• This topic has 22 replies, 18 voices, and was last updated 13 years ago by adsb.
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  • Another winter tyres question – best for wet rock?
  • adsb
    Free Member

    This one’s simple – best rear tyre for wet rock and leaves?

    Been through a load and still not happy, in S Alps.

    Cheers

    trailmonkey
    Full Member

    HR’s accept no substitute

    racing_ralph
    Free Member

    big earl wet

    sc-xc
    Full Member

    Wet rock? Is this another megadeth thread?

    mrmo
    Free Member

    depends on the rock type, some rocks are grippy other like ice. Depends on how you ride, your weight, your bike, etc

    Any tyre question is basically unanswerable by anyone other than yourself.

    NorthCountryBoy
    Free Member

    There are 2 types of grip, mechanical grip and compound grip. Mud requires mechanical grip, this is created by the tyre patern. Think maxxis swamp thing big sticky out nobs to basically bite through the mud and clear it. Compound for these can be reasonably hard as you dont want the knobs or blocks rolling over and moving.
    Wet rock requires compound grip. This requires a soft compound rubber to flex and move and mould into the shape of the wet rock etc you are riding over. The down side of soft compoud is drag. Its a trade off. Personally riding wet rock in the Lakes I found using Maxxis minions was a good solution. Used a pair of fronts, but soft compound 45A super tacky on the front, and a slightly harder 60A compound (front) on the rear. This was my way of trying not to have horrible amounts of drag but still have loads of grip on the front tyre. If your in the Alps and using an uplift using super tacky at both ends would be good. Just dont expect to wizz back along the tarmac on the way home 😀

    adsb
    Free Member

    Good point – the rocks are the damned slippery type where I am, so best tyre for ‘like ice’? (other than spikes of course).

    Not looking for answers, just ideas so any suggestions appreciated. What about WTB? anyone tried their winter type offerings?

    adsb
    Free Member

    Interesting point NCB, I’m generally not using uplift (get specially tooled up if I do) so have avoided super tacky because of the drag but also because of the hammering they get from sharp rock/gravel where its dry. I was actually under the impression that you should go for a slightly harder compound for hard rock rather than soft so was avoiding the really soft/mud types as I don’t have much trouble with clogging up.

    racing_ralph
    Free Member

    Can a front tyre drag?

    adsb
    Free Member
    Jeffus
    Free Member

    I’m also a fan of minion super tacky front and 60a front on the rear, and swap out the rear to an Ardent 60a in the dry.

    cynic-al
    Free Member

    Best tyre for wet leaves…slippiest thing going next to ice.

    Northwind
    Full Member

    “I was actually under the impression that you should go for a slightly harder compound for hard rock rather than soft”

    Not in my experience… harder tyres dig well into firm surfaces but soft tyres glom onto rocks better. Gross oversimplification obviously but that’s a good starting point.

    float
    Free Member

    i swear by my continental vertical, and at about 13 quid on chain reaction you may aswell try it 🙂

    GW
    Free Member

    I love wet leaves, they are the one of the funnest things about riding this time of year.

    for wet rock soft compound, widest rim/tyre combo with a short/low closely spaced knob profile run at low enough pressure to give a wide footprint and suppleness without it rolling over will grip best. shite for anything else this time of year tho.

    mendip
    Free Member

    Maxxis Advantage tyre will do the job

    Pawsy_Bear
    Free Member

    Depends where you ride. UST and low pressures for trail center rocks and leaves. HR 2.3 front (20psi) and Ignitor 2.3 on rear (25 psi). Did 50km at Afan today not a sniff of slippage and huge amount of traction from the Ignitor that is meant to be a dry weather tyre. I ran a Medusa last year but they are not good on rocks and roots. They tended to spit out when you needed traction. You might try a smoother technique as well. Too many people blame their tyres 😉

    djflexure
    Full Member

    Recently rode Lakes with Conti RQ 2.4 front, soft compound and HR rear 2.35 harder compound. Minions would probably work well on front as well. Worked well.

    mtbmatt
    Free Member

    £13 conti tyres have a tyre compound similar to concrete. They slip out when they get within 10 meters of wet rocks & roots.

    neninja
    Free Member

    I’ve been very happy with maxxis advantage exception 62a

    Tracker1972
    Free Member

    Agree with racing_ralph that Big Earl Wets are great tyres on wet rock (and pretty much everything else, I leave them on all year) but it is a big bugger for the rear. Still get on fine with a Big Earl Wet up front and a Jones XR out back through mud, wet stuff, everything really.

    grantway
    Free Member

    I like using the Swampy 42a upfront

    adsb
    Free Member

    Nice set of comments with lots to work on, many thanks guys.
    .

    Will go back to the drawing board and try some really soft rubber I reckon. Bit ‘tyred’ of maxxis at the moment but not tried the big earl wets yet.
    .
    Found 60a HR’s generally good all round and great when it gets muddy but a bid big ‘n slow for the rear, the big tread is a bit ‘on-off’ for sharp slippery lumps too – having said that the super tacky version might be the way to go.
    .

    Ignitors have been a really good summer option on the back but profile feels all wrong in the wet where it’s steep – work up to a point, not past it!
    Jones XR – not bad when they are new but really not good on loose stuff – for me anyway.
    .
    Front tyre of the year for me has been the bonty XR4 – perfect for these parts, until it gets really slippy that is…

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