I am sticking with a 2.4 setup this season for the extra traction on technical courses. Skipping inserts entirely to keep the rotating weight down, as our local tracks do not have enough sharp rock to justify the penalty.
I hear very mixed things on the Trinotal, but they seem similar to my beloved Barzo so I’m interested in giving them a try.
What are the mixed reviews about the Trinotal?
There are several people on mtbr who hated them. I don’t recall the exact reasons. Tires are extremely subjective, I take most feedback with a grain of salt. Your review of no issues in 100 miles of Oz holds more water than “rode them once, hated them, threw them away”
I think rider skill and terrain/location plays heavily in this discussion. There is some general overall feel for tires, but how well you can corner and tire pressure can make a huge difference.
Rolling resistance is pretty static, but how much you have to brake or slow down vs ride on the edge can greatly impact how a tire performs for an individual.
I just put on some Rick XC Pro SpeedGrips, and they’ve been good so far.
They’re pretty soft and roll nicely. My only complaint is that they’re a bit narrower than the Aspens I was previously running, even though they’re both “2.4s.”
Regardless, I’m having to run them at pretty low pressures (sub 15psi at times).
You, Sir, are a both a maniac and an inspiration!
Joe
thank you Joe, I also see “maniac” as a compliment 
Any flats with that rear, or do they seem fragile at all?
Nice. That is low and I don’t think I’ve ever ran tires that low. Even in my cx tubular days! I should experiment running lower. I went with the trusty Ralph last week. I was so close to pulling the trigger on the rick but just couldn’t do it. I’m decent enough of a mtb’er to probably roll it on the rear. I’m going to keep it in mind though. I do need to figure out my Breck Epic setup and I have a bit of time to work on that. But, I live in Breck and the Ray/Ralph is my daily driver out here.
Dear Trix, Didnt have any flats so far. But you cant compare the ground situations. Im living in the Netherlands and we dont have these stone decents etc, we have nice single tracks. I do use these in XC race (as you see the photo). And as they have a low rolling resistance, I take the risk. Hope this helps…
I have the Ricks too and indeed, you ride these a little lower. I also use an inser so I’m more protected at lower pressure. It is a fast tyre with more than enough grip.
Yeah, they’re quick. 
Things are almost always really dry where I live, and they’ve been pretty good so far.
I normally run a bit more pressure too, but they initially felt a little firm, so I gave it a shot, and I’ve been happy with how they’ve handled so far.
Afterward, I wanted to double-check some recommendations, and I found that Silca’s pressure tool was recommending around 15 PSI, which gave me a bit more confidence. 
I ran rick xc pros 2.4 at Breck Epic last year.. They performed really well. I ran 17/18 psi at 164 pounds - no inserts. The rear tire was completely toast by day 4 though..but I didn’t really notice it. My overall thoughts on the Ricks: slightly lower volume, but does get big enough, great rubber (speed/grip) but the rear wears out FAST, robust side walls.
I am considering using the new Barzo’s this year. Going to test those next week. My wife really likes them. Their side wall feels a lot thinner than the Ricks, so might try the trail casing in the rear and skip the insert, they are heavy.
I just took a barzo race off the front. I loved it but it really does you no favors on wet roots or anything. Gotta be deliberate with it. Put on the conti dub race grip and it is incredible.
Still not great IMO. They won’t put you down but they won’t save you either.
Curious if anyone has reports of the conti dub race grip vs rapid. Felt like the grip was slow on the rear and not sure how much of a difference the rapid would make.
Interesting, I find that I’m a big fan of the Barzo race for all conditions. Could be that I’ve just become familiar with Vittoria tires since they’ve been my favorite for years.
Bicyclerollingresistance.com has the Race Grip quite a bit slower, around 6 or 7 watts compared to the Rapid.
Not strictly a race tyre but spotted a new Specialized tyre over the weekend, the Trail Control. I wonder if they have renamed the Purgatory or if it’s a new tyre? Looked similar. Anyone know anything about it?