Lets talk Tires! (...and racks)

[Mudgician]

As a newer member to this community, I'd like to thank everyone who has shared their knowledge thus far.

I've done some road touring with diversions to rail tracks/fire trails, but was always on a Cannondale Touring frame.  I would say it was 90% pavement, and I am comfortable on highways.  Except going through mountain tunnels, cause that shit is freakin crazy.

Last year I got the fatbike itch and dove in.  It was my first experience at mountain biking.  Having loved it, I naturally came to the conclusion that touring and mountain biking should be combined.  Luckily I'm not alone

My fatbike was... relieved of my possession (sadly) so now I am in the process of building my own bike.  I've selected a Surly Ogre for the typical reasons a Surly would be selected. 

My build list / part hoarding is almost complete and I am just looking to cover the odds and ends before I make this dream a reality.  But I'm having the foggiest time navigating the mountain that is bicycle tire selection.

I'm forced to make a bit of a compromise.  My doorstep is 46 Km to the beginning of the Bragg creek -> Canmore leg of the TCT, and with that comes all the expanse that Kananaskis has to offer.  But it's 46km on tarmac.  I'm willing to make the extra push to get there, but I find myself unable to really decide what tire would be best.  I've read through the tire threads here (and MTBR) ad nausea, and have only left feeling slightly excited but mildly confused.  I've narrowed it down to a few.  I'm looking to get some experience/feed back on this.

Schwalbe fat frank:

Truthfully I just like the look of it.  For a slick tire, I think I'd go for something bigger.. which leads to #2:

Schwalbe Big Apple

Between these two, I know they will offer the tire size, longevity, and low rolling resistance I am after.  But I don't think they will work worth two cents in singletrack.  Has anyone ran these extensively offroad... specifically, bikepacking?  Is it worth the trouble?  Will I find myself pushing up steepish logging roads?  And gravel/sandy chewed up roads?

Other tires I have been looking at are

Continental X king

I've read mixed reviews on this.  They seem to offer a reasonable low RR, with folding/kevlar options.  I'm worried about whether or not they will last, as it seems that the center row would wear down rather quickly on pavement (as with lots of MTB tires) or if they will actually be noticeably slow on pavement.  I understand the Black Chili compound works well, but I'd like to keep a set of tires for longer than two months if possible.

Lastly,

Halo Twin Rail

This has the rail things down the middle for tarmac, with inverted treads for soil.  I actually want these the most, but have heard almost nothing on them, so naturally I am skeptical.  Stores seem to be out of stock, but through an email conversation with BTI, it appears that they will be receiving more near the end of January - Apparently they redid the mold for the 29ers.  This may be possible because on a few UK sites I noticed a Mark II offered in a folding version that hadn't been around before.

I'm open to other suggestions.  Ideally I want a bigger tire (Rigid bike) with enough tread to handle single track.  I am by no means a DH nut and like to take it easy, and I am young and fit so I don't mind pushing a bit of extra weight.  I avoid mud, but in the mountains our spring runs to July pretty much, and then fall is around the corner, hence why I'm not sold on a slick/super minimalist tire.

and racks:

I noticed a lot of the rigs have no racks.  The concept calls for it: minimalism.  Having used panniers extensively, I freakin' hate them.  But I do like the idea of a platform rack on the front.  Something not too big (something like a CETMA 5 rail), is stout, and capable of carrying beer/groceries when I am not bikepacking.  Maybe I am selling myself on a concept I don't need.  Has anyone used a porteur style rack on single track?  Any issues with it snagging/catching obstacles, swinging weight around, causing instability?  I wouldn't intend to over pack it.  Likely no more than 10 pounds on the front end.  yes I realize these things weigh over a pound... but on a steel frame with fat tires... who's really to sneeze at such a difference?

Thanks for the input!

[bpeschka]

I'm the proud owner of a new Ogre.  It's running Specialized Captain Armadillo Elite; 2.2 on front, 2.0 on rear.  They came recommended to me by my LBS guys and I see them reviewed here on bikepacking.net.  I plan to wear out a set of tires before TD in June and hope I'll just be replacing with another set of same.

Here's the link to the info on this site:

http://www.bikepacking.net/reviews/bike-components/specialized-captain-armadillo-elite-tires/

[wahday]

As to racks, for bikepacking it isn't often necessary to use panniers ( though I have and found it fine though kind of wider than I would like). I notice a lot of European riders use racks and just strap a drybag to the platform. That, a pack and stuff on the bars and you're good to go. In my estimation you can fit a bit more on top of the rack than most seat bags. I was debating between a seatbag and a rack and let price win out. Picked up a used old man mountain cold springs for $50. A little heavier than a seatbag perhaps but tough as hell and unlikely to be a big weight drag on any of my ventures. It's an impressive bit of engineering!

