Went up to do the Loughrigg ride last week and my (mud) tyres were slipping all over the place on the wet rock. Can anyone recommend a tyre that is reasonable at both. I've been looking at High Rollers but all that compound stuff is quite confusing.

Loughrigg what a classic I miss the Lakes. Did Max Cousins spank you all on his yellow scandium kona? 🙂

As for tyres well mud tyres are great for all out mud baths but otherwise not so good as an all rounder in somewhere like the Lakes with it's exposed rocks. In my experience of the Lakes (including many years living and working there as an MTB instructor)the maxxis tyres are the best but size, compound and model choice is vital. It's always a compromise….

Here is my opinionated and blinkered philosophy

I have for a long time used Maxxis and the 2 main models I use are the High Rollers and Minnions.I have only ever used super tacky and maxpro 60a. I have used 2.1, 2.35 and 2.5. I have used x1 ply and x2 ply.

x1 ply
Plus:Light, less rolling mass
Negative:Easier to puncture, tear

2xply
Plus:Strong, very resistant to punctures
Negative:Heavy, high rolling mass

2.1
Plus:None
Negative:Too thin, no grip, high puncture rate

2.35
Plus:Great all rounder, high grip, not too large
Negative:Can come up smaller than other makes

2.5
Plus:Awesome grip
Negative:Too big for most applications other than downhill

42a super tacky
Plus:High grip
Negative:Fast wear, high drag

Maxpro 60a
Plus:Low drag, slow wear
Negative:Not as grippy as super tacky

High roller
Plus:Low drag
Negative:Poor grip in some conditions, lower puncture resistance

Minion
Plus:High grip in almost all conditions, high puncture resistance
Negative:High drag

Lakes/XC/all mountain/all round
Front:x1 ply, minion, high roller, super tacky, 60a, 25-30psi
Rear:x1 ply, high roller 60a, 30-40psi

Recently I have used minion front and high roller rear which is a compromise on drag for grip. This is on my hardtail and when it gets very rocky I seem to puncture the high roller easily. I have hardly ever punctured a minion. However I have decided to go all high roller this year just to keep the speed up.

In conclusion
Leave the x2 ply for downhilling
Only use super tacky for really difficult conditions or downhill
If you like super security in almost all conditions use a minion front, otherwise use a high roller.
Try the Maxxis crossmark on the rear once we are into summer (I have no experience of it but hear nothing but good stuff about it in dry conditions)
Avoid Maxxis advantage unless you weigh less than 3 stone or walk around all the sharp bits.

As stated above I am a blinkered old git, set in my ways and opinionated.
In other words there are probably better or as good as tyres for the lakes/your personal preference, I just can't be arsed to try them!

Hope this helps.

I mostly ride in the Lakes and generally I agree with duir. Bontrager Big Earls are good as well.

good grief, an essay! I buy a tyre and ride on it till there's no tread left, then I buy another one. Sometimes I can remember what it's called.

For xc try a singly ply 60a 2.35 High Roller on the front, and a 2.1 (or if you have the frame clearance 2.25) Crossmark on the back. Good all round combo I find, apart from sticky mud.

Schwalbe Fat Alberts – love 'em!! 😀

Thorough analysis IMO. In defence of 2.1 ADvs, I think they're a good compromise here where it's mainly eroded dirt and roots punctuated by stony/rocky bits. I can see how ADvs would get trashed on more continuously rocky stuff like peak/ lakes/ highlands.

"my (mud) tyres"
Which are what?

"all that compound stuff is quite confusing"
70a – hardest – longest lasting, least grippy, fastest rolling
62a (eXception- a bit grippier, bit slower, bit less life, bit more pricey
60a (Maxxpro) – medium grip, medium rolling, medium life, medium price (less than 62a – though no tyre is available in 62a and 60a in the same size)
42a (Supertacky) – really grippy, slow rolling, short life, a bit pricier, a bit heavier
40a (Slow Reazey) – super grippy, even slower, even shorter life, even more pricey

"x1 ply and x2 ply"
x1 ply could be broken down further
(x1) Single ply are wire bead
Folding bead (techincally 1 ply, but maxxis don't call them that)

