Tyres on your bike are one of the most crucial element for pro riders, and it requires specific qualities such as: grip, bounce, traction… Today, there are few manufacturers selling Trials specific tyres, but this year, there is a new manufacturer: OBR, from Taiwan. A brand with a strong motto: “By riders, for riders”, “owned by riders”. And from what we know, these riders are very close to a bike manufacturer: Rockman Bikes. It’s a point in their favour, they are not coming out of nowhere!
OBR launches on the market a new 19” rear tyre with some interesting features. This tyre appears to be an alternative to the Monty Pro Race. Abel Mustieles has the Gekok on his bike! The Gekok is a super light tyre, for competitions, and here is the description from the manufacturer:
| OBR | Gekok |
|---|---|
| Size | 19’’ x 2.5’’ |
| Width | 66mm |
| Compound | Soft : 52A |
| Carcass | Medium thickness sidewalls, steel bead |
| Weight | 820g |
The tyre is available at Trialprod for 49€ (special introducory offer : set of 2 tyres for 88€ instead of 98€), whereas the Monty Pro Race is at 39€, but OBR says it will last longer than the Monty Pro Race. Tribalzine has tested this tyre for you. Louis Grillon, our 20” rider has been using it for two month, in training and in competition on every type of sections. Our verdict !
Overview and getting the tyre on…
Of course when we received the tyre we had to compare it to the Monty pro Race and the Try All sticky. And we can say the Gekok is almost the same as the other.
The Gekok has a steel bead, however, it stays as flexible as the Monty. You can wring it, both are really similar. On the OBR, the compound is 52A, which is, for us, the same on the Pro Race. But, we’ve found some additional information, and, it looks that the compound on the Monty is a 53A.
On the left sidewall of the tyre you have two arrows that indicate the rotation. In the arrows you can see the logo. Very simple. The brand doesn’t want to give an aggressive look to the tyre. And of course, the name of the tyre refers to the lizard that has sticky feet in order to adhere all types of surfaces… But how much grip has this tyre?
The tread pattern doesn’t have anything in common with the Pro Race. Actually it’s more similar to the Try All Sticky: no small square knobbles. And it’s wider and looks more aggressive. Knobbles are designed to work as a plier. But a wide spaced and knobbly tread pattern is great at clearing mud.
And, for the weight weenies, one of the knobbles has a second layer you can remove with a cutter in order to make your 45£ tyre lighter. But, hey, it’s your money!
Let’s compare it on the scale! Weight is slightly the same as the Monty. Our model is at 790g, 10g lighter than the Monty. But we know that with any tyre, weights can vary slightly from tyre to tyre. Anyway, we can say that this tyre is the lightest tyre on the market, just like the Monty.
Now it’s time to get the tyre on the wheel. The carcass is a bit wide, and it’s less easy to get it on the rim. You have to push the sidewalls down to the bottom of the rim if you want your tube to fit. But once you inflate the tyre, it looks very round and you have the same width you get on the Monty with a 2.6” section.
Sur les zones
We’ve tested this tyre on all surfaces: rocks, concrete, dirt.
First impressions are really good. The tyre has a really good grip, it sticks to the obstacles just like the Monty. Even if your moves are not precise, the grip will help you to get on it. The tyres works really well in the slopes and you get a lot of traction from it. The tyre is very bouncy, and on big moves, it really helps you. No puncture at all during this test.
We have also tested it in the mud, at the French National Cup in Poitiers. The grip was as good as it is in dry condition, and the tread pattern was still giving a lot of traction. It is in this type of conditions that this tyre makes the difference. The Monty is already a good “mud tyre” but the Gekok is better.
OBR says their tyre will last longer than the Monty. That’s true. Today, Louis is still using the same tyre. But it is the same compound (52/53A). The only reason it last longer is that the tread pattern is thicker!
Conclusion
This tyre is excellent, as excellent as the Monty is. But the Gekok is better in wet conditions, in mud, and you have more traction when you need it.
The Gekok will wear slower than the Monty. But let’s be clear. This tyre has not been made to last for ever! It’s a tyre made for competitions. For OBR, grip is the priority.
It’s a good thing for 20” riders to have an alternative thanks to OBR, and guess what? OBR is working on a 26” tyre. Wait and see…
***************** Tribal verdict : 9,25/10 ******************
Pluses |
Minuses |
| + Grip in all conditions | - High price |
| + Very bouncy | - Not easy to get on the rim |
Voici les premières dates des compétitions de Trial régionales de la nouvelle saison dans la partie est de l’hexagone. Le Trophée (...)
Le Montauban Trial Club a le plaisir de vous annoncer la "SESSION II" de sa Compétition Nocturne. En effet, pour ses 10 années d’existence, (...)
Le club du Vélo Vert Savignolais organisera la 6ème manche de la Coupe Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes 2017 de Trial ce dimanche 17 septembre ! Une (...)
L’équipe de bénévoles du Vélo Club Sportif de Betton s’est mise en marche pour tracer le trial de Betton et vous attend de pied (...)
Voici le programme complet de la 4ème étape de la Coupe du Monde UCI Trial 2017, qui investit pour la troisième année consécutive Albertville et (...)
Le club de Vélo Trial Petit-Coeur La Léchère organisera la 5ème manche de la Coupe Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes 2017 de Trial ce dimanche 25 juin ! Une (...)
La finale de l’édition 2017 de la Coupe FFC Grand Sud de Trial se déroulera le 25 Juin dans la petite ville de Saint-Sulpice-sur-Lèze en (...)
La finale du Championnat Centre / Ile-de-France Ufolep 2017 de Bike Trial se dispute ce dimanche 11 juin à Larchant. Retrouvez les infos sur ce (...)
