GROUP TEST 99
STEP INSIDE MY LAB Tyred and Tested! Even to a self-confessed tyre geek, the array of acronyms, abbreviations and hieroglyphics on tyre sidewalls can be downright baffling: TR, TCS, TRSR, Addix, 60 vs 120TPI, 40a, 42a or 60a, Dual compound, 3C and so on. Fortunately, it’s all pretty straightforward when broken down and there are three main factors to take into consideration when looking for a tyre – the casing, the compound, and the tread pattern. Casing The casing is ultimately what holds the tyre together. A tightly woven fabric wraps around the bead and overlaps under the tread. A higher thread count (TPI) makes for more densely woven casing that makes the tyre more supple, but ultimately how thick the casing is will determine how durable the tyre is overall. Most trail tyres use a single or 1.5 ply casing, downhill tyres are dual ply, and in some extreme cases (pun only mildly intended), manufacturers spec triple ply tyres for maximum protection against rock strikes. Most manufacturers also offer additional layers of sidewall protection on some models, to prevent both pinch punctures and slashes to the sidewalls from passing rocks, and these are usually strategically placed to provide maximum protection for minimal weight gain. As for tubeless compatibility, all the tyres on test claim to be tubeless ready (meaning they’re designed to work with the addition of sealant), but they went up with various degrees of difficulty. Some popped up onto the rim with ease, while others refused to play ball even after resorting to putting a tube in. The Compound Typically measured in Shore A (a), from 0a to 90a, with 0 being the softest and 90 the hardest, most mountain bike tyres fall in the range of 40a (super-soft downhill and mud tyres) to 60a (more all-round use). A softer compound will give more grip, but will wear faster and be draggier on the climbs and tarmac, while harder compounds last longer and roll faster, but are less grippy, especially in the wet. Manufacturers are constantly striving for the holy grail of a tyre that has loads of grip, but doesn’t drag or wear too quickly. They look to achieve this by fine-tuning the balance of ingredients in the compound, or by using different compounds in different places of the tyre – you’ll commonly find a harder compound on high wear areas (the centre of the tyre) paired with a softer compound on areas where maximum grip is needed (the edges), and some manufacturers go as far as to use a triple compound construction. By using a super-firm compound at the base, and softer rubber elsewhere in the tread, they’re able to make the tyre less prone to squirming about under load, than with a softer dual compound tyre. The Tread Pattern Bigger, chunkier knobs are a good thing right? Wrong! Well, not always… Bigger knobs do a great job of digging down into mud and loose dirt but they can be skittish on harder surfaces as the rubber folds under itself and gives way, leading to a loss of grip just when you need it most. Likewise, smaller knobs are great on harder surfaces and roll faster on tarmac and fire roads, but clog up quicker and lose traction when things get loose. You also need to strike a balance between traction for pedalling, braking traction, and directional grip for cornering, and that’s without taking into account personal preference and riding style. Rounder tread profiles can build confidence in some riders as there is a less noticeable transition from the centre blocks to the cornering edges, while others prefer having a squarer profile with a definite transition onto the cornering edges of the tyre and really love the feeling of those edges hooking up into the ground. So which tyres should you buy? Well, it’s really a matter of how and where you ride. All the tyres on test shone in some areas and less so in others, so it’s a question of deciding which factors are most important to you and striking that balance. 100
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Into China. A bleary, jet-lagged st
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Building Boris. Our afternoon visit
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Final holes are drilled, post mould
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Our final stop was to see the sampl
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JASON MILEs PHOTOGRAPHY ED ROLLASON
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TRAIL HUNTER EXPLORES THOSE MUST-DO
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We climb higher. Al leads the way,
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Balls. The walkers, sensing blood,
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RECOMMENDED HERE AT SINGLETRACK TOW
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TROY LEE DESIGNS RAID KNEE PADS Pri
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TOPEAK RATCHET ROCKET LITE NTX Pric
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WORDS CHARLIE THE BIKEMONGER ROOM 1
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KILLER HARDTAILS Wil and the crew r
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