I have 2.1 Kenda Nevegals which will probably need replacing soon and I'm wondering if it's worth going up one size and if I'd notice much difference? Cheers.

2.3 nevs are far better than 2.1s due to the tread being far bigger blocks

You go a bit slower, you roll over stuff a bit easier. It depends how Rad the riding you're doing is.

It's the difference between pootling and slam dunkin for me……………

I tend to ride rocky stuff, and don't like skinny tyres

in my head, it's more a question of 'what's the difference between hard tyres and soft tyres?'

i've found i need to run skinny tyres harder to avoid pinch punctures. they're faster rolling over hard smooth ground.

i've found i can run bigger tyres softer – and get more grip, and it's more comfy on a hardtail, but slower on hard smooth ground.

in summary; big soft tyres make techy stuff a bit easier, but they're draggy on the easy stuff.

i've got a new advantage 2.4" i'm keen to try out.

anything less than 2.5 looks small these days.

Ok thanks. My favourite trails are quite rocky and rooty so maybe I'll get bigger tyres if they'll fit.

You go a bit slower, you roll over stuff a bit easier. It depends how Rad the riding you're doing is.

The first part is wrong there. You actually go faster offroad.

Bigger tyres are more stable, provide more grip, and off road rolling resistance is lower, they allow for lower pressures again reducing offroad rolling resistance.

In short bigger tyres are better. They do a have weight penatly though which is why 2.2-2.4 is the perfect trial or XC tyre. The same goes for DH, unless your a very heavy rider no one should be running 2.7. 2.5 is the average and if you a skinny kid weighing under 10stone a 2.35 is all you need.

Check this out for more information and an explanation
http://www.schwalbe.co.uk/shopdata/files/TechInfo2-GB.pdf

blimey Dirty….that link is pretty informative ..thanks!!!

In short bigger tyres are better.

Ahem – bit of a sweeping statement there!

I have 2.1s on one bike which are perfect for some situations, and 2.4s on another bike which are perfect for other situations. No tyre is always 'better' than another – just depends on what you are doing……..and I bet Steve Peat could still beat us all on a rigid SS with 1.8s on.

I've gone from a 2.1 Nevegal front to 2.3 Minion DHF and it's way better. Grippier and so inspires a lot more confidence meaning you go faster 🙂 I haven't noticed it rolling any slower either.

I have a 2.7 on the front of my DH bike and I can confirm that it is scary.

Ahem – bit of a sweeping statement there!

Well ya its a sweeping statement but in general terms bigger is better, taking into account your weight. I have not found a situation where a 2.1 tyre is better than a 2.35 for me, but i do weigh 15 stone in all my riding kit. I don't race XC though or enduro's, but can understand the need or want to drop weight in those events but it does mean that the tyre will not be perform as well as it could be.

Granted in snow and ice you actually wont to go the other way on a spike, so there is more force on each spike to cut through teh snow and into the soild ice.
In deep mud you bugger anyway if the mud comes deeper than the tyre, and even a full spike wont give you much more grip. No point it go for a thin tyre as that will dig deeper and no point going wider as the extra air volume will not make you float.

I am sure peaty could would be fast on 1.8 semi slicks than me on 2.5's. I know he is pretty much bang 1/3 faster than me on teh SRAM test track in Spain so he does have a lot of time to play with. He'd probably beat me if he was on a chopper.

Forgot though this about handling not speed etc.

In handling terms you have more grip so can carry more speed and momentum. They deflect less off the annoying small stuff and so are more stable.
They are heavier so have slightly more geoscopic effect as the weight is on the edge of the rim, so they can feel like they are harder to turn in, because they want to stay upright, bit like a 29er. What that means is you may find yourself using your body weight and bit of extra muscle to get the bike over and thats a good thing.

In the air they also help as the extra weight at the rim gives stablity, but also that means if you like to throw the bike around you need to throw it a bit harder.

They make the small annoying rocks and bumps look much smaller and therefore you will start hitting sections faster than before.