What is the best XC tyre in your opinion?
Rocket Ron or Racing Ralph.
The key bit is "in your opinion" though.
Racing Ralph.
+1
Thats possibly the most vague question I've heard for a while. Is this summer use, winter slop, autumn / spring slop, dry hardpack, dry sandy conditions?
Unfortunately there isn't once tyre which excells at everything, so you'll be looking for some sort of compromise.
RaRa
I could tell you not to go for PAnaracer fire XC's. I little wet or loose conditions and the front would wash out quite regulary. Not a confidence instilling front tyre anyway.
Panaracer smoke and dart. However im still stuck in the last millenium struggling to get out!! 😉
maxxis wetscreem
Maxxis Monorail LUST. Fast rolling & surprisingly grippy in the loose. Don't know about the wet, as they're on the summer race bike.
Rocket Rons, maybe with a ralph out back if its superdry
Rocket Ron or Racing Ralph.
+1
I've always been a fan of the Ralph, but I've got an X King on the front at the moment and it's been great so far.
Rocket Ron up front, Racing Ralph rear
or
Ron and Ron when it's damp.
They were great around d2d, cleared really well, gripped massviely in the corners.
Raced, trained, and ridden pretty much everywhere without problem... except the 7 stanes, they destroyed them.
Bontrager ACX (what's the new equivalent btw) genuine 3 season tyre, for the non tyre changers amongst us.
crossmark for trail centers, race king for racing (29er), weirworf 29er (trail riding). advantage 26" for trail
HTH
Any recommendations for winter trail centre riding?
WTB Nanoraptor, chuck a Vulpine on the back for really dry fast trails.
been on DHF(f) Bling bling(r) in 2.35 60a SP all year round for years.
just fast/tough/light enough to blat round any route in the dry and the wetter/shittier the conditions become the more fun the bike becomes.
karen805 - MemberAny recommendations for winter trail centre riding?
Rocket rons for trail centers. or any dry tyre. Ive never found any of the Welsh trail centers bogged down in mud.
Maxxis Ignitor, no question!
Panaracer Cinders all year round
Rocket Rons for out & out racing only really as they are a little thin..
Otherwise Racing Ralphs as they are more durable..
RR /RRo unless it is sharp and flinty in which case they will probably last a handful of miles before you slash the flimsy side walls.
Adv / Crossmark for rocky trails.
2.2 rubber queen usts, 2.4s when it's dry and sunny.
Next?
I could tell you not to go for PAnaracer fire XC's. I little wet or loose conditions and the front would wash out quite regulary. Not a confidence instilling front tyre anyway.
The opposite of this, I've always found the Fire XC hold steady even in wet and loose conditions. Maybe I'm just not going fast enough.
Whats the difference between RR and Nobby Nics, I use NN's all year round and dont find them a problem.
Jon R I'm with you on XC's, but not used them for a few years
Maxxis Crossmark 2.25" 60a on the back at the moment, though also having good success with a 2.2" Rubber Queen on my other bike.
Up front still currently trying to decide, but current favourite is the 2.2" Bontrager XR4.
Schwalbes are too flimsy IMO unless you're very light or never ride anywhere rocky.
DMR moto. I'm different.
Dry = Maxxis crossmark (UST)
Roots/Rocks = NNics
Mud/Gloop = Bonty Mud x
I switch these around depending on the conditions and have never had a problem. Tend to stick with what I know in terms of how they react in these conditions - experimenting is fine up to a point! Put most of the thought into training/experience rather than the kit now - though I still am a bit of a bike component geek......
I could tell you not to go for PAnaracer fire XC's. I little wet or loose conditions and the front would wash out quite regulary. Not a confidence instilling front tyre anyway.
You're both wrong
The opposite of this, I've always found the Fire XC hold steady even in wet and loose conditions. Maybe I'm just not going fast enough.
Fire XCs are a fairly shit wet conditions tyre (simply looking at it will tell you this) but are very very predictable when they let go and IMO this is where they shine. Also, like many tyres their characteristics are very dependent on pressure and cornering grip becomes way worse if run too low pressure (as some might try in wet conditions). I really liked them all year round (especially at trail centres) but the sidewalls were just far too fragile.
Bonty Mud X if I had to stick to one.
FACT: Panaracer Fire XCs have the sidewall integrity of cling film.
Maxxis crossmark all year round at trail centers, change to advantages if wet on proper XC, found pannaracer XC Fire too grabby on damp ground, drains the life out of you on a full day ride.
I don't usually race so High Rollers suit me for trail/XC.
The odd few races i've done i've used Maxxis Aspens - very fast, light and surprisingly grippy.
Bontrager ACX (what's the new equivalent btw) genuine 3 season tyre, for the non tyre changers amongst us
+1, need to find out what the equivalent is
FACT: Panaracer Fire XCs have the sidewall integrity of cling film.
Funny this is metioned, I've worn a set of Fire XCs down to near bald without a single sidewall issue where as a mate had a set of Nobby Nics (old kind) which wore so quickly he only used them on two hard rocky rides and he could see thread. I don't work for Panaracer I'd like to point out.
🙄 you're talking about the tread and carcass rather than the sidewall
For racing, a quick glance at the tyres on the start line of the Transalp leaves you in little doubt about what the germans think.
Every single rider has the same.
Racing Ralph.
regardless of conditions - I recon Maxxis ADvantage 2.25 exception casing....
they are simply great tyres for everything XC.. (especialy here in Peak District)
GW do you lean your bike at all?! Trail centres all year? Brave boy.
all this talk about FIRE XC's makes me smile... gotta be said I've loved my FIRE XC Pro's for years... still have a couple of virgin pairs rolled up awaiting their use.
