I'm really after that elusive 'do-it-all' tyre, or the closest fit, as I'm not into buying lots and swapping all the time. I've read a lot of contrasting opionons about the current mid-top end batch that are out there, but still not really clear on what would be best.

Over 2 years ago, I put some old Michelin Wildgripper Lite-S 2.1's (f&r) on my bike and they've been great, for all kinds of xc riding, fast and light and grippy through summer and winter, muddy and dry … until the other day I inflated the rear too hard and the sidewall split (as I was kind of expecting to happen far sooner) … so now its time for me to replace them with some tyres from the C.21st.

I'm looking at around 2.1-2.3ish inches, and prefer lightish tyres (ideally under 600g), but they have to be durable, reasonably fast rolling, sure footed and good in wet and dry conditions. I ride mostly in the South Downs and Chilterns but also make trips to the Lakes and Wales, so lots of trail but roots/rocks/road all emerge too.

Any suggestions?

Maxxis Advantage

Kenda Nevegals are the default for me.

Schwalbe Nobby Nic

Hutchinson Toro

WTB Motoraptor. Roll well on hardpack / tarmac, reasonable grip in the wet, last pretty well and very cheap.

maxxis ardents

Nevagals for me but Ardents's and High Roller looks good.

nobby nics all round

or high rollers (just get the 62A eXCeption highrollers, not 70As)

Used to lurv my Wildgrippers until time cruelly took them from me!!!!!
Nobby Nics are good but found them very erratic on grass so my fave at the mo is the 2.4 Conti's Mountain King Supersonic with latex tubes!!!!! – extremely happy with this set up…only change I make is to install MK Protections if I go anywhere extra rocky!!!

if you ride the chilterns your asking a lot of one set of tyres, nothing grips or clears better than a mud tyre this time of year, but if you have to have an alrounder, Conti speedkings are worth a punt, not used mine in the dry, but the hold the winter months quite well as the wide spaced knobs clears alright.

why not just put the same ones back on if you rated them?

Nobby Nics are a good all rounder but sidewalls can suffer a bit on the South Downs if you don't keep the pressure up.

dunno the weights but bonty acx seem very good all year round

dunno the weights but bonty acx seem very good all year round

+1

Spesh Eskar 2bliss

I have used Speed Kings for a few months now (ghetto'd). Did use a Race King on the back the one dry dy we had. Highrollers on the FS.

maxxis crossmarks for something a bit lighter and racery

or maxxis advantages for something a bit bigger…

Spring/Summer:
Front SwampThing
Rear Ardent

Late Autumn/winter:
Front SwampThing
Rear Swampthing

All 60a singleply compounds for the best compromise. Swampthing- anything stickier is bloody TOO GRIPPY

has anyone tried the Maxxis Ignitor, eg 2.1 eXCeption?

Nevagals with a blue groove on the front

ive been running panaracer cinder all year and they have been great

i wouldn't use an ignitor as an "all rounder"

basically the same as a conti vert, and i didn't rate them. they;re ok on dry/loose over hardpack kinda trails but anything else, rubbish

One tyre for the summer.
One tyre for the winter.

You want to run a RRalf out there, in the woods and bridleways in this weather?
Similarly, having a summer tyre really sets you free in the summer – zoooooooooom!

PS – ACX in the winter

Hutchinson Toros for me too.
Had them on during the summer and they are doing a great job so far this winter.

My 2p worth…
MKs seem ok in 2.4 but don't like wet slabs of rock at all
High Roller 2.35s better on that but more draggy generally.
Speed kings ok in the dry but no use in wet conditions (dark peak) and pinch flat far too regularly so would need to be tubeless
No experience of others but of those 3 High rollers best

2.25 Snakeskin Nobby Nics are by far and away the best tyre I've ever used but at £45 each they bloody well should be!

I've used them all winter and in the maritime alps and they've been superb.

I really rate Specialized Purgatory tyres though, and they're half the price of Nics. Got one on the front and it's very grippy but clears mud well and rolls as well as the Nics. Not convinced by the Eskar for the rear though – mud clearance and grip not overly impressive

I'm definitely an advocate of the all-rounder approach. Even in the depths of winter it isn't usually muddy all the way round and even if it is, so what? It slips every now and then. Sharpens up your riding. Similarly in the summer a little bit less rolling resistance ain't really worth having if you aren't going to get decent grip on the fast corners etc.

I'm going back to Specialzed Adrenaline Pros when my Conti Speed Kings are worn out, but they'll do for now.

Nevegals for all rounders (I used a Blue Groove on front)
Bonty Mud for winter or Trailrakers

Both pretty cheap for kevlar beaded folders too.

I wouldn't touch speed kings if theres even a hint of moisture (i.e. all year here) though I did have the wire bead ones with an almost plastic compound.. they were lethal when the dew settled in summer never mind any when else.

LUST Ignitors are good but I found they tended to let go a bit on very rooty stuff, LUST high hollers here all the way

High Rollers. Nobby Nics are easily the shitest tyre I've used. Never had so many pinch flats.

thats funny, considering i've been using a mix of raplhs and nics and only ever had one puncture in 3yrs on them.

horses for courses, rider weights and pressures may vary.

Know loads love them, I just never got on with them at all, no matter what tyre pressures I used. They were of the bike after a month.

Come to think of it- For a nervous rider like me- the Ardent is the summer season version of a Swampthing. Brilliant. Only started letting go a fair few times a couple of weeks ago.

Ignitors, I'd say. High Rollers have zero grip on mud or grass, even though they're probably bit better over roots.

Ditch the alrounder attitude and you will be rewarded.

It takes 10 mins to change tyres, and if you change them, mud tyres last ages if only used in mud, something for intermediate sort of conditions, and a flat out summer tyre for when its rock hard going. It costs no more once you have them than running one set into the ground and you will have the best availiable grip and speed at all times.

I run 2.1 swampthings for this time of year.

speed kings 2.1 or adrenalines 2.0 for a bit of everything type stuff, and choose between them for if I need lots of volume or a bit more speed. (adrenaline 2.0 come in a most companies 2.3)

Kenda sb8's for flat out rock hard summer.. (wow these are just flippin amazing tyres)

High Rollers and Nevegals.

I hate the BG/Nevegal combo though…

Hmmmm…no real consensus then

High Rollers have zero grip on mud or grass, even though they're probably bit better over roots.

Rubbish. High Rollers are pretty decent in mud for a non-mud specific tyre.

ooOOoo as ever… this is just one of those subjects like what helmet is the most comfy, and what saddle.

However that said, even though there are some good alrounder tyres, I stick by my "ditch the alrounder attitude and you will be rewarded" post.