Here is is! its a 26X2.4 mountain king with 2.5in tube in it. its alot faster rolling but cant handle roots for a worth. I went back to the duro very fast! I am still looking for a 2.7-3in wide tire that i can run down hill style runs on and big drops. any help?
Soooooooooo…
I rode the Expert-DH Track at Unicon with the Baron (first real ride with it haha).
It’s AMAZING! I really love the tire. For DH use its far superior to the Queen and any other tire i used till now.
how wide is it?
It says 2.5 on the tire but it feels wider… i need to measure it 
To all you Nokian fans…
Don’t get conned! Make sure your next uni is “Gazz safe registered” 
Couldn’t help myself…
(only riders from the UK will get this though)
I agree with Smilymartso I also used these tires feel superior, traction chic.
Just picked up a new tire:
Shwalbe Hans Dampf Super Gravity 650b x 2.35
I have not mounted it yet, still waiting on my rim to arrive, but at first look I was thinking “whoa!” it’s waaay more burly than a regular Hans.
Weight was spot on as advertised at 1040gms.
The “promotional literature” calls this tire a DH sidewall with a freeride center. Essentially, it’s a twin ply sidewall like a DH tire, snakeskin wraps the entire casing, then the center is like the regular Hans with a little extra thickness.
I think this tire is a candidate for low pressure tubeless 
This tire also comes in a 26", but sadly not in a 29" 
More to follow once I get the new wheel built…
I’m looking into buying a new tire for my 26" mountain uni, which currently has a Duro Wildlife Leopard. I would like to get a tire that is capable of doing technical riding but is also lighter. Anyone have some ideas about what I should get?
Take a look at the Schwalbe Super Gravity Series, all four of which come as a 26", width is ~2.4", saves you about 500gm over the Duro. Get the Trailstar rubber and it’ll be nice and sticky! I ride the Hans Damph SG Trailstar.
http://www.schwalbe.com/supergravity/en/#&panel1-1
You could also step down to an Arrow Racing Savage 2.6, which would be like a Duro jr, saves you about 250gm, ride is similar, same pattern and rubber as the Duro.
If you go any lighter, say an Ardent or regular Hans Dampf, you won’t get the support or traction you are used to getting from the Duro.
If you’re willing to wait until next Spring, Surly is releasing a 26 x 3" flotation tire, it’s probably be around the weight of a 29" Knard, not as sticky as your Duro, probably not as burly, but it’ll be cushy and lots of fun 
Surly has a 2.75" tire called the Dirt Wizard coming but judging by the Knard released this year it could be Spring before they are available. I’ve been happy with the Continental Trail King (aka Rubber Queen) 2.4 which measures 2.6" and weighs 950g.
Tire Update: Scwalbe Hans Dampf Super Gravity 650b:
I’ve been riding this tire for a month or so, made it tubeless a few weeks back, running it on a 650b Velocity P35 (35mm) rim, no problems with sidewall collapse, traction is awesome with the Trailstar rubber.
Compared to the regular Hans Dampf, this tire is a beast, waaay stiffer, waaay stickier, and has the same awesome ride and super mud traction.
The 650b Hans Dampf is ~ inch taller than a Duro 26 x 3" and ~ inch shorter than a Hans Dampf 29 x 2.35".
It does have a firmer feel than the HD due to the thicker casing and additional rubber, but I can run lower pressures and tubeless, so it ends up riding better than the regular HD.
It weighed in at 1040gm, so ~200gm heavier than the regular HD, but as a tubeless it is about the same weight as a tubed HD.
Great tire, worth the coin to upgrade.
I haven’t had a ride with a Duro for a while so it will be difficult to make a direct comparison but…
if you want to go lighter, you have the Specialized Purgatory UST 26x2.4 (ETRTO 60-559).
It is under 800g (mine weighted about 780g) so half the weight of the Duro. Because it is a tubeless ready tire, the sidewalls are stiffer than average (but still foldable where the Duro isn’t). With a tube, I found it a solid performer with an amazing weight gain.
