The Dirt East Peak TT: Choosing Your Treads

When it comes to racing, we firmly believe that it’s about what a rider has got in the legs, not what they ride. But we can’t deny that having the right gear for the task at hand is indeed instrumental. And besides, isn’t agonizing over the perfect set up half the fun? With the Dirt East Peak TT fast approaching, I’ve been getting out on the course riding all kinds of different bikes and set ups, trying to determine the ultimate set up. What’s easily one of the most critical choices for a challenge like this? Tires.

Gripping terrain, managing rolling resistance, providing suspension over the bumps, and resisting damage when encountering rocks. Tires bear quite a lot of responsibility in getting you from start to finish with speed. Given the varied and diverse terrain of the course, selecting just the right option isn’t exactly an easy choice.

So how do you choose? It is a hill climb after all. It’s not like we’re bombing any wild descents, right? Doesn’t it make sense to reach for the lightest, fasting rolling tires that will make it through the track? I’ve been riding the sections of the route for years, and have even made it through on 25c road tires, with inner tubes no less. But just because it’s rideable on a given set up doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll be fast.

While trying to determine this myself, personally I’ve been back and forth between two options. The first being My Mosaic GT-1 set up with 700x32c all-road tires. Specifically the Panaracer Gravel King slick. The other being my Open WIDE with a big knobby high volume dirt tire — a René Herse Hurricane Ridge 700x42c out back and Oracle Ridge 700x48c up front.  Both options have fared well on different sections of the course, but which will prevail as the ultimate choice?

A while back, I started running my Mosaic GT-1 as a fat tire road bike with various slick tires in the 32-36c range. Even on days when I plan to set off for a proper road ride, I can’t seem to avoid finding myself on at least one section of dirt, so a traditional 23-28c road tire just wasn't cutting it for my riding. More and more, I’ve been pushing my comfort zones of what these thick slicks can do in the dirt, and to my surprise they’ve really been quite capable.

Given that, I thought they’d make a prime contender for an uphill dirt time trial. Especially on the early stretches of the course heading up Deer Park, where the dirt is relatively smooth, they seemed like a sound choice. The thing is, the trail throws a few curve balls at you. For one, a number of sections get a bit off camber in a few places. Without any knobs, maintaining balance and holding a line gets pretty tricky, especially if there's been any rain. On top of that, the water management rocks take some careful thought to get through without bottoming out the tire. Crossable, sure, but not with the reckless abandon a bigger gravel tire can afford you. But up on the flatter and rolling sections of the stage, they do ride quite confidently and feel plenty fast.

So what about stage two? The traverse across Stage Coach provides some unique challenges. Due to the relatively flat profile, grip isn’t so much of an issue, but hammering over the rugged rocky terrain, the lower tire volume tires really show their limitations. With the limited squish, I’ve found myself constantly in and out of the saddle, trying to balance and tiptoe through rocks and creek crossings. Even on the less chunky sections, trying to settle into a steady cadence was thwarted by getting bounced around by the smaller stones.

As the course turns onto Railroad Grade, the slicks actually proved to feel a bit more suitable. Even though the pitch increases, the trail is a bit smoother, the dirt has a bit more grip, and it felt easier to just focus on the effort. Finally at the top, there’s no questions the thinner and lighter tires shine on the paved road.

While the lighter weight slicks did prove to have their challenges, is it worth it to go for extra weight and rubber of a full on gravel tire? Switching over to my Open, I set out to find out. Riding down the road, they indeed feel pretty sluggish, but getting out on course with the 42/48c Réne Herse tires ended up providing an entirely different experience. Out of the gate, navigating the off camber stretches of Deer Park took far less focus and effort. And those rock patches? I was able to plow through them at speed without giving a second thought.

Up on the flatter sections, where you can really open up and pick up some speed, the heft of the bigger tires reveals itself and the grip of the tread was a bit less essential. Slower? Marginally, but not decisively so.

Transitioning to stage two, the big tires really show their strength. The high volume, and the lower pressures they can afford you, make the world of difference in carrying speed through the rocks and ruts. Line choice is not nearly as critical and maintaining a steady pace is far more manageable. Far less bouncing around, and more focus on putting down the power.

Moving to the final dirt stretch, the big tires continued to prove their value. Even though the slick tires have felt fine on the Railroad ascent, the extra cushion of the 42s really float up the trail with just a bit more ease. Less bouncing, more hammering, effective suspension is real.

So what am I going to run to put down my fastest time? The light and speedy slicks or the burly grippy knobs? While the slicks are up to the task, and in some places are even favorable, at the end of the day I feel the full on dirt tire is the ultimate choice to get the job down. Even though they’re heavier and in some cases roll slower, the ability to simply think less and pedal harder is, for me anyway, unquestionable the way to go. Of course, many factors are at play, and your mileage may vary—the rest of your bike, your riding style and personal strengths, and of course the weather on the day. For me though, it’s gonna be the big René Herse tires. 

What tires have you been testing in the build up to the Dirt East Peak TT? Are your findings similar to mine? We want to hear from you, so let us know down in the comments below!