[Closed] Your best TYRE combi here!

maxxis advantage 2.25 front and rear. all year.

2.4 Fat Albert EVO triple compound UST front, 2.25 Fat Albert of same flavour rear.

Works well for both wet, muddy conditions and dry, sandy days?

Yep clear ok in the mud, grippy in wet and dry conditions, a touch draggy in the Thetford sand but they're big tyres at 30 psi, so to be expected

Highroller II front and back... 42a Supertacky front, 60a rear.

Hmm.. has anyone used this combi - Maxxis Minion DHF front and Highroller rear?

Yes

but DHF front and bald bling bling rear is my all time favourite all weather tyre combo..
the drier or wetter it becomes the more fun the bike becomes.

DHF and Blings have way better edge knob design (ie. they're the same) than a highroller and that's all that matters to me.

Hi roller on front.
Hi roller fitted wrong way round on back.

Works brilliantly in everything.

thanks for all your replies mmates! Can any kind soul enlighthen me.. Does wider tyres give you better "float" over all the mud, or does thinner tyres let you "cut" through all the mud, wet weather specifically?

ive tried ALOT!!

im sticking with

conti X king 2.4ust back

conti rubber queen 2.2ust up front

great combination, the RQ just floats over stuff, such a bizarre tyre, and the grip is immense in wet corners etc

HR 2.35 ST front
Rear ardent for winter and Xmark for summer.

Had tried the minion front, high roller rear combo but reckon the albert offer less drag with the comprimise of slightly less grip.

It really depends where and on what I'm riding. For my AM bike though, I've gone through various Maxxis and Kenda blends but I've picked up a pair of Panaracer Rampages and I'm quite impressed. I run a standard tyre at the back and a soft compound up front and haven't wanted for grip or feedback at any point. They roll pretty well too.

My hardtail has Conti X-King 2.2s front and rear. They're considerably draggier than the SB8s I ran before, but they stop better.

My lightly stressed XC bike has a Spesh Captain running ghetto at the back and an old Roll X dual compound up front. Rolling resistance or lack thereof is paramount on this bike as I commute sometimes on it too.

I'd been led to believe that the Far Alberts were terrible tyres with no grip on roots and mud and the like.

ah but which ones? the budget compound or the evo triple compound which are pretty grippy 😉

RoRo Front and Rear were an awesome combo for local woodland trails, machen steep and muddiness, and trail centres, and races - fast and grippy.

They're fragile if you jump with them, or corner hard on them, plus they are rubbish on wet slate.

Rubber Queen 2.2 with X-King 2.2 now.... Rubber Queen as said before is shocking how much grip it has, and is seemingly not much/any slower then the RoRos.

LoCo - you should try the Trailstar compound - stickier rubber, would be right up your street.

Same as LoCo - Fat Alberts

They aren't very good in the wet/damp though, I must admit. Keep them for the drier days.

I run 2.25 UST rear and 2.4 std. front. Both tubeless.

I'm High Roller 2.35 front and 2.1 Larsen Rear, seems ok. I fancy trying a Nic/Ralph combo next.

Had tried the minion front, high roller rear combo but reckon the albert offer less drag with the comprimise of slightly less grip.

You should try a Big betty front muddy mary rear. I found it to be a good alternative to the maxxis set up I use (I use a fat albert combo on the HT though)

Wow. So I can reckon it's down to personal tastes and preferences aye? Do you guys like keep 2 sets of tyres - one set for wet weather, one set for dry, or do you have a all-round combi?

Anyone want to reccomend an alternative to Nics, mine are on the way out and Stan no longer reccomends them, so want something similar but different. Rubber Queens?

Same as LoCo - Fat Alberts
They aren't very good in the wet/damp though, I must admit. Keep them for the drier days.
I run 2.25 UST rear and 2.4 std. front. Both tubeless.

Dunno how/what/where you guys that like the Fat Alberts ride, but I found them the single worst tyre I've ridden! Proper nasty tyres... I've ridden semi slicks with more grip. They didn't work in the wet, they didn't work in the dry, they didn't work in soft ground and didn't work in hard ground either! The only one thing they had going was slightly lower rolling resistance than a Rubber Queen.

Before anyone decries "you must've had the cheap version", I had the all singing all dancing Triple Compound Double Defense (to be fair the sidewalls were nice and strong and sealed well tubeless) version. Run a Crossmark 2.25" on the back of my full sus now and it has oodles more grip ironically! Rubber Queens for instance, are in a different league. Same with Minion DHF's even in 60a.

I'm with GW, it's all about the edge grip, I'll happily run a near bald rear tyre in the centre as long as it rails the corners well cos of good edge bite.

I'd been led to believe that the Far Alberts were terrible tyres with no grip on roots and mud and the like.

Bloody awful mate! The Bikeradar review gave them 2 stars out of 5... I'd say that was being generous, and 1 of those stars at least was cos they do have a very well constructed carcass and are light for their size.

The £9.99 a go Michelin Dry2's in 2.3" from On One are infinitely better in just about all conditions, and they're designed to be dry use only.

