I'm really after that elusive 'do-it-all' tyre, or the closest fit, as I'm not into buying lots and swapping all the time. I've read a lot of contrasting opionons about the current mid-top end batch that are out there, but still not really clear on what would be best.
Over 2 years ago, I put some old Michelin Wildgripper Lite-S 2.1's (f&r) on my bike and they've been great, for all kinds of xc riding, fast and light and grippy through summer and winter, muddy and dry ... until the other day I inflated the rear too hard and the sidewall split (as I was kind of expecting to happen far sooner) ... so now its time for me to replace them with some tyres from the C.21st.
I'm looking at around 2.1-2.3ish inches, and prefer lightish tyres (ideally under 600g), but they have to be durable, reasonably fast rolling, sure footed and good in wet and dry conditions. I ride mostly in the South Downs and Chilterns but also make trips to the Lakes and Wales, so lots of trail but roots/rocks/road all emerge too.
Any suggestions?
Maxxis Advantage
Kenda Nevegals are the default for me.
Schwalbe Nobby Nic
Hutchinson Toro
WTB Motoraptor. Roll well on hardpack / tarmac, reasonable grip in the wet, last pretty well and very cheap.
maxxis ardents
Nevagals for me but Ardents's and High Roller looks good.
nobby nics all round
or high rollers (just get the 62A eXCeption highrollers, not 70As)
Used to lurv my Wildgrippers until time cruelly took them from me!!!!!
Nobby Nics are good but found them very erratic on grass so my fave at the mo is the 2.4 Conti's Mountain King Supersonic with latex tubes!!!!! - extremely happy with this set up...only change I make is to install MK Protections if I go anywhere extra rocky!!!
if you ride the chilterns your asking a lot of one set of tyres, nothing grips or clears better than a mud tyre this time of year, but if you have to have an alrounder, Conti speedkings are worth a punt, not used mine in the dry, but the hold the winter months quite well as the wide spaced knobs clears alright.
why not just put the same ones back on if you rated them?
Nobby Nics are a good all rounder but sidewalls can suffer a bit on the South Downs if you don't keep the pressure up.
dunno the weights but bonty acx seem very good all year round
dunno the weights but bonty acx seem very good all year round
+1
Spesh Eskar 2bliss
I have used Speed Kings for a few months now (ghetto'd). Did use a Race King on the back the one dry dy we had. Highrollers on the FS.
maxxis crossmarks for something a bit lighter and racery
or maxxis advantages for something a bit bigger...
Spring/Summer:
Front SwampThing
Rear Ardent
Late Autumn/winter:
Front SwampThing
Rear Swampthing
All 60a singleply compounds for the best compromise. Swampthing- anything stickier is bloody TOO GRIPPY
has anyone tried the Maxxis [b]Ignitor[/b], eg 2.1 eXCeption?
Nevagals with a blue groove on the front
ive been running panaracer cinder all year and they have been great
i wouldn't use an ignitor as an "all rounder"
basically the same as a conti vert, and i didn't rate them. they;re ok on dry/loose over hardpack kinda trails but anything else, rubbish
One tyre for the summer.
One tyre for the winter.
You want to run a RRalf out there, in the woods and bridleways in this weather?
Similarly, having a summer tyre really sets you free in the summer - zoooooooooom!
PS - ACX in the winter
Hutchinson Toros for me too.
Had them on during the summer and they are doing a great job so far this winter.
My 2p worth...
MKs seem ok in 2.4 but don't like wet slabs of rock at all
High Roller 2.35s better on that but more draggy generally.
Speed kings ok in the dry but no use in wet conditions (dark peak) and pinch flat far too regularly so would need to be tubeless
No experience of others but of those 3 High rollers best
2.25 Snakeskin Nobby Nics are by far and away the best tyre I've ever used but at £45 each they bloody well should be!
I've used them all winter and in the maritime alps and they've been superb.
