While the bleeding edge of innovation in the trail/enduro/and all mountain segment of the markets have been steadily pushing for the complete eradication of the 26″ wheel, there’s one realm in which the wheel size will always be appreciated.
For dirt jumping, pump tracking, street sessions, and casually cruising, there’s nothing better than a hardtail. So we were pumped to hear that Vee Rubber is still releasing new tires for our favorite red headed step child.
XCV![Vee Tires XCV Tires (2)](data:image/svg+xml,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 600 400"></svg>)
Vee describes the XCV tire as having low profile, ramped, and tapered knobs, which are perfect for racing.
Weight for the 26×2.5″ XCV Tire with a 185 TPI tire casing is a rather pigish 1018 g. The tire is also available in:
27.5×2.10 ($50)
29×1.95 ($50)
29×2.10 ($50)
29×2.25 ($52)
What we liked about the tire was the rounded profile that provided solid traction when cornering and didn’t have any vague drift points. Compared to other offerings on the market though, it’s hard to overlook the weight. This tire replaced a Small Block 8 and easily added half a pound of rotational weight to the front end of our bike.
Speedster Tire
Designed for carrying speed, the semi slick 2.1″ Speedster is an ideal rear tire.
Weight for the 26×2.1″ Speedster with a 90 TPI casing (and zip tie) is 655 g. The tire also available in:
27.5×1.95 ($50)
29×1.95 ($50)
29×2.10 ($50)
29×2.30 ($52)
The honeycomb center offers good wear life, while larger diamond cut side knobs provide just enough traction to prevent full scale drifts unless pushed.
Both tires seated easily on Mavic 729 rims and the combination offers a near ideal setup for everything from street shredding to berm punching.
