My mate asked me for my opinion about the best all round tyre of the moment - this was for another mate as his are worn out. I said I had MK 2.2. Protection and although a good tyre wears out quickly and he's also on a budget.
So: Requirements.
1. Good all year round - all conditions tyre
2. Hard Wearing
3. Not too expensive (doesn't need to be folding) - approx £40 a pair
4. Predicatble on cornering
5. XC tyre - no bigger than 2.2
6. non-tubless
Giving him part worn Fire XC Pro's for the mo but they will not last more than 6 months? Thinking of Maxxis High-rollers or some 2.1 advantages 🙂
Kenda Nevegal 2.1 Stick-e
High Rollers.
(blast from the past) conti vertical pros (blast from the past)
having majot 'issues' with my kendas at the moment, pinch flats all the time not impressed to be honest, grip is good but thats no good if you have to stop 3-4 times every ride to repair punctures. 🙄
i reckon the tyre that fits all your needs is the maxxis ignitor.kind of like a verti but a bit bettter.in my view any ways.
Either of the "classics" would be my choice given those conditions.
Panaracer Fire XC Pro, Continental Vert Pro.
High Roller, are OK, but not in really bad slop, other than those two, I'd go for Maxxis Advantage, or Panaracer Cinder.
I have been running Hutchinson Toro 2.1 all year and very impressed. They even grip in the damp too!
having majot 'issues' with my kendas at the moment, pinch flats all the time not impressed to be honest, grip is good but thats no good if you have to stop 3-4 times every ride to repair punctures.
That's not normal, might want to look at rim tape and check your rims over.
My vote would be Nevegal/Blue Groove comb...
High Roller, are OK, but not in really bad slop, other than those two, I'd go for Maxxis Advantage, or Panaracer Cinder.
Advantages aren't too great in really bad slop either!
I'm trying some Tioga White Dragon 2.1's at the moment, v light good grip, not sure about performance in proper mud mind... but I'm impressed so far.
I tried the Maxxis High Rollers - beautiful performers even going up a damp and slippery-rocked White's Level/Skyline. Gripped like a very grippy thing indeed.
Problem was, the rear had worn down to replacement status in about half a dozen rides! NOT good VFM IMO.
The Panaracer Fire XC's are absolutely my favourites, but since the (then) new bike with new rear wheel came along for some reason I can't get one to fit without it slipping around the rim and puncturing at the valve/inner tube join, despite pumping them up rock hard and smothering the inner tube with talcum powder...
Having gone through several types -Hutchinson/Conti Mountain Kings/Panaracer Rampage, I've just put the Specialised "Storm Controls" on for the Autumn/Winter season - fabulous tires.
Come spring I'm going to try WTB Exiwolfs - a pal has been badgering me to use them for yonks, so I'm hoping to be able to settle on them as a regular choice...
Advantages are easily the worst tyre I have ever used in the wet. Pan FireXC are good allrounder or even better Cinder if you want a little bigger
I like my specialized 'The captian' tyres as all rounders. They work ok in the real slop and roll fast enough on hard surfaces plus seem to grip wood rock etc. You can get them in both 2.0 and a 2.2 size though they do come up big. As for price they are not that bad i have the sworks 2bliss ones and only cost me £22 each and the others should be cheaper.
I've used Nevegals in the south of France in 35 degrees and yesterday at glentress in the pouring rain. They provide good grip, decent rolling speeds and are fairly resistant to punctures. What more could you want?
hello
my 2ps worth Bontrager Jones ACXs or the mud xs are superb tyres
paul
Fire XCPro's fit that bill if you ask me.
Anybody using WTB WeirWolfs?
Nevegals if you want traction. Fire XC Pro if you don't.
pinch flats all the time
Also my experience of Nevs; ghetto tubeless was the answer. For tubes, I'd go Maxxis - Crossmark or Advs. 2.1 70a wire ADvs about £15, 60a kevlar Adv about £19. 30/35 psi, or even slightly lower.
buzz-lightyear how do you find ghetto tubeless? are the sidewalls on std nev's and BG's strong enough?
Trust me, get some Kenda Karmas. Real light, fast, grippy and will do most conditions.
Conti speed kings are really good but don't last so long.
neil: yes the carcass are quite thin which is why puncture so easily IMO. but also why they are light for their size/tread. When I ghettoed them, it took some patience to get them to seal up. I dropped to 25psi on the front and they felt squirmy and let go too easily in corners so am back up to 30 at the front. The back wore out (too much sidewall wear) and stopped sealing so I replaced it with a 2.1 60a Adv.
