Scorpion Race

20/09/24 22:53 Filed in: Gear

I never really liked Pirelli automotive tyres when I worked in the tyre business (years ago). They usually took a lot of weight to balance out and they didn't look well finished on the inside. Contrast with Michelin tyres, they looked as good on the inside as the outside and they hardly required any balancing weights at all. Regardless of how good the rubber might have been, from a tyre installer's POV, the Pirelli tyres weren't as good as some competitors.
Enter Pirelli bicycle tyres. Early on, none of them were even made by Pirelli. Road tyres by Hutchinson in France. MTB tyres by Vittoria in Thailand. But both those companies make good tyres. So, Pirelli rubber (arguably as good as it gets from F1, WRC, MotoGP and more experience) is likely to be great.
I've written about them before on these pages. The topic of today's writing is the new(ish) Scorpion Enduro Race M. I have one on each end of my Slash. Prior to that I had the Scorpion Enduro M/R pair (not Race).
There is NO comparison between the Race and non-race versions of the Enduro tyres. None. The Enduro Race has massive blocks for traction, made of soft rubber. I was really happy with the traction offered by the first version - they gripped well in the wet with their rubber compound clinging well, and in the dry. I have only a couple of rides on the Enduro Race so far, but they are so amazingly grippy and stuck to the ground that I bought a pair of Scorpion DH Race Ms for the Sender.
They're a bit like magic. I can't do much to make them slide. They simply grip. Yes they are a little draggy on the climbs, but they are also good in techy climbs where traction is important. On the way down I don't feel like my progress is impeded by the high rolling resistance of them - rather I can stay off the brakes more and carry better speed in places.
If their durability is OK (they're softer so I expect them to wear faster) then I've got a new tyre to use going ahead.

I'll also need to report back on the DH version - once Thredbo opens for the season and I get a few runs on them.

Michael Hanslip Coaching

If you want to go faster, you have to pedal harder

Scorpion Race