I am running it on a Large Marge so it is harder to fit than the usual rim but it works great and you feel the difference in nimbleness without compromising in support or grip (modern rubber is wonderful).
That was my 2 cents 
I couldn’t find anywhere that sold the Specialized Purgatory UST 26x2.4 online. I could only really find the 2.3 inch version of it. Where did you buy yours?
edit: nevermind, I found it here http://www.specialized.com/us/en/ftb/mtb-tires/equiptires26-specials/purgatorygridust
I got a 2.5’clutch and it’s quite good also
Im following Bens lead! Hes really on to something
I have a 26 Hans Dampf Super Gravity going tubeless for Guni on a 35mm (ish) wide Mtb rim
And a regular 29" Hans on a XC Muni for light weight on a 25mm XC rim. Taking a risk here for less weight im losing much strength and half the width of a KH rim… Should be ok for flowing XC and climbs.
Tyre pressures are a big factor in performance i found. My XC will roll fast with light weight and limited grip.
The Super Gravity i can let down a little more and enjoy the grip and both being tubeless there is to flats or snake bites going to be a common issue ruining my rides specially in Mtb events.
Schwalbe will release 29" Super Grav tyres at around end of the year when the 2014’s are available… Cant wait!!!
I have been running low pressures in my HD Super Gravity, 15psi or so, which is quite low for my weight (200#) esp when you consider it’s a 2.35".
Whenever I pull it out to ride, I’ll check the pressure with a hand squeeze and invariabley it’ll seem to low, so I have to temper the urge to add air 
The stickier rubber is also really nice, it grabs rocks and roots better, esp when wet; it has been a very wet Summer.
No complaints, I have not been getting any squirts, good traction, weight is far less than any DH tire, pretty much the perfect tire for me. I could see getting a Super Gravity with a lower profile tread for areas that get less rain or a deeper tread for areas that get more rain.
I rode my Geared up 650b on a ‘‘real’’ ride this weekend, I did around 40-50kms on light hilly XC and really really techy trails in mud and wet conditions. I’ve been riding the Schwalbe Hans Dampf 27,5x2.35 with Trail Star Compound (tubeless)… So far, I think it’s amazing! It’s the best tire I’ve had so far!
Just like Ben said, it grips on everything even when wet! My tire was filled with mud and it was still gripping on every rock and root on the way. The tire didn’t even burp on my ride, I like it! lots of awkward rocks everywhere in my trails and I did not have any problem with the tubeless setup.
Just saying that the 650b is the best wheel size I had also
Yup, 650b is just right sized for all around muni.
I’m building a bike for longer rides and I was looking at the 650b as a wheel size, but on a bike there is so much more control and of course gears, so I went with a short chainstay 29er.
I kinda wish the 650b wheel size was closer to being “mid size” between a 26 and 26 rim, as it is, the size is about 1/3 the difference larger than a 26". I do like that a 650b with an HD is a tad larger than a 26" Duro, so I don’t feel like I’m losing wheel size when I ride narrower tires.
Saw the Dirt Wizard on the Surly website, any idea if this tire will fit in KH26 frame? Or would you need at least the KH29 frame for clearance? Seems like it should fit fine in KH26…
I just installed a sample Dirt Wizard on my KH26 as of last week =)
The Dirt Wizard is almost identical in weight and casing size to the Maxxis High Roller 26x2.7, so plenty of clearance in the KH26. It’s 60g heavier than the High Roller (e.g. negligible difference), same casing depth, and 3 mm wider (so not noticeable). Tread depth is similar to the High Roller, so deeper than the Knard. Weight is about 1000g
I haven’t put it through a huge amount of testing but so far it looks like a great tire.
I also have a sample of a 27tpi Surly Knard in 26x3.0. This one is way bigger, same as the 29" Knard just 26. Weight is about 1000g.
This also fits in the KH26 frame. Clearance above the tire is only 5 mm but with the shallow tread this is probably OK. Lateral clearance is tight - only a couple of mm) but I think OK as long as your tire is true. I haven’t tested this one yet.