I’ve raced the Ray/Burt combo for years. I tried Peyote/Peyote and just couldn’t get used to it but planning on attempting again - maybe Mezcal on front. Lastly, I did Rick/Rick and thought it was great and suited my riding style well. I bit sketchy in wet/slimey corners but generally I liked them a lot. The rear did wear quickly though.
I ran Ray/Rick last year. They were just about perfect. Burt spun out on some of the sandy climbs. Rick had just enough bite to maintain traction.
ray/rick is probably the best combo for most xc races, I been using ray/ray for a couple years now and have no reason to want to switch, good rolling, grip and supple, i even use the same setup for my winter riding in the snow 
I’ve got a race or two happening in early spring and they’re always a mudfest with puddles and roots that are wet.
What’s everyone’s go to tire combo for this? I’ve tried Rocket Ron’s, A pair of Ricks, Raceking/Crossking, and a pair of Peyotes.
Nothing has really struck me as the “right” combo. Maybe there isn’t one lol.
Curious what you didn’t like about Rocket Rons? I find them to be amazingly good in wet/muddy conditions. Specialized Ground Control a close second for me …
Oh, they’re definitely my go to right now, but I’m always on the look out for improvement. One of these races is pretty important to me so I like to keep an edge if I can. Ground Controls works well for it, but they were a little heavy and the rr wasn’t as good as the Ron’s.
I wish there was a Ron in a true 2.4 size.
it’s 2026, any new race tires coming that might be worth waiting for?
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.