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Spesh storm 2.0 control on the rear, 2.3 Purgatory up front. Unless it's [b]really[/b] bad and have them front and rear...
Mud x for me both ends
What's the thinking on knobble size these days? Traditionally I'd anyways have gone for big chunky tread with large knobbles, but given modern tyre technology, different compounds & constructions, is there a better alternative these days? Anything with smaller tread that self cleans & rolls better on the not so muddy bits?
Or is just always a compromise that big chunky tyres will be good in the mud but hard going out of it, and the opposite for finer tread?
Have been using panaracer cg soft conditions for the last winter. Have been really impressed by them. Ok limited grip on wet roots but then other than st swampthings nothing much does. In all other conditions they are great and do seem to be faster rolling than various mates mud-x's.
Will hopefully not be putting them on for a month or so yet, Woburn is still pretty dry.
I've got Specialized Storm rears fit my bikes in the mud and will have a Purgatory front on one and a Ground Control front on the other.
Th rears should b fine, not too sure about the fronts though.
Purgatory front and rear here. Did well throughout last winter in the Surrey hills gloom, and the front stayed onthroughthe summer with a bling bling on the back. People over think tyres IMO.
Saying that though, I do wonder why I have around 25 tyres in my shed.
Do people change their tyres according to the weather then ? I leave mine on until they wear out !!
UST Maxxis high rollers 2.5 supertacky front, 2.35 rear. Pretty draggy but can't be arsed to faff about changing them for anything else and they seem to handle stuff all year round. I'll probably drop the pressures a bit though.
my A.M. rims aren't designed for narrow rubber.
Your rims must be like fat bike rims .. I have 35mm rims with 2.0 mud tyres on and they work well. Narrowish tyre cuts in enough and the wide rim adds a bit of volume so they don't need to be pumped up so hard. You'll be fine.
Swampthing
"Do Nobby Nics work in mud?" - err, only if you want to cart half a field around with you..
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/78747112@N04/7545030800/ ]2XC2012 Rnd 3 ![/url] [/img]
I'll be trying Medusa's this winter.
If you're running tubeless and use relatively knobbly, relatively sticky tyres all summer you can cope remarkably well in mud if you drop the pressure quite a lot - that also makes them much better on wet roots. Skinny mud tyres seem to rail the muddy parts of the corner but try to kill you when you hit a greasy tree root.
Fatter mud tyres solve that but are a drag when it's drier, though no draggier than a fat non-mud tyre in the mud. Incidentally I have a couple of very lightly used Swampthings (2.35", single ply, 42a & 60a) looking for a new home, following that experiment!
I'll take em. Pics/price to markhoracekuk at yahoo.com ta 🙂
I wouldn't be looking at a proper spiky mud tyre until the top inch of compacted soil has 'gone'.
When it does, my 'belt and braces' set-up is a supertacky 2.35 high roller on the front and a well pumped up trailraker on the back.
The front is brilliant for steering, being grippy rather than 'diggy' if you know what I mean!
Trailrakers hardly ever fail to get through to something they can push against so are great 'drive' tyres for the back.
The lack of deep side tread on the rakers mean they let go before the high roller when the bike is cranked over, just as you would want.
I really like the Dirty Dan XCs. Grip really well, shed mud well, narrow enough that frame clearance is fine in really clay mud, roll better than any tyre with that many blocks should, light weight.
I've used a set for the last 2 winters and see no reason to use anything else this year.
What to go for though if your trails are an equal mix of mud AND rocky/loose rocky trails?
Anyone have any experience with Maxxis Beavers?
hora - MemberWhat to go for though if your trails are an equal mix of mud AND rocky/loose rocky trails?
Either some very capable everyday tyre- Minion or Butcher maybe, something that can cut it in mud- or, depending on how hard you are on tyres, the aforementioned Baron. But the sidewalls aren't that durable so that'll depend on your rocks, not sure I'd trust mine to last in slatey/otherwise jaggy stuff.
What to go for though if your trails are an equal mix of mud AND rocky/loose rocky trails?
Conti Barons. Grippier than a Swamp thing in mud, but rolls much better, lasts longer and works not far off the default dry trail choices on dry trails / roots / rocks / loose surfaces. I've not encountered anything else that covers all the bases so well over the winter. Indeed, barring the freakish months of dusty trails we had this year, they'd be a good all-year choice, at least in Scotland.
Obviously, if you like XC whippet-y type fast rolling tyres you'll find them slow but otherwise they are superb.
I think Beavers are a better tyre than the Mud-x, better rolling and slighty more volume.
Oh FFS I meant to order Beavers and I've just gone and ordered a Medusa 2.1 (for front use).
Bad mistake?
I think I will give beavers a go when my mudx are worn outI think Beavers are a better tyre than the Mud-x, better rolling and slighty more volume.
Got a Beaver (29er) on the back on my HT to try out. Looks bloody skinny, worked ok on Wednesday (v wet) & saturdays (v damp) rides..
Trailrakers hardly ever fail to get through to something they can push against so are great 'drive' tyres for the back.
Indeedy I'd agree but there also so bloody draggy that any benefit in the mud is off-set absolutely everywhere else (got 2 slightly used ones hanging up in the garage, if you want em). Which is why I recommend the Mud-x as being the best compromise.
Although mud-x are easier on the tubeless front, needed a compressor for the beaver