Pumping along in perfect super-hero trail conditions with tacky wet dirt and bone dry roots got me thinking that my full-on DH tire out-back is a overkill this season. I’m not looking to give up my serious-sidewalls or my CushCore inserts, but a little faster rolling speed would be perfect right now. Heck, since they’d be up out of the way, maybe I could keep my mean super sticky side knobs just for sh*ts and giggles.
In fact, it wasn’t that long ago that I was riding aggressive de-knobbed tires twelve months of the year with an e13 LG1 semi-slick on my full suspension bike and a 2.6″ Specialized Slaughter tire on my single speed. And it wasn’t just me. A couple-or-few years ago half the riders I knew were running a semi-slick out back on their bike whether it be full suspension or a hardtail. There are all sorts of situations where a crazy fast-rolling tire with massive cornering knobs makes a ridiculous amount of sense. Even when they aren’t the best choice for traction there’s no arguing that a semi-slick tire in the rear is super-funtastic.
[continued...]
From NSMB
Quality mountain bike editorial, photos, videos and news from a North Shore perspective.
