Agree with the Semi Slick on the back. I need to stick the Minion SS back on my hardtail.
My contribution to "tyres you would only try once" Panaracer Speedblasters. Hilariously bad. They literally said on the packaging "WARNING: DRY CONDITIONS ONLY" not really a sensible choice for riding in the west of Scotland but they were stupid light and very fast in the right conditions, one day a year.
it seems people are swapping tyres a lot less often than they used to.
Nope, serial tyre swapper here.
Must admit first time I tried the combo of a Magic Mary (Vertstar?) Supergravity and Rock Razor I was amazed by the grip and it's ability to fire rocks at my shins with incredible velocity.
In the "old school, silly fast" camp are Michelin Savanne tyres. Pretty much a gravel tyre, but amazingly grippy (and terrifying when they let go!) in much the same way as conti race kings can be.
Not sure it'd be the same now, but the first time I rode a fresh set of Michelin comp32/24/16 tyres was a revelation for grip compared to anything which had gone before.
Onza Octopus
LOL!
I am showing my age but can tick the White Porcs (on a Nickel P7 with a Flexstem(!)), the Dart/Smoke combo, the Conti Vert Pros. Never tried the Farmer Johns. They always seemed to let go suddenly on my pals. I would add Continental Survival Pros.
All were good in the day, but modern tyres are in different league.
Those suggesting the Onza Rip/Rail. They were damn grippy but my god they sucked the life out of you with how much they dragged.
anyone who hasn’t tried a Magic Mary (there can’t be many) stick one on the front, it’s impressive.
Going back to the old skool, Dart 2.2 😎
Vittoria Mota TNT 2.35” is a good substitute for a Magic Mary, now Schwalbe no longer make them with a lighter casing.
I don’t understand why mud tyres aren’t available with light weight casings. Here in Surrey we often have to wade through winter mud and slop, without a rock to be seen.
Panaracer Fire XC's used to be my go to years ago - now, it's anything but Specialized
But if you want to dice with death, just for the buzz, try Specialized
Ironically, I've got Spesh Butcher and Purgatory on my Shan - just because I had them kicking around in 26" flavour - they were sketchy as I expected them to be on the Swinley dry berms. Being replaved with skinwall Nobby Nic's imminently
MM's are great, like nothing I've ever known, but they wear so quick, even on the front
it seems people are swapping tyres a lot less often than they used to.
£50+ per tyre will do that… To quote someone on the other site. I’m too invested in Maxxis, I haven’t the time to invest in learning another manufacturers models, tread patterns, compounds, casings and acronyms.
Continental Survival Pros
I had one of those was only good in deep snow. Also had Conti Supersonics on my Superlight, they really were paper thin and after a few rides just flatted every 100m.
I loved the B+ Slaughter on the back I used to have paired with a B+ Michelin Enduro.
I think I'd like to try a 29" MaxxGrip Assegai on the front but the MaxxTerra DHR2 I have is great at the moment. The comments about the rear Michelin Enduro seem quite interesting, maybe for the Winter?
bearGrease
The comments about the rear Michelin Enduro seem quite interesting, maybe for the Winter?
They're not the best winter rear tyre. I loved them for the rest of the year, but they wore out pretty quick. Ended up using a part worn Wild Enduro front on the back during winter.
I'm on Pirellis now & they're flipping ace.
So would anyone care to tell me what casing and compound I would want in a Rock Razor, 27.5x 2.3ish to go on the back of a hardtail that gets caned around the Peaks?
You probably want the misleadingly-named 27.5 x 2.35 Super Trail - it's basically what used to be Super Gravity, but slightly lighter and less wodden I think and is pretty tough without being full downhill. They no longer do the basic Snakeskin version afaik, but it wasn't tough enough anyway, don't ask how I know etc. You might, if you're aggressive / clumsy also think about an insert and don't go too low on pressure.
Tyres you should try: Ice Spiker Pros, the 2.35 versions, on proper neve / water ice stuff that appears after a freeze/thaw/freeze cycle. Like magic. Oh, and the 2.6 Rock Razor, which is properly fast rolling for a biggish tyre, but still reasonably grippy though I don't love whatever the compound on mine is.
I don't have any 'back in the day' suggestions other than avoiding Panaracer Trailblasters, which were bloody awful.
Really interesting stuff. Bearing in mind tyres cost money, and I can't really justify something obviously inappropriate (for my riding) just for the heck of it, and take time to swap, the only ones I'll probably actually try are the Rock Razor and Magic Mary 2.6" (or equivalents).
DHR 2 on the front – Still amazing how many insist it’s a rear tyre only. The grip on the steeps is incredibly good.
