Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 45 total)
  • Panaracer fire XC tyres – opinions
  • trailgod
    Free Member

    Have stumbled across a good deal on the above tyres – opinions please …

    robbespierre
    Free Member

    I had the blue trimmed version (until my bike got nicked) and liked them as an all round “winter” tyre.

    emac65
    Free Member

    Unless they’re being given away free I wouldn’t bother ………Actually,even if they were being given away free I wouldn’t bother with them………..

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middling Edition

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middlin...
    Latest Singletrack Videos
    wwaswas
    Full Member

    I used them for a couple of years when I first started mtbing. They were decent all rounders but I’d say that designs and compounds have moved on since then and there’s better all round tyres about now.

    njee20
    Free Member

    Actually,even if they were being given away free I wouldn’t bother with them………..

    +1, the impressive combination of heavy, and not in the least bit grippy.

    BoardinBob
    Full Member

    Probably the worst tyre I’ve ever used.

    spacemonkey
    Full Member

    Don’t agree with the negatives above. They started trending about 10 years ago and IME are a pretty sound 3 season tyre (spring, summer, autumn). They’ll get you up and down and round most things with a fair lick of speed. Not good on sketchy stuff, especially anything off camber.

    Pretty puncture resistant too. Just don’t expect to hit anything big in them.

    richmtb
    Full Member

    They are a bit old hat these days.

    Panasonic Rampages are much better tyres.

    simon1975
    Full Member

    I still like them on the rear. Where are they being sold cheaply?

    KonaTC
    Full Member

    Used them a few years back; liked the red trim to compliment the frame

    Anyway always thought of them as all-rounder’s – not particularly good but then again not particularly bad;

    you pays your money and so takes your choice, I’m sure STW’ers will say for £60 an end you can get tyres that…..

    trailgod
    Free Member

    Terrain cycles have ’em on offer …

    cloudnine
    Free Member

    If you still listen to cassette tapes then these will be for you

    NigE5
    Free Member

    I use the XC Pros all the time in the surrey hills, It’s all about what you are confident with.

    nickc
    Full Member

    They’re fine. Good all round tyre that will grip in most things, useable life measured in months/years rather than hours or days, there are lighter tyres out there for sure.

    SaxonRider
    Full Member

    I found the sidewalls had the structural integrity of clingfilm.

    Look elsewhere.

    mboy
    Free Member

    They’re 15+ years old

    If you ride a bike that’s also 15+ years old, they’ll probably suit it quite well

    If you ride something more modern, then there are a huge number of more modern tyres with better tread patterns, compounds and carcass construction, that will be better suited

    Just cos they were once very popular doesn’t mean that they’re much cop now. The Tioga DH was probably the best selling tyre of the late 90’s, still doesn’t mean it was any good back then let alone now. The VW Beetle is the best selling car of all time iirc… Judge that by modern standards if you like, and you’ll see what I’m getting at.

    onewheelgood
    Full Member

    If you have a bike with limited mud clearance (anything with v-brakes) then the 1.8s are brilliant all-year tyres. They were the best tyres I ever had on my pre-2000 bikes. I’ve never liked the 2.1s, and if you have the clearance to run them there are better options.

    nickc
    Full Member

    They gripped when I last used them, and I don’t think mud has changed that much….

    But yeah there are tyres now that will grip better and roll better than fire pro

    composite
    Free Member

    I got them front and back on my full suss. I think they shed mud OK and grip OK but aren’t as grippy as say a spesh storm control. They are surprisingly fast rolling though.

    I don’t have any particularity complaint about them but I’m not sure I would get them again, I think I would just give something a go.

    moonsaballoon
    Full Member

    i have used them for a long time but always with a nagging doubt there must be something better but not wanting to spend loads on various tyres to find out . So What is the more modern choice for a all round 2.1 tyre ?

    asterix
    Free Member

    I like them (but ride a 15+ year old bike). I have them because I cant get the Panaracer Smoke/Dart combo anymore 🙁 😆

    AlexSimon
    Full Member

    I was using them until a couple of years ago. imo they are pretty decent here in the peaks.
    Their limiting factor is the width. I’ve moved on to wider tyres now. Currently using 2.25 Ardent EXOs on all my wheels which are substantially wider. They are also weigh the same and are a tad faster rolling. But cost much more.

    fandango
    Free Member

    I suppose you get what you pay for. Yes, they’re an old design and compound, but if you can pick them up at a bargain price and don’t feel the need to have the latest in black circle technology, why not? Personally I preferred the Cinders.

    IHN
    Full Member

    For just generally riding your bike around they’re fine. In fact they’re quite good.

