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Just stick some bontrager Mud X on your bike.
I ride them all year round.
If you are thinking about Mud X then also consider Maxxis Beavers. Only run them in 29" form but they are excellent and very light.
Tyre choice is easy - what ever comes with the bike... 😯 with the exception of the Specialized Fast Tracks I had on a rockhopper years ago(could have been poor riding ability but they seemed to wipe out very easily)
People get too spergy about tires. Try some tires you like the look of, they will probably be fine. For me, it's Rubber Queen BC for trail riding and Baron BC for DH where I'm not so bothered about weight or uphill ability.
Another thing id say would be that choosing the tyres that you think are better for a given set of conditions do, is to give you confidence. When you're confident, you ride with commitment, and all bikes handle better and are more fun when ridden with commitment. So they do make a difference beyond winter / summer rubber.
Apart from if you have narrow rims and go with the 2.25" or massive 2.4" as theyll sit too round IME. Using low pressures to get them to grip they wont be overly stable in turns/landings and they'll pinchflat, especially if you use normal size tubes theyll have to stretch a lot to fit
2.25" on XM719s are a touch big I reckon
IME of other treads 70a isn't brilliant if its wet/muddy out
What a load of bollocks.
Edit: Ahhh I see, a Schwalbe user, no wonder.
Just ride with whatever you have and dont worry about it, the tyres on mine are snaffled from a 90s Apollo, they can be interesting at times but slide no more than other bikes around me with expensive tyres on.
last time I saw Emma Guy's bike at GT she had Ardents, given how well she knows riding bikes and glentress, I'd say that would be a good starting point.
don't get too hung up on tyres though, you can't really go wrong with any of the main contenders, this whole blaming the tyres and what-tyres-for-an-orange-5-on-cloudy-wednesdays-in-May-after-4pm is just bull.
No tyre is going to excell at everything, so unless you want a shed full of tyres ( :oops:) any tyre choice is going to be a compromise.
Add to that the rim width, tubeless and tyre pressures you'll NEVER get a definitive answer to the "what tyres for...." question.
Everyone thinks they're right ... and most of them are. Whatever tyre choice gives you the most confidence is the right choice for you. Personally, I like the back end to slide out (a little) but some people hate that. Different tyres, on different width rims, have different sidewall flex so weight and riding style also play a massive part. Finding the right pressure for the different conditions is another learning curve. Most people can tell you exactly what rubber they use - but ask them at the trail centre what pressure they have at each end and I bet more than half give a figure that's different to what's actually in their tyres at the time. 🙄
Choose a reasonable pair of tyres and then really spend some time getting used to them on your bike. I know what type, width and pressure I run - but recommending them to you is worthless (unless you're also 16 stone and trying to ride an Orange Five with all the skill of a gorilla on a skateboard). 😀
Damn, while I was typing, Bigyinn said what I was trying to say. +1 for that.
jesus! choosing tyres for trail centres really isnt that hard! just choose which looks the best out of the most reviewed on mtbr.
Know how I determine my tire pressure? Push the tire on the square edge of a kerb. If I can feel it bottom out on the rim them its too soft! Works for me, but them Im 6'5" and 16st-ish.
Know how I determine my tire pressure? Push the tire on the square edge of a kerb. If I can feel it bottom out on the rim them its too soft! Works for me
Well that's one way but personally, I find it easier to carry a track pump in the boot than a kerb stone. 😀