I'm already a convert. On the rear for winter, on the front the rest of the year. Absolutely hate DHF on the front.
@bikesandboots
It took a while but I really like my DHR on the front. A while back I used a High Roller on the front and that was good too. Maybe Maxxis have a track record of creating back tyres that work on the front?
I’m already a convert. On the rear for winter, on the front the rest of the year. Absolutely hate DHF on the front.
So in the Winter when the DHR is on the back what do you use on the front?
Ahhhh Conti Vert Pros were the bomb and i'll not hear a bad word against them.
Can't see beyond magic Mary/big Betty at the minute.
Used to love minion dhr/dhf
On one chunky monkeys were great
Panaracer cinders
Bonty Jones acx
On one chunky monkeys were great
They were. I raced my hardtail at the weekend with one on the front and a minion SS on the rear.
A bit sketchy leant over on the loose dusty corners.
If it was a bit newer it might have been better, the side knobs are bit piddly compared to a DHf or Mary but way less draggy.
A while back I used a High Roller on the front and that was good too.
Didn't like it (HR2) for same reason as DHF - vague transition.
So in the Winter when the DHR is on the back what do you use on the front?
Continental Der Baron Projekt (now discontinued and replaced by Argotal). I'm sure DHR2 would have been fine, but given I was buying a tyre anyway this seemed a better option (was between this and a Magic Mary).
Tioga Factory DH
Used to be £20 a pair IIRC which was a bargain. Don't remember there being an awful lot that was noticeably better back in 1999... don't think Kujos were. Seem to remember Specialized doing a half decent tyre around that time that weight as much as a car tyre...
Bit of a schwalbe fanboy here, have tried many of their offerings
I tend to switch between these two on my road commuter / gravel bike depending on time of the year
https://www.wiggle.co.uk/schwalbe-schwalbe-kojak-slick-road-tyre-raceguard
https://www.wiggle.co.uk/schwalbe-g-one-allround-evo-tyre
I used to be a huge fan of the Magic Mary + Hans Dampf combo on the mtb all year round, bought a new bike last year that came with a pair of Nobby Nics fully prepared to swap them over to MM+HD, honestly haven’t felt the need yet, the Nic’s are a great tyre for me, suitably impressed, quick yet grippy when needed
Tried a Racing Ray + Racing Ralph combo for a while, really disliked them, found them to be really slippy / slidey in the wet, they didn’t stay too long
Wtb velociraptors with the 'paddle' style rear
coloured tyres....regardless of the riding you do everyone needs coloured tyres in their live as least once.
any proper UST tyres (I know it's now a "dead" standard), the ust racing raplhs were a revelation @ 15 psi no squirminess and prodigious grip even over wet greasy rocks for a xc tyre.
coloured tyres….regardless of the riding you do everyone needs coloured tyres in their live as least once.
@mrchrispy Agreed, camo tyres have a permanent residence on my jump bike
Panaracer Smoke and Dart
As long as the Dart is the 2.2 SC version as the 2.1 was awful!
Loving the big betty/Mary combo on my enduro bike.
Everyone should try a good XC tyre though on a shorter travel bike. Mezcals on a light wheel with an insert for protection are brilliant fun on fast dry trails - so quick.
29er 2.3 Hans Damfs, 25 psi front and 28 rear. I'm also running Rimpacts. Regular front and pro rear. Not a particularly comfy ride but rolls well and doesn't squirm in the corners.
Rocket Ron / Racing Ralph combo on my Scalpel. 27 psi front and 30 psi rear. Works well. Not as fast as a gravel type tyre but considering how well they grip (for an xc tyre) I like them.
Crikey I’ve been round long enough to remember when Tioga Farmer Johns were the go to choice for most people….. I always wanted some Spesh Ground Control Extremes in the 2.5 flavour but never actually saw any for sale back then, and they probably wouldn’t have fitted on my bike!
I used to love white Porcs and bought my last pair when they were £5 each in the sales - if only I had bought every single remaining one as an investment!!
My first ever new mountain bike was a Claud Butler Osiris, pretty much top of the CB range at the time, with Grimeca disks (awful in retrospect) and wired Tioga Factory DH’s on it. To make it lighter, I upgraded to some Panaracer Fire XC with red sidewalls.
Ticked lots of boxes with one bike.
Lots of tyres on here I literally only have tried once. Then got rid off ASAP...
Continental Danny Mac Air Kings
Yeah i had farmer johns on my muddy fox, they were almost the goto tyre in the late 80s.
I had a raleigh moonshine (1990?) which came with a brilliant michelin tyre, it had fantastic side knobs, good grip and it rolled really well. Wore out in about 6 rides like, but still a good tyre. No idea what it was called though.
