Posted by: breakdance32
Settled on 30 psi rear and 27 psi front. Don't think I wanna go any stiffer in the rear as that seems to be right on the button between grip and protection.
That is crazy high pressure. I live on the rocky island, weight 200 all suited up and run Assguy DD 2.6wt 18pis front. DHR ll DH 2.4wt 20psi. What tires are you running and how much do you weight?
Not running Maxxis anymore, but I've had great luck with the new Gen 3 e13 LG1 EN tires in the rear this year. Mostly ride Squamish and Pemby. They are DD style construction (dual 120 tpi ply) but weigh about 70g less than Maxxis DHR II 2.4 DD. I weigh 180 and run 24 psi in the rear and haven't flatted yet. The sidewall is nice and supportive too. Never felt the need for cushcore...And Iooove that Mopo grip!
I'm 220lbs before gear and have been riding EXO+ happily. I was originally on EXO and periodically got punctures and tears. I worked through a set of DD (before EXO+ came out) and was happy with them but the weight was noticeable. Now I'm on EXO+ and they've been great so far on my enduro bike and HT. On my HT now I'm definitely hankering for something more on the rear - maybe an Insert but definitely not a Cushcore.
Posted by: craw
I'm 220lbs before gear and have been riding EXO+ happily. I was originally on EXO and periodically got punctures and tears. I worked through a set of DD (before EXO+ came out) and was happy with them but the weight was noticeable. Now I'm on EXO+ and they've been great so far on my enduro bike and HT. On my HT now I'm definitely hankering for something more on the rear - maybe an Insert but definitely not a Cushcore.
What sort of pressures?
I'm an intermediate rider and had never had issues with wheels or tires until this year I crossed some sort of threshold.
After eventually denting my rear rim beyond repair (and getting tired of unmounting the tire and straightening it out after almost every ride) I switch from Bontrager xr4 to se4, which is similar to exo+.
At the same pressure its definitely more supportive but I really miss the traction and suppleness of the lighter casing.
At 26psi it feels like a rock, might as well be solid rubber with no air. It's a 2.6", my old tire was a 2.4, so I am going to experiment with less air but worried that I'll basically end up with no better protection than before due to the lower pressure, just a heavier tire.
I'm more interested in support against rim strikes than flats...
Posted by: Jenkins5
Not running Maxxis anymore, but I've had great luck with the new Gen 3 e13 LG1 EN tires in the rear this year. Mostly ride Squamish and Pemby. They are DD style construction (dual 120 tpi ply) but weigh about 70g less than Maxxis DHR II 2.4 DD. I weigh 180 and run 24 psi in the rear and haven't flatted yet. The sidewall is nice and supportive too. Never felt the need for cushcore...And Iooove that Mopo grip!
Yah I've read some great things about the new E13 tires and interested in testing a few different tires this season. Other than MEC, I don't see anywhere online locally that sells them. Do you order them online or is there a local shop that stocks them?
Posted by: heathen
Posted by: breakdance32
Settled on 30 psi rear and 27 psi front. Don't think I wanna go any stiffer in the rear as that seems to be right on the button between grip and protection.
That is crazy high pressure. I live on the rocky island, weight 200 all suited up and run Assguy DD 2.6wt 18pis front. DHR ll DH 2.4wt 20psi. What tires are you running and how much do you weight?
Right now I'm on DHF EXO Front and DHR II Exo Rear. Weigh 180 lbs all geared up. But I've had a few tire punctures and many dented rims, so plan on switching to a DH casing rear and maybe a DD casing front, and then will experiment with some lower psi.
Related: DD vs EXO & CushCore rear, opinions/experiences?
I've been on DD equivalent rears on my Patrol for a while (Michelins currently) but ended up needing to run 28-29psi recently to avoid flats from rim dings. Put a CushCore in there for the last few rides before the snow arrived and dropping to 24-25psi felt great. Wondering if I could get away with an EXO with CushCore to save a bit of weight. Sidewall durability isn't really a concern - only ever slashed one and that was a very lightweight Schwalbe. Guess I'll only know if I try it. Or just run what I have now and not worry about it? 80kg rider in a very rough part of the Alps and take a BC trip each autumn.
