Trial tyres - Educate me. I know this is one of those questions that gets asked a lot on enduro forums and is like asking what's the best oil 🙄........but I'm going to #askneil anyway, as from what I can tell there are far fewer choices available to trial riders in Aus. It seems the main trial tyres available are Dunlop 803 GP's and Michelin Trial X11 & Trial X Light. My bike currently has a Dunlop 803 on the rear and a Michelin Trial Light on the front. Whilst both still have heaps of grip, I'm starting to see cracks forming indicating they are starting to harden with age (they were on the bike when I bought it about 15 months ago). The rear tyre is no longer holding pressure. I took it off yesterday & removed the valve stem, but could not break the bead. Normally I just stand on enduro tyres to break the bead (a tyre changer with bead breaker has just been purchased). Based on a conversation with Peter Mack I believe the rear is tubeless and it's likely an issue with the value stem in the rim band. Questions: 1. Are front tyres normally tubed, or does it depend on the manufacturer? I ask as the Dunlop 803GP front tyres I've seen advertised seemed to be the tubed type (I haven't taken the front tyre off yet to check). 2. The Michelin's are a lot more expensive. Are they really that much better than the Dunlop's (or other brands), and would a novice like myself even notice at a club day?

Posted by Dan Evans at 2022-01-03 02:57:34 UTC