I guess i am going to give it a shot (trials tires)

I good majority of my friends have switched to trails tires. I have been scared to, don't know why as i usually am quick to embrace new / different stuff. I am headed down to get a Dunlop D803. This should be interesting.

Those who have switched, love it? Anyone switch and then go back to knobs?

K

For you it might work. I rode a couple bikes with them and just couldn't get used to feel, of course my idea of riding is the more open territory (desert) if I were trying to claw my way up some mud slime hill with half burried log I might have a different opinion.

Just a heads up.

803's "unseat" from the rim if they are left at too low an air pressure. Mine only did that in the garage while stationary. 3 other Husky riders reported the same problem (not sure if it happen to them while riding though).

So leave the air pressure on my 803 below 5psi and a week later have to re-seat it with high pressure (60psi?). Others reported having problems below 7 or 8 psi. Think the one I had was a tubeless 803. Seems to only effect Huskys for some reason - or maybe other people use higher pressures?

Anyway the IRC I now have stays on the rim regardless but has slightly less traction - which is good cause the 803 was so sticky I could not move the bike while it was in the Tacoma bed unless I picked the bike up...

Thanks for the info Dean, i plan on running one rim lock and about 10 PSI like a buddy of mine does.

k

I've been running a rear trials tire for years. Everyone used to make fun of me, but now it seems pretty popular. They will make you feel like an enduro hero in the nasty stuff, and you'll wonder why you can't keep the front wheel on the ground on that hillclimb that gave you trouble the last time you rode it. They do lend themselves to a somewhat smoother style of riding to be effective, though. They don't slide as readily in turns...or should I say as predictably...and they tend to push the front. If you're the type of rider that tends to square everything off and likes to throw roost every turn every time, you might not like them. However, if you like picking your way through the nasty and crossing raging rivers full of slippery rocks and smoking your friends over slick roots and having killer traction up hills where there is no traction to be had, you're going to love them. But you probably know all this by now...

I only ride knobbies if it's muddy, on a track, or if I know it's going to be a speed-fest ride in non-technical terrain.

Carry a good bicycle pump and some co2 cartridges with you, it they can be incredibly difficult to seat the bead.


WoodsChick

I've been running IRC's almost exclusively for years and have never experienced the unseating from the rim while at low psi. I run 8psi for regular stuff (together my bike and I weigh about 335) and 10psi for enduros and really rocky areas. Eric runs 10 and 12, respectively, on his GG ECO250.

We've tried Michelin, Dunlop and the Mitas tires, too, but we keep coming back to the lowly IRC.

It's been our experience that trials tires aren't that great on the bigger displacement 4-strokes, but work like gangbusters on the 2-strokes. They still work, but I guess the difference in traction isn't as great as it is on the 2-strokes. Your mileage may vary, of course.


WoodsChick

Interesting observations. My ride buddy Jake whom kinda talked me into trying it runs his on slick mud / clay all year round and swears by them. I don't think he runs knobs at all any more. He is a very talented rider and is fast. I told him I just picked one up and if it did not work i was lighting it on fire and throwing it in his front yard.

So anyway I picked it up today with a MSR heavy tube. Sunday will be the test.

He has been riding trials since he was a little kid.

This is my fear and i have felt the same when i tried them. We will see.

Did it. Rode around the house and it already feel different. Tomorrow is testing day.



Takes some of the "mean" off visually.

Gifford again. As I was just there I'll know for sure if it works better than a wasted S12.

PSI in the pic? 15?