I think the practical consideration for which Race King to consider against is that I don’t think you can purchase the non-E25 version anywhere anymore. If the point in comparing tires on BRR is to determine which one to buy, then comparing against the old Race King is an exercise in futility.
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Completely agree with this. In this lens the Rick is within 2% of the fastest drum tested MTB tires with considerably more volume - seems like a winner to me.
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I just had my second race on the Ricks and they worked flawlessly on a faster flowing course. The ultimate test will be the race at my home trails in two weeks (assuming another hurricane doesn’t come lol).
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When Conti finally launches their larger volume XC tire in 2025, it seems the Rick will be the benchmark to compare to.
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Mezcal XC Race 2.4 is up at BRR
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Looks like the Mezcal XC tested pretty well, but a little bit slower than some of the fastest tires (Race King, Rick).
I used it for a few rides this past summer on the front. I think my comments are somewhere in this thread but my impression was that it felt a bit draggy on gravel and pavement, but fine on the trail., so perhaps reflective of the test results.
I don’t know how well the BRR puncture testing translates into real world puncture resistance, but if the Mezcal XC can hold up well on the trail, it might turn out to be a good option for events where a little extra flat protection is need. Thinking something like Little Sugar.
For me the Mezcal XC 2.1 “feels” slower on pavement than the WTB Nano 2.1, but has much better grip in the dirt & gravel.
I’ve been in this thread for a while, and I always asked myself the question….”Do any of you buy a tire based off grip?”
Everyone talks about rolling resistance, but if you cant take a corner fast, how much are you actually making up?
I know we all ride different areas, so this may not apply to everyone.
When I switched from Mezcal f/r to Ray/Ralph I couldn’t believe how much more grip I had. For that reason, I’m never going back. I can rail single track so much faster. Particularly in the Midwest when it’s mostly twisty with tight trees.
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Gotta find that balance of good grip and fast tires. It doesnt matter how fast the tire is if you’re taking every corner at a snail pace
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Even the difference between Mezcal f and Barzo f are almost night and day. the Barzo doesn’t roll as fast on tarmac, smooth dirt, but leaned over it’s so much better. (Now I’m questioning running the 2.1 Mez f/r over the winter, but remember that I’m doing it to intentionally have more sketchy handling and the fact that once the rains start, I’ll be on more gravel/levees, than trails.)
I was impressed how grippy the 2.6” T7 specialized butcher was compared to an XC tire but it turns out lap times were much slower (30 seconds on a 15 minute lap at the same power with just swapping the front wheel). So now, for me, it’s a question of “is it that much grippier or are you going that much slower?” I think you need a stopwatch at a minimum to make any sort of comparison.
Joe
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I’m surprised a Butcher was only 30 seconds slower.
The Fast Trak actually corners super well as a front tire. I always end up coming back to the FT. The Ground Control is surprisingly fast as well but is usually a tad overkill for XC style riding.
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Yeah, great point. I was rolling TB’s front and rear for a while this summer and did have the front end washout in an instance during a fast downhill portion on a trail. After peeling myself off the deck I realized pretty quickly I should probably be running something with a little more grip up front…
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The most scared I’ve ever been on a bike was on a muddy, rooty, rocky endurance race with some slick bridges with Mezcal/Barzo’s. Ripped them off the next day.
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Ray/Ralph in what compound?
2.35, transparent, Super race
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I’ve been using the Ray / Ralph here too - Super Ground in my case. I have lost the front once, but that was probably my fault happened so fast I don’t even know what happened. I did lose the rear in a scenario that I really didn’t think I should have - basically went down about 200 yards after leaving the truck this summer and was hardly riding yet. It was super dry with some loose over hard, but I’ve heard some others say they don’t like the Ralph either. Pretty sure that was somewhere here in this thread.
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I mentioned in a review that the Ralph is a sliding tire (more or less).
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Yep but once you get a feel when it brakes and slides, it’s an advantage. They do so predictably through out the life of the tire.