Rubber Queens are the nuts though. The Michelin Wild Rock'r in 2.25" is pretty impressive though too, got one of those in the go now and it's pretty good. Just about to try a cheap 2.25" UST Racing Ralph from On one out too, hope it's not as bad as the bloody Fat Albert was, otherwise it won't last long...

Another Rubber Queen F / X King R user here (although mine are both 2.2). As said the Black Chilli RQ has silly grip and the X King rolls plenty fast enough - I also really like its utterly predictable (so far) breakaway point.

This combination running tubeless just edges IMHO my previous Michelin Wild Grip'r 2.25 F / Wild Race'r 2.1 R pairing.

I found both of these combinations pretty good in all but the wettest and/or muddiest situations.

slainte 😀 rob

full suss, 2.35 high roller front, 2.1 crossmark rear

rigid, 2.4 ardent front, 2.25 crossmark rear

Deknobbled Nevegal 2.35 stick-e for the front, and slant 6 2.2 on the rear, would be my favourite allround combo I reckon.

Does wider tyres give you better "float" over all the mud, or does thinner tyres let you "cut" through all the mud, wet weather specifically?

Float doesn't work because you just skid on the surface.

Go thin and cut through.

For full on mud, Trailrakers. For variable wet conditions, Bontrager Mud X.

Does no one use tyres F&R from different brands?

I thought I'd throw a question in here rather than creating another "wot tire" thread.

I picked up some folding Kenda Karma 2.3 DTCs last year for 8 quid a pop and replaced the horrible oem efforts on my Rockrider 8.1. For the price they've been light, roll very well, but I can see why they're sold as a race tyre.

Problem is they can be a bit sketchy in the wet and/or at speed. I just want something that's going to feel like it's got a bit more grip and going to wash out less on corners. I know better technique would also help but I'm working on that as well.... I've seen some Kenda Nevegal 2.3 DSTs for £20, is it a decent option to bung one of these on the front?

Muchos Gracias

The answers can be so different depending on your riding style, and the surface upon which you ride, which is why there's always a top five but never really a top one.

Experiment and find what you like wherever it is you ride, for me I find a Nic/Nic or Nic/Ralph combo beats anything I've ever ridden helped by the basis I have every confidence in them with my riding style.

For you it may be different.

Bloody awful mate! The Bikeradar review gave them 2 stars out of 5... I'd say that was being generous, and 1 of those stars at least was cos they do have a very well constructed carcass and are light for their size.

Curious, I've used the standard Alberts(2.25") from Wales, Surrey to the Alps, and they were good.

The £9.99 a go Michelin Dry2's in 2.3" from On One are infinitely better in just about all conditions, and they're designed to be dry use only.

Those tyres do squirm a bit.

Been using the old faithful Schwalbe NN/RR combo.

Bontrager FR3 for dry to mixed conditions.

Currenly using Fat albert evo 2.4 front and Mountain King 2.2 back really getting on well but will swap for High roller ST front and back with the rear reversed for alps in a few weeks

Specialized Eskar Control dual ply 2.35 all year round.

Janesy - Member
Does no one use tyres F&R from different brands?

Yep - 2.4 Conti Rubber Queen on the front and 2.25 Maxxis crossmark on the back. Best combo I've tried yet.

Tailrakers in the mud.
2.25" Racing Ralphs or Spesh Eskar 2.3" in the not-mud.

Asda. Front & Back for over 2 years 🙂 Best all rounder I've ever had.

Every condition.

Run my 2.25 Fat Albert UST @ 19-23 psi and stick like a sticky thing stuck to something else quite sticky, but we are all different

Think I've settled on a Advantage 2.25 up front and a CrossMark on the rear.

Super sodding quick, and drifty 😀

High roller on the front , advantage on the back, aving it

2.35 60a High Roller front and rear, and when its really dry, 2.35 Larson out the back for drifty fun.

Was running fat Alberts 2.4 evos good levels of grip overall even in the mud, i find they had to be run at lowish pressures otherwise they were rubbish. get the Psi right and there a great tyre, light weight too but they have recently suffered a tear and the side nobs had started to tear, had them for around 12 months.

Just changed to high roller 2s brilliant levels of grip and they certainly feel more robust.

Minion DHF front
High Roller rear.......The classic all time tyre combo 😀

Although some good mud tyres may work better for the summer we are having here!

2.35 Highrollers front and rear. 42a front 60a rear, may try running the rear the wrong way round as I'm struggling for grip on steep muddy climbs.

Got a high roller fr 2.35 lust/crossmark 2.25 lust on my more xc orientated set up and for my tougher wheelset i have minion dhf 2.5 st exo up front and a high roller 2 2.4 exo 60a on the rear.
Winter combo is Specialized storm controls on the xc wheels and conti baron bc 2.3 fr/hr2 rear on the others.

2.25 Crossmark Rear & 2.25 Advantage Front whatever the weather all year round general use. Racing all year round would be Racing Ralphs.

