Don’t normally MTB much in the winter but I’ve decided to just crack on with it this year. Decided last night during a muddy techy climb that the year-round Ralphs on my hardtail aren’t going to cut it! Need to be quite narrow to fit.

What’re people using? Quite like the look of the Dirty Dans although the XC version isn’t tubeless – assume that there won’t really be a problem though running them tubeless on Stan’s? Conti Mud King Black Chilli also look good (and they are tubeless ready).

Spesh storm for decent all round mucky performance. Mud x for epic mud.
Both are tubeless ready and inflate with no faff.

I’ve just gone from ralphs on the rear to rocket rons, big difference while still being xc light and fast. had a spare 2.25 from the front so shoved it on as an experiment and it seems good.

Not epic mud! Storm look good, ta, will check them out.

I’ve just gone from ralphs on the rear to rocket rons, big difference

Interesting… was going to try Rons anyway (for summer) after the Ralphs wear out – although they’re pretty new so that won’t be for a while. Would be a decent option if they’re OK in mud as I’ll be commuting via the trails a couple of times a week so tyres that aren’t terrible on road/hardpack would be a bonus.

Maxxis Medusa or when its really muddy Panaracer Trail Raker

+1 for when its really muddy Panaracer Trail Raker

As already said, storms are very good but a couple of caveats (IMO). I think they’re good as a rear tyre but didn’t like using them on the front, they tended to ping off roots and rocks and didn’t give much confidence. They’re also pretty narrow so don’t provide much cushioning on a hardtail.

2″ beavers on my HT. Perfect.

Yeah, Storms are a traditional XC mud, so they’re basically great at cutting into muddy fields and not that good at anything else, same as most others like them. Not a criticism, that’s the job they’re supposed to do and they do it well.

Spesh storm for decent all round mucky performance. Mud x for epic mud.
Both are tubeless ready and inflate with no faff.

These and Beavers are all pretty good and will transition into spring due to nice soft compounds. Ridden them all and I would personally go with the one you can find the cheapest. Really not a lot to choose between them.

I ran Trailrakers for several winters and my experience is they are bloody awesome as a winter-only tyre in the slop – better than all the above – but the harder compound doesn’t like it much as things start to dry out.

Just gone for a 2.3 Shorty up front and a Beaver at the rear meself, I’ll let you know how I get on

I discovered Maxiss Beavers last winter and for the first time they made winter riding fun for me. I mainly ride in wooded areas with lots of loam and roots and a bit of claggy mud. I found the Beavers fantastic. The soft compound and sipes grip wet roots well giving you good confidence in rooty sections. The knobs are just deep enough to bite into the loam or mud to give you traction without being too long and squirming lots on harder ground. Overall a great tyre that you could use well into spring. You notice the knobs squirming a bit when riding very hard or rocky terrain but it’s still not that bad. I have them in 2.0 width for the XC race bike and 2.25 width for the all rounder bike.

Beaver front, Ron rear for me in 2.0/2.1 respectively.

I rate the Bonty Mud over the Medusa.

+1 for Bonty Muds. Been my default for a few years now. They’re great!

ta all, have ordered some Storm Controls which sound like they’ll work well on the local, not complete bog-fest, trails. Will order up some Rons as well when I spot a deal as I was going to try those anyway at some point.

Cancel that order and buy my medusa’s – 2 for £30 – barging, go on.

Has anyone tried a Rebena Kratos in mud? Are they a good allround tyre?

They seem OK to me. Not really a mud tyre, more of an all rounder.

Discovered Beavers last year too – very good but not total grip in mud, more good fun in a controlled manner.

Trailrakers made riding in winter the closest I’ve known to totally manageable – very good.

26″ +1 for when its really muddy Panaracer Trail Raker
27.5 Maxis Shorty

Michelin mud R jobs from CR. Folding, tubeless and under £20 a tyre. Both 26 and 29 sizes. Cant say a bad thing about them and that’s coming from Bonty Mud X’s.