As riders search for ways to make riding better, plus tires have found their place in a few key categories. First, plus tires help to make hardtails more fun and capable and many newly released hardtails are coming with plus tires to make them more shred worthy. Second, e-bikes are a great platform for plus tires as these heavy steeds with lots of power can benefit from improved traction especially on those techy climbs we all seek out when aboard these modern rigs. Lastly, kids bikes are an awesome example of where plus tires greatly improve the experience for a specific rider and kids who are fresh to two wheels benefit immensely from the larger contact patch and lower pressures.
For full suspension bikes though, both on the Trail and All-Mountain categories, the plus tire hype seems to have died down. The Specialized Stumpjumper 6fattie is no longer an item and the Santa Cruz Hightower is rarely sold now in plus format. The trend now seems to lean towards giving a bike rear tire plus capability but not ship it with plus tires.
We spoke with some industry folks to hear what they had to say about the future of the plus tire…
[continued...]
From MTBR
Mtbr.com is a site by mountain bikers for mountain bikers. We are the best online resource for information for mountain bikers of all abilities, ages and interests.
