Congratulating outselves on wise tyre choice on Pitch hill yesterday (Me: Bont xr4 front/Nic rear. Mate: Hans Dampf front, Nic rear), and how esential some good sized knobbles were is the damp, earthy conditions, we were then treated to a masterclass on jumping and cornering by a fella running xr1 (similar to Small block 8) tyres front and rear.
We laughed at our relative ineptitude and carried on our way somewhat wiser.

Reminded of this every time I go out with my mate. The grip he generates with pretty much bald tyres is crazy, technique isn’t it.

I do wonder how many “what tyre” thread starters ever get near the limits of their rubber other than by skiding before corners etc.

Aye. Once got collared by a guy in the car park at GT drawing my attention to the fact the canvass was showing through on my rear tyre. My reply ” I am carrying 2 spare tubes and a repair kit”. 😆
Given the cost of tyres I will be running more of them down to the canvass 🙄

tbf, if you ride the same place a lot, you will learn how to handle your tyre (any tyre). so repetition is a lot of it?

i like to ride different surfaces (sand, clay, loam) and it’s hard to remember how each tyre behaves in each condition, plus wet or dry, and yeah, i’m not that well balanced either. hence the minions most of the time :p

A good tyre can compensate for a lack of skill and poor technique.

But it will also make you feel safe, confident and therefore more likely to ride your bike and improve as a rider. 😀

Good riders can use any old tyre.
The rest of us need all the help we can get.

Yep, my Mountain & Race King front/rear combo were a great combo on the CYB enduro yesterday…..Daren’t touch my back brake on those muddy,grassy descents !

totally agree, its just unless you’re racing not sure why you’d want less grip. unless its to improve balance/skills… probably a good idea for me actually.

Within reason though…is there that much difference in tires? Ie choosing rated ones appropriate to the terrain,.. my experience says no.

In the extremes I think the right tyre choice can make a difference but for the other 95% of the time most tyres cope pretty well, you just adjust to there particular foibles.

It’s the same with brakes/tyres on cars. You don’t realise how shit they had got until you fit new ones…

I’d happily ride anywhere on Ignitors, XR4’s, Cinders, Purgatorys, Advantages, Fires or Minion DHFs.

I’d rather walk than use High Rollers or any similar design with a big gap between centre and side treads, they just scare me.
So much that I loose all confidence.

Been riding for years too, but mostly freemince/passive jeycore lite. 😀

“my experience says no“

Mine says yes. Have you ever used a Conti Twister? 🙂

There’s a massive difference between tyres but an even bigger difference in riders’ abilities to use tyres.

There clearly are shit tyres but I do wonder if there’s all that much between the various “goodish” ones ecept in very specific circiumstances

Round here in winter, a trailraker is MUCH better than anything else I’ve tried to keep you moving in the kack but they’re **** lethal on wet roots (maybe everything is ?) and I doubt they’re up to much on dusty hardpack

Worn tyres is a weird thing – unless they’re absolutely buggered, mostly it’s the centres that wear most but it’s the edges that define “performance”