I’ve used Trailrakers and Mud Xs in the past on my 26ers, but the time has come to get some mud tyres for the rigid 29er SS.

Anyone got firsthand experience of a Beaver, so to speak?

Yep. 2″ beavers on my hardtail are left on all year, not just off mud.

Good tyre, only ever used in on the rear though.

Love the Beaver when it gets wet.

Was running the 2″ folding on my rigid scandal which is now running Rebas (bad wrists). Side walls look fragile but I am light on gear so not had a problem. Would like to try the wider one up front.

Wasn’t that impressed with 2.0 Beavers locally, you know the kind of ground. Storm Controls for me are a much better winter clag tyre, more bite in the slop as well as better on roots (relatively speaking). Compound and tread are better imo and they’re cheaper, as well as being 2bliss which is really easy to set up.

Big beaver fans amongst my riding group. They make a 2.2 now (in 26″ flavour) which is ace if you’ve got the frame clearance for it (It’s a bit tight for that + mud on my flux). Works well on the Mrs’s Trek though.

Storm Controls are the other option, and the IoW is pretty similar to your local riding JamesO.

I liked the Bonties for everything wintery except deep slop, when the Trailrakers were markedly better. My understanding is the Storm Controls sort of sit between the two in terms of compound and tread.

What I liked about the Beaver was it’s available in a 2.2″ width, which if used on the front should be better on the wrists.

Big beaver fans amongst my riding group.

😀

I was a mud-x user on my 26er and was nervous about having to use something different when I got the 650, Beavers are great, very much like the mud x’s in terms of feel, I agree with mcnultycop, you could run them year round without issue

🙂

What I liked about the Beaver was it’s available in a 2.2″ width, which if used on the front should be better on the wrists

Not tried it in a 2.2 but I’d expect the increased width would make it a worse real-mud tyre and more all-round, by that conditions-point I’d be on the Purgatory for mixed winter conditions. That’s saying that the Storms are a real deep winter tyre for me so it depends where along the winter allrounder to proper mud tyre line you’re looking.

Interesting thread this, i usually hang up the MTB over winter and switch to the road but i’ve enjoyed it so much this year that i’m going to keep riding, i’ve going to put the 650b into hibernation and use the 26er so….the general consensus is Beavers then?

I’ve got a Schwalbe Dirty Dan and a Wicked Will sat under the stairs from a few years ago when i did a mid winter FoD Mini-DH on my old FS…anybody used those over winter?

Beavers or Mud X’s deviant.. both great tyres IMHO

Not tried it in a 2.2 but I’d expect the increased width would make it a worse real-mud tyre and more all-round…

Agreed.

I’m looking more at a late autumn-mid spring tyre as I can’t be bothered to continually change them. Tyres at the moment are Maxxis Ikons, so anything with a little more tread will probably be an improvement. 🙂

After using Trailrakers – which are brilliant during deep winter, but can be hard going in anything but – going a little less season specific is a compromise I’m willing to make.

I suppose there’s always Conti 1.5 XCs too. 😉

I like a front beaver all year round.

Rear has been an Ignitor, will be getting the beaver on the back as well before the weekend.

Although supposedly a mud tyre, it copes perfectly well with Swinley / MOD loam and soil and roots in the dry. To me looks like an old school nobbly, before we went all techy on tyre patterns.

Bedds – Member
Beavers or Mud X’s deviant.. both great tyres IMHO

Cheers, i’ll go Beavers, i like the softer compounds Maxxis tend to use.

I think they’re great (2.0 x 29 front and rear on my race hardtail) but they need to be used on soft (not necessarily wet) ground. I found them not so confidence inspiring on armoured trails, where the tall and soft nobbles on a narrow tyre squash and squirm around around a bit.

I have two wheel sets – one with Ikons which are also fantastic (IMHO)and get by far the most use, but swap to the Beavers when things get soft / muddy and the Ikons just clog.

Run a beaver in the front of my 29er rigid set up. Really like it, and not just when it’s really snotty. So much so mine will be staying on for the remainder of the winter/spring

I really like Mud X’s too, got me through a field last night when my mate on his NN shod HT has to resort to walking due to the claggyness, the X’s didn’t even hold the dirt

Not tried it in a 2.2 but I’d expect the increased width would make it a worse real-mud tyre and more all-round,

Yep exactly my experience having run a 2.25 on the front and a 2.0 (29er) on the back, last winter, and I’m happy with a more “all round” tyre as not all my trails are pure mud. I’ve had a set of trailrakers (26er) and they must be up there amongst the best mud tyres available BUT absolutely SHITE everywhere else, being draggy on hardpack, and no grip on slimey stuff (rock/roots).

deviant – Member
Bedds – Member
Beavers or Mud X’s deviant.. both great tyres IMHO
Cheers, i’ll go Beavers, i like the softer compounds Maxxis tend to use

I’d definitely suggest the Maxxis Beaver are a softer compound over the Mud-X, having worn my rear pretty badly over one winter, where-as as above I’ve run Mud-x for several winters or all year round. This is a something I can live with, as I equate it to having more grip

Use a 29×2.25 on the front of my rigid 29er. Put it on for muddy winter race and have left it on for most of the year since.

Nicely cushioned, good lateral grip in most surfaces.

Out on rooty muddy trails last night I stuck a maxxis medusa on the front.
Seemed to work well