Posted by: breakdance32
Posted by: Jenkins5
Not running Maxxis anymore, but I've had great luck with the new Gen 3 e13 LG1 EN tires in the rear this year. Mostly ride Squamish and Pemby. They are DD style construction (dual 120 tpi ply) but weigh about 70g less than Maxxis DHR II 2.4 DD. I weigh 180 and run 24 psi in the rear and haven't flatted yet. The sidewall is nice and supportive too. Never felt the need for cushcore...And Iooove that Mopo grip!
Yah I've read some great things about the new E13 tires and interested in testing a few different tires this season. Other than MEC, I don't see anywhere online locally that sells them. Do you order them online or is there a local shop that stocks them?
MEC just has the TRSr in stock right now. No MOPO. I ordered from Backcountry.com. I think you can order directly from E13 as well, and Jenson probably carries them too.
DD is heavy but the compound is actually very fast rolling. Without inserts I would try DD, however I think cushcore or if on a budget Rimpact with exo+ will be even better.
Breakdance32, I’m running the same bike as you. I went from EXO DHR2 with cushcore XC inserts to assegai DD up front. I found that while it’s heavy, I wasn’t paying a large resistance penalty. Definitely worth it. I had a DH DHR2 maxx grip out back. Good traction and decent rolling. I would say it was the best all around. Then I went to an assegai out back too. Definitely noticeable. Tons of traction but tons of rolling resistance.
I can’t recommend the inserts enough. They are awesome. The XC guys are super easy to deal with. And not crazy heavy.
Posted by: grimwood
Breakdance32, I’m running the same bike as you. I went from EXO DHR2 with cushcore XC inserts to assegai DD up front. I found that while it’s heavy, I wasn’t paying a large resistance penalty. Definitely worth it. I had a DH DHR2 maxx grip out back. Good traction and decent rolling. I would say it was the best all around. Then I went to an assegai out back too. Definitely noticeable. Tons of traction but tons of rolling resistance.
I can’t recommend the inserts enough. They are awesome. The XC guys are super easy to deal with. And not crazy heavy.
Have heard good things about the XC inserts.. thinking of running EXO+ with xc cushcore and see how it goes.
I've tried the Cushcore XC and think it is great with a 2.3 - 2.4 tire on a 25-28mm rim but any bigger and the sidewall support isn't there.
The Exo+ tires have a bit better sidewall support and better cut resistance in my experience but I still run a Cushcore in the rear.YMMV
Posted by: Kenny
Posted by: craw
I'm 220lbs before gear and have been riding EXO+ happily. I was originally on EXO and periodically got punctures and tears. I worked through a set of DD (before EXO+ came out) and was happy with them but the weight was noticeable. Now I'm on EXO+ and they've been great so far on my enduro bike and HT. On my HT now I'm definitely hankering for something more on the rear - maybe an Insert but definitely not a Cushcore.
What sort of pressures?
I'm an intermediate rider and had never had issues with wheels or tires until this year I crossed some sort of threshold.
After eventually denting my rear rim beyond repair (and getting tired of unmounting the tire and straightening it out after almost every ride) I switch from Bontrager xr4 to se4, which is similar to exo+.
At the same pressure its definitely more supportive but I really miss the traction and suppleness of the lighter casing.
At 26psi it feels like a rock, might as well be solid rubber with no air. It's a 2.6", my old tire was a 2.4, so I am going to experiment with less air but worried that I'll basically end up with no better protection than before due to the lower pressure, just a heavier tire.
I'm more interested in support against rim strikes than flats...
27 In the summer, a little less In the winter.
Imo if you are under 180lbs and not riding super aggressively you can probably get away with EXO+.
But if you are above, or ride at an expert level do yourself a favour and get both an insert and the DD.
DD gives you both more cut protection, as well side wall support for cornering. Still not as much support as a dh casing and you can peel tires of the rim if your really given’er. Running a Cush core or a full size insert alleviates this, locking your bead in, and let’s you run pressures way lower than would normally be able to. This gives way more grip but also protects your rim.
If you are thinking about it you might as well do both and then never think about it again.
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