With for eg a High Roller or Minion, folding is about 150g lighter per tyre than wire bead, but only available in 2.35" (ignoring the differently treaded High Roller XC 2.1"/1.9") and in Maxxpro 60a
Folding ones do seem a bit less puncture resistant that wire bead though
You could add 100g in inner tube (eg Maxxis Freeride ~300g) in instead and have way more puncture resistance over a 150g heavier wire tyre and normal tube

2.1"/2.35"/2.5" comments I'm assuming are relating to 'old tread' Maxxis (Minion/High Roller/Ignitor/Larsen TT/Swampthing/Medusa etc..)
2.1"/2.25"/(2.4"/2.6") 'new tread' Maxxis (Crossmark/Advantage/Ardent) use a much bigger carcass. A 2.25"new is as big as a 2.5"old, a 2.35"old isn't that much bigger than a 2.1"new

"super tacky, 60a"
eh?

I really liked my 2.1" Kenda Nevegal DTC(50a sides/60a middle) folding tyres in the lakes, couldn't seem to make them misbehave down for eg Walna scar or the borrowdale loop, though it was mostly dry last time I was there
They are a little thin, but a thicker tube in the back keeps them in check

2.35" 60a HRs can feel too 'tall treaded' sometimes, on harder surfaces where they can't dig in, they don't have that much rubber in contact with the ground, but generally very good. Shame they're a little pricey (folding), heavy for the actual volume, only available in single compounds and slightly too hard 60a and too soft to roll ok 42a

I've used 2.25" Advantage 60a's in the lakes too, the loose sharp slate of borrodale/whinlatter cut them up pretty badly after just one daytrip
They are pretty slow (on the road) compared to high rollers or nevegals too, I put it down to being that much bigger and having less ramped tread
Being that much bigger they'll push the BB height up some more. In tighter/cornering situations they can feel noticably harder to get to handle as well. Awesome on flat out rocky stuff though (provided you use big enough tubes in them, normal tubes really have stretch to inflate big enough, becoming much thinner

I think 2.35" 60a Minion foldings might be next to try, at least on the front

minion end of discussion

Buzzlightyear – Member

Thorough analysis IMO. In defence of 2.1 ADvs, I think they're a good compromise here where it's mainly eroded dirt and roots punctuated by stony/rocky bits. I can see how ADvs would get trashed on more continuously rocky stuff like peak/ lakes/ highlands.

I ride 2.1 AdVantages in all those places. never had a problem, and they roll far better than Nevegals, which are grippy as a t8rd on your shoe.

Second for Fat Alberts, excellent in the lakes. Great on rocks and roll well. Just a bit pricey but they do last well.

Nevegal 26 x 2.1 here.

I think you unconsciously ride to the limitations of your tyre…. once you have acclimatised to it. Then you go recommending them to others!

I used to use Trailrakers…. from the Lakes to the Highlands to the South Downes etc to Norway. I've been using Nevegals for the past four years and swapped back to Trailrakers for a day ride in the Lakes at the end of last year. They scarred the shit out of me on one rocky descent where the Nevegals always behave. There again they are better at picking out traction in the mud.

big fan of Intense System 4 EXDC for wet rocks

Thanks gents, very informative, if a little unnecessarily sarcastic in simon's case. I have some nevegals knocking around in the garage, but i think i will go with the H/R's. Tempted by the Fat Alberts as i was impressed with the Racing Ralphs on my hardtail in the summer.

Did Max Cousins spank you all on his yellow scandium kona?

yes.

duir.

i have some questions regarding your tyre hypothesis.
the minion has high rolling resistance and the high roller low?
yet the high roller has a far more aggressive tyre profile designed compaired to the minion?

how can the minion/high roller be more/less prone to punctures if they use the same casing the only difference is the tread pattern?

this a minion is a super dry hardpack tyre and not a wet weather riding tyre. next everyone will be riding spikes on a super dry hardpack trail.
see this tyre guide
http://www.pinkbike.com/news/mud-tires-details-2009.html

this is so true > First off lets dispel all those idiots on the forum that say, “I ride Minions in the mud and they work really well”.

stick with high rollers. minions have no place in wet weather.