New Rubber for the Dirt
Nothing affects a mountain bike’s handling more than its rubber – not suspension, not angles, not weight. None of that matters if your tires, your first line of defense, aren’t doing their job. this is great news for those of us in the market for a used bike. Know that a new set of the right boots for any mountain bike you see on the Bicycle Blue Book marketplace is going to supercharge the bike’s performance for very little money. One of the most well respected brands in the tire game has just snapped up a small, but highly sought after brand. Combining the big brands knowledge about manufacturing and compounds with the small brands creativity and treads has resulted in a big win for trail riders.
The Panaracer Neo-Moto was created through the collaboration of two of the industry’s most dedicated tire companies—Panaracer, one of the most experienced brands in the market, and Pacenti, a small outfit dedicated to the 27.5 movement. Pacenti designs have been at the forefront of the 27.5 trend for years, but behind the scenes Panaracer produced Pacenti tires from the very beginning. Panaracer has since purchased Kirk Pacenti’s designs and brought him onboard to work on future tire development.
The Panaracer Neo-Moto 27.5 x 2.3 is one of the few tires that measures out to its actual size with the calipers. When measured across the radius of the tread block, the tire has a whopping 2.7 footprint. The tread consists of low, ramped center blocks with a slight file tread on them, and larger square transition knobs that are heavily shaped and siped. The lugs are supported by molded tread bars and feet under the edge of the blocks. The side lugs are well supported down the side of the 66 TPI casing allowing for steep lean angles and confident cornering. All of this in a tire that weighs in at a mere 746 grams.
Going up or down, these are quick treads. The efficiency with which they roll is astonishing. It was hard to believe we were riding large-volume knobby tires. With the first turn of the pedals they felt quicker than similarly sized treads, and the Neo-Moto’s lack of rolling resistance was instantly noticed. When the tires were pointed downhill, they hooked-up extremely well. Wet roots, rock gardens, off-camber stair-stepped root drops, big berms and whoops were all handled with ease. Any drift through corners was mitigated by the compact placement of the transition knobs. The Panaracer Neo-Moto 27.5 x 2.3 excels in a wide range of terrain.
The tire is squarely targeted at the rider that wants an all-day, do-anything tire—a rider that loves to ride fast, technical descents, but earns them with a long climb to the top. This makes them ideal for trail riding and enduro racing. The rider choosing the Neo-Moto has converted to 27.5 wheels for the added speed, and wants to make the most out it with low rolling resistance and Velcro-like cornering grip.
The Panaracer Pacenti Neo-Moto is available in the 2.3 and a smaller 2.1 version. The Neo-Moto is one of three Pacenti designs being integrated into the Panaracer line. The Quasi-Moto 27.5 and Pari-Moto join the Neo-Moto within Panaracer’s expanded 27.5 line that also includes Panaracer’s Driver Pro, Soar, Comet and Swoop tires.
Price: $65
More: panaracer.com
Bicycle Blue Book is the web’s only accurate valuation tool for used bicycles for sale and the web’s most trusted marketplace. Re-posted with permission from switchbackmb.com.