I really rate Specialized Purgatory tyres though, and they're half the price of Nics. Got one on the front and it's very grippy but clears mud well and rolls as well as the Nics. Not convinced by the Eskar for the rear though - mud clearance and grip not overly impressive
I'm definitely an advocate of the all-rounder approach. Even in the depths of winter it isn't usually muddy all the way round and even if it is, so what? It slips every now and then. Sharpens up your riding. Similarly in the summer a little bit less rolling resistance ain't really worth having if you aren't going to get decent grip on the fast corners etc.
I'm going back to Specialzed Adrenaline Pros when my Conti Speed Kings are worn out, but they'll do for now.
Nevegals for all rounders (I used a Blue Groove on front)
Bonty Mud for winter or Trailrakers
Both pretty cheap for kevlar beaded folders too.
I wouldn't touch speed kings if theres even a hint of moisture (i.e. all year here) though I did have the wire bead ones with an almost plastic compound.. they were lethal when the dew settled in summer never mind any when else.
LUST Ignitors are good but I found they tended to let go a bit on very rooty stuff, LUST high hollers here all the way
High Rollers. Nobby Nics are easily the shitest tyre I've used. Never had so many pinch flats.
thats funny, considering i've been using a mix of raplhs and nics and only ever had one puncture in 3yrs on them.
horses for courses, rider weights and pressures may vary.
Know loads love them, I just never got on with them at all, no matter what tyre pressures I used. They were of the bike after a month.
Come to think of it- For a nervous rider like me- the Ardent is the summer season version of a Swampthing. Brilliant. Only started letting go a fair few times a couple of weeks ago.
Ignitors, I'd say. High Rollers have zero grip on mud or grass, even though they're probably bit better over roots.
Ditch the alrounder attitude and you will be rewarded.
It takes 10 mins to change tyres, and if you change them, mud tyres last ages if only used in mud, something for intermediate sort of conditions, and a flat out summer tyre for when its rock hard going. It costs no more once you have them than running one set into the ground and you will have the best availiable grip and speed at all times.
I run 2.1 swampthings for this time of year.
speed kings 2.1 or adrenalines 2.0 for a bit of everything type stuff, and choose between them for if I need lots of volume or a bit more speed. (adrenaline 2.0 come in a most companies 2.3)
Kenda sb8's for flat out rock hard summer.. (wow these are just flippin amazing tyres)
High Rollers and Nevegals.
I hate the BG/Nevegal combo though...
Hmmmm...no real consensus then
High Rollers have zero grip on mud or grass, even though they're probably bit better over roots.
Rubbish. High Rollers are pretty decent in mud for a non-mud specific tyre.
ooOOoo as ever... this is just one of those subjects like what helmet is the most comfy, and what saddle.
However that said, even though there are some good alrounder tyres, I stick by my "ditch the alrounder attitude and you will be rewarded" post.
I've tried swapping tyres for summer/winter in the past and several times have found that when you come back to the ones you've stored for half a year in the cupboard, that they either crack or the tread or sidewalls go really quickly. So that means the tyres only really last six months, which is a wast in my book, which is part of the reason I prefer all-round tyres.
Nevegals for me, they'll push through winter mud and roll OK over summer hardpack. Not the best at anything but there's nothing they can't do a bit of, and they last reasonably well (and they're cheap!)
Nobby Nics I think are better most of the year but they're not as good at mud IMO.
I bought my swampthings in 2004... never store rubber in sunlight.
edit.. in the cupboard and they cracked?
Tinsy I agree
You don't see rally cars running the same tyres for each stage 🙂
But they're not cheap these days. It would be nice if people let you tried tyres first....now maybe that's an idea 💡
Actually, WRC are restricted to a very small choice of tyres these days!
They dont send em out into the snow on slicks though...
FWIW, there are quite few that look to be good allround, the old fav was panaracer fire x, the new favorite seems to be the bonty Jones, what they have in common is a very old school std square knob design with a bit of space between the knobs (they look very similar), not mud tyre space but looser than say an sb8.
Something like that will be fine more times than they are sketchy, I guess thats the best you can hope of an alrounder.
Snow on slicks - well that's the precise point! An all-rounder would be better than studs on tarmac and better than slicks on snow.
Good all-round tyre, drop the pressures a bit in the mud and slip.
