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All of life is a compromise. We want to save the climate but not give up flying. We want to eat chocolate all day but not get fat. And we would like tyres that offer maximum grip and high puncture protection, yet weigh little and roll well. Unfortunately, you can't have it all. This is also proven by our test of eight enduro tyre combinations. Want a small example?
Goodyear's new Newton runs extremely smoothly and can even keep up with a good trail tyre in terms of rolling resistance. Its coarse tread is almost as snappy as the jaws of a T-Rex. But off-road, it almost seems as if it doesn't like the surface. On steep climbs, it hardly bites into the ground and slips quickly on stones and roots. The Newton also quickly reaches the limits of its binding when cornering. The Kenda combination is the opposite. Although the semi-slick tyre on the rear wheel looks like it's already suffering from tooth loss, it can be pedalled up even the steepest climbs without any loss of traction. In corners, the Kombi claws into the ground like an eagle into its victim. The compound of the Kendas is so sticky that it hardly seems to have any grip limits. On the other hand, both tyres roll like paste on the test bench.
Similar pictures can be seen with the other tyres in the test. So if you want everything, do you have to make compromises? You also have to be prepared to make concessions when it comes to weight and puncture protection. So if you want a grippy tyre with solid puncture protection, you will have to live with more weight and higher rolling resistance for better or worse. However, the extra calories you burn during the enduro tour can be safely invested in chocolate at the end. And that's another good compromise.
TYRE INSTALLATION
Grippy compounds and robust carcasses drive up the weight of enduro tyres. Very few tyres in the test managed to get below the one-kilo limit.
1 The outermost layer of the tyre is made of rubber and forms the tread. High-quality tyres often consist of several rubber compounds. A softer compound on the side lugs provides more grip, while a harder compound on the tread reduces rolling resistance. Some manufacturers in the test also use a harder compound on the rear tyre.
2 The tyre carcass consists of a fabric made of nylon threads. The thinner the threads, the more flexible the carcass. High-quality tyres have up to 120 threads per inch (TPI), while inexpensive tyres have a much coarser mesh of 30 threads. Enduro tyres often have several layers of carcass on top of each other for better puncture protection.
3 An additional protective fabric on the sidewalls is intended to protect the tyres from thorns or sharp stones. Each manufacturer has its own terms here, e.g. Schwalbe's Snakeskin or Maxxis' Exo-Protection. The so-called Apex is particularly useful on the rear tyre. The additional rubber wedge also protects against punctures to the rim flange.
You can find the entire test report with these enduro tyres including all data, tables and grades as a PDF in the download area below:
- Bontrager SE5
- Bontrager SE4
- Goodyear Newton ST
- Goodyear Newton
- IRC Tire Refuelling
- IRC Tire E Mibro
- Kenda Hellkat
- Kenda Helldiver
- Maxxis Assegai
- Maxxis Minion DHR
- Michelin Wild Enduro Front
- Michelin Wild Enduro Rear
- Swallow Magic Mary
- Schwalbe Hans Dampf
- Specialised Butcher
- Specialised Eliminator
You can find the complete comparison test including all data, points tables and the score overview in BIKE 10/2019. The comparison test costs € 1.99 as a PDF. Why not free of charge? Because quality journalism has a price. In return, we guarantee independence and objectivity. This applies in particular to the tests in BIKE. We don't pay for them, but the opposite is the case: we charge for them, hundreds of thousands of euros every year.
You can read the entire digital edition in the BIKE app (iTunes and Google Play) or the print edition in the DK shop reorder - while stocks last:
Downloads:
Stefan Frey
Editor
