DaleEO said:
I would say that something is amiss as my MT 18's last quite a while in some pretty extreme conditions. I usually get about 3 rides out of mine, and very seldom do they shred knobs or chunk.
Some clarification. I run the Heavy Duty versions of the MT 18 with 4mm bridgestone tubes, and slime in the tubes. 15psi in the front, and 11 psi in the rear. With the Heavy Duty versions of the tire, and the thick tubes, it's the closest thing one can get to run flat technology if you should happen to puncture a tube. In the area that I ride in, and the distance you are away from camp, this set up can definitely mean the difference between finishing and getting back to camp without assistance.
First of all I'm talking about the rear tires here. Three rides for me is about 210 miles, and by that I mean desert races. It also depends on the race itself, whether it's more technical like a national (4+ hours) which takes more of a toll on rears than a more traditional (2+ hours) desert race which is faster and has less rocks. I then save the "used race tires" and will use them for play riding later on. Or give them to people I know who need a better tire than what they have on. Most of the time when I take them off they are by no means completely shot.
The fronts can last me up to 5 races. What I like most about the fronts is that the side knobs don't tear off like other tires, and they seem to work pretty good in the sand as well as the hard pack.
I have tried many other tire combinations in the past, and the big stand out for me about the 18's is that they not only break a way together producing a much more balanced ride, and they also don't go off significantly like some other tires I have tried. For instance, the dunlop 739 AT is a strong tire, but goes off quickly and doesn't last very long. I'd have to say the best rear I have used would be the michelin S-12. It seemed to last well, hooked up great, but, the only problem with them for me is that they are about $25 to $30 more than what I get the 18's for, and that $25 or $30 would buy half the matching front 18. The front S-12 didn't work so good for my conditions, the knobs tend to roll easily on intermediate terrian causing inconsistent, and surprising break a way's.
