I have Geckos, and they are a good all around tire. Side hilling is great, sliding is predictable, and they have not gotten chewed up on the rocky trails you sometimes find. If you keep your tire speed up they hook up good, but try climbing a hill in first gear and you'll be wishing you had shifted into second instead.
All in all, they do what I want. But I'm buying a set of straight paddles as a second set to have around, just for climbing the big hills. A former Gecko owner recommended "Turbo Paddles", he likes them a lot on his C'dale.

 

The Geckos did slide very well. Hey trickpony, we had the same bike but mine had a pipe and will smoke his in the dirt when we are on stock tires. Weakness is reserved for someone that can only handle a pony and not a horse.

 

Definitely go with the 14 tooth sprocket in the dunes. You'll be climbing the big hills in 3rd and sometimes 4th gear, instead of revving the **** out of 2nd gear. As far as the geckos go, I run 2.5 pounds in mine, and in sand drags against guys with haulers, I am dead even. They hook up great. I know some guys that run their tires as low as 1.5 pounds. It all depends on your bike, how wet/dry the sand is, and what you want your tires to do.

 

Hello,
You guys are saying "gear down with a 14 tooth sprocket" My wife has a 300ex and it has a 13 tooth sprocket as the stock part, so not sure if the 400ex is the same, but if it is, by putting a 14 tooth on, that is gearing up, not down. It will give more top speed and less bottom end power. However, the 300ex has TONS of low end power and I do want to put a 14 tooth on so she can go faster.

 

Hey Chad, Good to see ya back in the forum buddy.

 

If your not sand draggin' I prefer sand skates. Of course that is what came with my bike.

PS trick pony should only know what a powerful enough bike is. Lets see him run with the big dogs!