Where I mostly ride at the moment is either proper wet peaty/loamy mud, or loose rock. At the moment I have a dual compound High Roller 2 on the front, and a 3C Minion DHR2 on the back. The HR has worn really well and still looks nearly new. Conversely, the Minion is pretty scruffy now. Would the HR2 work well on the back with either a Shorty or Magic Mary on the front going into the winter, which is only going to get wetter and slippier. I’m not keen to get two new tyres given the prices, and given the difference in durability am inclined towards the dual compound over the 3C, which possibly rules out the Shorty. I don’t really care about them being slow or craggy up the fire roads or on the flat. Or

HR2 is not great in wet/mud. DHR2 works better and goes well with a shorty up front

The DHR2 is getting pretty worn. What might be a good but keenly priced combination for front and rear then? Tubeless.

Have a look on acycles or Alltricks. Very good prices for Maxxis.

Geax Datura 2.2 £12 or so from on one

HR2 on the back in mud is awful climbing, not so bad cornering.

Hans damph and magic Mary?

Get some snow chains!

For the rear, Panaracer Fire Mud Pro, 1.8

If it’s actual slop….

For the front, something wide and with sparse knobbles, square and grooved if possible. Soft compound.

I’m still waiting for a fashionably sized Baron (that also isn’t a pain in the neck to seal tubeless). Magic little tyre.

Baron . All day long .

This is for a 650b hardtail.

Baron . All day long .

Cheers

Sadly you can only get 26″ Barons!

Boo

TrailRakers impressed me but haven’t had much call for them,,, yet!

Bonty mud x was my favourite but only 26″. Maxxis Beaver supposed to be similar.

Beaver goes up to 2.25 in 29″, but only 2.0 in 650. I know why some mud tyres are thinner, but this will need to do all round mud/wet loose rock/roots. Is 2.0 too narrow for all round use? I’m not exactly a racing snake 🙂

Wet/slimy roots and rocks work best with a bigger tyre in a soft compound.

2.0 might be OK if it’s a grippy enough compound, but I’d probably go bigger personally.

Pure mud with no roots? Trailrakers all the way.

More mixed mud conditions? Storms?

All-round mud/roots/rocks? Butcher/Purgatory combo (although riding mates liking Magic Mary/Hans Dampf).

http://www.alltricks.com/mtb/tyres-tubes/tyres/maxxis-shorty-mtb-tyre-275×230-foldable-3c-maxx-terra-tl-ready-tb85924000-470-208267.html

Pure mud with no roots? Trailrakers all the way.

More mixed mud conditions? Storms?

All-round mud/roots/rocks? Butcher/Purgatory combo (although riding mates liking Magic Mary/Hans Dampf).

With the exception of the Mary’s – haven’t tried them – I’ve had all of those tyres and shorty are better than all of them, on all those terrains.

Currently i am running DHR2 in 3c up front and 60A rear. Absolutely love them. I am quite curious to see how they handle the mud and gloop over the winter. I was about to get a shorty for the front but ill give these a blast first i reckon.

Sadly you can only get 26″ Barons!

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/continental-mondraker-american-classic-eurobike-2015.html

All sizes for the new Baron.

The 2 big gripes with the old Baron were too narrow and the sidewall was not strong enough. If they have made those two updates and it rides as good as the old Baron it will be superb.

The nuclear mud option used to be WetScreams, mental grip in even the worst mud, Les Gets at the end of a week of cats and dogs mud – but they’re a liability on roots.

What about Butcher Grids? They’re coming in at £35 each, and the LBS will give me a bit off that. Looks like the Grid version is a bit softer and a bit tougher.

I have some wetscreams in the garage – whatever the softer compound than supertacky used to be

They were awesome on roots and probably even greased ice but, christ, they dragged like a pair of **** anchors

Do NOT buy spesh control casings unless there are no solid things on oyur rides. Very, very fragile IME. Grid, maybe

super tacky swamp things

Floaters or nates 😉