so looking for a good but cheap-ish (approx£25 each) tyre to see me through the winter.

the type of terrain is a good even mix of muddy fields and singletrack with roots, gravelly tracks and the odd bit of road stuck in for good measure. probably about 30% muddy fields and singletrack, 45% gravelly tracks and 25% tarmac.

anyone able to recommend something that wouldn’t be too bad for each of those?

I’ve looked at the Specialized range as the prices are right, maybe the sauserwind? the storm is probably too mud orientated and the captain probably not good enough on the mud? but i’m not sure.

there is only so much longer my michelin xc dry2s will work on the wet bits.

any suggestions please.

bontrager mud x or maxxis beaver

I’ve just put some Geax Argo 2.0″ on my bike, first ride on them yesterday and by jingo, they grip like limpits. Can’t find any for sale now though, but Wiggle do have the 1.9″ Gato for £9 (wire bead), or £15 (folding).

bontrager mud x or maxxis beaver

are they not both very mud orientated? how are they on gravel and tarmac?

Pana XC Pros? Excellent all rounders but not too trendy on STW.

XC pros? i’m sure the red sidewalls would go well with my blue frame. good thinking tho.

anyone got any other ideas?

Mud X would be the obvious choice. They’re a great all round winter tyre, not the widest or fastest though.

Some 2.1″ Maxxis High Rollers would also be a good idea based on your suggested usage, not so great in out and out mud but probably better elsewhere than the Mud X…

hmm, yes could go the high roller route. maybe in 1.95 so they’re less draggy and cut through mud a bit more?

High roller 2.1 comes up tiny – I bought one for my fuel ex as the clearance is shite. It’s more like a 1.9, very small volume. Didn’t like it so took it off after one ride, bloody lust version too, another waste of money!

swoosh – Member
XC pros? i’m sure the red sidewalls would go well with my blue frame. good thinking tho.

anyone got any other ideas?

Posted 9 hours ago # Report-Post

XC pros come in red, blue or black.

Excellent all round tyre, not niche enough for STW.

Decathlon do Michelin Country Mud (wired) for £10 each.
Not as good as the folding model, but only approx 550g and very good in the mire.
I have one on a hardtail and it works well without the massive drag found on Blue Grooves.

PaulD

swoosh – Member
so looking for a good but cheap-ish (approx£25 each) tyre to see me through the winter.

May I suggest you rethink this to “what is the best tyre to see me through the winter.”

Tyres have more effect on the way your bike handles than any other component, and the difference between an expensive tyre and a cheap one is a tiny proportion of the overall value of your bike.

I’m not saying a more expensive tyre is the best, just that the price shouldn’t be the consideration. Go for what makes your bike the best it can be.

Go for what makes your bike the best it can be.

Care to add any tyre options to the mix?

All year tyre I like are Continental Verts. Was out in mixed conditions yesterday and they were grippy on rock, mud, wet roots and all sorts. However as they are old fashioned and lack the requisite Maxxis logo I’m going to say ignitors which look to be a fairly straight rip off of Verts.
The black Chilli vert I have up front is pretty remakable for grip vs rolling speed and a pair of those are 60 quid.

I’ve got a pair of part worn Nobby Nics you could have for £18 posted. Not the greatest in proper mud but reasonable all rounders. email in profile if you want some pics.

Should be Mud x’s on web for £19 each, JEJames I think.

For £25 you could do a lot worse than to check out Specialized’s offerings. I know that the Storm is quite highly rated as a foul weather tyre.

Mud X is about the best all round tyre I’ve used, at £19 an end for tubeless ready you really can’t go wrong. They stay on my bike from October till April normally.

To be honest you could ride them all year round and they’d be absolutely fine, but I can put up with two tyre changes a year for a little boost in spring.

As you mention, the Spesh range is pretty good & well priced, but I wouldn’t recommend the Captain for mud duties…..it tends to clog quite badly and then doesn’t clear.
Purgatory is a good allrounder – I’ve got a 2.2 Purgatory on the front & a Captain 2.0 on the back. I’ve just damaged the sidewall of the Captain so have replaced it with a 2.0 Sauserwind. Not actually ridden on it yet though, but it looks like a mini-high roller.

I rode for years on Panaracer Fire XC and would agree that they are a great all round tyre – although again, they do tend to clog a bit in thick mud. Most things will though, unless they are specific mud tyres.

A couple of mates of mine use Bontrager Mud X all year round & really rate them highly.

If I had to use one tyre all year it would be a mud-x

would I be right to assume the 2.0 version of the mud x would be a little more versatile than the 1.8?

I haven’t used the Specialized Eskars through winter yet, I’m not sure how well they’ll handle deeper mud but they’ve proved very good at everything else.

Mud-X is a great rear tyre, if your riding involves a lot of proper horrible mud. I won’t use it again for anything else though. I tried a 2.0 on the front last year and it was the only time I’ve ever had a tyre perform so badly that I just turned around and went home- so inconsistent, and slides so badly when it does go, which it did an awful lot. Went back and did the same muddy loop an hour later with a nevegal on the front instead and though it handled the mud less well it wasn’t just a disaster on everything else, like the Mud X had been. But really excellent on the back.