If you can find 'em, WTB Velociraptor 2.14. Lovely tyres, easily my fave 'narrower' tyre. 2nd would be Cinders for all-round use.
V happy with Blue Groove 2.35 stick-e, but they won't last long if used on every ride.
crossmark - best tyre i've used.
i never got on with conti verts, esp wire beaded ones when matched to 717s. mine needed hacksawing off. bloody awful things.
Sounds like maybe the Nevgals then or stick with the XCPro's - cheers guys 🙂
Are Stick-E Blue Grooves draggy for XC? I am tempted as I am a nervy cornerer, but worried about the rolling resistance...
EDIT: bugger, will ask in main forum...
I've used Fire XCs for a good 2 years now in all conditions. Bit slippy on sandy corners but that might be more to do with my cornering skills.
7 out of 10 horses recommend Fire XC pros
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Schwalbe ??? nobby nics are awesome tyres , racing ralphs for you XC speed demons .
I use 2.4 NN for AM and XC .... best tyre ever made IMO.
Goes to show that everyone's different on tyre choice!!
Fire XC Pro - never, ever got front end traction that I could place any confidence in...
Nevegal / Blue Groove - let go suddenly on pretty much every wet off camber rock or root that crosses the trail.
My favourite combo of rolling resistance, durability, and general purpose terrain suitability is the Nokian NBX - works well in 2.1 or 2.3
Kenda Nevegal's = Kinda Neverknow's
I swore by these tyres for a while ... kept wondering why i was good on one corner then unexpectedly did a dramatic washout on the next... the tyres are bloody awful , one min all is good , then the front lets go on an easy bend.
I have 2 Brand new 2.35 UST's in my garage that will NEVER be put on a bike of mine EVER again .
Fire XC - the best tyre I ever rode.
Cinders are great too.
Also Nobby Nics and Racing ralph front rear combo is good.
I associate Kenda with pain, as any-one who's been to Mountain Mayhem for the last few years will understand, can't bring myself to buy their tyres... 🙂
Cross marks have proved to be an excellent all rounder.
Perhaps people should qualify their suggestions by saying where they ride and what type of trails.
i ride on a white horse
Fire XCs for me. *touch wood* still not had a puncture yet with mine.
WTB Motoraptors. Available in 2.14 and 2.24 so they're the right size. Price is right too. Pretty good all-rounder and last reasonably well. Oh, and they're not tubeless.
[url= http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=33307 ]See here[/url]
I do find XC Pro's a little unpredicatble when cornering but they do last well - I guess they are a good "all rounder" but my MK protections at the mo in direct comparison have more "grip" we or dry d.t. the black chilli but wear out much much quicker - guess thats the downside of grippy tyres?
ADvantages aren't THAT bad in the wet, I'm still running 2.25s front and rear, on a singlespeed, in the Pentlands, so I need a bit of grip! That said the mud up the Pentlands is regularly interspersed with hard rocky/gravelly bits so you can always find some grip to get your momentum up for the next slippy bit.
Anyway, when they do slip they're fun as opposed to scary.
I had Fire XC Pros for a few years 'cause they were the all-round tyre of choice. I didn't get on with them, and they started ripping valves off my inner tubes.
I switched to Bonty ACXs (which actually come up a little narrower than you'd think from their width ratings) a couple of years ago, haven't looked back.
Fire XC's are ok - but can be sketchy on the corners & they are a little skinny (1.95)..Im running Rocket Rons at 2.25 & so far they have been excellent. Light, good straight line speed, no real drag on tarmac, predictable, tough, havent had them out in any serious gloop yet - I like em.
I run fire xc pros 2.1's the puppy's privates mate best all rounder for me any way!!! mate loves high rollers....I how ever dint lose my front wheel at afan and use my face as a brake using fire xc pros 8)
I can't believe crossmarks are being recommended as an all round tyre. They are ace in the dry and really rip round corners and are super fast on hardpack etc, but they are more slippery than a slippy thing covered in oil when they go anywhere near moisture (and roots are deadly). That is with the 'normal' compound ones though.
I have fat mountain kings on one bike, which are pretty good when nice and soft (tubeless), and 2.2 Bontrager ACXs for most riding. I really like these as they have nice bite on corners, decent traction in the soft and run tubeless, are fairly quick on other ground. When the ground gets proper soft, mud X go on. Just like the ACXs but softer and more grippy on roots etc.