29er Tires for BCBR

dry: Ikon or Arden race up front, Crossmark rear

i've been thinking about running 2.35 ikon exo's front and rear for local xc. crazy talk?

There is a 29er tire thread buried somewhere with all sorts of info in it.

http://bb.nsmb.com/showthread.php?t=145048

Thanks for all the suggestions, I'm going to start trying some of the different combo's as suggested above, and see what is going to work best. For the record, I'm not looking for a combo that going to get me to the podium, Im looking for something that will make the days more enjoyable, and get me to the finish line on day seven. This is going to be a bike holiday as apposed to a race.

Thanks again!

i've been thinking about running 2.35 ikon exo's front and rear for local xc. crazy talk?

Nope that is what I and many others ride.
Fast, predictable, and do much more then the tread pattern looks like it should.
My race tire of choice for squamish toonies, and nimby.

+1 to that. In my experience, the Ikon has was more grip than it "should" based on it's looks. Same with the Crossmark, which I find to be surprisingly capable in the back on wet days. I wouldn't use either for the front, as I like to really lean on the front tire in corners, except possibly for racing in the dry hardpack.

Ardent, to me, is the exact opposite: A big tire that grips less than expected based on the looks.

I was about to post this same question, but for 26" tires!

I don't ride wet tree roots very often so like the poster I'm happy to push a heavier tire. A nice soft rubber for those scary tree roots too. Any suggestions? Are black chilly Trail Kings or Hans Damps too heavy?

Ps. DONT PUT AN ARDENT RACE IN THE MUD!!! They pack up really quickly and become completely useless. You need something with wider spaces between the knobs.

A nice soft rubber for those scary tree roots too….. Are black chilly Trail Kings or Hans Damps too heavy?

I've been running a Hans Dampf up front for around 2 years now, first 26" and now 29", all year round, and can't see myself changing anytime soon. Trailstar compound, 2.35". It's a big old tire, but grips amazingly and when it does let go, it is still easy to slide. Can't say enough good things about this tire. Whether it's too much for the BCBR? Depends on what your aims are, flat out racing or fun!

Tried a Hans Dampf on the back (26") and it's a bit of an anchor, especially in the trailstar compound. On my 26" I ran a nobbly nic on the back which I really liked, but since moving to 29" have tried and ripped the sidewalls out of a Mountain king black chilli (good but lasted about 3 weeks) and a nobbly nic (good but lasted about a month). Currently on a ground control, 2bliss ready GRID, which I don't know if it is available in a 26", but it rolls quicker than the other two, and has just the right amount of grip for me, as I don't mind the back sliding around a bit.

If you're worried about the roots, stick a Hans Dampf up front but get something lighter/easy rolling for the back as the climbs will be painful otherwise.

I generally use a Hans Dampf front, Cross Mark, Ground Control or Purgatory rear combo but the I bet the HD would be too much for BCBR unless it's super muddy. I'd probably run a GC front for BCBR.

I think the Hans Dampf would be a dog of an anchor in the BCBR. good tires for sure but not for that. Slow rolling and heavy.

I rode 2.2 Ikons front and back and could not think of a better tire for the race. That being said we had wet conditions on the first day only.

I rode 2.2 Ikons front and back and could not think of a better tire for the race. That being said we had wet conditions on the first day only.

Ikons are pretty awesome for most conditions except for heavy mud. They don't have a soft compound so they'll skirt around on roots but overall shed watery mud very well and are great in the dry.

You can try an Ikon 2.35 up front and a 2.2 out back for a quick but tractiony combo.

Fast trak's are popular with the top riders…

Spent a summer living in Van and riding Fromme and the rest of the North Shore on an Enduro with 2.5 Minions. How does the BCBR terrain compare? I wouldn't want to be riding that stuff on a tire much smaller!

I'll be on a 120mm Whyte with the wheel size of old. Thinking of a 2.2 Ardent on the back and a 2.4 on the front. But I'm told they're not brilliant in mud. Any other suggestions?

P.s. there's no mud where I live so I can't test anything.

I rode the entire Sunshine Coast on a set of 29x2.25 Ardent Lust in all conditions for a year+. I'd likely go with a different front tire, before a larger Ardent up front.

Day 3 [HTML_REMOVED] 4, bring the fastest/lightest rolling tires you've got for out back, and the fastest/lightest tire you feel comfortable running up front.