Whats a good front tire?
 

If you don't know by now, (after my 100 posts a day you should:) ) I ride fireroads and a few single tracks. Often steep with a lot of ruts and rocks, and loose sand, so the downhill can be pretty hairy if the front end isn't up to snuff. I just put on Panaracer XC pro 2.1's on it the other day, and used it today for the 1st time. I think as in a few of the reviews, this tire isn't perticularly stable for fast downhills with often rough surfaces. But it works great on the back. So i was thinking i could remove the front and save it for when the rear wears out and get a better front for my purposes.

What would you all recommend for my purposes?

If you want to stick with Panaracers, you might want to look at the Trailblaster or maybe the Smokes. There's also the Fire DH Pro. I don't have any personal experience with them though.

I was just reading through Cambria's hotdeals.. They list the smoke as the rear tire.. and Dart as the front.. You can get the set for $22 right now..

Ahh yeah... I remember they were position sensitive but couldn't remember which one went where. I guess it makes sense given their names. :D

Don't buy the Panracer Trailblasters.. they suck. I've got a pair, and they're real dogs. I'd recommend some Michelins.. something wide if you ride sketchy downhills. I really like the XLS series.. great tires for loose and rocky conditions.. pretty predicatable and hooks up pretty much anywhere. Great in mud too.

WTB Motoraptor 2.4 for the front. It eats up the trail. The width will help you float through the sand and works good on the rocks and roots. It's the best high speed cornering tire I have found. The Panaracer XC 2.1 doesn't even measure 2.0 and tends to wash out at high speed. Save it for the rear where it does a servicable job, then get a another Motoraptor or Smoke for the rear when you need a new tire.

I'll check out the WTB Motoraptor 2.4. Thanks..

Check Pricepoint.com - I've bought quite a few of these tires from them for $20 for the kevlar. 1/2 price! Not sure if they still are running the deal though.

Anyone ever use Nokian ? If numbers mean anything, you'd have to consider them THE best tire well above anything else from looking at the mtbr.com reviews. Nothing else there comes close as far as the numbers. Yet i don't think i ever heard anyone here mention them.

I have nokians sitting in my basement waiting to be put on, everybody i have talked to loves them.

I have Hutchinson Python Golds. Great all around tire.

I had a pair of the Gazaloddi Dual's on my bike. I didn't really like them for the trails in my area. The knobbies were plenty big enough, but the tire has a very square profile, and it handled kind wierd. I switched to a tire with a rounder profile and liked it much better.

Of course, I wasn't riding the type of terrain the tires were intended for. So, there you go! Serves me right!

L8R

Dazco before you go and get a 2.4 make sure it'll fit between the fork legs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yea, i know. But i wasn't thinking about size just yet. I just want a tire thats going to be as least likely to wash out on loose sand downhills as any tire could be. Thats my main concern. Do you think the widest tire i can fit on it will make a lot of difference? If so i'll look for the best tire for my purpose, then see if i can get one that'll fit my fork. I just want that extra measure of safety when going fast down fireroads with loose stuff. The panaracers are nice for climbing, but the front seems unsure while cornering thru loose stuff compared to the stock specialized. I may just put the stocker back on. I felt considerably more secure with it on the front.

A wider tire will float across sand somewhat, but big knobs really detract from that performance, so that's also a consideration. Big knobs will punch into the sand and won't just float across like a lighter-knobbed tire would. I have quite a lot of experience with sand..... knobs = bad traction in the sand. So don't just throw the widest, knobbiest tire you can find on there :o

Maxxis Highrollers

Interesting. That would explain why my specialized tires were more stable on the front than my new panaracers even tho they're worn and the knobs are about 1/2 the height of the new panaracers. The panaracers are more stable on the rear tho.

I like the cheap old WTB Velociraptors. You can get them for $13 online and they work well for EVERY condition!

L8R

I'm just gonna leave it alone for now because i keep reading the reviews of all the tires ya'll are recomending and one guy swears by em, the next swears at them. I don't know what to believe anymore. Guess i'll just forget about it till the panaracers wear out and keep the speed down on the downhills.

Tires are hard to give/get advice for. A good tire down here in FL, might suck in New England and be fine in Colorado, and suck in Oregon. Plus, a great tire for a 225 lb guy is a heavy burly tire for a 160 lb guy, same day, same trail.

The best advice to get is probably from you LBS and from someone about your same size!

L8R

I was a Velociraptor devotee until the Motoraptor 2.4 arrived. It upped the ante. The Velo is still a good tire and at $13 doesn't hurt the wallet to bad if you try it and don't like it.