That's great, if you're into average riding 😉
another vote for Bonty ACXs, not expensive either
Which version of the Bonty ACX's are you using?
It would be good to hear if anyone has tried the 2.1 version on the back, [url= http://www.thebikefactory.co.uk/productdetails.asp?productid=18459 ]like this one.[/url]
Swapping tyres is great if you're into "it must be the equipment, it can't be me." 😉That's great, if you're into average riding
kenda sb8 my 010 winning tread
I use Panaracer Cinders for everything but the driest conditions. [url= http://www.noahsark.co.uk/panaracer-cinder-tyre-kevlar-p-1954.html ]Panaracer Cinders[/url]
pigeonbike - Member
has anyone tried the Maxxis Ignitor, eg 2.1 eXCeption?
Yes I have them and run them on my HT in the summer when it's dry, not the best over loose gravelly surfaces but fast as **** and very light.
I also run the 2.35" eXCexption series on my FS in summer, swapping over to MaXXpro Highrollers when it's rockier.
Winter wise it's Bonty Mud X's on the HT in 2.0" flavour, fantastic all round tyre, may even leave them on for this summer
pigeonbike that has to be a rogue-batch. My Larsens went after one ride- apperently it does happen
I had the Bonty ACX’s fitted as tubeless in September, rode Dalby at slightly lower pressures than I’m used to and they were a revelation. Not once did they seem to slide on the small polished stones that can catch you out there and they weren’t too slow either.
I tried Conti Verticals and found them unpredictable when they do break away, especially at the end of a down hill section if there’s mud in the eqation. I have them still on my FS26er from riding Snowdon, but they’re draggy.
I’ve tried the Panaracer XC Pros and they’re fine – a popular tyre.
In the summer it’s RRalfs.
I’ve had a love / hate relationship with NNicks. Maybe I should try the side-wall reinforced ones as mine never lasted and punctured all the time.
If NNicks work for you, they’re about as close as you’ll come to an all-year tyre that I know of.
Onza Porcupines
High Rollers for me too. I go with the all-rounder approach, they work pretty well in most places, without the disadvantages of a more specialist tyre.
Bonty ACX again.
I'm in complete agreement with tinsy's comments and I love how reading this thread there are such a huge variety of recomendations.You could get confused.
High Roller front and ADvantage rear for me, seems to work for what i ride, nice and grippy in most things, not stupidly slow and not too scarey in the mud.
Surely this depends on local conditions? What works in one area may not in another - although having said that, have run Advantage 2.25's at nearly all the Welsh trail centres, Coast to Coast (St Bees to Robin Hoods Bay), the Cotswolds, Forest of Dean and Bristol in a variety of conditions and been very happy with them.
Have run a range of tyres, from summer tyres on the rear in winter to mud tyres in summer. All a matter of where your limits are, where the tyres limits are & striking a balance. Whilst it may not always be the fastest means of A to B, it can inject a bit of excitement to your rides and also aid improving your skills. Tyres that are not the "optimum" choice for a particular condition can teach you to work with your weight distribution to find grip - great when you slam the grippy tyres on again.
Personally I find not only is it the local conditions, but the rim it's mounted on too. I'm running 2.3 Bonty ACX's on both my bikes at the moment and they seem like great all round winter tyres for where I ride. One set on Flows, the other on 717's. The profile on the Flows is much fuller because of the wider rim and the tyres seem to ride better imo. They certainly hold a line better when cornering.
Finally more Bontrager ACX fans coming out of the woodwork I thought I was just not doing it right or something :?, ****ing hate the High rollers on the front, not too bad on the back.
Swampthings on HT , Conti Verticals on FS.
It's always bloody wet in Fife.
da funk
Another Jones ACX user here 🙂
Had them for about 15 months now, ran for about 9 months with slimed tubes, then got new wheels and last 6 months have been tubeless with Stans. The only time they have been taken off is when I changed the wheels...had no punctures in all that time 🙂
They are the 2.2's, pretty light, the bigger version is significantly heavier. They seem good in all conditions, on the other bike I swap between Kenda Small Blocks and Panaracer Fire XC 1.8's as a mud tyre.