Swapped my front Kenda SB8 for the winter Mud X before my ride last weekend but didn't get a chance to do the rear. Amazingly the SB8 seemed to give plenty of grip even in the mud-fest that is Delamere right now. I'm not sure I'm going to bother changing the rear unless it snows. Grippy front end and a more twitchy back is more fun anyway 🙂
rear tyres; a lot more to do with pressure than tread imo.
Ran an SB8 on the back of one bike all through last winter. Prob not my first choice for foul conditions but then again it wasn't the greased pig I expected it to be.
Similar experience with a CrossMark again as a rear tyre. Shallow but open tread clears quickly and punches well above its weight in slippery conditions.
Been running a 2.1 rear Crossmark most of the year on one bike.
Surprisingly good fun & much, much better than I thought it'd be.
Slung an ADvantage on now, can stop on muddy downhills, but it's not that much better.
Running a X-King (black chili - which is about 60a according to the thumbnail test whilst non BC X-King is a really hard compound) on the back at the moment and have been out in some filthy muddy greasy conditions. Think I need to drop the pressure a bit to make the wet roots a little less nasty but otherwise it's doing well. Rubber Queen at the front - might swap it for a Baron if it packs up too much in stickier mud - only time will tell...
What Rocketman said!
The longer I leave my SB8/crosstrail combo on my hardtail the more I think I've been running "too much tyre" for the last few years. Think I'll leave the trailrakers off till there is a decent dump of snow.
Slant 6 is another good one- barely any slower than the SB8, but works better on a lot of surfaces, doesn't clog in the same way the SB can.
I keep my rear Maxxis Larsen on year-round. Much more traction than you'd expect, looking at the tread pattern. (Which is very similar to a SB8.) Can be a bit squirrelly, but it keeps things interesting. 😀
had never heard of Slant Six
looks a bit like rocket ron?
i hated Sb8, was rubbish in dry, then sidewall ripped on first ride on flint. love the Nevegal though 🙂
I'm just back from a wet weekend in Brechfa, Afan and Cwmcarn with a Baron on the front and Ralph on the back of my HT. Perfect combo.
yeah a slidey tyre on back can be great fun. front, not so much.
This could end up like a postman in shorts type thing.
Who can keep their kenda small block8 tyres on the longest!
it's fun and games up until the point where you're no longer going forwards. then the spikes come out.
I leave my Larson on all winter. Off camber mud is a joy...
my conti king makes things a little interesting on the back... good fun though 😉
a mates slant six had a torrid time in the alps last week - weakest sidewals ever"=!
I have left small block eight on the back over a couple of winters too. Pretty sure that the absurdly good xc-steve of these parts also left the front one on all winter one year. 😯
hungry monkey - Membera mates slant six had a torrid time in the alps last week - weakest sidewals ever"=!
Nah- they use the exact same carcass as the nevegal, bluegroove etc. But they don't have sticky-out side knobs so the sidewalls are more exposed.
2.3 SB8s year round on my hardtail, front and rear. 🙂
Trail-centre type stuff (Brizzle, FoD, Cwmcarn etc) + commute.
Went out on Saturday around the South Wales bogs with some very worn Shwable Hurricane's.... they all laughed at me initially, but made it up all the climbs and back down again in one piece!
Was a definite skill tester/booster I will admit - so now on the hunt for some nobblies 🙂
yeah a slidey tyre on back can be great fun. front, not so much.
+1