I am currently running the standard SpeedKing 2.1 on my bike and wanted to go for a substantial upgrade.

I was going to go for rubber queen 2.2 wire bead but they are way too heavy and the folders are too expensive.

I have also seen that the Nobby Nic Evo folding is quite a good price and quite a bit lighter than the continentals. There doesn’t seem to be any comparisons of these two though, and I have never had Schwalbe tyres.

I am quite a tyre noob, but it will be mainly used in the dry on off road steep climbs and rocky downhills, sometimes in mud and silt type surfaces, rarely on tarmac (but don’t want something that wears down to a slick after one mile on the road). So overall I need an all-round tyre.

I wondered if there was any advice from members here?

I’m loving my ingitor front and vertical rear combo…good all rounder combo IMO. Rear becomes vague on wet trail centre stone pack path however. Other than that, fine.

I recently got a Maxxis High Roller 2.35 single ply super tacky for the front, and I am in love with it. Rode Cwmcarn last weekend and my front wheel just felt planted and stable in just the right way.

Maxxis ADvantage 2.25 folding, light, excellent grip, low rolling resistance and (relitively) cheap. Maybe a Maxxis Larsen TT on the back for the summer

I ran nobby nics after having speed kings for a year, massively better (in 2.25 evo form). Just swapping one after I sliced it though, and am going to a Fat Albert EVO Snakeskin from on one for £23. I’ll see how I get on with it.

Specialized Purgatory on the front & Sauserwind on the back seems to work quite well.

Speed Kings are a pretty good all round tyre though – although mine are a nightmare to get on & off the rim.
They also last about 10 mins on the road….

Maxxis Minnion DHF 2.35″ single ply 60a front (42a is grippier but draggier).
Maxxis ADvantage 2.25″ single ply 60a rear.

This is as good an all round combo as I have found in far to many years riding.

Rocket Rons are ace, by far the best tyre I’ve used. They’re bonkers light, as much grip as the Nobby Nic, and alright durability wise; unless you ride like a tool or clip sharp rocks a lot.

Cheap on Merlin cycles in the sale Schwalbe section now – £24 a tyre.

One question, a thousand answers, all right and wrong at the same time…

ok, you seem to have picked your size – 2.1ish
manufacturers vary, as do models, but anything between 2.1 and 2.35 written on the side will likely be ok

weight you seem to favour light(er) weight so rule out anything dual ply, DH or SuperTacky (ST, 42a, etc), UST, LUST
rule out everything at either (far) end of the speed spectrum regarding tread, racing and mud
price you seem to want cheaper rather than the latest/greatest

what you are left with falls to personal preference. its a bit early in the year for STW to have come to a conclusion about this years next best thing

previous winners
conti vert pros
nobby nics
kenda SB8s
conti mountain kings
high rollers
ADvantages
rubber queens

to be fair even some of those were not really all-rounders, but just high fashion that particular year

plus +1 for Lunge’s setup

Maxxis Minnion DHF 2.35″ single ply 60a front (42a is grippier but draggier).
Maxxis ADvantage 2.25″ single ply 60a rear.

This is as good an all round combo as I have found in far to many years riding.

but I run a 2.1 advantage on the rear for a little less rolling resistance….beefs out with surprising volume on a stans flow rim. Going to try a 2.1 crossmark as a rear alternative for hard pack summer trails

so what you want mate is a light weight fast rolling mud tyre thats good on roads?

+1 for the Advantage. Great in the rocks (cause they come up pretty big for their size), lightish, grippy, roll fast, ok if not great in mud. Best allrounder I’ve found

I asked the lads at cyclewise about Tyres as they sell hobby nics and maxxis the nn where £48 each and maxxis igniters where £ 38 the lad told me the bobby nic does not work well at whinlatter its Gerry slippy told me to try the igniror well I love them fast rolling good sticky compound excellent tyre

I had a Rubber Queen 2.2 folding – good fast tyre until the side wall blew apart.

I’m now running a Crossmark 2.25 which feels just as fast and also high volume like the RQ. Cornering feels better with the Crossmark – the RQ could feel a bit squirmy at certain pressures which the crossmark doesn’t suffer from.

Tried a small block 8 in between which I thought was OK but nothing special – plenty of grip on most surfaces but not fast.

Just switched back from Trailrakers to my ‘3 season’ tyres.

I’m a bit contrary so I run Michelins rather than Schwalbe, Maxxis, Conti or Spesh – Wild Grip’r 2.25 up front and a Wild Race’r 2.10 out back.

slainte 8) rob

Some great advice. Thanks to all who have posted.

I read around and ordered some 2.2 Mountain King IIs

They seem to be getting good reviews. I steered away from the 2.4s because I was worried about frame clearance even though people are saying that they are a narrow 2.4