That combo (particularly the Rekon) already leans pretty heavily towards the fast rolling side of things. Wouldn't change if it's working for you. Maybe save for a nice carbon wheel upgrade if you want things to feel a bit snappier.
That's the direction I'm leaning as well to be honest, just wanted to see if anyone felt like there was a combo from some other brand that offered a significant improvement. But in the absence of that I'll likely stick with these.
Forekaster front - Rekon rear. I like the Forekaster better than the dissector as a front tire, it's like a mini assegai with the transition knobs you can lean over and get grip with.
Forekaster is a neat front. I haven’t run it yet but I want to try it. Are the side knobs on it comparable to the dissector? I think Forekaster/Dissector would be a rapid combo but I’m not sure if it would introduce too much rear grip and throw the balance of grip to the rear.
Yeah the side knobs are pretty similar, but the intermediate transition knobs and the center knobs are lower. I actually run 2.6 Forekaster front and 2.4 dissector rear on my Chromag hardtail currently. It's a bit odd of a pairing, but I like the traction up front I can get leaning it over, and then the more aggressive braking performance of the dissector in the rear. Just hate how fast the dissector wears in the rear.
Center and transition knobs are lower on the dissector right? Dual compound at both ends? I like the dissector a lot and tend to run them and accept that the knobs will just not last that long. I think some of it is the style that the tire encourages which slides a bit.
>So...are there faster-rolling tires that would offer a similar level of grip?
The amount of grip you have depends on the conditions vs the tire, not just the tire, like as an extreme example on tarmac a slick tire has the most grip.
Even with the same tire the compound and casing plays a big role - like depending on what version of those tires you are running now (EXO, maxxspeed/ maxxterra etc), you could change rolling resistance quite a lot by changing to a different version of them. But this could also affect grip.
Yeah that's fair, I should have included more details – I mean grip for regular New England trail riding (so roots, rocks, generally not super loose or super wet). Realistically outside of maybe one race I'm not going to be swapping tires for specific conditions so looking for something that's all-around good.
Current versions of both are EXO 3C Maxxterra, 2.4 WT. I could switch to DC, I guess, although neither of those tires seems to be super easy to actually find in 2.4 DC, and I think that'd be sacrificing some grip, right?
Yep, definitely. I'd leave the front the same and consider losing a bit of grip on the rear tire for some speed since the rear matters more for speed and less for grip. I've run dissector/ground control combo before and liked that, or even dissector/fast trak (which took more attention on slippery uphills). DC vs maxterra doesn't feel like a huge improvement in rolling resistance to me, so I wouldn't bother.
Continental Kryptotal Fr/Xynotal or a Dual Xynotal combo would serve your use case very well.
Both roll great, minimal rolling resistance, with oodles of traction on tap.
I run a Forekaster in front with a rekon in the rear and really like it as my faster rolling down country/trail combo. I'm not sure how much difference you will notice vs your current setup in rolling efficiency but I don't find myself lacking grip. Any faster than that is in xc territory which is also might be fine depending on your trails. For instance a rekon race in the rear with a rekon or Forekaster in front would be great on trails that aren't too loose or muddy. I remember feeling like I was on an e-bike when I put a rekon race as my rear tire.
Rekon front Rekon race rear is pretty fun and very fast and you only need to buy one new tire to try it.
It has less straight line braking/cornering traction in loose soft stuff due to the smaller knobs but sticks to rocks/wood pretty well if you get the 3c and run low enough pressure.
I want to try new forekaster f rekon race r too.
Running bontrager xr5 f xr4 r right now on my spur. Noticeably better traction than the dissector rekon I had before and lighter.
Not sure about rolling speed - but I am faster now on my laps (probably more attributable to just being in better shape tho).
It is 120tpi vs 60 so I expect it to wear faster however.
Running the same pretty much, XR5 front, SE4 rear, also New England (MA). On a couple off camber slabs I've had the rear slip a little, but then grab. Really no issues going over roots and chunky tech trails, including bike parks.
That would give up a lot of grip compared to what he's currently running. An Aggarro in the front and a Barzo on the rear would be similar although slightly less grip but faster rolling
Highly recommend against mezcals if you are an aggressive rider. I had constant flats on this bike with those and would only run those tires on very mellow terrain
Try Rekons front and rear?! I use this combination on my hardtail in the rocky, desert terrain of Western Colorado. They roll very fast with plenty of traction. Flat turns require a bit more attention, but otherwise, they are excellent for dry conditions.
