Hi all,
I’ve been recommended Specialized Butcher Controls as an all-season UK AM tyre, and before I commit I was wandering how they do in the mud and on greasy tree roots?

It’ll be going on my 150mm bike, and will be raced too. My High Rollers seem to be sliding all over the place when I hit any roots, and they’re a bugger to climb with as well (much wheel-spin).

Any suggestions for something on the rear, that is cheap and cheerful?

Not really up for this tyre changing for different conditions business.

Many thanks

On the front not very well as far as I’m concerned, preferred my HR s.

On the front not very well as far as I’m concerned, preferred my HR s.

Not what I was hoping to hear 😡

It’s these or the more expensive Black Chili Conti Barons, unless anyone has any better suggestions.

No better than a HR in mud, but I prefer them in the dry.

For the rear I think it is hard to beat the good old bonty mud x.

Hans Dampf from Germany for £30?

Hans Dampf from Germany for £30?

Hmmmmmmmm, maybe baron rear, dampf front?

bonty mud x

Although brilliant in the mud, probably not a good idea for the dryer months.

Depends on your mud tbh… They clear better than highrollers so they’re better at sticky mud or that half-firm slop you tend to get on churned manmade-but-not-armoured trails, downhill tracks etc… Especially if you can keep the speed up. But they’re definitely not as good as a supertacky on wet roots- think that mostly comes down to compound and the sts are just plain stickier. In bottomless slop neither works that well- neither’s a mud tyre after all, just trail tyres that can do mud.

Baron is the best allround mud tyre I’ve ever used fwiw. Sidewalls could be tougher but otherwise I haven’t a bad thing to say about them, they are fantastic. Baron front Butcher rear has served me very well

Northwind do you bother shedding the extra £s for the Black Chili compound?

Sounds like I should just whack a baron on the front, and leave the rear as a high roller?

Oh sorry. Yeah, I’ve never used a non-chili Conti that didn’t suck frankly, they’re made out of shoe leather and recycled plastic bags.

Black chilli deffo worth it IMO. The cheaper compound is sketchy as.

Black Chilli Baron it is, and I think I’ll put a Spesh Purgatory on the back, after reading another thread.

The butcher would be better than a purgatory if you want to keep it on for winter.

The butcher would be better than a purgatory if you want to keep it on for winter.

In that case, I think I’ll just use Northwind’s combo, it seems very sensible.

Good move, northwind has good taste in tyres. If the local rocks weren’t so bloody sharp I’d be using that combo myself before moving onto barons front and rear for winter.