GBC's Dirt Commanders
GBC's 26" Dirt Commanders
Upon receiving these GBC Dirt Commanders I went right to work inspecting them. And The first thing that caught my eyes was the unique tread design, the center lugs are check mark shaped while the complimenting outer lugs slightly wrap around the tire for an awesome side bite. Something else unique to these tires when compared to other trail tires is the slightly wider spacing between the lugs which offers slightly better performance in wet conditions. These tires are also bias ply and multi directional so you can swap sides on occasion for a fresh biting edge if desired.
The Dirt Commanders are an 8 ply tire made from a durable compound. I have had these tires in various conditions from rock to sand and they have performed flawlessly as well held up great. These tires have took several hard hits but one that really impressed me and showed just how tough these tires really are was on my second ride with them. On the second ride I hit a large rock at speed (15+mph)with the left front which brought my bike to an abrupt stop. This hit made only a small finger tip size imperfection in the tire, put a small finger tip size dent in the beadlock ring, and shattered my factory SE steering wheel.
I have found the flat footprint design of these tires along with the tread pattern on the rhino works great for traction in all normal trail conditions, from the rocks to the light mud. Of course these are not "mud" tires so in the swampy mud they will struggle when compared to a mud tire, but in muddy conditions the only time my rhino has been stuck with these tires on it was when it was framed out and in that situation I feel any tire of the same height would have been stuck. I have how ever found my 26" tires run short measuring only 25.25" tall with 15 psi.
In conclusion: I am very impressed with the design, the quality, and the durability of these tires. I feel these tires are an awesome trail tire and if you like to ride the trails I am sure you will be just as impressed.
