BIKE: You have been accompanying the Maxxis BIKE Transalp yourself as a consultant and service man at your own stand for several years. How does the Transalp feel from this perspective? What makes it special for you?
Mike Hörner: Preparing for and travelling to the starting point of the first stage is probably just as exciting for us as it is for the participants. A lot needs to be organised in advance and a number of questions need to be clarified. What is needed beyond a "normal" event to make work easier, cater for participants and create additional good vibes? What might the participants need in addition to our products? And above all: Have we forgotten anything?
The special thing about the Transalp is, on the one hand, the international starter field and, on the other hand, the fact that from the very first day there is a sense of family cohesion, both among complete strangers and among the various service and expo stands. And this becomes stronger and stronger towards the end of the week. Everyone helps each other as best they can and many new friendships are formed.
Mike Hörner will also be a speaker at our free webinar on 1 March and explain live what is important when choosing and fitting tyres.
After the webinar, you will have the opportunity to ask our speakers questions. Register now for the free live webinar!
What are the biggest aches and pains that Transalp participants come to the Maxxis tyre docs with? Are there any recurring issues?
After crossing the finish line, many participants initially seem relatively disorientated and have a high heart rate in the expo area. It's clear that they've just spent four hours at full stretch, the bike is on strike and the cranks are loose. So first to Maxxis, "they are the title sponsor and have to help me." We help where we can and are happy to do so, of course. However, the majority of participants come to us because they are unhappy with their current tyre set-up or because their tyres are worn or defective. Leaks in the tubeless system are a recurring theme, which is usually due to old rim tape, too little or dried-up sealant or loose valves.
What are the most important things to look out for before the Transalp when getting your bike ready for the week? Which tyre set-up makes sense?
The most important thing, apart from physical fitness, is a freshly maintained and perfectly functioning bike. If you arrive at the first stage with worn brake pads, non-functioning suspension, a defective dropper post, a worn-out chain or defective frame bearings, you will probably run into major problems. In the Alps, the supply situation for high-end parts is usually rather meagre. Therefore: Check your bike, check all screws, pack brake pads and chain links. Is there any play in the wheel, air in the brakes, is a tooth missing in the cassette? If you don't want to do it yourself, go to a specialist dealer at home. The better prepared the bike is, the more effortlessly this exhausting week will pass.
As the majority of the Transalp is ridden on asphalt and gravel, a fast-rolling tyre such as our Aspen or Rekon Race should always be used on the rear wheel. Depending on the weather and the amount of trail, a slightly coarser tread like our Ikon can be used at the front.
Fitting new tyres or running in the tyres beforehand, which do you think is better?
Freshly fitted tyres are ready for immediate use and do not need to be run in. If you switch to a completely different tread pattern beforehand, you can of course first familiarise yourself with it and get a better feel for the limit range.
There are tyres with harder or softer carcasses, harder or softer treads, fine-mesh or coarse-mesh fabric and with more or less puncture protection. What should Transalp riders look out for when choosing tyres? Is there an all-round recipe?
There is certainly just as wide a range of MTB tyres as there is of mountain bikes themselves. The important thing is that the tyre suits the bike and the rider. There are participants who tackle a Maxxis Bike Transalp on their trail or enduro bikes. If the bike is ridden as usual, a light XC tyre is of little use despite puncture protection. I wouldn't recommend tyres without any puncture protection, as the risk of losing valuable time during repairs is too great. The all-round recipe is: grip and good rolling and braking behaviour at the front, and faster rolling at the rear. This also applies to fullies with more suspension travel, but then with a suitable down-country or all-mountain profile.
Many bikers ride two identical tyres. Others deliberately choose a different model for the front and rear. What would you recommend to Transalp starters in this respect?
I think that has a lot to do with personal preference. Many participants are experienced athletes and know what they prefer. We are happy to provide individual advice at our stand. Changing from identical tyres to mixed tyres always has advantages and disadvantages, sometimes only in terms of nuances. However, these can make the difference between victory and second place.
Tube or tubeless, what would you ride yourself? What are the arguments for and against?
100 % tubeless! The risk of punctures when riding with an inner tube is significantly higher than with the lighter tubeless set-up. Should the tubeless tyre nevertheless cause problems, it can be made fit again with a plug or, if necessary, a replacement inner tube.
Tyres can be run tubeless with less pressure, offer more grip, better handling and are less prone to punctures. There is not much to be said against this, except that you have to be a little more careful when fitting the tyres to avoid making a mess.
If you decide in favour of tubeless, what are the most important tricks for fitting? Where can problems arise? And what should you have with you in the event of a puncture?
Clean rims and tyres, a little patience and preferably a good floor pump or compressor are important for tubeless installation. There are rarely any problems, usually only with rims that are not standardised according to ETRTO or rims with a very deep rim bed.
You should have tyre levers, tyre plugs and CO2 cartridges with you for on the road or in a race. A spare inner tube will also do in a pinch.
Opinions differ on the tyre dimensions used and, above all, the air pressure. Tyre widths have increased over the years, even among marathon pros. But can more volume really tolerate less pressure? There is the old-school faction that fights its fear of punctures with 2.5 bar or more. And the brave ones who want to generate more grip with every tenth less. But what is really the best balance between grip, rolling resistance and puncture protection?
More volume can be ridden with less pressure. How much I should reduce the pressure also depends on my personal riding ability and whether or not I can control my bike at the limit.
Depending on the system weight, wheel, suspension setup, riding style and surface, every tyre needs a certain minimum pressure in order to function reliably. If the air pressure is too low, the tyre buckles in bends and slides over the shoulder lugs. If the tyre pressure is too high, it cannot interact sufficiently with the ground, rolls less smoothly and the probability of punctures increases.
The best ratio can only be found by gradually approaching the "correct" air pressure, taking into account the variables mentioned. In most cases, however, it is also sufficient to be close to the correct air pressure. Namely, when you finish the stage without punctures with a big grin on your face and have got the best out of yourself and the trails.
What do you think belongs in the Transalp travel bag, just from a tyre perspective? What should at least the team or the group - perhaps not every individual starter - have with them?
No tyre is puncture-proof, so every group should be prepared for punctures. Must haves for the race in the group are tyre levers, spare inner tube, CO2 cartridge and tyre plugs. Spare tyres are not necessary, we have enough at the stand. They are also available at the refreshment stations.
Why should participants stop by your stand, even if they don't have acute tyre problems?
We are one of the few stands that are also on site before every start. In the morning we offer last-minute repairs (in the truest sense of the word) as well as a fleet of floor pumps with which you can set the correct air pressure on your bike before setting off on the Highway to Hell. After the race, there are deckchairs to relax on, plenty of spare parts for tyres, cartridges, pumps, et cetera, lots of good humour and always an ear to listen.
