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Incidentally, the Trail King is known as the “Rubber Queen” in Europe. Maybe the American market isn’t mature enough to ride the Rubber Queen?)
On hard dirt, the Trail King was less compelling. The tires were very inclined to get caught in little ruts and dragged off line, and the balloon-ish casing felt pretty vague. In turns it just laid there...flat and dull, straights it dropped an anchor. I didn't slip on anything so there's that, but that's not enough---I hate this tire!! Oh, and it also rubs the rear triangle in hard turns. Damn you!!I'm sure on more predominant downhill rides this works much better, or on the front may be good(I'm a bit worried about how much the front end will rise with it), but if you're pedaling with it on the rear...get ready for a workout to get any speed! I’ve tried other 2.3″– 2.4″ tires that were all significantly smaller volume than my TKs and I didn’t enjoy the feel of the smaller tires. The Eliminator T7 is a well-rounded and versatile tire. However, it sacrifices slightly in the braking traction department for a tradeoff in rolling speed. When conditions get really loose, this tire has a penchant for breaking into a skid, drifting through corners, and spinning out while climbing. We also found the Grid Trail casing to be somewhat squirmy under hard cornering forces and that we had to get the pressure exactly right to not burp it. This casing may not be supportive enough for super-aggressive riders. That said, this is a great rear tire option paired with something a little more aggressive in the front and an affordable one at that. Continental have chosen to mold the ideal rim width for their tires onto the sidewalls - no more guessing whether the tire is actually designed for a 45mm or 22mm wide rim. As long as you're within the suggested rim widths, the tire should work without an issue.
On the other end of the aggressive, knobby tire spectrum is something like a Kenda Nevegal. It has a set of “transitional” knobs in between the center knobs and the side knobs. Those transitional knobs keep the tire from feeling as drifty during that partially leaned stage of the turn, but they don’t let the side knobs really sink in on a corner, so they generally won’t corner as hard. In the worst cases (again, like the Nevegal), those transitional knobs can make the tire fairly unpredictable–their death grip on the ground is prone to unexpectedly releasing mid-corner. The higher end versions are made in Germany, while the lower end ones are made in an unspecified location that I’m guessing is in Asia.
Until this latest set of 27.5 tires that seem smaller I would have told you I’ll be riding TKs as long as they are built, but I’m not as stoked about the square profile. I’m not buying new rims to make ’em work so I’ll probably try a different tire on my 27.5 bike once these wear out. At first I didn't have much thought on the tire...went through a trail section with loads of technical areas and pinch climbs, so speed isn't a big concern, more just keeping traction and upright. As soon as I got into straight away flats i noticed how tired my legs felt and my heart was pounding!
As the name suggests, Apex tires get teardrop elastomer protection embedded in the sidewalls for low-pressure stability and impact damping. It’s built into a six-ply carcass with a super secure steel bead for surviving the most brutal DH and bike park use. That makes Apex tires about 30 percent heavier than a Protection Apex though. Specialized's classic aggressive trail riding tire with a new rubber compound, enhanced grip, and same great value The Trail Kings are marked as being tubeless friendly for Continental’s Revo sealant, but I just used my normal home-brew sealant. Initially, it took a bit of work to get these to seal up; I definitely needed a compressor, and I ended up having to put substantially more sealant in than I use on some other tires (Schwalbe, Maxxis, and WTB, to be specific). A bit more tire pressure might have fixed the squirmy feeling, but I was running a similar pressure to what I run in most other tires. Also, my testing was cut a bit short (see below under “Durability”), so I didn’t get to experiment with different pressures as much as I would have liked. ProTection goes four-ply under the tread and three-ply on the sidewalls, with an added layer of Cordura to stop cuts and sharps rupturing the tire. It gets a ‘flag design’ on the sidewall for rub resistance and it’s now properly, easily tubeless-ready.EXO sidewall protection, excellent cornering grip, good on front or rear, dual compound increases longevity Through 6+ sets of TKs I’ve never had a failure like you describe. They’ve been bulletproof through lots of BC riding and weeks in Moab/Sedona. Having said that it’s happened to my buddy twice and we ride the same trails. The only difference is I ride a bit smoother/lighter than him. The Minion DHR II was originally designed for use as a rear tire, and paired with a Minion DHF up front, we think it's the ultimate combo in loose conditions for aggressive trail riders. Other rear tire options will roll noticeably faster than the DHR II, but that's a trade-off you'll need to consider for a tire with the cornering grip and braking traction it provides. The Maxxis Minion DHR II is an aggressive rear tire with terrific cornering grip and excellent braking traction. Aggressive riders who frequent loose, chunky, and rowdy terrain are the best candidates for this beefy and durable tire. It sacrifices some rolling speed in exchange for boatloads of braking traction and cornering prowess. This tire has a large and stout row of side knobs, like those found on the Minion DHF, to dive into corners and hold a line on off-camber sections. Braking bite is superb, thanks to the wide paddle-shaped knobs of the center tread. Many bike brands spec the DHR II as a front and rear tire on complete builds. Great cornering and braking traction, fair price, long tread life, supportive sidewalls, work in a wide range of conditions