The e.13 SS 29x2.35 are my all year tires (spoiled desert rat).
I've definitely found that the trick on suspension bikes for making these work is braking knobs on the front tire. In my case, the DHR-2 out front is the answer. Not a perfect solution, in that lateral grip isn't as high overall, and rolling resistance while climbing isn't the best, but as an overall compromise that pairing is brilliant. On typical loose over hardpack, as long as I can weight the front center appropriately, I'm on KOM pace in ways I don't deserve to be for my skill level, and that's leaving some in the tank because they're multi-use trails.
It does force a bit of a technique adjustment in braking sections (that tire combo brakes in a straight line quite well if you lean on the front brake, but doesn't like to multitask if you overcook it - but the magic is that you can usually initiate a drift by trail-braking the back end or a bit hip move to break the back end out and you just bleed speed while the front end tracks - which is great in flatter open turns, but isn't as much of an option where it's steep or particularly choppy.
May 28, 2020, 10:27 a.m. - Tehllama42
The e.13 SS 29x2.35 are my all year tires (spoiled desert rat). I've definitely found that the trick on suspension bikes for making these work is braking knobs on the front tire. In my case, the DHR-2 out front is the answer. Not a perfect solution, in that lateral grip isn't as high overall, and rolling resistance while climbing isn't the best, but as an overall compromise that pairing is brilliant. On typical loose over hardpack, as long as I can weight the front center appropriately, I'm on KOM pace in ways I don't deserve to be for my skill level, and that's leaving some in the tank because they're multi-use trails. It does force a bit of a technique adjustment in braking sections (that tire combo brakes in a straight line quite well if you lean on the front brake, but doesn't like to multitask if you overcook it - but the magic is that you can usually initiate a drift by trail-braking the back end or a bit hip move to break the back end out and you just bleed speed while the front end tracks - which is great in flatter open turns, but isn't as much of an option where it's steep or particularly choppy.