It all seems to be DH casing super tacky compound 2.4"+ these days
- What happened to tyres like maxxis beaver/bonty mud around 2.0-2.1 as they'd be perfect for my cascade. Mezcals are lethal in local mud/roots and current crop of mud tyres are too heavy/overkill for a drop bar mtb
I some lightly used Panaracer Trailrakers (26" obviously) if you ANYONE wants them?
Oh the pain they caused me, so so draggy..
there's a 2" dirty dan, I think
On a similar subject, can anyone recommend a trail/XC oriented tyre for muddy natural trails on a 10 year old's bike? She's got Ardent 2.25's on there at the moment but I'm not sure how well they're going to work after all this rain - I'm hoping that her weighing very little but being on a pretty big 27.5 x 2.25 tyre and not that fast that she'll be ok for now...
I pedal things more like this "It all seems to be DH casing super tacky compound 2.4″+ these days" in the winter but I fear that could put her off pedalling for good - or at least until the late spring!
I wrote to Bontrager asking them to remake the Mud. They said no.
They could now call it the Gravel Mud Pro and charge a fortune.
Best tyre ever.
Maxxis forecaster? Not really a mud tyre as such, more a winter-xc tyre. But, reasonably 'spikey' and good gap between the knobs so clears well. I've just popped one on the back of my SS HT, and it seems OK.
This link has them in 27.5x2.2 or 2.35. Not checked whether they do a 29er in the narrower width.
The newer Forekaster is 29x2.4 and doesn't look to be as open treaded as the original.
Agree about the Maxxis Beaver - that was ace despite quite small blocks
Old forekaster 2.35 is good enough and sub 800g I believe. Plenty of those around.
Having bought some and expected last weekends rooty race to be damp - it was very wet - I’ve been riding old Forekasters for a month now and raced on them on a Sunday over very wet loam, mud and roots. They are surprisingly grippy for what appears to be a low profile tyre and also available cheap if you look around.
I am on a 2.0 Dirty Dan, the old version is still floating around (i think the new one is significantly heavier) and is a cheap, light mud tyre, works well in the slop round here, yes its very draggy but its a mud tyre so always going to be.
Have to agree about the mud X I used it all year round. Rocket Ron is surprisingly good in mud. Trailrakers, I have a pair hanging in my garage smothered in mud from years ago-like dragging an anchor around behind you.
I have phantom muds as a mud X replacement. But can't comment on them as they haven't been ridden yet. Look to be a fraction bigger than the mud X though so maybe more useable out of just mud . Maybe more like a spesh storm. We will see soon.
If you can find some older model forekasters I’d think they’d do the job nicely. I’ve run a 2.6” x 27.5” one on the back of my hardtail for a few years. Considering it rolls along quite nicely I’m always amazed how much grip it finds in gloopy mud. Never run one on the front - but for xc I think it would do the job.
I some lightly used Panaracer Trailrakers (26″ obviously) if you ANYONE wants them?
Oh the pain they caused me, so so draggy..
I opened the thread just to say Trailrakers! Admittedly my spectacles have a very rosy tint but I always loved Trailrakers through deepest darkest muddiest winter. They didn't like roots mind, or rocks, or anything that wasn't mud!
Mud X was a great tyre in 26 inch . For some reason they didn't work well as a 29 inch
Whatever that off-brand Curtis offer on the Cascade is should be good. I took them out on snow for a test ride and they were brilliant. Of course that depends on the makeup of your mud but I was happy with the.
The barzo is not good in proper mud.
I think the maxxis severe is new and intended as a mud xc tire.
Hi Goldfish!
OP:
On a few XC tyre threads over the last couple of years, the consensus seems to have been Barzo front and Mezcal rear for dryish and rapid summer progress. Mezcals both ends for even quicker if it's proper dry. But mezcals would be a bit exciting/zero traction once it gets damp
Mez/barzo is what my lad runs in the SDW/Stanmer summer, but nobby nic both ends for the winter.
I run a spesh ground control front all year round, and it's "ok" with the winter mud. I should probably run a nobby nic, but I'm a bit tight. Rear is a spesh Fasttrak as long as i can get away with it, but will change it to a Nobby Nic this weekend as it is going to be sodden now for the duration.
Thing is, real XC mud tyres. your Mud Xs and Storms and such are very situational, they're essentially only good at bottomless mud. Which is fair enough, that's what they're for, but it means you're sacrificing being good at all the fun stuff, in order to be good at the worst stuff. And mostly they're pretty terrible at stuff that comes in hand with horrible mud, ie, wet rock and roots (because they're skinny and spiky and generally fairly hard rubber to support that spiky profile and to make them not drastically slow). So if you're winter racing, or if your riding really is massively mud-focused (ie you have nothing else locally and just have to suck it up) then they can be absolutely brilliant.
But for most people you're just better with a knobbly trail tyre, which will be much worse at the mud, but the mud sucks donkey balls anyway. And in return, they'll be miles better at everything else, which is probably why you're out on the bike in the first place. (The Beaver was a heroic exception, the orinal Conti Baron could do some great work too)
Maxxis forecaster? Not really a mud tyre as such, more a winter-xc tyre.
Came here to suggest this. As spiky as you're going to get while still pretending it's an XC tyre.
