Coming off at the top then climbing up the steep rocky bit to the right they were hooking up a treat, meaning I could practically stand up on the pedals without them slipping, quite an achievement considering the ground was still dewy!
The tread pattern really sheds mud as well, it was far from muddy up there today, but I did make a few questionable line choices (as usual) and ended up in some slop, but they soon got rid of that. Furthermore the treads feature Siping, small slits cut into the tread which gives the knobs greater flexibility, part of the reason they hook up so well, as they can really mould themselves on to the trail without being soft and squidgy. A dual compound in the tyre and 66TPI all help to keep increase durability, but it also has wicked puncture resistance. Slamming on to some sharp rocks coming off the Trig point I was certain I would have a flat and told my mate to just keep going down to the car so we didn't have to change the tube, but they're still up fine 8 hours later!
Later on, on the final decent was when they started to really shine, getting loose and dropping a foot where I usually slide wildly towards a tree, these things just cut into the mud and rocks and I felt like I was on rails, so confidence inspiring! The beauty of these tyres is that Panaracer have really dialled in the 'All Condition' feature, as I rode pretty much every condition today and aside from the road climb (bearing in mind they were fairly low in pressure) they have gripped yet rolled quickly on everything, dust, mud, hardpack, rocks and roots, the lot! The only slight downside is that they are a tad heavy at 750g each, but this really is a small price to pay for such untapped grip, especially on a bike with Pikes and Saints etc like mine, where lightness isn't a big factor! These are definitely going to be staying on my bike for the winter, and probably late into next year to be honest!
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