for this California terrain?

How do you like riding with a trails tire? What is the difference?



Has anyone made the switch, didn't like it, and switched back to a knobby? If so, why?

Yup, switched and not going back. Tried one up front too but ditched it after the first ride, washes out too easily. They're the bees knees in the rear though...

Rode last year on a trials tire - worked great. I am trying a dunlop D606 for dual sport. Get the Pirelli 43 if you're go to try a trials tire.

You might suffer a little traction is sand and mud goo.

Another trials tire thread…

I have my 2^nd  (rear) one on 2K on both so far. Running UHD tubes w 8psi and w/rim locks. The only time was not superior when it’s steep loose (up or down) and mud every else it’s awesome. Pirelli MT43.

topi1967, on 09 May 2012 - 08:17 AM, said:

Does it strike you odd that generic topics will re-surface on an enthusiast site? As people come and go? I guess I figure people can reply or pass topics as they see it tired or not...

What if this rule were applied to a movie fansite? Q: What about visual clues of Han Solo and Chewbacca's homo-erotic relationship? No? Neversurfaced covered it? Yeah, I've heard of him...

Neversurfaced, on 09 May 2012 - 07:57 AM, said:

I mainly ride Carnegie which can be quite silty in the summer and steep. Would trials be good there?

(Where did bees knees come from: http://www.phrases.o...bees-knees.html)

RabidDove_NorCal, on 09 May 2012 - 08:44 AM, said:

Eh, maybe not so much... Steep + loose + downhill isn't really ideal for a trials tire... They tend to break loose a lot and come around on you. They can get squirrely in deep sand too, but I'm always squirrely in deep sand, so it doesn't make a huge difference to me.

I have been using trials tires for 3 years now and I run them all year. They are just magic in the rocks and dry conditions. They are not as good in the slime mud as a knobby tire. You need to be careful on braking in the mud the rear will break looses easily. I ride cow mountain a lot and that place will dry out fast in a couple days after it rains. So I just stick with the trials tire all year.

I use the Michelin tube type trials tire. The last one I had on my Ktm 300 xc lasted 3 enduros and an entire summer of riding. It was still in good shape after year of riding. Not one knob had chuncked off the tire. I also run 8 psi with a heavy duty tube. I have never had a flat with one.

One real nice thing is you will save a ton of money in rear tires. These tires just seem to last forever.

Yeah, for almost 10 years now.....

RabidDove_NorCal, on 09 May 2012 - 07:33 AM, said:

I've gone back and forth several times.  Now I understand the weaknesses and benefits.

Riding with a trials tire is best enjoyed at slower trail riding speeds.  If you ride aggressively, it just doesn't work.    I don't like the braking on it, it locks up really easily.

I alsoo think that you have to run them about about 8-9lbs max to get the real benefit.  But at that low pressure, you run the risk of breaking the bead on your tire and having the valve stem get ripped off.   So... be sure to run two rim locks.

Traction is better for sure, but a good knobby with a good footprint can also be just as good.

I don't think I'm going back to a trials tire... mainly because of how it locks up under hard braking.

Neversurfaced, on 09 May 2012 - 07:57 AM, said:

Is this some weird double innuendo?
Trials Tires, does a Unicorn pee rainbows?

Was following another bike with a knobby on the rear on a local ride. Could see his tire spinning and engine revving as it broke traction constantly. Meanwhile my MT-43 stayed glued to the ground and engine humming a constant rpm. Never going back to 'The Knob'.

Let's temper our excitement.

Reading a # of posts they suggest to run it low on air pressure.  About 8 lbs.  Sure it hooks up great at that pressure but it would fold over in the corners.  I trashed it for that reason alone.  In the rocks & roots it was fantastic.  In the wet it was great, but in the slick clay or snow it was downright dangerous.

I'm thinking the corners may hold up if I put more air pressure in it.

Anybody try it or have a similar experience.

mauricedorris, on 09 May 2012 - 11:21 AM, said:

Can you give me an example, I am interested what would  be "close" to trials tire but still has the knobby.

superslyko, on 09 May 2012 - 11:56 AM, said:

I struggled with the pressure thing myself, but I run 8psi with UHD tubes and haven't had a single problem. The rubber is soft so they are meant to roll a bit without coming off the wheel. Cornering is different on a trials tire for sure, that was the only thing that took some getting use to. You're not going to break the rear loose and slide it around the corner like you would on a knobby, you just track through the corner instead...

Honestly cornering on a knobby is more fun, but I prefer rocks and technical riding. I'm not a track guy so for me the tradeoff is worth it.

Neversurfaced, on 09 May 2012 - 12:24 PM, said:

8lbs, in my opinion, is the correct pressure.   But two rimlocks is much better than one, especially at those low pressures.   Yep... no roosting the turns.  

In the desert, I find that a 13-14lb Dunlop 952 or MX71 will give me great traction and lots of feel and thus control.  For a  more aggressive ride, I go to 15lbs.

If I wanted to temper my excitement I would go back to work. Let us agree tempered excitement is a waste of excitement. I haven't been this excited since "Focus on Beauty II".


My next tire I think I will try a trials. I'll run in 8 lbs with a good tube. The silty sections are there but only in small parts.

Anyone on here ride Carnegie with a Trials?

It's simple:

- If you are a fast rider, the potential negatives outweigh the positives  (unless you do extreme enduros for a living)
- If you're average, the positives far outweigh the negatives
- If you're slower...What the Fack are you waiting for!!!  Put one of these things on, because they will make you feel like David Night
- If you don't know wether you're slower, average, or fast......you're definitely not fast

The only way to find out if it's for you is throw one on and see for yourself.  I gave one the old college try......and in some situations I understood what all the fuss what about.  But in most situations, it put the fear of god in me

Edited by andrew34, 09 May 2012 - 03:06 PM.

Guess I should have one on.

Not good in deep sand either.

They are truly awful in snow. If you do get one I recommend the Shinko. It's DOT and comes in a 19 as well as a 18. Basically everything has been said already, but generally the faster you go the worse they are. They skate and slide a lot on roads. Bad side-grip at any speed. They are great on anything requiring traction. People say they are bad on loose hills but I kind of like them on a steep hill, so I guess it's perspective. Another negative about them is they are a bitch to put on and if you get a flat and have to ride it out, hope you're good at flat tracking. Thing will roll over hard and often cause the bike to pitch a new direction each time. I rode about 8 miles on a dirt road because I had no choice with one flat and it wasn't something I ever want to do again. People say to run them at low PSI but I like it at 11-13 so you don't get as much side wall fluctuation, you lose some traction but I prefer it to be a sort of middle ground between a knob and a tt. The Shinko at that psi is an okay compromise.