i know there is many posts about this but as far as i can see theyre all fairly dated and there is new tyres out etc!! im after some good winter mtb tyres, i mainly ride singletrack around the north and south downs, so a lot of forest, wet roots, loose rocks and mud! after a good all round tyre that offers good grip on the slippery stuff and also in boggy mud! currently i use hutchinson toro all mountain enduro 2.35’s for my summer riding which are superb in the dry and fairly good on damp soil but when it gets slippery they dont offer much grip at all, especially on roots etc!
cheers

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Conti Baron is the one really good mud tyre I’ve used. Expensive, and the sidewalls aren’t tough, but everything else makes horrible compromises at the fun stuff in order to be good at the crap stuff.

Needs to be a black chili Baron

forest, wet roots, loose rocks and mud

Am having some success with a Spesh Captain Control 2.2 folder. Noticeably grippy on my local loop there is a fair improvement in forward motion on loose ground. Previously I was having to pick my way through and feel for grip but the Captain hooks up surprisingly well.

Not the greatest roller on hardpack or smooth surfaces but that’s to be expected.

The only minor niggle is that the limits of traction sometimes seems quite abrupt but this hasn’t occurred often enough for me to say its a definite feature. There have just been a few times when it has ‘given up’ without any warning.

Worth a though shot for £30

wet roots

I believe teflon could learn a lesson from wet roots, there is no tyre I’ve ever heard of that is any good for wet roots, you need better technic and to pray IMHO.

I keep saying it and the answer keep being flamed but Mud-X are the best compromise I’ve found, not too draggy (I don’t find them draggy at all unless you comparing to the like of rocket rons, which are useless in anything but dry conditions), and work well enough in mud.
That said I’ve not tried every tyre available.

Trying a Maxxis Beaver currently, which seems on par with the Mud-x, now they just need to pull there fingers out and get the 2.25 version imported/for sale, so I can put on up front too.

im waiting for the conti trailkings in 650b – wtf’s happening with them?

z1ppy +1

I have used Mud -X’s for the past couple of winters, mainly on a Trek 69er. They continue to amaze me what they can deal with, and that includes the slippy wet granite of Dartmoor(nothing deals with wet roots – agreed!). They are a bit heavy and a bit draggy but hey, its winter. You’ll be carrying a few kilo’s of mud anyway.
Just wish they did Mud-X’s with a bit more width and volume.

I’m disappointed with the OP’s review of the Tora’s as that’s what I was going to try this winter to get some volume into my winter tyres

By the way z1ppy – rocket rons seem to work for me in the winter, but only in 29er version

Fat tyres?

geax gato

By the way z1ppy – rocket rons seem to work for me in the winter, but only in 29er version

Yes but Ikon’s worked for me on my 29er and looks like a summer tyre to me, which really sold the whole wheel size for your winter bike, to me
(great in the sloppy stuff but not great in the slimey conditions)

the toro’s are v good tyres imho, i have used them for over a year now and tbh i may just carry them on through the winter as i cant really afford to splash £80 on a pair of tyres atm!! i just find they give up when it gets wet, and it becomes a bit scary as you never know when theyre going to just slide out or spin up and you end up completely losing your flow which is so frustrating!! the barons sound good but are expensive, same price as hans dampf trailstars, apparantly amazing levels of grip but incredibly fast wearing!!

See – I was specifically steering away from that response as I don’t think it’s fair to tease.

Onza Greina on the front and an Ibex on the back. the best wet weather combo i have ever used (and i ride the north downs/surrey hills area, and they are amazing there)

plus they work when its not wet too.. which saves swapping tyres over all the time

So what mud tyre to race xc in then?

Easy, Small Block 8s and a huge dose of MTFU.

Being serious for a moment, I’ve used the Spesh Storm in the past with good results. It’s a viable all year round front option too.

got me some maxxis beavers and theyre superb!! silly amounts of grip in the slop and theyre controllable is you start to slide etc! made my winter far more exciting lol

I went into my shed to get my bike for today’s ride, and the mud x rear on my FTMc had developed a leak around the tubeless valve, so with a heavy heart I picked up my AM rigged Heckler.

Not looking forward to the expected mudfest, with my Alps combo of a chunky monkey and a smorgasbord, both tubeless. Yes, they were draggy on the climbs, and my Marz55 were pogo-ing on the climbs, but I was amazed at both the grip, and mud clearing of both. There is one particular technical climb on my route today, with a slow speed step-up over a big smooth tree root. I often struggle with traction on the rear tyre to get up it. The Smorgasbord (at 22psi which the mudX can’t handle) bit, and gripped nicely, cleaning the section.

I had previously thought of the Smorgasbord as a 3 season tyre, but in a mix of deep mud, claggy clay, wet leaves and wet roots, it didn’t miss a beat.

I’m currently building up a Fireline Evo29er, and I will be buying Smorgasbords for both ends.

I have just swapped a £30 Spesh Purgatory onto the back for my winter riding, do the same type of riding as OP. Compared to the FIREFOX XC pro that’s come off the back, the grip and mud clearance is significantly improved.

have a High Roller on the front.

Maxxis Beaver on the fs and bontrager mud xr on the ht. Beavers are ace the mud xrs less so being draggier and really bad traction on roots.

Plus one for Conti Baron black chilli. Loving it in the gloop we have at the moment run tubeless at 25 psi. Clears mud well,very good on wet rocks and roots. Not as fast rolling as my Conti Rubber Queens but much better as a winter tyre. Not cheap mind 🙄

Cheaper option, buy one Baron (make sure its black chili) and stick it on the front and keep a Toro on the back.