    They may be 15 years old, but they were good then and mud, rocks, gravel, grass, sticks and roots haven’t changed much since. There’s probably grippier/lighter/faster tyres out there, but there’s nothing inherently wrong with Fire XCs

    ir_bandito
    Free Member

    I’m a long-term fan and user of Panaracers

    Fire XCs are nice and grippy on the summer-side of average British conditions. Compound is hard so not much fun on wet rock etc.

    Panasonic Rampages are much better tyres

    If its dry…. Terrible if its muddy, snowy, sloppy etc

    Cinders are very good all-rounders for grip, but slow and draggy.

    Trailrakers are great in deep mud, but again, hard compound means they’re terrible on rocks, roots, tarmac.

    Favourite tyres at the moment are Bonty XR4, followed by XR-Mud. Maxxis Advantages are good and stable too.

    martinhutch
    Full Member

    I had one on the front a while back. They made me much more fearful of wet roots and off camber rock than I needed to be. Fast-rolling though.

    GaryLake
    Free Member

    Terrible things. Just because they’ve always worked for you, doesn’t mean things haven’t moved on. Tyres are a personal thing but pick any allrounder designed in the last couple of years and it will roll faster while offering more grip. Why wouldn’t you take that?

    Different example but used to think Nevegals were great. Recently got Hans Dampfs. Manage to offer a lot more grip while simultaneously rolling faster, offering more puncture protection, and only being a fraction heavier despite being noticeably wider.

    In the dry, something like a Racing Ralph or a Small Block 8 will be hugely faster and as, if not more, grippy than the Fire XCs IMO…

    avdave2
    Full Member

    I have them at the moment but I’m thinking of replacing them with black chili x kings following advice/opinions from here. The only issue I’ve had with them is I don’t like them on loose gravel but as others have said if there is nothing better out there what have the manufacturers been doing for 15 years. I also found they clog badly but that isn’t an issue as my rubbish weather bike has mud x on. I might actually just get a new front tyre and use the worn mud x’s on the back as they are losing a bit of grip now.

    andyl
    Free Member

    It depends on what you want them for and which version you get.

    There is the OEM version, regarded as the much poorer version, and the higher TPI one which I think had the bigger letters.

    I’ve got a set of the OEM ones sitting in the tyre pile. As a general use tyre for some off-road, grass, loamy soil, cycle paths etc etc they are fine. Roll well, cheap and last ages. There is much better for wet rocks, much better for mud and much better for hard pack but it depends what you want them for.

    Kryton57
    Full Member

    You can have one for almost free if you cover the costs of postage (£2.78). I had no issues with them in the dry/damp but have moved on to tubeless and have one left hanging about in the shed.

    IHN
    Full Member

    there is nothing better out there what have the manufacturers been doing for 15 years

    Working on their marketing?

    joolsburger
    Free Member

    In simple terms how good are you on a bike, if you are pretty average like the vast majority you will find that XC pros are a grippy, long lasting and cheap all season tyre.

    If on the other hand you really are special and absolutely tear around the place at top speed and do big jumps drops etc or are a competitive XC racer you will most likely benefit from more specific tyres.

    Or option 3 you buy something more expensive because you can and are happy to pay for the marginal gains in grip or speed you “personally” will get.

    I’ve had blokes on bald knackered tyres ride rings around me and that says it all about tyres IMHO.

    monkeychild
    Free Member

    I have stuck the 2.1s on my singlespeed and I love them. They handled gloopy mud just fine and I never had any twitchy bum on roots moments.

    zippykona
    Full Member

    They broke my collarbone. One second they were gripping the next they weren’t.

    PiknMix
    Free Member

    Still use them, rubbish in the mud but no complaints as a general dry ish all rounder.

    napesneedle
    Free Member

    These are a bomb proof all round tyre and for the money you cannot ask for any more! I ride them all year round, they shed mud quickly and roll well in the dry, they climb rocky slabs, decend greasy wet slabs and roots no problems. Perhaps the negative comments about their performance are due to poor bike handling skills. Get them and try them out you wont look back honestly. Forget expensive yuppie tyres stick with the tried and tested ones.

    ell_tell
    Free Member

    Out of interest how much should one expect to pay for a pair of these – wire bead & in good nick with lots of tread left – seondhand?

    Kryton57
    Full Member

    ell_tell – Member
    Out of interest how much should one expect to pay for a pair of these – wire bead & in good nick with lots of tread left – seondhand?

    see above – £2.80 for a folder? 🙂

    ell_tell
    Free Member

    Ha ha, I thought as much 🙂 I forget how long they’ve been around.

    I used to love my old Smoke and Dart skinwall combo I had back in the day.

    napesneedle
    Free Member

    You can get a new pair for around £30. Second hand wouldnt pay more than £15 but they would have to be like new, watch for sidewall wear!

Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 45 total)

The topic ‘Panaracer fire XC tyres – opinions’ is closed to new replies.

New deal added to Members Discounts