What's Your Tire of Choice for Northeast Riding?

There have been some discussions going on in the local forums lately on what's the best tire for local riding so here's my list of favorites for typical rocky, rooty and sometimes wet Northeast trail riding...

Bontrager Big Earl Wet, F and; R, 26 x 2.5
Bontrager Big Earl Dry, F and R,  26 x 2.5
Hands down and without question the Bonty's are still my favorite for local riding. They wear well, grip is awesome in any terrain, they are light for such a big volume tire, and rolling resistance isn't that bad. I love the GumBi compound too, the low rebound gives these tires unbelievable grip at the right tire pressure. Check out the pic below. The tires just conform to the terrain and I have yet to pinch flat. Pressures were 30psi in the pic.

Wow, check out that tire deformation!

The wet version is better than the dry version but only in wet conditions. I haven't noticed any other difference in dry or even moist conditions. They both shed mud well too, that's a huge plus. I've used 2.3's as well but the 2.5's are just more sure footed. Best of all you can find these relatively cheap on ebay or locally. I think I paid $30 for the Dry versions in the 2.5 and they were new. I think Bontrager is discontinuing these in favor of the new lines coming out like the XDX which I hear great things about. I hope they are at least as good as these because I dread the day I will no longer be able to purchase new ones.

Kenda Nevegals, F and R, 26 x 2.3 DTC
I have used the Kenda Nevegals too but my one beef with them is their mud/wet conditions performance...it is terrible. I have the DTC version, maybe the other compounds work better...I don't know. The rolling resistance on these are minimal thanks to the ramped center treads and the knobbies really allow you to get the bike leaned over in corners and still hold the line. Also light for such a big volume tire. Right now the set I have are slated to got onto my SS after mud season. They make riding with a rigid fork a bit more bearable. I also run these about 30-35 psi.

Kenda Kinetics, F and R, 26 x 2.6 Stick-E compound
I bought these on a whim. I like the tread design and the compound and the were on sale for $9 each. I had read reviews that some had issues with the sidewalls being too weak and failing. I figured even if they don't last long, no big deal they were cheap. Tire are surprisingly light for a 2.6 although they were slower rolling due to the compound and the big knobbies but that's also why they excel in cornering and grip. So far these have been the best. I didn't have them on the bike long but only because they rolled slower than the Bonty's. I had no trouble with these and they were actually the best big volume tire I have tried in snowy conditions to date. I will probably put these tires on again but maybe not till later in the year. I had these aired at around 35psi.

Riding at the Pine Bush these tires performed really well in the snow.

Icon Soft Brown Stripe by Skullcandy

I've been looking for a set of over the ear headphones for a while but two things were holding me back. One, I already had several pairs of in ear headphones that worked fine and two, I didn't want to drop a ton of cash on something that I may not like. Also many of the headphones I had seen on the market just didn't catch my eye. Some were boring, others were too big. I also wanted something was different, that looked different. I think I found it in the Icon Soft over the ear headphones from Skullcandy. I got an email from The Clymb, they had several versions on sale. I found these and had to have them. I love the color and the name of this version, called the brown stripe, reminds me of mountain biking in the early and usually wet Spring. I paid $13.98 for these and they came with a decal which I affixed to my phone, a black dew rag with gold graphics, and a small template for spray painting the skull graphic on your skate board, bike, or helmet. For the price these are a fantastic deal. Construction looks like quality, they are comfortable, and they look awesome. I'll be using these mostly for listening to music from my phone and thanks too the in-line mic and can use it as a headset too. I also like the nylon braided speaker wire, much nicer than the rubber stuff and is tangle free. Yeah I can't use these while I am rippin' the local singletrack but that's not what I got them for. I'll be stylin' in my cubicle, listening to sick beats while cranking out killer designs from my workstation. Gonna go get some more tunes onto my phone and give these a proper shake down.

New Lightweight Shell for Riding

Sombrio Wingman Jacket
I've been looking for a new lightweight rain/wind shell for a while now. I just didn't want to pay big $$ for one. Looks like my waiting paid off. I saw an add in my inbox from Huck N Roll about a Sombrio sale. I've always like the stuff from Sombrio. I was able to get a Sombrio Wingman jacket in Machete Green for $25! It's wind proof and water resistant, has Lycra cuffs to keep wind from blasting up your sleeves, and the ergonomic fit feels natural, not restrictive. It also has a hood that's big enough to fit a normal vented helmet like my Giro Xen. It also has this cooloff-axis topographic print. Can't wait till the weather cools down so I can wear this.

