Kenda smallblock eight tires.

[Ripp]

I almost posted under MM thread about tires, but he seems to want larger than 2.1 and smaller than 2.5 so these don't really fit the bill.
I rode 2.1s (the only size they make I believe) for the first time tonight. WOW are these tires fast!! Cornering grip is right there with the 2.1 Nevegals (stick-E compound) I swapped out too! I was riding dry hardpack trail, some roots, no rocks, lots of little broken twigs on the trail though.
I mounted the tires tubeless, to try out the no tubes thing, but I didn't want to commit to the messy stuff in my tires yet, and since I flated both tires within 40 minutes of riding and had to add tubes I don't really think I got much a feel for the tubeless thing.
The tires are at least as large as the 2.1 Nevegals I replaced and most likely a tiny bit larger. Cornering grip is very good, and these things really roll! My gut wants to say they slid on the loose twigs a bit more than the nevegals do, but it cold have just been that I was going faster due to the low rolling resistance, too early to say for sure.

[rockyrider]

They do make a 2.35 DCT version of the Small Block, and a 1.95 too. The 2.1 should be quite light, somewhere around 520gms, and the tubeless version about 875gms. Even the 2.35 is only around 725gms.

I was thinking that the Small Block 8's should be very similar to the Conti Race Kings I've been playing with lately.

[althegud1srtakn]

i've been wanting to get a pair of the 1.95s for my AM bike. i've heard nothing but good things

[rockyrider]

I'd have thought 1.95's would be pretty narrow for an AM application. Around this neck of the woods AM is usually just a squoosh smaller than freeride tires.

[fuz]

I've been running the 1.95's on my fixie http://www.flickr.com/photos/josephssmoseph/2559790532/ , the 2.1's on my santa cruz superlight, and my bro runs the 2.35's on his santa cruz chameleon http://www.flickr.com/photos/sol_rider/2604803046/ for xc and dirt jumping. We had both made the switch from the nevegals, and except for the loosest conditions, neither of us would go back to them. I was running 2.3 nevegals on my ss for the longest time, and loved them, swore by them, and promised never to leave them. Then I threw on the small blocks and realized I could corner just as good, fly up the climbs even better, and handle all the rooty and rocky stuff as well if not better than when I had the 'gals on. I had 2.1 tubeless 'gals on my superlight, and never really felt like they were doing the job. The 2.1 sm8's changed that bike from great, to, well, even greater.
Bottom line: great all around tire!

[tryandgetme]

how are they in the mud? do they clear well or do they suck? one of my biggest gloat-forms is when everyone gets mud jammed in their shifting crap and I can keep riding because I ride a singlespeed and have good mud tires.

[fuz]

I would say they work really well in the thick stuff, as they shed the mud fairly quickly. Where they suffer is on off camber turns with that thin slick mud on top, and hard trail underneath. The knobs do go pretty far to the side to keep you upright, but due to the size, they just don't bite as deep as the nevegals did. It's not really a matter of having to go slower, just initiating the turn sooner, and taking is at a less sharp of an angle. The slight change in riding style is enough to keep you upright.

[althegud1srtakn]

I'd have thought 1.95's would be pretty narrow for an AM application. Around this neck of the woods AM is usually just a squoosh smaller than freeride tires.

it is here too. the thing is i hate big tires, the kendas run a bit large anyways, and being only ~125 lbs i can get away with pretty small tires.

edit:
btw fuz, that fixie is HOT

[Ripp]

Last weekend there were more than a few wet spots on an otherwise nice trail. The sb8s were noticeably squirrelly shortly after a muddy bit. And the muddy bits I'm refering to were pretty small. Not a hot tire for anything other than dry hardpack in my experience. But they really do fly in the dry!!

[kark]

I've got a fair bit of time on 2.1 SB8's and a few rides on some 2.35's.

The 2.1s need to be run at a fairly high pressure to avoid flats and while they roll really really well, they don't brake so well.
I found that they hook up quite well but when they break free they do so without warning and with little chance for recovery.
I didn't find them at all suitable in wet conditions unless you're on loamy soil (conditions in which nearly all tires perform well) wet roots and rocks make it squirrely and they don't clear mud well unless your're going very fast.

I'm holding out a bit more hope for the 2.35 as a general purpose tire as it should tolerate lower pressures and perhaps be a bit more suple and tolerant of damp rocks and roots as a result.

As it stands, I consider the 2.1 SB8 a specific conditions tire (dry conditions, med to hard trail surface)

For a more general duty but light, fast xc tire try the Kenda bluegroove lite DTC.
50grams less than the SB8, very suple casing, not super in the wet but clears much better than the SB8 and has comparable rolling resistance. ..which is to say there isn't much.

..comparing SB8 and Nevegals is (IMHO) like comparing apples and hammers.
Despite having the the moniker 'son of nevegal' in the marketing print, I can't think of two more different tires.
one is light, one is heavy.
one rolls fast, one rolls like cement.
one is good for good conditions, one is good for bad conditions.

[nowshon]

FYI, I weighed the SB8 2.35 DTC and it's 670 grams, versus 675 for a 2.35 Neve. Running the SB8 in the back on my Heckler has had no negative effect on handling or climbing (So Cal dry conditions). I've used it on back for every ride that I'd previously done on a Neve without noticing a difference under power. For downhill braking in some conditions, though, the SB8 locks up and slides very easily, even with a 160mm rotor out back. Not an issue on rocks, but on loose over hardpack, I find myself wanting a more progressive tire in the back. Here in Socal I consider it an early summer tire when the trails are still pretty firm, but by July the same trails are too sandy for the SB.

[Rock Star]

it is here too. the thing is i hate big tires, the kendas run a bit large anyways, and being only ~125 lbs i can get away with pretty small tires.

I want to try the either the small block 8's or the race kings. Leaning toward putting a sb8 2.1 on the back (but not till summer) with the 2.1 nev stick e in front. Have a fire xc pro in back now, thinking of replacing that with nev 2.1 stick e or dtc....and then sb8 dtc in summer.

Seems to me the sb8 is more xc (race even) where as the nev would be more all mountain..even in the narrower sizes. But I'm not sure, I havent tried them all yet. What tires are you running now?