I have a pair on a spare pair of wheels, and yes I use them, and yes they are both great and shite... they are very old school XC.. so if your days ride is old school XC style then they are great. but alot of my rides nowadays are a bit more extreme than that... we ride up and down stuff with confidence now that we used to gingerly ride.
we all used to ride our FIRE XC Pro's at 45psi.
I ride my ADvantance at 25psi
alots changed in the last 10 years.
FWIW - my XC Pro's come out every winter... they are good allround tyre (when new) for snow, wet peaty mud, most wet rocks and wet grass... so great allrounder (master of nothing) here in Peak District.
Specialized Sauserwinds 2.0 controls if its rocky, s-works if its not. for good all rounders that you dont have to change every race
Maxxis ADvantage 2.25 FTW 🙂
You boys are braver/richer than me.
Rocket Ron is the best gripping, lightest tyre on the planet, good in the damp too but expensive and vulnerable to a bit of damage.
Racing ralph my pals ride all year long but I cant trust them if it isnt bone dry. Great summer tyre and fine at a trail centre but again, be careful if it's wet.
Nobby Nic - unless you're racing, if you just want a set of fit and forget XC tyres for year round use, get yourself a set of these in 2.25, maybe 2.1 if you ride in mud in winter. Loads of grip, light and if you get the snakeskin good and strong on the sidewalls.
dry SB 8
wet high Rollers
intermediate Specialized fast track (ideally the old ones)
eh?.. of course I do 😕GW do you lean your bike at all?! Trail centres all year? Brave boy.
What's your point?
a minion DHF is the one of the best most predictable drifting tyres available.
Bling blings are basically a much faster rolling more drifty semi-semi slick DHF with practically the same edge once it's leant over.
the only time a bling is out of it's depth is on a proper greasy mud climb where it can't dig in. (I actually love them DH on mud they're slidey as **** until you lean over and trust the edge)
GW do you lean your bike at all?! Trail centres all year? Brave boy.
OMG, NEVER EVER question the totality of GW's radness!
He's Epic Awesome!
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I'm currently running Geax Argo 2.0 (more like 1.8s), light and tenaciously grippy. I'll stick with them until the height of summer, when I'll be putting some Conti Race Kings on.
Summer - Maxxis Ignitor
Winter - Panaracer Trail Raker
Trail Centres - Maxxis Advantage (F) / Maxxis Aspen (R)
[i]Whats the difference between RR and Nobby Nics, I use NN's all year round and dont find them a problem.[/i]
The NNs have been re-branded as more of a trail tyre now. The RRo has taken over as the new front tyre for racing. I am also a RRo RR user for races. I am interested in trying something different though as I find that when new the Schwalbe tyres perform really well but as soon as they start to wear their performance drops considerably faster than the wear would suggest.
The best all-rounder I've used in terms of grip and that has to be a WTB Werewolf 2.1. Good on most surfaces, but a little puncture prone. Trouble is if you go for more puncture resistant tyres they then tend to be a bit heavier and/or don't grip as well due to a harder rubber compound. The Werewolves offered the best compromise I've found so far. The Spesh Enduros what Kevevs found dumped outside the back of London Bridge Evans (brand new too) that I then nicked off him have been pretty good too actually. Bit worn now though.
I've never spent more than fifteen pounds each on tyres though. Cheap in sales/online is the only way.
I'm completely converted to the way of the low-profile tread. Racing Ralphs for me last year, Maxxis Ikon this year.
Predictable, fast. That's what I'm after.
Big knobbly tyres strike me as being a bit like massive disc rotors. Useful in their place, but most often just for carpark willy-waving and imagined radness.
Low-profile tyres are useless in mud. Might as well have slicks on for all the grip they give you.
charge splashbacks 1.8 😉
Advantage 2.1 UST front, Rocket Ron Tubeless Ready rear
Maxxis Medusa 1.8 for mud
Low-profile tyres are useless in mud. Might as well have slicks on for all the grip they give you.
Tell that to Steve Webb who won Dusk Till Dawn's mudbath last year on Racing Ralphs.
I like tubeless but one consequence is that changing tyres is too much of a faff to do more than twice a year. Knobbly tyres on soon, back off again in April probably.
I find RR are hard to beat or NN if a bit more rufty tufty such as Trans Wales or gloopy such as Thetford in the wet.
I had an Ignitor for a year on the rear and it was truly awful. Fast and light but even a fast and light tyre should offer some control!
JRA recommend highly the 2.1 HR but I had one on the front and found that fairly useless (but better than the Ignitor). In 2.35 guise its a good trail tyre.
Schwalbes always look weak and vulnerable but amazingly I've never had a puncture or rip. Always run on Stans rims.
I really like Bonty XR4's, found Panaracer Fire's and WTB's a bit too prone to letting go, am tempted to try some nobby nic's tbf
For summer, small block 8s... Stupidly fast for something with that sort of grip, but not fragile like a proper race tyre, and nice volume. But for winter they're pretty much pure undiluted slide.
I loved my 2.25NN with 2.1 RaRa combo which I ran almost all of last year.
Then switched to Advantage 2.1 Exc and then to 2.2 Rubber Queen - finally settled on a 2.2 Rubber Queen up front with the 2.1 Advantage Exc on the rear.
Tried the old Schwalbe combo again recently and felt like they were trying to kill me everywhere I rode. Tonight lost the front and back in different directions simultaneously and somehow didn't crash. Suffice to say the Nobby nic and Ralph are going in the parts box tomorrow. The Rubber Queen/Advantage combo are coming back out.
Oh and Schwalbe Dirty Dan 2.0 when it gets really muddy. Light and seem to find grip in all but the sloppiest conditions. Bit draggy away from the mud but the light weight makes up for that.