front.
The front is pretty worn so I'll probably change it later today when I clean/service my bike. I've got a WTB velociraptor and another XC so I'll probably go with one of those until the trails dry out a bit - When it is drier doesn't it make sense to have a bigger tyre on the back and something a bit narrower/lighter on the front for XC riding - I appreciate this might not be the case for manic downhill types but for long steady steep climbs I have found the above combination fine - at the cost of sketchy handling round corners going downhill at any speed ?
One question relating to tyre choice for those of you who race lonbger distance XC - is it more important to be fast downhill or fast up ? (If you can't be both)
Steve |
| Uphill.....Pass them on the climbs. (nm) | Chip.
Feb 18, 2002 12:27 PM | | |
| Check out Ned Overend's book for more on race tactics (nm) | DeRanger
Feb 18, 2002 3:56 PM | | |
| You answered your own question... | DeRanger
Feb 18, 2002 3:55 PM | | ...if you put handling in technical terrain first (as I do), then the larger tire in the front makes more sense. If you're looking to reduce your rolling resistance for climbing, then the narrower width in front makes sense. Either way it comes down to personal style.
I find the larger tire up front allows me to roll over stuff easier (rocks, logs, prostrate downhillers...), adds a little extra *oomph!* to the front suspension (which is nice when you have an XC-specific bike and just 80mm of travel in front), and keeps the front wheel pointing in the direction I want it by adding a bit of welcome traction in cornering. I'm more than willing to deal with the (extremely moderate, in my book) weight penalty and (very minor) added rolling resistance. Then again, I'm just in this for fun - if I was racing seriously, then I might look at that approach a second time.
Bottom line: it works for me!
DeR (...now if I could just fit a 3.0 Gazzalodi into my Atom 80 and XT vees...) |
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