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to get in the spend budget....
I've got 2.2 Mountain Kings on my bike. They were cheap and have a wire bead, so I assume they're not any clever compound or anything.
I think they're fine. Did the Kielder100 in the wet on them and a few long road rides in the run up to it, as well as a very wet ride in Swaledale.
*cheeky* If anyone wants to send any my way, send me an email (my username 'gmail.com) for my address and I'll drop you the postage and the price of a pint via Paypal */cheeky* 🙂
I've posted about this a few times lately......
Had a pair on my new Genesis about 3 or 4 months ago. I rode them on my local trails - loose rock, wet roots, technical DH. No problems. Have ridden them at Afan, and used them for a 12hr solo at 24/12 (which was rather wet, and rooty in places). Absoluteley no problems with grip. Tidy handling, fast running tyres.
If they were useless they would have been straight off the bike as I've got a few spare pairs.
However, I was plagued with thorn punctures. I was repairing the tubes last week and had to chuck a few tubes out purely because of the number of holes in them. No thorns at all, just holes.
So, summary. If you don't expect them to have HUUUUGE amounts of grip (just look at that tread pattern!), they work well on almost anything.
For me.
Here in Wales and in Newnham.
But don't ride within 100m of anything sharp.
Phew there are a few good reviews.
I've just ordered some UST ones for my new wheels - should I start looking for some others, for through the winter (ride in the Chilterns mostly)?
I know I keep harping on but these have a recommended pressure of 50 psi. They scared me at less pressure but were completely fine once pumped up.
I assume the manufacturers know best how to set up the tyres they make?
robhughes - ha ha no not at all! just looking for a reason why some find them fine and others don't. i love hitting corners fast so high rollers do it for me at the moment but what kind of rider do the MK's suit? those that don't attack corners etc? not saying anything about those riders as i don't know any of them but just wondering!
singletracksurfer - give them a go. several people on here obviously swear by them so give em a go!
**** just bought some! They were highly rated on another "review" site, used them once at Gisburn seamed miles better in the corners than Schwalbe Fat Alberts.
Looking one or two of the smaller width MKs if anybody is looking rid for a few quid - mail in profile.
The basic conti tyres seem to have a hard compound, the verts I have do = crap.
If you want good grip go for a soft compound this probably matters more than the tread design!?
dirtbiker100.there are some very agresive riders out there he he. 😆
I ride like a child me!!! Never get much above 10mph and I've never railed a berm in my life 🙄 that must be why I like em..
I think a lot of it is down to what you're used to, I can happily ride around on MKs once I remember they're on, it's when I forget I'm not running my usual Kenda combo and start taking liberties in the corners that the MKs come up desperately short in comparison.
In fact, I don't even mind it on the rear, it's the front where I get bitten.
Have got two pairs of protection's 2.2 and 2.4. Shockingly shite. Even in dusty spain. No feel of when they're going to let go. Just grip grip grip, and on your face. We all don't mind the back flailing around a bit right, but not the front. I hear the black chilli ones are good but with such a poorly designed knob profile I'm not guna try them. Unless they're free.
I've just ordered some UST ones for my new wheels - should I start looking for some others,
The USTs are the same hard compound that people are slating here.
I've got the UST and the Protection version with the posh black chili compound.
The UST is pretty poor, tbh, while the Protection is a good all round tyre that has served me well in wet, snow and ice as well as the dry.
Bit flimsier than a nevegal or high roller, for example, but not a bad tyre at all. Especially if you ride light.
If I were you, I'd see if I could cancel that order and get something else though. Maybe a DTC nevegal if you want UST?
I like Mountain Kings, always found them fine. But then I hate Nobby Nics and Kenda tyres, so go figure. High Rollers for the win though.
minnions is were it is at...........gnarrr to the max....... 🙄
Protection black chilli 2.4s are fine here, and I'm a fat numpty who's used to supertacky minions, i'm just too unfit to keep hauling the things uphill.
I reckon y'all just can't corner.
2.2 Protections with black chili here. Brilliant tyres and very predictable in all but the wettest of off camber slabs. I'm running them at 45PSI front and rear on a hardtail. Looking forward to trying the Rubber Queen 2.2 black chili on the front with MK on the rear too.
Problem is that people go out and buy bottom of the range cheap tyres and expect them to perform.
Surfr wrote: "Problem is that people go out and buy bottom of the range cheap tyres and expect them to perform."
My Nevegals are cheap tyres, they're an awful lot better than my expensive Supersonic MKs were.
As said above MKs need to be blown up hard to work.....around 45 psi here front and rear and they are great tyres (black chilli 2.4s run tubeless for me)any less pressure and they squirm around all over the place! Not great in gloopy wet conditions but then thats what mud tyres are for!
Also they are fast and light for the size and the trade off is well worth it.
They are okay as a rear tyre if a little draggy. Found them Horrible on the front through.
I love them whether wet or dry (i have the cheapest ones in 2.0) but if you do a lot of braking at times when you shouldnt they will punch you in the face! Only time I had slight problems with them was at night at Mayhem on really clayey mud and I was braking too much as eyes refused to get used to night riding.
I looked at one today, to replace the second Eskar with a shredded sidewall (no more Eskars for me!).
Having looked at a Mountain King for all of about ten seconds, I bought another Rubber Queen instead. Proper tyres.
OP - Crap riding skills more like!
People mention not being able to corner properly on them but surely, if tyre a) lets you corner faster and harder without crashing than tyre b), the problem is with tyre b) not the rider surely?