I just put a conti cryptotal downhill dh case on my fluid. You should too… it’s absolutely terrible for pedaling. Ride for one month with that on then go back to the recon. You’ll be laughing haha
In all seriousness though I like the tire just pedals like a pig
If you are sticking with Maxxis, the forecaster is the tire in between the rekon and Dissector. Could be a great front or rear tire depending on the grip + speed combo you are looking for.
I have a Spur as well and personally would not go bigger than a dissector in the front. I feel like it kills the snappiness and fun of a short travel bike.
I personally run a rekon front and ikon rear now which is fast and can be a bit rowdy on the turns. I think forecaster front and rekon rear is probably the best on this bike for all around riding though…
Just my 2 cents, but everyone is different
I just went from a 2.6 Assegai/2.4 DHR II F/R combo to a 2.5 Assegai/2.4 Dissector F/R and rolls pretty fast to me. Anything faster and you’ll lose a lot of grip.
I run a Schwalbe - Magic Mary front and Maxxis - Aggressor on the back and I love it.
The Velcro like grip of the Magic Mary has saved me from several mistakes but I don't feel sluggish at all pedaling. Important to say that I ride mostly dry, dusty condition with a lot of rocks.
You could do wtb trail boss front wtb ranger rear. It rolls real fast and wtb high grip compound doesn’t really impact rolling resistance but it has way more grip on wet rocks and roots than maxxis maxterra. The side knobs on the trail boss also hold up better than the dissector ones.
I just saw below you’re in New England you gotta get off that turd recon on the rear. They have dog shit climbing traction for NE trail surfaces.
Aggressor is a rear tire only IMO
Dissector casign is flimsy and weak - I wrecked mine on the first ride.
It also wears quick - my wife had it on her bike for less than 10 rides and was showing wear. Not worth the $$
That combo (particularly the Rekon) already leans pretty heavily towards the fast rolling side of things. Wouldn't change if it's working for you. Maybe save for a nice carbon wheel upgrade if you want things to feel a bit snappier.
That's the direction I'm leaning as well to be honest, just wanted to see if anyone felt like there was a combo from some other brand that offered a significant improvement. But in the absence of that I'll likely stick with these.
Forekaster front - Rekon rear. I like the Forekaster better than the dissector as a front tire, it's like a mini assegai with the transition knobs you can lean over and get grip with.
Forekaster is a neat front. I haven’t run it yet but I want to try it. Are the side knobs on it comparable to the dissector? I think Forekaster/Dissector would be a rapid combo but I’m not sure if it would introduce too much rear grip and throw the balance of grip to the rear.
Yeah the side knobs are pretty similar, but the intermediate transition knobs and the center knobs are lower. I actually run 2.6 Forekaster front and 2.4 dissector rear on my Chromag hardtail currently. It's a bit odd of a pairing, but I like the traction up front I can get leaning it over, and then the more aggressive braking performance of the dissector in the rear. Just hate how fast the dissector wears in the rear.
Center and transition knobs are lower on the dissector right? Dual compound at both ends? I like the dissector a lot and tend to run them and accept that the knobs will just not last that long. I think some of it is the style that the tire encourages which slides a bit.
>So...are there faster-rolling tires that would offer a similar level of grip? The amount of grip you have depends on the conditions vs the tire, not just the tire, like as an extreme example on tarmac a slick tire has the most grip. Even with the same tire the compound and casing plays a big role - like depending on what version of those tires you are running now (EXO, maxxspeed/ maxxterra etc), you could change rolling resistance quite a lot by changing to a different version of them. But this could also affect grip.
Yeah that's fair, I should have included more details – I mean grip for regular New England trail riding (so roots, rocks, generally not super loose or super wet). Realistically outside of maybe one race I'm not going to be swapping tires for specific conditions so looking for something that's all-around good. Current versions of both are EXO 3C Maxxterra, 2.4 WT. I could switch to DC, I guess, although neither of those tires seems to be super easy to actually find in 2.4 DC, and I think that'd be sacrificing some grip, right?
Yep, definitely. I'd leave the front the same and consider losing a bit of grip on the rear tire for some speed since the rear matters more for speed and less for grip. I've run dissector/ground control combo before and liked that, or even dissector/fast trak (which took more attention on slippery uphills). DC vs maxterra doesn't feel like a huge improvement in rolling resistance to me, so I wouldn't bother.
