@Mother hucker, my view would actually be the opposite of @Sharkymark's. Finale is heinous in the wet. A lot of the rock is limestone or similar and becomes very greasy in the wet!
Finale is rad though. We go down a lot in the Autumn or early spring. Weather is usually great, but you get the odd wet day. It gets insanely hot in mid-summer!
Conversely, I thought we're in violent agreement! As in they tend to shut it in the wet (well, very wet). I've only ridden there in the dry.
Sure, although I've never actually seen a trail closure due to wet weather. Haven't been there in the proper pissing wet though. It's greasy enough when it's just damp!
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@BobinCH, you not get many punctures on the exo casing? Those things are day wreckers
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Mother hucker wrote:
@BobinCH, you not get many punctures on the exo casing? Those things are day wreckers
Not yet! My MTB tragic mate gave them to me and told me they’d be better than the stock Highrollers which were a bit knackered after 6 years
Must say they felt great in the dry!
And he told me to convert them to tubeless to ride at lower pressure and get even more grip?
It’s getting harder and harder following the grom so need all the help I can get!!!
The Exo's aren't really up to the job in proper tech terrain (especially at speed). Double-down or DH casing pretty-much essential, at least on the back. I often try to get away with a lighter casing on the front. Works pretty well until I either let them get a bit soft or screw up and hit something hard.
Last trip to Finale, I knew my back tyre was a bit soft. Thinking I'll do something about it at the end of the trail. Ran over a sharp-edged rock at high speed in the landing of a jump. Massive rip in the tyre and hit the rim bed hard enough to drive one of the spoke holes inwards and trash the rim tape for good measure. Didn't get that one re-inflated at the trail-side. In fact, it's still got a tube in it until I decide whether to replace the rim or not.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@stevomcd,
To make @BobinCH feel a little better, I currently have Exo cased MaxxTerrors on my bike, and the North Shore is definitely technical!
This was mainly because I wasn't really thinking/couldn't get hold of Exo+ MaxxGrips at the time, but they seem to be doing OK. I run Assegai front, dhr2 rear.
Replacing any 6 year old tire is going to be an improvement.
I reckon on a couple of years at most - even after a year there is a quite a bit of grip of degradation (look at the side lobes as the indicator) - I always wait too long to replace them, then when you get that great new grippy tire, you wonder why you waited so long!
I get about a month out of a set of tyres. But I do ride about 4000m of descent every day....
Assegai front for me as well. DHR or Aggressor on the back.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@stevomcd, what about pads then?
After all it is free
After all it is free
Weathercam wrote:
@stevomcd, what about pads then?
Using, still, Hope six piston calipers where critical braking needed, having really long pads they last well under heavy use.
Originally supplied with 225mm disc native size, considered too much by some when new, they are moving back toward that sizing now and especially with the shift in wheel sizes upward.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
@Weathercam, go through about a set a week. Even faster if I'm doing chairlift laps all week, bit more life if it's a bit more enduro / adventure.
I use organic pads mostly. Sintered would last longer but they always howl if they get hot and the noise drives me insane.
I really like the Alltricks own-brand pads (Neatt) for a very good performance/price balance. The ebike version. The standard organic ones are OK but don't last long. The sintered ones work well but howl like mad.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
@ski3, those Hope 6-pots must be museum pieces by now! Must be 20 years old or thereabouts?
I've got a lot of love for Hope brakes, mostly been using the E4 for the past few years. Really need to get a shot on the new E4 Tech 4 version, by all accounts it should add a smidge more power and make them pretty much the ultimate brake.
Magura MT7 are really good for the money too.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
@stevomcd, yes, about that age/era. Still work perfectly though and never lacked braking power from the off.
Something I like doing though, brake maintenance (well the whole bike really) and like to ride them with zero problem when out anywhere.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
I can concur with Finale being crap in the wet, from wheel washout/slide on a rock on one of the nato base trails, 6ft fall off the side of the trail landed in hospital, the back protector pushed all the impact to the side, broken ribs, bruised kidney, dinner plate sized hematoma which took over 12 months to heal. I still have the odd pins in needles in my back and burning sensation 8 years later That was the Tuesday, doped myself up and rode the rest of the week. Liquid refreshments were interesting lol.
Eze freeride have a great B&B up near Calice with a couple of great guides in Marco and his brother. Food exceptional. Swiss road trip this year. Nendaz/Verbier for three days, Lenzerheide, Leukerbad and then Crans Montana. Love techy chunk with flow. any Verbier tips would be welcome!!!.
Just back from a weekend in Dunkeld. 24deg and trails dusty, Scottish heaven!
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
snowscot wrote:
Nendaz/Verbier for three days, Lenzerheide, Leukerbad and then Crans Montana. Love techy chunk with flow. any Verbier tips would be welcome!!!.
Wouaiy red my favourite in the forest finishing at Chez Dany for beers! If you’re a strong rider you’ll enjoy the Tires Fire comp run. And Bortabitche and Rodze above the tree line are fab in good weather. Also do Vertigo black enduro run and Col de Mille (rent an eBike or it’s a 1000m climb from Bruson lift). Vallon d’Arbi also a nice one with a short climb. There is also a vertiginous run from Pierre Avoi all the way down to Martigny but I’ve not done it.
I get about a month out of a set of tyres. But I do ride about 4000m of descent every day....
Assegai front for me as well. DHR or Aggressor on the back.
The only downside to alpine riding
The aggressor is a fantastic rear tyre - very under rated IMO esp for UK riding in the summer. @stevomcd do you find there's enough braking traction for alpine stuff? When do you tend to use it over a DHR?
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Sharkymark wrote:
The aggressor is a fantastic rear tyre - very under rated IMO esp for UK riding in the summer. @stevomcd do you find there's enough braking traction for alpine stuff? When do you tend to use it over a DHR?
On a similar note, anyone ridden the Dissector?
I'm getting close to the end of my current tyres - MaxxGrip Assegai at the front and MaxTerra DHR2 at the back (both Exo+) and while I've been perfectly happy with that I've been wondering if something with less rolling resistance at the back might make life easier on big climbs. But I've only ever used DHRs so I don't have any reference as to how much braking performance I'd lose and if I'd really notice much improvement going up at all?!
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@clarky999, I found the Dissector a bit twitchy on the back. Aggressor seems like a nice middle ground between that and the DHR. I definitely prefer it to the Dissector.
I do use a sticky Dissector on the front of my XC (ish) bike.
@Sharkymark, yeah, I find there's plenty breaking on the Aggressor, certainly for the generally (extremely) dry and dusty conditions we have around here. Might be a bit different in Morzine slop.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@stevomcd, thanks; heading to the Pyrenees in a few weeks and this may help my tyre procrastination problem. I really wanted to get my hands on the new contis but they're like rocking horse poo-poo here.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Michelin Wild Enduros are my current favourites but they wear quickly in rocky / rough terrain. I think they'd last a week in Finale!
@Sharkymark, have you tried r2 bikes in deutschland? They sell to the UK without VAT. Early last year i stocked up on kryptotal F and R's before the Athertons started pushing them they were circa 40€ a tyre.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@Mother hucker, I believe r2 have just changed their policy re. UK sales. No personal experience, but there’s a big tgread on the subject over on Singletrack.
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Poster: A snowHead
