I love the mud x and will continue to run one on the back of my bike. I like having a fatter tyre on the front and wondered if something like a swamp thing would be a good all rounder for Uk winter? I don’t mind a bit more drag, but I don’t want to end up like ru paul.

They’re fine as a pair. Good enough to run all year round IMO (Although I don’t)

I’m guessing you mean mud x rear, swamp ting front?

Swamp thing front and Mud X rear for me. Seems to work.

I won’t use a Mud X on the front again. Kenda Nevegal with every second intermediate knob cut off works well in mud… But big volume isn’t all that compatible with good mud manners, the bigger the tyre is the less well it’ll cut.

Swampthing is a fantastic tyre… The sizes on the side are pure lies but still, they stick like a sticky thing, even to sticks. The supertacky 2.35 is pretty damn slow, but not as bad as a trailraker and better when you’re out of the mud.

If it’s got to be mud tyres, Mud X rear and swampie front is a good combo.

Yes, a minion and embrace drifting wholeheartedly 😉

I think I’m going to swap my xr4 out for a 2.0 mud x on the front a stick a 2.1 rocket ron on the back for the Mary Townley loop this weekend and relentless 24hr in a few weeks I reckon it’ll be a sorted pair. I quite like the mud x on the rear but haven’t tried it on the front.
I’ve used a swampthing on the front though and agree they are pretty amazing. Ran them for the student champs xc (the one with the jeycore doing front flips on the this is Shefield video) and they were so confidence inspiring.

So how good is the 60a swampthing for mud/roots etc? Not sure I’d want to go for the supertacky, as I imagine it would be too draggy.

It’s still noticably pretty dang draggy, but the impression I got from a (too short) test was that there’s a fair bit less grip on wet/muddy rocks and a bit less on roots (though tbh nothing grips on wet roots apart from ice spikes). Though I think the maxxpro worked a little better on dryer dirt.

Could go either way really, I should try my maxxpro on the front again. I kind of feel that if you’re going to deal with having a heavy, draggy tyre on the front it might as well be properly draggy, and properly sticky. But that might just be me being bloody minded.

I ended up with a 2.35 Minion DHF Super Tacky on the front last winter.

Never used a tyre like it, very draggy but so much confidence on rocky and rooty clag.

Bit heavy, completely inappropriate for the mincing around I do, but I like my teeth and it’s going back on soon.

Trailraker every time for me. Just Sooooo much grip in all conditions.
Granted they’re a bit slow on the road though, but worth it.
Ade

Ade, you using them on the front? As you experience is completely inverse to mine, though local conditions no doubt contribute.
I couldn’t imagine ever using a TR on the front, great for mud but rubbish grip on everything else IME.

Am kinda tempted to try a Swampthing up front, any more thought on them?

So how good is the 60a swampthing for mud/roots etc?

Very very good! Most of my riding is in a local forest on rooty trails. These can be a nightmare in wet slimy conditions. The Swampthing is the best tyre I have found for this. I don’t know why because it shouldn’t be in theory. It is also awesome in most snow conditions. The payback is that it’s too much tyre a lot of the time and a bit slower but hey ho, you’ll be fitter come spring!

I ran Dirty Dan 2.0 through last winter and found them to be excellent.

A little bit draggy on tarmac but what mud tyre isn’t. Made up for by their excellent grip, great mud shedding and light weight. Mine will be going back on soon judging by the weather.

Bontrager ACX 2.2 on the front for me. Really just a wider only slightly less knobbly MUDX when you look at it.

Ran supertacky swampthing up front and trailraker on the rear last winter round the wyre forest and they were a brilliant combination, used swampthing on the rear too but was too draggy, had to pedal downhill!!! Will be 2.35 supertacky swampthing up front and 2.1 trailraker on the rear of both the FS and hardtail this winter once it gets proper muddy

Specialized Storm? 1.8″ or 2.0″

or theres the DH version in 2.3″ but that looks more like a wetscream… that might be a bit OTT though…

Storm is cracking value too^

z1ppy.
Yea I run a 2.1 TR on the front and 1.9 TR on the rear, or if its more rocky/ rooty harder packed stuff I leave the front alone and swap out the rear for a 2.1 fire xc for spesh captain or purgatory.
Rear grip in mud/slime conditions seem not to give me too much of a problem. I know that I can ride past a lot of my mates who are spinning out and I’ll be on a semi slick. But I hate the front washing out ( too many years of MX) and have found the TR the best by far for grip. I tend to run at 27-29 psi front, it does get slightly skittish at over 34 psi.

Ade

3rock – Member

Bontrager ACX 2.2 on the front for me. Really just a wider only slightly less knobbly MUDX when you look at it.

How do those size up? Sounds like it might do the job I want done…