New Riding Socks

I read on Twitter that Twin Six was having a one day sale on select socks. I was able to score five pairs of socks for 50% off! I didn't really need that many but the socks are cool and I got them at a good price so what the heck...and so far I love them.

New Hydration Pack and Resevior

2009 Ergon BD1-M Backpack

I've been looking for a pack that actually fits me. My Dakine Nomad has been the best so far but when you load it up it's really noticable and it has a tendency to ride up above my waist which is just annoying. I came across the Ergon BD-1 pack that Competitive Cyclist had on sale at 1/3rd of the original cost. This is exactly the kind of pack I needed. Not too big, made to carry a load when needed and adjustable for different body types. This pack doesn't have the organization of the Dakine Nomad but it fits my torso really well. There is some adjustments I still have to make to get it to fit the way I want but I should have it dialed on the next couple of rides. This pack even has a safety whistle in the chest clasp and a clever pocket at the bottom which contains a rain cover incase you get caught in a downpour. As much as I would like to do a complete review of this bag, others have already done so and have done a great job. I will tell you what I llike and what I don't...

Likes: Flink (it really works), pack and harness design (very comfortable to wear, works as advertised), bladder sleeve, and hidden rain cover.

Dislikes: Zippers are a bit difficult to open and close (maybe this will get better once I break them in), Internal organization (would have prefered a few more places to store things), external harness doesn't allow pack to lay flat (not a huge deal for me but it does make packing for a ride or trip a bit more difficult).

The weight I feel when I load this up and ride is less then half of what my Nomad felt like. I only have three rides with this pack but so far I am really happy. All this at a price that just can't be beat.

2010 Deuter Streamer 3.0 Reservoir

The above pack didn't come with a bladder but I thought no big deal, I can use my old one. Problem is my old Camelbak bladder sprung a leak and is now useless. So I ordered the bladder recommended by Competitive Cyclist. They said either the two or three liter would fit so I chose the bigger. It does fit, sticks out the top of the pocket a bit but it's fine. Again I am not going to go into great detail but just list my likes and dislikes.

Likes: BPA free, wide-mouth for easy cleaning/drying, tube length (it's actually right where I need it), hassle free bite valve (can also be disassembled to be cleaned), sealing device is leak free.

Dislikes: Both the bite valve dust cap and bladder clasp can get lost and there is not a good place to hold the bag during fill.

This so far has been the best tasting and best designed bladder I have used to date. We'll see how it holds up, my last bladder lasted probably 4 or 5 years.

Non-studded winter tires...what are you using?

So I have a set of Nokian studs that work great on the hard packed ice but not so great in the slushy conditions so I've been trying different tires.

Bontrager Big Earl Dry 26 x 2.5 GumBi coumpound - I was amazed how well these tires worked in the snow being a dry condition tire. The bigger volume helps to stay on top of the snow. They were okay on the icy stuff and were difficult at times to keep going straight in the deep snow. On the hard packed stuff there were very good. These are also light for such a big volume tire. It's worth mentioning that I did have to drop the air pressure down to about 25 to get the traction I needed. (Paid ~$30 for the set)

Maxxis Wetscream 26 x 2.20 60a - Knobbies seem too squirmy, works great in muddy conditions but haven't had much luck in slushy or icy conditions. Tire washes out in deep snow and it was very difficult to ride in a straight line. Works okay on the hard packed snow. Tires are also heavy since they are for DH. I also had to drop the pressure on these to perform better, also at about 25psi. (Paid $20 for the set)

Kenda Kinetics 26 x 2.60 Stick-E compound - I rode these recently at the Albany Pine Bush and was pleasantly surprised. Was stable on the ice and worked well on the slush. In deep snow it was better at holding a line that the Wetscream and Big Earl. On the hard packed snow they were great. Tire are surprisingly light for a 2.6 although they were slower rolling due to the compound. So far these have been the best. I had these aired at around 35psi. (Paid $20 for the set)

Right now the Nokians are on my singlespeed and I'll probably keep them there for now. These tires are all being tested on my RM Switch which is now suspended 6" F & R and about 35lbs. I would assume these tires might perform differently on a hardtail or lighter FS bike so take that into consideration.

So, what has everyone else has luck with?