Want to see what people say for riding North Meck, Fisher, Sherman and Francis Beatty, what tires for a 29er do you suggest are good for those trails.  Talking tubed tires, not tubeless.

I am not a fast rider, just like having the traction where needed going on these uphill clay and rooty sections.  Maybe something that doesn't wear out quickly as well?  Thanks for any inputs

x2 on the Specialized tires. Can't go wrong with any that cycle path mentioned.  Also, remember that you get what you pay for.  Most cheap tires perform that way.  Speshy tires are not on the cheap, but they ride great, and are very durable.

Control casing FTW

So most go with a larger width tire on the front?

Thanks for all of the guidance, will probably be stopping by the Cycle Path early next week.

I ran a Rampage on the front of both my 29ers this year, a crossmark on the back of one, and an Ignitor on the back of the other.  Folding bead, set up tubeless on wider rims - Flow / Arch EX size.  Usually ride ~24 psi. Tubeless, low pressure, wide rims has been a total game changer for me for traction.  It's worth the hassle.

I had Ignitors up front before and rode them until I wore them out.  Got a good deal on the rampages as a pair.  I love the traction, but they roll a little slow.  After a year I'm having a hell of a time trying to keep them aired up, they are flat every week and constantly need new sealant.  The same thing happened with every Kenda tire I've ever had - these are like a slightly lighter, better grip Nevegal and they wear a lot better.  Don't even get me started on SB8s.

tl;dr: panaracer rampage = good tire, trades weight for grip, issues keeping it sealed tubeless have me looking elsewhere.

Additional reasons to avoid the S-works version of the Specialized tires are that they are more difficult to mount (flimsy sidewalls to save weight) and that the sidewalls rip a little more easily than the other versions. I've always needed an air compressor and assistance (additional hands to twist the sidewalls against the rim) to mount S-works tires tubeless. 

That said, I may never ride another tire not made by Specialized. They seem to have high air volume, flexible casings, a really good rubber compound, and great balance between grip and rolling resistance IMO. I buy the Control series, which is still very light (though not as light as the S-works) and I've found them to be very durable and VERY easy to mount tubeless. I've never needed more than a floor pump to mount them on a tubeless rim. Great tires. I currently have a Captain on the front and a Ground Control on the back. The Ground Control is mainly for a little more rear traction at RRT. Prior to RRT becoming my go-to trail, I tended to run a Fast Trak on the rear. [Note that I ride a 26"]

One more thing--Spec 2Bliss tires are designed to use sealant though you can run them with a tube if you want. Sealant will void the warranty of some other tires. I've had 2 Maxxis Crossmark tires get a sidewall separation, which I attributed to sealant use.

I'm currently running the Bontrager XR1 Team Issues in 2.2 on the front & rear.  They came stock on my Trek Superfly FS9.  They've been great so far.  I'm planning on running the Specialized setup once I need to replace these.  Going with a 2.0 in the rear.

The Cycle Path wrote on 10/01/14 at 5:04pm:


This...or purg/purg or purg rear / butcher front. Control casing only.

James Banta wrote on 10/24/14 at 2:23pm:

I'll have a Purgatory Control 29x2.4 at the Cycle Path swap meet tomorrow, if you're interested.