Looking for a set of general duty tyres (obviously not for this weather) but all season. Got Nobby Nics on the susser but looking to not spend as much on the HT , saw some Conti Mountain Kings for a good price, they any good?

I'd say they are two season's max.

Ive got a pair of 2.2 supersonics if you fancy buying them? 😉

Shite! I hated mine. Didn't really grip in anything and punctured too frequently unless I pumped them up so hard that they bounced all over the place.

Got a 2.4 with the black chilli rubber on the front that seems to do well round Huddersfield/Halifax but I'm no riding god so don't push stuff to the limits.

Ridden 7stanes, Llandegla, Dalby, Sherwood Pines on it as well and noticed no problems.

Sponging-Machine +1

If you want a two season tyre- The Maxxis Ardent is fantastic. I didnt like the Advantage etc but the Ardent- its like a stripped down minion? (guessing there).

I need a tyre that will be used mainly only local, stuff in woods or bridleways/tracks, mainly loamy (i guess) sometimes a tad muddy but i'm a bit of a fairweather rider. Like 2.2 as a general size.

Only had experience of

WTB Motoraptors (didn't like)

Kenda Nevegals- Good but really draggy

Schwalbe Nobby Nics- love them but too pricey i reckon

I ride on those sorts of trails and find the bontrager jones ACX pretty spot on for that. Especially run tubeless. They are nice and grippy in the softer stuff, roll at a good speed and grip better than the mountain kings on my other bike.

That said, Mountain Kings seem to get a slating on here, but it all depends where you ride. I have found mine ok for most stuff, especially now I am running them tubeless at slightly lower pressure. They are black chilli ones though, which seems to be the important factor.

Stick with the nobby nics. I got a (new) set for £55 On eBay

sometimes a tad muddy/quote]…………….sometimes, where were you Hugh????

ACX's on the white bike last summer.

Having read all about these "crap" MKs on here, I was intrigued to see them fitted on an Orange 5 I was test riding at Glentress. I can't say I really noticed them one way or t'other and I'm riding with Nobby Nics on my Blur at the moment.

Lol at Spence.

Ok it can be more than sometimes muddy…..but i dont venture out too much in yukky conditions 😉 wanted a general all rounder i dont do "mud" tyres.

I bloody hate looking for tyres…..especially as i'm a tight wad andget caught up in all the bumph the tyre manufacturers spout about their various stuff.

Nobby Nics £30 each at Merlin-26×2.25
Doesn't seem too bad for a really good fast rolling all round tyre

The cheaper versions are a bit rubbish, but the more expensive pro-tection ones are pretty good all round tyres.

They grip like shit to a blanket.

But a blanket that is teflon coated and housed in a gravity free vacuum.

You mentioned that you like 2.2 as a tyre size, so it's probably worth noting that Mountain King sizes tend to come up a bit small. I've got a 2.2 which is like a 2.0 for some other tyres, although still has a decent volume. I'd go for a 2.4 if you have the frame clearance for it and don't mind a tiny bit of extra rolling weight.

I've used MKs in the past and I think they're decent if your riding conditions suit them. They're designed for loamy and hardpack conditions so aren't great if you do a lot of riding over wet rocks and roots.

I've been using MK (Black Chili ones) and they've been great. I'm even using one on the front (Trailraker on the rear) in the snow and it's been fine

I am a fan of Conti Verticals I have them on my ss and hardtail they are cheap as chips shift mud and grip. I think I paid £22 for my last pair 😀

Mountian Kings are great, i use them all year round. Went down the Matador at inners on the 27th of Dec with them. You do need to have them pretty hard but that's how i have my tyres anyway, so for me a great tyre.

Saying that i just bought a pair of Maxxis Highroller XCs but yet to fit them.

dont rate them at all on wet roots, rocks etc, switched to maxxis high rollers, much better

I had a pair of supersonics (black chili rubber). They lasted 2 rides, could never decide if they're not too draggy for the grip they give, or not grippy enough for their speed, but it's one of the two. Very poor wet weather manners. They're a little faster than my nevegals but so much less grippy, it's not a worthy tradeoff if your riding includes roots or wet rocks, or mud.

OP. You mention where you'll be using these is 'loamy' and them you mention "Schwalbe Nobby Nics- love them but too pricey".

buy a pair of Mtn Kings and what if you hate them? You'll then either have to stick with them or buy the Nobby Nics that you love. More cost.

MTn Kings are great- but only great on dusty/summer trails IMO. They do slide abit on the rear if you go near the brakes.

Buy what you love.

Hora…..you speak words of wisdom. I shall copy and print your comment as evidence when the wife find's a new set of nobby's hidden in the garage 🙄

Seriously though your probably right, stick with what i like and to be fair they are a lot cheaper than i paid last year for a set for my susser.

Thanks for the coments folks.

bigbloke, honestly. I own loads of tyres. I always return to the same:- Swampthings. This Summer I had a rare event and also found Ardents. Bloody costly mind getting to that point.

Put a new post up 'cheapest place for Nobby nicks' first I reckon- you never know!

running tubeless king 2.4 on the front, does come up smaller compared to high rollers for example…..the grip is good, though i run a nobby nic tubeless on the back and as soon as i can afford it ill be getting another nobby nic tubeless on the front, these are the tyres ill be using from now on, roll so quickly compared to anything else, and have everything you could ask for in a tyre offroad…best of both worlds and worth spending the extra cash for!

they any good?

depends if you want to really ride your bike at full tilt, rail the corners and stop on a dime. if you want to get from A to B on dry days then they're great.

i got a pair for the GF's HT. standard 2.2 MK. the front locks up really easily meaning you wash out often in the corners under heavy braking. they'll pich flat if you're a heavy-ish rider or drop to flat. in the wet they are simply rubbish, including on-road.

i keep meaning to sell them and buy something (anything) by maxxis.

The standard ones, ie not black chili, have always been absolutely terrible in my experience… But the black chili ones aren't as bad. Still not very good.

Hora said they're good in the dry, and that's probably true but then, a Small Block 8 2.35 is miles faster in the dry, and gripper to boot. And cheaper! So, still not worth buying IMO.

OP- honestly. Ive made loads of mistakes and own loads of almost unused tyres 🙁 dont go the same way!

Thought the MK's are great! Used the UST ones in the Peaks last year.Lots of wet rock and they still gripped! Whether thats because i ran them at 25psi? Did ding a rim though! Saying that used a UST one with a tube on the hardtail in the summer and that worked well! Riding style?
Thanx Max