Michelin or Dunlop? Help me choose new tires.

[hrpufinstuff]

On the rear they work well if you run 1.5 to 2 psi, but I'm not fond of the way they wear.

Can you run 2psi without hitting your rim? I've got a Dunlop on the rear and ocassionally feel the rear rim on sharp edges below 4psi.

[2PLY]

Can you run 2psi without hitting your rim? I've got a Dunlop on the rear and ocassionally feel the rear rim on sharp edges below 4psi.

My friend with a 2008 Raga gets away with using as low as ZERO PSI I've measured it at that before. He's using the Michelin Radial tha came with the bike.

I tease him by offering him a vaccuum pump at the same time I offer the tire pump to the other friends.

Our local riding spot has no rocks and is usually wet and slick, so we run at about 2 to 3-1/2 PSI in the rear Michelin.. We all have Michelin X-11 tires.

If you learn how to dance with the bike by weighting and un-weighting and keeping a close eye on the stuff you are riding over as you ride, you can avoid bent rims and tire bruises if you are practicing basic Trials stuff.

If you are planning on splatters, blasting through rocks or other upper class obstacle riding, I would stick with 4 PSI plus or minus 1/2 PSI

[neilking]

Can you run 2psi without hitting your rim? I've got a Dunlop on the rear and ocassionally feel the rear rim on sharp edges below 4psi.

I've got a friend that hits some pretty big stuff running 1.5psi. I feel pretty safe with 2 to 2.5 psi. And we ride plenty of rocks. I don't like riding the loop fast with low pressure. I've never felt the rear rim hit anything, but the front doesnt like hitting rocks at spirited trail riding in the rocks.

[2PLY]

Definitely, While certainly not an "upper class" rider we're often riding in UT with lots of harsh splatters and sharp edges. Less than 4psi combined with my less than dainty technique will ding rims for sure.

Practice slowing down on your rides. It's an extra challenge and test of balance. You will find out who is the best rider in your group by who can go the slowest and still make the climbs and obstacles.

Along with going slow, concentrate on absorbing impacts with your legs. If you take videos, see who's rear tire bounces off of stuff and who's tires 'sticks' to things even when you hit them.

Watch someone doing a Splatter and notice how they get way back with extended legs but then absorb the hit with legs and arms so as to keep the bike from bouncing away from the wall or object they are attacking.

Watch this video and pay special attention to what happens with the rear tire. This is a good comparison of "Sticking" the tire to your obstacle versus having it bounce back and up, stopping your progress and dropping you on your skid plate.

http://www.vimeo.com/4847728

On the failed ride, the rider left the rear tire firmly on the ground and tried to just wheelie into it. That works for logs that are smaller or lower than your wheel but not on the bigger stuff. The mid point of his tire hit the log BELOW the mid point of the log and tried to "trap" the rear tire UNDER the log.

In my jump, I pre-loaded and then un-weighted the bike so that the rear tire AND my body were already on the way up when the tire hit the log. The mid point of the tire hit at or above the mid point of the log. Plus, I shoved the bike ahead of me which helps to keep the tire in contact.

I gave back most of my body inertia to the bike to help it up and over. I stored energy into my body at the beginning of the jump and used the bike as a spring board to get up and forward enough so that I could then pull the bike up and then throw it on ahead of me without my body weight impacting the bike.

It's not always clear, but compare my hand and head position relative to the grips and steering head of the bike versus my friend's position. He's behind the bike all the way.

[1eye]

Pat Smage runs Dunlops, must be good enough for the rest of us!

[2PLY]

Pat Smage runs Dunlops, must be good enough for the rest of us!

He could ride on rubber bands and still kick butt!

I did buy two Michelin X-11 Rear tires in the last year but before that, my tires were Michelin ONLY because the bike came new with them.