Id guess schwalbe will be coming out with radial xc tires
I’d stick with Rick/Rick. You aren’t going to gain much with the TB over it and increase the risk of losing the front end running a TB. The TB can let go fast with little warning. Rick/Rick or Ray/Rick would both be solid options.
Are you the guy they got the epic photo of crashing?
I’ve completely stopped using the Rick. When they were released, I bought my first set of Ricks front and rear. I was super satisfied at first, but after a few months my front wheel had a totally unannounced and inexplicable washout. I sold the set immediately and switched to other tires.
But it kept nagging at me — I thought it might have been because I was running too much tire pressure that day. So a few months ago I mounted another new set of Ricks. And within a fairly short time, I had another hard washout that I had absolutely no way of feeling coming. This time with much lower tire pressure.
I’m now running a WTB Macro 120 tpi rear and a Peacekeeper 120 tpi front, and I’m about just as fast, but riding with a lot more confidence.
Fast tires aren’t fast anymore if you don’t trust them
Those are just an incredibly different tire. The Peacekeeper may as well be a trail tire.
Did you ever try a Ray/Ralph combo? For me that threads the needle perfectly of grip and fast.
I’ve found the Ricks really need to be leaned over far to get the shoulder knobs to bite, otherwise they are definitely a bit “washy”! A couple riding buddies of mine quit using them because they were having issues of washing out as well. They had the same issues with the Aspens which I have also learned require a lot of leaning the bike to get the shoulder knobs to bite. Certainly not a tire for everyone. I love the Ricks and have come to trust them but I know I have to fully lean and commit in hard or fast corners. I mostly ride them on loose over hard trails in the CO front range. Tire pressure also plays a big part in their grip.
I would also add that because of their rounded shape (Aspens as well), they need to be leaned over more than most tires to get their knobs to bite. Otherwise all you have gripping the ground are the small flat/square tread bumps which DO NOT grip anything!!
Agreed - I really like the Ricks and if you commit to leaning them over I think they grip great, especially for as fast as they roll. I do wish they had a little bit more volume. I also love Aspens but I struggle to accept the RR penalty of Aspens now with some of the other options unless the course is super technical.
I was under the impression that Trinotals had won you over. So much so that I had them on my “to try” list.
Personally, I am getting the last few miles out of a set of Pirellis XC RC and can confirm they aren’t the fastest rolling tires, but the carcass is pretty reliable and I like their grip and general feel. As a front tire it is probably my favorite over the last 5-8 years. I was hoping the newer version would make amendments to improve rolling resistance and with that I’d be golden. From what I’ve gathered around, not only that didn’t happen, but the newer tires are a challenge to install and we have yet to see how they hold.
I need at least a new rear tire so I got a set of Rekon Race tires in 2.35 flavor. 800 g a piece! yikes. I guess I’ll be fine rolling slow.
I have the Peacekeeper Fast Rolling in the 120 TPI version. This tyre is very different from the 60 TPI Peacekeeper, which is indeed more of a trail tyre. The 60 TPI version weighs around one kilogram, whereas the 120 TPI Peacekeeper I use as a front tyre weighs 738 grams.
Yes, I liked the Trinotals—I never had a washout with them. But they never gave me a really connected feel with the ground; they always felt a bit vague. With the Peacekeeper, I have the feeling that I’m on rails in the corners, which is a feeling I prefer.
Personally I will always take a bit of extra rolling resistance to have a front tyre I can trust. The tiny difference in RR between something like a Racing Ray or even Rocket Ron and the Rick means Rick is rear only for me. Most of my racing involves semi-damp roots and rocks though.
Most true statement I’ve seen in a while
I thought that weight was the opposite from what I’ve seen.
I almost went with these for an SB120 build, but stick to the Forekasters
They tested a Super race Ray on rolling resistance in 29x2.35 - I may just go Ray/Rick (was Ray Addix Speed/Ralph Addix Speed the last few years) and was considering Rick/Rick for this year, I really wish the Ray was a 2.4.
I can say that the Ray on the front IMO was plenty of traction to where I almost thought something rolling faster with less traction may be faster overall but I have so much confidence in the Ray.
I am still torn, probably will not make a tire decision for 2-3 months luckily.
Sweet, my exact tire width/casing I run.
I actually have it on the rear currently for winter to wear it out before tossing it for race season and I was thinking “this actually rolls pretty damn nice as a rear too”. I wouldn’t mind them bumping Ray/Ralph to 2.4” either but it’s a small gripe for me.
One has to think they will update the Ray soon to the newer Pro casing. Regardless, the results look quite good and very competitive with the 2.4 Dubs. Dubs are a little lighter and maybe better puncture resistance if you believe BRR testing.
This is my thoughts entirely, a updated Ray and current Rick in 2.4 would be a no brainer to me. I never had any puncture issues with my Ray/Ralph setup and the weight difference between them is irrelevant in my situation.