I had a pair of the 2.2 basics. Put up with them for a couple of months but 2-3pinch flats on every ride meant they got replaced. Nice low rolling resistance but not much cop when I really needed some grip.
Now there it is - I weigh 16 stone and the bike is 28lbs and I have never pinch flatted even riding up rocks, jumping to flat, drop offs and the like.
Strikes me people didn't read the manual pumped them up too little and then blamed the tyres for their ills.
Nothing wrong with MK's and if there was I'd just change them, I'm not brand loyal or skint at all.
Sticking to the regal theme, sounds like this tyre should be remaned the "Throne" ... or prehaps "Abdication".
I've been running the Blk.Chill Kings pretty happily in dry but over wet slick rock is sketchy, so if they fit my forks am hoping to try the R Queens instead
I think Jools has hit the nail on the head.
i think jools talks boolax...............
i have been riding mountain bike since 1985.......
i have owned probably more bike that most people on here, therefore i have ridden hundred of differant tyres.
i pump my tyres up to 45psi rear, 40psi front
most tyres if pumped to the maximum rec will be too hard, and will slide on a hard wet surface...
and these tyres are the slippiest i have ever used on a mountain bike.
I don't talk bollocks thanks. If you've been riding since 1985 you must be knackered!
2.4 Superdoodad MKs are fine tyres on the trails I ride here in the South.
I'm not competing to be the most expert on here but I also have over 20 years offroad on MTB's so I'd say my view is as valid as yours..
I struggle to see my motive for keeping these tyres if they are shite as I have four other pairs in the shed and two more on my other bikes?
Ton - the 50 psi is not the maximum - its the recommended amount.
Conti tyres have recommended pressures on them.
and on wet slippy slimy slabs and rocks up north they are shyte..... 8)
teej, who the heck runs a tyre at 50psi offroad....... ❓
Me. I've not tried them on slabby rock other than the chalk on the south downs does that count as it's pretty slippery?
You wouldn't run your car tyres at anything other than the manufacturers recs would you?
I like 'em. I'm fairly fast and hit all types of terrain. Ton i think the rider has something to do with it.
i think the way this thread is going
it,s a case of suck em + see.
saying that though i,ve still go mine on
and have prebooked a place in a+e. 💡
I had a setof 2.4's on my '08 Orange 5. Didnt have much problem with grip but had multiple thorn punctures on the trails round where I live. I gave up on them after a month. Lent them to a mate who gave them back after 1 ride
I pump my tyres to about 40psi and since I put Panaracers on had only a couple of punctures in a year
reading this, it seems bigger riders, with lower presssures = no likey whilst ligther riders, with higher pressures = likey.
perhaps despite the apparent rules to do otherwise, higer pressures [i][u]are [/i][/u] needed to get the best from this particular tyre? 😯 😆
Langy, seems about right.
I run at about 40psi and while not light (11st10) i'm lighter than many.
Spot on langey. I like mine and have been running 2.4 MK Pros (with 40+ psi) for about 18 months. They're fast, offer reasonable grip in most conditions, fairly light and quite long lasting.
I do understand certain riders not liking them as there is an element of them squirming and sliding in some conditions which can be unnerving. But if you're aware/used to it/anticipate it, its not a problem.
I recently swapped out my MKs for a Kenda BG and Nev combo. After 1 week/4 rides I put the MKs back on. I just couldn't get on with them. I couldnt get the setup on the Kendas right and found that at high pressure I was being pinged about, at low pressure they were draggy. They were a lot heavier and if this makes sense seemed to offer too much grip.
Anyway, I like mine.
Reluctant to prolong such a pointless debate, but I'm average-to-light weight and run all my tyres at low pressure - including MKs - which I rate highly.
The main difference here is the compound. There's only a couple of people in the thread saying they have the decent compound and still don't like them.
They're probably just fussy.
😉
Not having had a set of the cheap ones I can't comment how right ton is but I have heard similar tales from riders with the ones that come standard on Oranges which are the cheap ones.
I have MK 2.4 with the black chilli riding north Wales which is mostly pishy peats and podzol soils interlaced with large amounts of sedimentary rocks , some slabby with sharp edges like slate and others round smoothed like limestone and more than a few tree roots thrown in for good measure. I have had no problems with grip or traction on the tyres. I have also invested in RQ's for a full sus bike but not tried them yet.
The only problem with large body conti's I have had is them rolling around on the road which gives the sensation of a flat tyre and can be off putting at speed however i dont buy mtb tyres to maximise road perfomance and might be fixed by fitting wider rims which i choose not to.
i've got a set that came free with a set of wheels. foldy bead but no fancy compounds (i think).
usually ride high roller/advantage and give my wheels some stick. the MK's are very light compared to any of my other tyres. the name worries me though. i can't think of any mountain i'd like to ride aggresively down using these tyres.
very washy-outy in corners. lock up easily on the front under braking. i think ideally they are the fireroad tyres and will live most of their life on the GF's bike.
re. the pumped up hard thing. they are german tyres and many germans here run their tyres at stone hard pressures because they think it's racey and everything is about the weight....
There is a lot of mixed opinions but there are many different versions... does anyone actually [b]like[/b] the [b]bog standard 2.2's[/b]? And conversely, does anyone [b]dislike[/b] the [b]supersonic/protection[/b] ones with [b]black chili[/b] compound?
I've got the standard 2.2's that came with my bike and think they're rubbish so switched to maxxis, but did like the way they rolled and climbed, so have thought about (after people showing some love for them), getting some of the better ones.