Ok, so I know that it all depends on my weight, where I ride, how I ride, what conditions prevail, but I thought I'd punt this out and see what comes back.

I've been running two 2.35 Racing Ralphs and sort of loving them for a couple of reasons. They help me keep up with the heavy booted but fitter mates I ride with, and work well in the hard but smooth XC trails round where I live (no boulder gradens, slick rock etc, just a lot of bridleway singletrack stuff, and when the mud comes the Trailrakers go on).

So in the dry and hard and fast stuff I ride they work well until it comes to corners where they get very squirrelly (?). I've run them at 40/43 psi and they work better than at 50, but I still look at the side knobs and think "not big enough". Also, the walls do not like the sharp stuff, I've trashed these tyres this way on flint and it's painful as they ain't cheap.

I've been looking at the Nobby Nics, which seem to be getting rage reviews, but I cannot see why they cost so much more than the Ralphs adn look so similar. Any ideas anyone? Or is there any one running these NN's and have an opinion to share? Or maybe another light, fast rolling thin walled tyre good for what are similar to North Downs conditions?

Appreciate any penceworth...

Can't answer any of the technichal questions as I don't ride them but have you tried here for your tyres. There almost half the UK price before postage.

I use NN up front, RR up back, the NN is still lightweight tire and won't like the sharp bits but has more grip so is much better suited up front, buy one for front and get the best of both worlds.
I got mine from bike24 and both tyres were the same price, basically half price than from uk suppliers. i use 2.25's and they are slightly bigger than panaracer 2.1 xc pro's.

My next mission is to find a fastish rolling rear winter mud tyre if there is such a thing.

good luck

Thanks (both of you) for the tip on Bike24, are they for real? These aren't cheap asian clones are they? It seems too good to be true, or are us Brit's getting ripped off as usual?
I might try the RR Rear and NN up Front idea, as it is the front that gets very jittery (two offs this weekend due to front wheel whas-outs, not nice).
Thanks for the input.
PS Dobs, I know what you mean, I'd like a 2.25 Trailraker, 2.1 does make more sense, and really 1.95 is even better sense bearing in mind the job to be done. the TR 1.9 is a great tyre. Did you check out the Black Shark Mud from Schwalbe, looks like a similar tread pattern to the TR
http://www.rushextremesports.co.uk/products.php?plid=m10b0s362p1520

rip it up

John

I have been getting NN's RR's and BSM's off them for almost a year now and I can vouch for them.

I use NN front RR rear, when it gets a little muddy use NN front and NN rear, when winter strikes get NN front and BSM (lightweight 2.1) on rear, works very well indeed. I have never bust a Schwalbe tyre on a rock to date.


Pete

The NNs are triple compound, as oposed to the RRs which are double, hence the higher price.

Does anyone else think the NNs look the wrong way round

What I mean is looking from above the knobs form a V shape - all other tyre look like an A (no upside down V?)

I have the NN on the front - it feels like it is a little prone to over steer - anyone else thought about this - i haven't tried reversed yet

Goos combi generally - NN/RR works fine in summer and roll so well

I got mine from Germany too

Mike The Bike, I know what you mean about the NN looking like the tread is going the wrong way, at first i had to double check, but look closer and there are signs that it is right. Even though the V pattern is reverse from what we expect the tread is shaped in the corect manor, sloped etc. Be intersting to see what reversing the tire whould have on Roling resistance and grip...

thanks Dobs - I will post once tried - just too lazy!!