Anyone have experience of Hutchinson Toro XC in 29x2.1?
Last Hutchison tyre I tried was a python. Awful things. Never went back to the brand again 🙈🤣
I had Hutchinson Toro 2.1...but 26in back in 2008! I liked them at the time but that was so long ago I've got no idea how they would compare to more modern tyres as a 29. There aren't many tread patterns around from 15 years ago unchanged. Take from that what you will.
Based on looking for something decent in mud I've got a Michelin Wild XC on the front now. Unfortunately the rock hard compound, shallow tread, big central spaces with nothing for grip and flat profile are more suited to hardpack, which it isn't great at either.
As above, would love to see the Bontrager Mud X make a return.
What about a Hutchinson Tundra in 50mm? I know you've tested them before on UKGravelco, I really rate my 40mm ones and they come up large. Not tried mine in deep mud though as i'm on 650b for winter and don't enjoy mud plugging a whole lot.
Maxxis Forekaster all day very day.
The old ones are super light, quite toothy and surprisingly good for what is clearly a proper XC tyre.
I've also now got a set of the New Gen2 Forekasters in 2.4 WT flavour - these are superb winter trail/XC tyre if you have the room (they are not that big, more of a true 2.3).
Honestly, really, really good.
No one loving the Shorty?
I've just bought 4 as everyone on here previously raved about them.
The Shorty is great but like all cut spikes, it’s not an XC tyre. Fine for pedalling around if you don’t mind exchanging rolling speed for grip. Usually OTT on the back unless you’ve got an uplift.
Well given that Conti CrossKing, Schwalbe Rocket Ron and Vittoria Barzo are what the Pro racers run in the filthiest world cups and UCI races the pure XC mud is no longer requires at those levels, so the manufacturers don't make them.
I've still got a pair of brand new 29er Spesh Storm Controls in the shed and even through last winter I saw no need to fit them, I just ran CrossKings front and back and dropped the pressure a bit.
Plenty of racers reached for maxxis severes at Mont St Anne this year. It is by their definition a dedicated mud tyre
I'd suggested the racer who's tires I mounted ran severe rear, ardent race up front as the severe (most mud tires generally) aren't much good on rocks/roots.whichbwas a.big part of that course. She survived with severe fr/rr
Blocks on the severes didn't seem much taller than a rocket Ron though
What about a Hutchinson Tundra in 50mm? I know you’ve tested them before on UKGravelco,
Yea, they are 47mm so I might try them but I do like the volume of the 2.1 mezcals
I watched one particularly muddy would cup last year. Many riders seemed to be really struggling and slipping all over the place running their usual tyres, except one. Pauline Ferrand-Prevot swapped to Schwalbe Dirty Dan 2.0 and won.
I really liked the original Maxxis Shorty. The latest one has changed from 2.3 to 2.4 and is around 200g heavier. Bit more of a slog to push around now.
zippykona
Full MemberNo one loving the Shorty?
I’ve just bought 4 as everyone on here previously raved about them.
Shorty is superb especially in maxxgrip, for knobbers like me it's like a cheat code... but it pedals like a council slab, it's not what OP wants by a long way. I've done reasonable distance with one on the front, but not in a hurry and I never want to do it with one on the back.
steve_b77
Free MemberWell given that Conti CrossKing, Schwalbe Rocket Ron and Vittoria Barzo are what the Pro racers run in the filthiest world cups and UCI races the pure XC mud is no longer requires at those levels, so the manufacturers don’t make them.
TBH that can't be the whole story, if there was a market for it ie if people were buying them, they'd still be making them. I think only a fraction mtb punters are very influenced by what XC racers use, it's just too irrelevant for most people.
Was sorting out my tyre stash earlier and came across a barely used Maxxis Beaver if anyone wants one in 29" flavour. A few other poor condition 29er tyres there I will never use again as they are too light weight for current bikes/riding style. WTB Bronson anyone? On-One Smorgesbord?
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I used the old Forkaster. It had its limits as the trails got wetter. When I reached them I put on High Roller 2. It’s not a mud tyre but it’s ok as compromise as it clears OK and pedals Ok
I use to a Bontrager XR4 as an all round tyre too
The last gen Spesh Hillbilly in the smallest size and lightest casing was disappointing if you compared it to a Shorty or Mary but I reckon actually makes a great ‘xc and a bit’ front tyre for mud.
Yeah, I’d not want to race on it outside of the sort of race where it’s just survival as it’s not race peppy, but it’s not too heavy, the fact the compound isn’t as soft as some means it doesn’t glom along on hardpack and it still has enough spike for greasy lines.
I genuinely think if they brought it back as a ‘downcountry’ winter front tyre it might do alright. You could still get them (cheap) last winter, I haven’t had a look this year.
I used to favour the XC mud tyre as our local trails suffered a lot of slogs across fields as well as roots in the woods etc.
They did suffer a bit over rocks and roots so have recently gone for a slightly bigger trail tyre.
Nobby NICs have proven popular in in the 2.25 size and I have recently put a Magic Mary in a 2.25 on the front of my bike.
Not light but I think it is sub 1kg and doesn't roll to badly in the 29er size.
Thanks,
Max
Often looked for the same, recently wonder what the Teravail Rutland 29x2.2 would be like