[Mudgician]

Thanks for the feedback so far!

The Specialized Captain is a name I have heard and seen on a few rigs.  I never really considered it, but it seems to have the same qualities as the X-King, so it's definitely on my list now.  bpeschka, what do you think of it's durability and RR on asphalt?  This is my gravest concern with a tire like this, in that I will get two rides out (that's 160km on asphalt at that point) before the center tread is gone.  I was reading on another thread in here that there is a very good satisfaction guarantee with Specialized tires, so I'm thinking this could be worth the risk.  Your thoughts?

Hey whadey, the OMM racks have been on my radar for years now.  One reason why the CETMA solution appeals to me is that it has very large mounts, and attaches to handlebars.  After dealing with fidgety low-riders, sturdiness and stability are priority for front rack selection.  Does your OMM sway around at all when top loaded and you are hitting more techy trails?

I'm still very interested in the Twin Rail tire, it seems to be in the 'sweet spot' so to speak for the compromise I am looking for.  Does anyone have first-hand experience?

EDIT:  Just wanted to add that I don't plan on using panniers (never again!) and regardless of whether I end up with a wider rack versus a skinnier rack a la OMM, I'm just looking to strap down gear to the platform on top.

[gdillon]

I've gone through 2 sets of Captains, one 2.0 and one 2.2.  Good cornering, excellent traction.  I did not like them for pavement.

Even though the Continental Race King isn't on your list, I'd put my .02 in for those.  I've ridden my 2.2s for around 700 miles, about half of that on pavement.  They are noticeably slower on pavement than slicks (Geax evolution 29 X 1.9s right now) but are holding up well.  Going to swap front and rear come spring to extend tread life.

Serfas makes an inverted tread tire for a 29er.  I haven't tried them, but I mountain biked plenty of singletrack on Continental Town & Country slicks on my 26" wheel bike, and the Serfas tires look similar.  They lacked significant traction and cornering capabilities, but were just fine for fire roads.  On singletrack, I just had to ride a little slower.

I think you can get away with very little tread for mountain bike applications, especially if you have a ton of tarmac to ride.

Happy shopping.

[ascar_larkinyar]

for me the continental's did not last very long and had minimal grip.  the racing ralph's are a better choice if you are going in a lightweight tire(but they sidewall tear easier).

i go with a heavier and bigger knob tire like the panaracer rampage on my rigid bikes.  a bit heavy compared to the others, but you will not tear one and have traction forever, even when they get to the last 20%.

i ride a lot of pavement to the trails and just inflate whatever tire to 35-40psi and then back to 25psi when i get to the trail.  most tires will "round" out and have less pavement contact.  no tire will be perfect for both.

[wahday]

Hey mudjician. I have not tried out the OMM rack yet so I can't speak to center of gravity issues. It sits very low though - probably an inch above my tire. I'm not too concerned even though I do frequent some steep and rocky terrain near the continental divide here in New Mexico. I have three bottle mounts on my frame with additional water on my back so there won't be a lot of weight back there - just sleeping tarp, stove and sleeping pad. My other rack excursion was with an older Blackburn and panniers in this same area. It was my first time bikepacking and I carried more than I needed back there with no probs. I just take it slow...

There is a nice thread on racks v. seatbags on mtbr.com also you might check out. My take away there was that sway was less of an issue on hard tails than fs bikes (which have more limited rack options anyway). Something to consider. Also, the website whileoutriding.com has excellent technical info. Cass uses racks front and back and has tons of experience. Poke around his site and see what he has to say on the matter too.

[Colorado Cool Breeze]

I run OMM rear rack and love it. Much easier to access camping gear from panniers.
I also use a seatbag when less gear is carried, mostly day trips no over nights.

As for tires I have 3 sets. Pavement/dirt road- SB8's, rocky singletrack- Ardent's, or ice- Schwab studded.
Sometimes I'll leave the Ardent on the front and SB 8 on the rear that's a good all around for my terrain.
YMMV

[texasjake]

I run OMM rear rack and love it. Much easier to access camping gear from panniers.
I also use a seatbag when less gear is carried, mostly day trips no over nights.

As for tires I have 3 sets. Pavement/dirt road- SB8's, rocky singletrack- Ardent's, or ice- Schwab studded.
Sometimes I'll leave the Ardent on the front and SB 8 on the rear that's a good all around for my terrain.
YMMV

your bike and setup look clean, accessible and amazing! good job. i have been toying with the sb8's myself and will probably either get those or the twin rails