How do I know what tyre size I should use from a wide range of 2.0 to 2.5? If I ride all mountain/ trails with a few drops and jumps?

Maxxis Ignitor up front, Maxxis Advantage out back.

For mud/winter Trailraker front, Conti XC 1.9 rear.

For intermediate I've gone with Fat Albert 2.4 front, Racing Ralph 2.25 rear

Can't believe people slagging off the Fat Albert, it's pretty good in mud and gravel and the big size gives a nice amount of cushioning for a rigid.

[img] [/img]

Regarding thin to go through mud or fat to float it.
Go thin, cyclo cross tyres wee all over fat ones. In fact fat ones feel down right dangerous when hitting a mud patch in comparison.

Well that all depends on the mud and what you're doing with it, there's different approaches. What's better, a cross tyre or a Wetscream that's twice as wide?

A cross tyre doesn't grip any better you just don't get that all over the place aqua planing. I am comparing them to a 1.8 mud specific tyre.

Go thin, cyclo cross tyres wee all over fat ones. In fact fat ones feel down right dangerous when hitting a mud patch in comparison.

I beg to differ. a 4" (3.8 in the real world) nate is the best mud tyre ever!

[img] [/img]

There's only one way to settle this, RACE!

Maxxis Aspen 2.25 exception front and rear.

Although a little fun in the mud ESP the front.

Janesy - Member

Does no one use tyres F&R from different brands?

My OCD wouldn't allow that.

I like it. I know where your coming from.

I don't think a 4" tyre would work in say Chilterns mud....

In the mud.....it needs to be panaracer trailraker 2.1 ust...suuuuper grippy mate..im trying conti mtn king2 2.2 ust front,conti race king 2.2ust rear....run at lowish pressure are suprisingly grippy in most terrain.supposed to be my summer boots...but no frikin summer yet!...only warmer mud....duh!

2.35 Ignitor front
2.25 Crossmark rear.

As quick and drifty as it comes with big volume.

(Live in dry and rocky Spain)

ps Nobby Nics are rubbish.

Bontrager 2012 XR4 2.2 Team Issue tubeless ready. Loads of grip in almost every situation, light and low rolling resistance. Also a lot cheaper than most other brands.

Winter- Panaracer Fire XC Pro 2.1 Front,
Panaracer Fire XC Pro 1.75 Rear.

Summer- Maxxis Ardent 2.25 Front
Bontrager XR4 2.2 Rear

But as OP said "[b]I live in a tropical climate with unpredictable wet weather and sunny dry days[/b] " [u]none[/u] of this will help.

Hans Dampf 2.35 tubeless.

Faultless, all year round.

Well, for me anyway!

Just for the sake of it:
Racing Ralph up front, Smart Sam out back.
Done me good for 2 years now. When it gets really, really muddy I just try harder.

minion dhf front, 2.35 dual ply - bombproof
swampthing rear, 2.35 single ply - grippy traction
best combo iv found for exmoor

haldon tail centre..
specialised fastrak lk front 2.2
nevegal 1.9 rear
all conditions, no need for anything draggier

alps..
minion front
high roller rear, both dual ply 2.35
swampy on the front if muddy

ahgaot - Member
thanks for all your replies mmates! Can any kind soul enlighthen me.. Does wider tyres give you better "float" over all the mud, or does thinner tyres let you "cut" through all the mud, wet weather specifically?

Depends on the type of mud 😉

If there's a hard base underneath the thin tyres will cut through, on the other hand I've floated over mud on 4" tyres that would have stopped me dead on thinner tyres.

Front: Specialized Purgatory 2.2"
Rear: Specialized Storm 2.0"

Great any weather combination

Summer
Front: Maxxis Ardent 2.25 UST
Rear: Maxxis Crossmark 2.25 UST

Winter
Front: Maxxis High Roller 2.35 UST 60a
Rear: Maxxis Ardent 2.25 UST

The Crossmark has best rolling resistance I've ever experienced and is ideal for dry summer. I just move the Ardent back when it starts to get too slimy.

ahgaot - Member
thanks for all your replies mmates! Can any kind soul enlighthen me.. Does wider tyres give you better "float" over all the mud, or does thinner tyres let you "cut" through all the mud, wet weather specifically?
Depends on the type of mud

If there's a hard base underneath the thin tyres will cut through, on the other hand I've floated over mud on 4" tyres that would have stopped me dead on thinner tyres.

Sometimes the float idea works....

[img] [/img]

But sometimes, no matter how wide, or what tyre, your going nowhere...

[img] [/img]

The best tyre combo is the one that work well for you, your bike & what you are riding on that day.

Just fit the tyre that works for you most of the time & enjoy the ride 🙂

tried just about every combo going (shed looks like a tyre store) but ALWAYS end up going back to a Nobby Nic front and racing ralph rear 2.1 Evo combination, pretty good all year round combo for me..

Rubber Queen 2.2 Black Chilli front and 2.25 Nobby Nic rear for most of the time. 2.3 Black Chilli Baron in the thick mud. About to try Hans Dampf 2.35s Trailstar front Pacestar rear.