'GOOD YEAR ROUND UK TRAIL TYRE (REVIEW FOR 2.1 & 2.35 STD)'
Strengths: Decent grip in most conditions, especially on stone. The 2.35 offers more cusioning, the 2.1 cuts through the mud a bit better. They resist clogging and roll well on the harder stuff. They are my cheapest, good tyres.
Weaknesses: Size wise they come up a bit small, e.g 2.1 = 1.95 and 2.35 = 2.2. These are not race tyres, they are too heavy. The big blocks are only average on wet leaves on stone.
Overall: I was looking for a winter biased allrounder and found these for £15 a pair. The 2.1s worked so well on my steel HT I bought the 2.35s for my full susser.
Excellent for rides where there is an element of the unknown or where reliability and durability take presidence over speed. I'll take these for local trail rides weekends away when the weather is bad and won't worry about wear.
A step up from the old Velociraptor and a bit beefier and better in the muck than an XC pro.
Weaknesses: I'd prefer something like the Pace slap down lock out than the pop loc but that's trivial.
Overall: A few years ago this sort of performance was only available from something like a Float 130RLC and would have cost around £500. Pop loc, pump and 115 / 130 spacer all included. Ok, once the fork is opened up you can see less metal and more plastic than a Fox but so far (6 mths) they have proved totally reliable and don't suffer from the usual air fork spiking. I have given a 4 for reliability as it is unknown long term.
Strengths: Not too heavy and loads of adjustment means they can be tweaked for most frames.
Weaknesses: My XC's knocked on hits from new and despite fiddling with all the settings and going back to windwave they continue to do so. At 120mm they are not as stiff or as effective over bumps as my other bikes basic Vanilla's. They are also only slightly lighter.
Overall: I thought a 4lb air fork with lockout, all mountain and dh settings as well as ETA and variable travel should suit every occasion. Unfortunately this Jack of all trades excels at non. IMHO the basic MX pro ETA without all the bells and whistles is better VFM and performs better.
Strengths: Grippy compound works well on most hard surfaces as well as roots even in the wet. The 2.1 casing offers reasonable cusioning.
Weaknesses: Clog and slip and slide on clay, can feel slow on grass, not that light and pretty expensive.
Overall: I have a love hate relationship with XC pro's. I find they work best in dry woodland / mud conditions or wet stone / slate. However they are slow and pretty useless in the local clay once it gets wet. I like tubeless and these have proved reliable for 4 months now running at around 38psi.
Strengths: The ETA is an excellent climbing aid and the external rebound goes from v'slow to fast. They're reasonably cheap, reliable, not too heavy and being an air fork just require pumping to your weight. The Pro is a bit overpriced compared to the comp ETA which is similar in performance but quite a bit cheaper.
Weaknesses: At 120mm there is a little flex and not quite as plush or light as Fox or Rock shox offerings. Stickers come off easily (so what!)
Overall: Stick them on, pump them to the right pressure then adjust the rebound depending on the temperature. They're a great fork for weekend trail bashers.
Strengths: A nimble, fun hardtail that could be used for everything from XC racing to all day rides. Comfortable, light (approx 3.5lb), flickable, as well as being corrosion resistant. Very quiet ride.
[Update 21/09/06] Versatility. The frame is comfy but agile, fast but doesn't beat you up and still climbs. For a light bike it also doesn't feel twitchy on downhills. Probably best at singletrack turn and pedal like hell stuff. You could also build this frame into a race to trail bike by speccing different components.
Weaknesses: Eer, price, but with no pivots, paint or rust worries it shouldn't be too high maintainence. Personally I would prefer open hose guides for the brake as tha closed loops mean't the rear hose needed to be cut (a Pain with Avids). I like full length derailleur outer. At 6.2" I would have liked a slightly larger frame than the large 19", but with a good 400mm post everything is fine.
[Update 21/09/06] Price, fairly low key looks (Dull) and subtle unless you're in the know. May be a good point if the other half watches the money!