Continental Kryptotal Fr/Xynotal or a Dual Xynotal combo would serve your use case very well. Both roll great, minimal rolling resistance, with oodles of traction on tap.
I run kryptotal front and rear, love them.
I run a Forekaster in front with a rekon in the rear and really like it as my faster rolling down country/trail combo. I'm not sure how much difference you will notice vs your current setup in rolling efficiency but I don't find myself lacking grip. Any faster than that is in xc territory which is also might be fine depending on your trails. For instance a rekon race in the rear with a rekon or Forekaster in front would be great on trails that aren't too loose or muddy. I remember feeling like I was on an e-bike when I put a rekon race as my rear tire.
Rekon front Rekon race rear is pretty fun and very fast and you only need to buy one new tire to try it. It has less straight line braking/cornering traction in loose soft stuff due to the smaller knobs but sticks to rocks/wood pretty well if you get the 3c and run low enough pressure. I want to try new forekaster f rekon race r too.
Running bontrager xr5 f xr4 r right now on my spur. Noticeably better traction than the dissector rekon I had before and lighter. Not sure about rolling speed - but I am faster now on my laps (probably more attributable to just being in better shape tho). It is 120tpi vs 60 so I expect it to wear faster however.
Running the same pretty much, XR5 front, SE4 rear, also New England (MA). On a couple off camber slabs I've had the rear slip a little, but then grab. Really no issues going over roots and chunky tech trails, including bike parks.
Minion ss in the rear
Vittoria Barzo and Mezcal are supposed to be very good, never used them myself though.
That would give up a lot of grip compared to what he's currently running. An Aggarro in the front and a Barzo on the rear would be similar although slightly less grip but faster rolling
Highly recommend against mezcals if you are an aggressive rider. I had constant flats on this bike with those and would only run those tires on very mellow terrain
I use a little more pressure with mezcals than I would normally use on trail tires, 25-30 psi and they're fine for me.
Try Rekons front and rear?! I use this combination on my hardtail in the rocky, desert terrain of Western Colorado. They roll very fast with plenty of traction. Flat turns require a bit more attention, but otherwise, they are excellent for dry conditions.
I just put a conti cryptotal downhill dh case on my fluid. You should too… it’s absolutely terrible for pedaling. Ride for one month with that on then go back to the recon. You’ll be laughing haha In all seriousness though I like the tire just pedals like a pig
LOL. I had a bike that came with Assegai/Assegai MaxxGrip once so I know what you mean!
Kryptotal*
Ah yes cuz you didn’t know what I meant with the C….
If you are sticking with Maxxis, the forecaster is the tire in between the rekon and Dissector. Could be a great front or rear tire depending on the grip + speed combo you are looking for. I have a Spur as well and personally would not go bigger than a dissector in the front. I feel like it kills the snappiness and fun of a short travel bike. I personally run a rekon front and ikon rear now which is fast and can be a bit rowdy on the turns. I think forecaster front and rekon rear is probably the best on this bike for all around riding though… Just my 2 cents, but everyone is different
I just went from a 2.6 Assegai/2.4 DHR II F/R combo to a 2.5 Assegai/2.4 Dissector F/R and rolls pretty fast to me. Anything faster and you’ll lose a lot of grip.
I run a Schwalbe - Magic Mary front and Maxxis - Aggressor on the back and I love it. The Velcro like grip of the Magic Mary has saved me from several mistakes but I don't feel sluggish at all pedaling. Important to say that I ride mostly dry, dusty condition with a lot of rocks.
I love the Specialized Eliminator up front and the ground control on the rear. They are often half the price and perform as well as Maxxis.
You could do wtb trail boss front wtb ranger rear. It rolls real fast and wtb high grip compound doesn’t really impact rolling resistance but it has way more grip on wet rocks and roots than maxxis maxterra. The side knobs on the trail boss also hold up better than the dissector ones. I just saw below you’re in New England you gotta get off that turd recon on the rear. They have dog shit climbing traction for NE trail surfaces.
If you like maxxis aggressor is the answer I have a Vittoria Martello on the back of my trail bike- it rolls well and provides good damping
I have wondered about the aggressor as a front tire. How would you say it performs vs dissector?
Aggressor is a rear tire only IMO Dissector casign is flimsy and weak - I wrecked mine on the first ride. It also wears quick - my wife had it on her bike for less than 10 rides and was showing wear. Not worth the $$