Prepare for the 650b Wheel-Size Revolution

^^Hi airwreck, I was thinking of trying some Hans Dampfs this summer, what did you think of their performance? I normally ride Maxxis tires (Minion DHF specifically) and would like to try something new. Thanks!

^^Hi airwreck, I was thinking of trying some Hans Dampfs this summer, what did you think of their performance? I normally ride Maxxis tires (Minion DHF specifically) and would like to try something new. Thanks!

Evil what type of riding do you do, and what is the ground / trail surface like? I'm personally a little underwhelmed by the Hans Dampf tire (I've only tried the 2.35" width version). My main complaint is the side knobs, which are very supple / unsupported, and roll over easily when cornering on anything but the softest of surfaces. The result is the tire feels very vague on the side knobs, and the side knobs wear very quickly. My center knobs are almost perfect, but the side knobs are so ruined the tire is almost unusable. Even thinking about braking when the side knobs are engaged results in a complete loss of traction. If your trails are fairly soft the Hans Dampf would be a great option (since the skinny side knobs penetrate the soil disallowing them from rolling over).

Unfortunately the Hans Dampfs and the Nevegals were about the only aggressive tire options for 650b until the High Roller 2, which still has limited availability. If you're looking for an aggressive 650b tire and can wait, I'd hold out for a set of the High Roller 2s. The biggest downside with the High Rollers 2s is that they are an aggressive chunky tire that do roll slower than either the Hans Dampf or the Nevegal, but unrivalled in terms of shear grip.

Ohhhhhhh Jeeeerrrrrrryyyyy…… http://www.vitalmtb.com/product/feature/Specialized-Testing-New-DH-Shock-and-Option-for-650b-DH,171?

Evil what type of riding do you do, and what is the ground / trail surface like? I'm personally a little underwhelmed by the Hans Dampf tire (I've only tried the 2.35" width version). My main complaint is the side knobs, which are very supple / unsupported, and roll over easily when cornering on anything but the softest of surfaces. The result is the tire feels very vague on the side knobs, and the side knobs wear very quickly. My center knobs are almost perfect, but the side knobs are so ruined the tire is almost unusable. Even thinking about braking when the side knobs are engaged results in a complete loss of traction. If your trails are fairly soft the Hans Dampf would be a great option (since the skinny side knobs penetrate the soil disallowing them from rolling over).

Unfortunately the Hans Dampfs and the Nevegals were about the only aggressive tire options for 650b until the High Roller 2, which still has limited availability. If you're looking for an aggressive 650b tire and can wait, I'd hold out for a set of the High Roller 2s. The biggest downside with the High Rollers 2s is that they are an aggressive chunky tire that do roll slower than either the Hans Dampf or the Nevegal, but unrivalled in terms of shear grip.

Thats some good info, thanks for the input Timmigrant! My riding is primarily Squamish, Pemberton etc. I think I'll stay away from the Damphs as they don't sound like they will be an improvement over the Minion (especially for what Schawlbe tires cost). I should specify that I'm on a 26'r, sorry for invading this thread with obsolete wheel size questions :D, which is why I keep referring to the Minion.

If you like Minions you'll HATE the Hans Dump.

If you like Minions you'll HATE the Hans Dump.

can't say that's been my experience. i dislike the pinner minions but i'm a fan of the 2.5 exo's, which are the correct analogue to the 2.35 HD in my opinion, which i've also enjoyed

my 0.02$: they both roll pretty slow. the minion corners better but the hd is better at straight line braking. i found the hd maintained traction better across the spectrum of its tread, wherewas the minion is fine in a straight line until you need to brake hard, but really digs in once leaned over - and too be fair/honest i haven't ridden the hd like that, but will happily trust tim's thoughts on the matter

yep, the Hans Dampf just doesn't agree with me. Compared to the Nevegal it is a significant improvement but I've been hooked on Maxxis tires starting with Mobsters many years ago. This is my first HRII. Funny how I don't care now if it rains this weekend :) This is the first 27.5 HRII thats become available to the masses, it has EXO designation but is missing the textured sidewalls of my DHF EXO's, no TR designation, and single compound but no idea what the compound is, feels softer than my Hans Dampfs with the finger nail tester. 960g and I will try them tubeless eventually. I think I will now be able to fully appreciate the 12.5" bb height of my bike.