Overall: I've only clocked up a few hundred miles on the Soda but think I've now got enough of a feel to give some input.
Coming from a well sorted Dialled Prince Al to the Soda was initially a slight dissapointment. The riding position was similar but apart from a bit more comfort the benefits of my extra £670 was not that noticable. The mud tyres and chain suck from the aging XT crankset also meant a frustrating first ride. With some contact point tweaks, a new middle ring and some fatter, faster treads the true nature of my Soda is starting to surface. A full days ride on a hardtail is now IMO possible. All I need now is some state of the are forks to replace the workable but heavy and basic Vanillas. Performance figure is compared to other hardtails I've ridden. Ok, it is the best hardtail I've ever ridden as none have ever managed the light but efficient with good handling as well as comfort thing.
[Update 21/09/06] I've now owned my Soda for 9 months. At first the components although good in their own right let the ride down. I wanted a fast relaxed trail bike that would cope with anything from weekends in Wales to the odd race and enduro. With RS Revelations at 115mm, full XT gearing, Hope brakes hubs and headset, a 100mm stem 20mm layback carbon post, Carbon FR risers and SDG Ti seat I have a 24ib ish bike that can cope with all the above. It now feels very sorted!
Strengths: Well made and grip well with the well tested Mitchelin split block / chevron pattern. They seem to cope with everything I have chucked at them so far and they roll well despite the hefty tread.
Weaknesses: A bit heavy at approx 720g but not bad.
Overall: I also got the black 2.2 jobs for £12 each and comparing their performance side by side with XC pro folders there isn't much in it. The Mitchelins seem to be a bit tougher, cope with mud and despite a bit of extra weight they roll well when you hit a dry spot. I also think they look good although the directional center knobs look the wrong way around. Used from August in most conditions except really boggy stuff. No punctures yet either. Value for £12 each Pity I can't re review them after a few more months.
Strengths: Over hardpack the lightweight and low profile knobs mean this is a very fast and grippy tyre. The fat casing means that they're also comfy.
Weaknesses: Even though they cope with a bit of mud I found them sketchy on wet clay and roots (the old chestnut). Even though mine are less than 100 miles old they are looking quite worn. At around £35 a go they are one of the most expensive tyres that I know of. They're 30% less in Europe.
Overall: This is a high performance race tyre not an allround fit and forget tyre.
If you want peak dry weather performance and change tyres depending on the conditions, these are very good, If you can afford the running costs.
For fit and forget tyres that work pretty well on everything until they're worn outlook elsewhere. Reliability unknown but they don't appear to be long lasting.
Strengths: The WTB tyres always seem of high quality although I personally don't like the multi coloured graphics. the 2.24 Mutano has enough tread to handle mud but still be smooth and fast on hard stuff. The compound works well on everything I've tried including wet rock and tarmac. At the moment these have proved good in most conditions.
Weaknesses: At 690 grams the 2.24 is not very light. They can clog in heavy clay and the centre tread is not the best pattern for coping with wet roots. Damp woody stuff also drags a bit.
Overall: I like all the tyres in this range, they roll well and are surprisingly good as allrounders. Despite the 2.24 being the middle size Mutano raptor this one is the heaviest and toughest of the range. The extra weight is in the deeper, fatter tread pattern and thicker sidewalls. I have read comments that the 2.4 version is easily damaged due to the thin casing (It is only 595g) but I haven't experienced this. If you need the extra beef go for the 2.24, it's the most normal of these mutants.
Strengths: Works best in dri-ish conditions, pretty fast, not too heavy and cheap.
Weaknesses: Not as good in real wet conditions as the shallow knobs don't cut through the local clay and leaves. Not as good as Panaracers on stone / flint.
Overall: I like the Verticals a lot, they are a reasonably cheap allrounder that can handle all but the worst conditions. The big volume also means a certain extra amount of forgiveness. As said earlier they also seal well enough to use with the tubeless conversions.
