Apologies for adding to the endless list of tyre questions. I can only really afford one set of tyres for year round use. My current Blue Groove/Nevegal combination is coming up for renewal, what would you recommend? I mainly do trail centre stuff and don't require either cross country lightness nor DH burliness.
Many thanks.
Bonty Mud X ?
Stay with the Blue Groove and Nevegal in DTC and folding bead.
Best compromise on weight and wear/grip.
I have had plenty of Kendas and rate these as GP tyres.
If you can afford several pairs and do not mind constantly changing them round, then there are better choices for dry and very muddy conditions, but for one-tyre-only I would stay with what you know and like.
PaulD
Maxxis Advantage?
Second for Bontrager; I would have said something like XR4, but reviews on here suggest that the Mud X are really great year-round tyres (especially this year with the pissing weather!), if you don't mind their relative narrowness.
I prefer Maxxis tyres and if I had to stick to just 1 pair I would go for:
High Roller 2.35 60a front
ADvantage 2.35 60a rear
They're not great for mud, they're not ultra fast but they are more than enough tyre for the riding I do. I also have a Conti RaceKing 2.2 that I throw on for the 2 days a year when the trails are dry but I could happily do without that.
Another vote for Maxxis Advantage.
I only run one set on my singlespeed. Cheapo (about £12 per tyre) wire mk 2 mountain kings. 2.4 on the front and 2.2 on the rear. Think they're great and I'll be getting the nicer folding ones for my "race bike" as they are not too bad for rolling resistance.
I use Minions singly ply front and rear on my Soul.
I find no need to ever change them.
Mud-X. I Stick them on in October, take them off in March/April but to be honest you can ride them all the time. Only cost about £20 each too.....get the 2.0 for all round use.
Conti Rubber Queens, work well for me.
2.1 XR4 s would work. 2.25 are a bit big for real mud on my bike.
I have also run Maxxis High Roller 2.35 as do it all. These are smaller than 2.25 XR$s
Mud X is good but not really needed for most trail centres....
Can't go wrong with XR4s IMHO
[url= http://www.allterraincycles.co.uk/product/119505.html ]Bargain... :)[/url]
advantage 2.1 70a makes a great rear and should last a while (70a is quite sticky too surprisingly, not hard at all).. you should also find it rolls a fair bit better than a Nevegal. i only really rate the Nevegal as a front tyre weirdly; can't comment vs BlueGroove never tried it. similarly (or opposite), Advantage is not a good front tyre imho, can wash out at some angles, scary! Minion 60a 2.35 is about the best front tyre in general imho.
if you only ride trail centres you can probably get away with a fair bit less tread than any of these though.. umm was going to recommend Schwalbe but they don't last nearly as well as Maxxis.. try Nevegal front, Advantage rear? maybe Ardent front, Adv rear.. hard to say depends on your style eh. you don't say your weight or rims either so hard to recommend sizes!.
Mud-X? They're better for natural and soft stuff imho. XR4 looks like it might be a decent all rounder but don't buy from allterraincycles.co.uk ...
73kg on 717s.
Thanks for all the suggestions, those XR4s look like a steel.
ok narrow rims so anything above a 2.1 advantage or 2.1 kenda is large (but a 2.35 minion would be ok weirdly!)
also consider that Maxxis tyres way outlast most others, i find.. might be worth paying £25 for them if they're good and last. don't get anything softer than 60a, and avoid the exception ones.
under £20 for wire advantage
http://www.tweekscycles.com/Product.do?method=view&n=3595&g=245369&p=230009&c=215
it's an excellent rear tyre imho, long lasting, ok in all conditions, allows some drifting too.
Hutchinson Toro (enduro compound) 2.35. The only proper all-rounder tyre I have ever used. Unfortunately, the price is almost as much as 2 sets of tyres, but bargains can sometimes be found on ebay