Took my bike out today, conditions were very nasty, it rained three inches here overnight.
Even though everything was as slick as snot, the trials tire performed flawlessly. I went with 8lb's of pressure as Flying W suggested. Had a load of fun today, mostly road up steep hills with some loose rock and slick mud. I was the first one to try the biggest hill, and made it the first time with ease thanks to the traction the trials tire gave. While at the top i watched my friends get partway up the hill and loose traction, then they would have to turn around and try again. Me and a guy with a Pirelli soft terrain were the only one's who made it, but it took him several rides and i would consider him a better rider than me.
Next we played around in a very small creek that has a bank about three feet high with roots as big as my calf. I took my bike up the bank twice over the roots while the other guys sat on the other bank and watched. No one else even attempted the roots, and i am definately not the best or wittiest rider in the group, but i had alot of faith in the trials tire.
Even in shallow mud, it was impossible to loose traction. The only place where the tire lost traction and spun was in deep mud. The tire cleans out VERY well too, i never looked back to see the tire full of mud, always clean.
Braking with a trials tire is a WHOLE new story. It is something that really takes some getting used to. While coming down one of those gnarly hills i decided to see if the tire grabbed any better braking wise than a knobby. It sure did and i came to a quick stop. I almost fell over because i wasn't expecting to stop like i did. Cornering is fine with a trials tire. Some folks were concerned with it slipping while riding out the side of a steep muddy hill. I can tell them first hand that if the front tire isn't slidding, the back tire is still digging.
Riding at higher speeds wasn't a problem for me at all down a tar and chip road. Maybe some slight side to side movement, but what can be expected from a tire @ 60mph running 8 pounds of pressure.
Conclusion:
I am extremely impressed with the trials tire. It is truly a horse of another color. I am just an average rider, but this tire made me look like a pro today and prevented me from having some wrecks that i probably would have had with a knobbie. It also took me places a knobbie wouldn't have. It got tested on alot of different terrains today, and performed much better than all my friend's knobbies did.
If you are considering a trials tire, get one. You won't regret it. Idaho Charley musta been running too much pressure or just had a dud tire because the Michelin X-11 is so much better than a knobbie ever was for me.
Also, after two rides, there is no sign of the tire wearing. The edges on the knobs aren't rounded, stil sharp. I would have seen wear on a regular knobbie for sure because i have rode this tire on blacktop and on everthing else.
This tire gets a 11 out of 10. . All hail the Michelin X-11