can't say that's been my experience. i dislike the pinner minions but i'm a fan of the 2.5 exo's, which are the correct analogue to the 2.35 HD in my opinion, which i've also enjoyed

my 0.02$: they both roll pretty slow. the minion corners better but the hd is better at straight line braking. i found the hd maintained traction better across the spectrum of its tread, wherewas the minion is fine in a straight line until you need to brake hard, but really digs in once leaned over - and too be fair/honest i haven't ridden the hd like that, but will happily trust tim's thoughts on the matter

http://www.nsmb.com/5214-hey-coach-ep-1/

I think if you corner with lots of angulation as described in the cornering video you'll start to see the big difference between a tire like the HD and DHF.

Can't say I noticed and specific differences in straight line braking. I've only used the HD and DHF as front tires both in 26.

People do seem to comment that the HD is a better 29'er tier than 26, my guess is because it's one of the few high volume 29'er tires so it's actually size not tread pattern making it an okay 29'er tire.

I have a pair of 2.35 Nobby Nic 27.5 tires on the way for my future 27.5 project. Once HRII's become more available I'll likely grab a set of those also.

Who cares about the wheel size. I want to know more about that shock!

The more I read of your experiences above it seems like the HD may not be the tire for my riding style. Thanks for sharing!

The biggest downside with the High Rollers 2s is that they are an aggressive chunky tire that do roll slower than either the Hans Dampf or the Nevegal, but unrivalled in terms of shear grip.

You're not wrong on that. I just threw a set of HR2 exo's on my Turner and good god do they roll like ass. Might have to try and fight something else for the rear…

http://www.nsmb.com/5214-hey-coach-ep-1/

I think if you corner with lots of angulation as described in the cornering video you'll start to see the big difference between a tire like the HD and DHF.

Can't say I noticed and specific differences in straight line braking. I've only used the HD and DHF as front tires both in 26.

People do seem to comment that the HD is a better 29'er tier than 26, my guess is because it's one of the few high volume 29'er tires so it's actually size not tread pattern making it an okay 29'er tire.

I have a pair of 2.35 Nobby Nic 27.5 tires on the way for my future 27.5 project. Once HRII's become more available I'll likely grab a set of those also.

Totally agree, I find both the DHF and Hans Dampf require lots of lean angle to get maximum cornering bite.

I was fairly unimpressed with the 27.5 x 2.35" Nobby Nic as well. Again really tall supple side knobs. I put substantial wear on a set in 2 days in Sun Valley last summer. Surprisingly I preferred the 29 x 2.25" Nobby Nic, which I am hoping has similar knob sizing to the 27.5 x 2.25".

Cornering technique is a big factor in tire preference for sure. I think Maxxis should have produced the DHF in 27.5 first and the HRII will probably not sell well due to the weight and slow roll for the majority of riders shopping for 275 at this time. I do appreciate the fact that the HR2 is a good mud tire but winters over now. The HD sucked in the mud, and the NN made more sense for me until I took one look at it's little knobs and lack of sticky rubber.

Vee Rubber appear promising but I've only seen photos. I will likely try their DHF version (Fluid?) unless the knobs are puny and the profile too round. At least they will be cheap.

uh, back on topic…
ordered High Roller II's from Maxxis and they showed up today. Hans Dampfs came off, high expectations for railing this weekend.

Hmm.. did On One copy the HD to make their Smorgasbord?

http://twentynineinches.com/2012/10/21/on-one-smorgasbord-2-25-tires-final-review/