Jan Heine - knives out for side knobs

[EB]

Can we get to 25 pages this time, folks? I believe in us!

https://www.renehersecycles.com/grav...ring-traction/

[David Kirk]

Way back in the old days when I was racing MTB's on hard and dry conditions we'd take a new razor knife and cut all the side knobs off our Ritchey race tires for this very reason.

dave

[d_douglas]

Had a quick look and by and large, it is likely true. I dont race, and by corollary, I dont go fast. I also tend to ride my 'gravel' bike on what many would consider MTB trails, where grip on slippery rocks and roots is paramount.

Seeing the photos of racers on rough 'gravel' and twisty-turny trails, using a 44mm filetread does make sense.

There, I said it.

[charliedid]

The course was dry, add a couple inches of slippery mud and get back to me...

[tellyho]

I definitely agree: volume as a substitute for knobs is equivalent traction. If we were limited to 33 cross tires, though, would knobs be necessary? I think maybe.

[Alexi]

Rene Herse tires swept the podiums at the first major gravel race of 2023, The Mid South: 1st, 2nd, 6th, 9th and 12th places among the women, as well as 4th among the men.

I'm in no way disparaging womans racing here, all the lady racers I know could kick my ass. But only having 1 men's podium place is hardly "swept the podiums." It's **** like this that turns me off from Jan, and I like his tyres!

[R3awak3n]

I think with anything JH you need to be your own judge. RH has really good products but also sells some doozies.

I ride RH tires, they are great and work for what I want them. I have tried the "its cheaper and the same, made by the same people" panaracer gravel king and to me its an inferior tire on everything but price. So what to do? I will keep buying RH.

However I have now tried 650B more than once and tried to convince myself it was great but just is not my thing, I don't care if its as fast as 700c, to me 700c feels better and gives me more enjoyment, 650b feels to me like ridding on soup.

Now with this knobby thing, he is going to have an opinion, others will agree, some won't, no evidence, sometimes from both sides... but at the end of the whole thing don't forget you can buy RH dual purpose tires I have tried them, they are actually pretty good but also unnecessary for most..

But lets talk about the nuda pump they sell

[url]https://www.renehersecycles.com/nana-the-ultralight-carbon-pump-25-g//url]


I bought it, not from them because $39 is ridiculous, the same thing can be bought for like $17 on bikeinn, and it will come faster too. As a big frame pump guy I knew it was going to be trash, however fro $17 why not, it does look cute. But low and behold, trash. Useless really. Anyways, I am ranting now, the JH **** gets hold, do your own homework and use the crap that you like and don't buy the crap you don't like. At the end of the day its his opinion and yes he is tryna sell stuff but also does make some good stuff.

[NHAero]

I've been riding D2R2 on 38 and 42mm GK slicks. In a couple of spots I always would do better with knobbies, but for most for the course, not. And his point about side knobs makes sense.

When the rider and their bikes look as though they've been dipped in chocolate, I know that's not the ride for me I'm sure they want knobs for those rides.

[mstateglfr]

Rene Herse tires swept the podiums at the first major gravel race of 2023, The Mid South: 1st, 2nd, 6th, 9th and 12th places among the women, as well as 4th among the men.

What a total tool. Just call it what it actually is, since thats also really cool and impressive. That guy.






ETA- and I dont disagree on knobs- my gravel tires are 43mm GK SS so really no knobs. I havent found them necessary for the many different types of gravel roads Ive ridden so far.

[XXtwindad]

Originally Posted by Eli Bingham

Can we get to 25 pages this time, folks? I believe in us!

https://www.renehersecycles.com/grav...ring-traction/

Well, I place a lot of stock in your opinions regarding Marin trails. I notice you didn't offer one here. Would you ride knobless tires in the Marin Headlands/Tam area under normal (dry) conditions?

[EB]

Originally Posted by XXtwindad

Well, I place a lot of stock in your opinions regarding Marin trails. I notice you didn't offer one here. Would you ride knobless tires in the Marin Headlands/Tam area under normal (dry) conditions?

Tires are cool.

[jemdet]

Originally Posted by mstateglfr

What a total tool. Just call it what it actually is, since thats also really cool and impressive. That guy.

I was the High School valedictorian if you don't count all those pesky people with higher GPAs

[rain dogs]

I think Jan means that they literally swept the podiums with brooms in in the post race clean-up. Cause, nobody could be so out of touch as to not know what "swept the podiums" means in its normal context, right?

Helping with post race take-down and packing things up is nice too.

[XXtwindad]

Originally Posted by Eli Bingham

Tires are cool.

But "tyres" are way cooler. I think I'll stick to my GravelKing SK +.

I'll sacrifice some hipster street cred points for not clawing my way up 15% dirt hills in slicks.

[EB]

Originally Posted by XXtwindad

But "tyres" are way cooler. I think I'll stick to my GravelKing SK +.

I'll sacrifice some hipster street cred points for not clawing my way up 15% dirt hills in slicks.

Bike Snob NYC fell off really hard in recent years, but his take on RH is pure gold: "It seems to me that Rene Herse and Ultradynamico sum up the boutique tire marketplace perfectly. Basically, they’re the same tires made by the same company, and the only meaningful difference is whether you prefer to buy them from someone who’s extremely anal retentive or from someone who’s almost painfully ironic.”