Tires
I read back through the last 15 pages of threads, well into 2011, and there are very few threads about tires. I need some help picking some new ones.
I ride mostly in SoCal, but I'm taking a trip to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon this summer. Where I ride there is plenty of hardpack, as well as loose rocks and baby heads. Performance on roots and in the wet is just about irrelevant to me. I like climbing as much or more than descending. Which is a polite way to say I'm not great in the technical downhill department. I ride an '05 Stumpjumper FSR.
I've been off both the road and dirt since fall '07, but I've been back on the road since last September getting back into shape (I dropped 55lbs last year and finished the 116mi, 13,000ft Mulholland Challenge 2 weeks ago).
I saw some references to people being happy with Kenda SB8's, Excavators and Nevegals. I see WTB still makes the now venerable Velociraptor.
I really miss the dirt, so while the Stumpy is in the shop getting re-commissioned, I need to get some new treads. Any suggestions?