After enduring the SITS mud sticking to my Trailrakers and jamming my front and rear wheels solid. What are the best extreme mud tyres? I have looked for Black Shark 1.5″ but they dont seem to do them anymore.

Nextdaytyres had the Sharks last week.

Soooooo glad I didn’t bother this year after hearing that! What with already having done Mayhem, and a couple of laps at 24/12.

Anyway… It’s about the tyres ability to clear the mud, rather than grip in those conditions. Trailrakers are probably still the outright grippiest mud tyre, but they don’t clear well. I’ve found the best clearing tyre is the Maxxis Medusa, and they do different widths too, depending on how extreme you want to go. The 2.1 is a normal size, great if you’ve got tonnes of clearance already and riding in not too extreme conditions, the 1.8″ is superb in real horrid conditions (on the rear got me round Mayhem without clogging once), but if you REALLY want mud clearance and are prepared to go very narrow to get it, they do a 1.55″ version too.

They’re not as outright grippy as a Trailraker, but they don’t hold onto the mud, so whilst you’ll spin up a bit more, you can keep on pedalling at least!

Used these – as I was too lazy to change them after a recent CX race – no clagging (on a rigid bike), so seemed to be riding more than others in some of the sticky stuff, but still slipping and a sliding when they got loaded up.

http://www.fisheroutdoor.co.uk//product.asp?category=946&part_no=TYS11100185&find_category=&find_description=&find_part_desc=cx+pro

Was on 2.4 X-Kings last year… 🙂

Just found Black Sharks on Rose for £7.57!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a shame only the new 2.1 and 2.25″ sizes.

Would have been great if 1.5″ as they will only get used twice a year. SITS and Mayhem!!!

Wouldn’t be without 1.5″ Black Sharks! Get used once or twice a year at most, but a Godsend when needed! Wee all over Trail Rakers!

I have found Continental Cross Country 1.5’s to be quite entertaining in wet conditions. Loads of clearance, clear well, lots of grip, lots of grip, ooh, I’m on my arse going backwards!

Cheers, Rich

Dig out the spikes!
http://www.planetbicycle.com/products/tires/pana_spike.html

Although, I’ve not used them for years and last time it was really wet mud

Anybody on 29ers, what worked best in the mud for you?

Me. Singular Swift with a DT Swiss rigid fork.

Changed from pair of 2.25 Ralphs for first 3 laps to pair of 2.0 MudXs. Never clogged the front (clearance is massive), rear clogged to a halt once when I was pushing but I never had to stop and clear it out.

MudXs must have worked ok as well in terms of grip; comparing notes with the other half of our SS pair I never came off at the bottom of the first muddy descent (at the end of the campsite), but with a 2.4 Ardent he slid off more than once (and his tech skillz are definately better than mine 😉 )

I used Bonti Mud x 1.8 at mayhem and had no clearance issues at all on my scalpel. So glad i decided against SITS….

Actually, since Sunday morning I’ve mostly been wondering what is the best extreme mud shoe?!

I doubt I could’ve put one foot in front of the other in some sections without a MudX-equipped walking aid. 😯

I ran 1.8 Nobby Nics at SITS and 24/12. Not a mud tyre but clear fast and are way quicker on the non-muddy sections. Soloing at 24/12 I ran back to back laps with the Nics and a pair of Mud X and not only were the Nics way faster rolling, there were only a very few places where the Mud X stayed rolling where the Nics didn’t.

I’ve used Panaracer Fire Muds in the past and the Conti XC 1.5s and they’re better in pure mud, but slow and slippery anywhere else.

Ran a Beaver 2.0 29er on the front of a rigid singlespeed at Mayhem which worked surprisingly well in the mud and wasn’t skittish elsehwere either and a Mud X on the back.

Mostly though, the best thing I found for mud were the sole on my Mavic shoes which kept me upright in places where people were having trouble standing up. Brilliant soles…

2.0″ Beavers were too wide on my Scandal 29er + Rebas, still had issues with them clogging up late at night at SITs. Going slowly didn’t help.

2.0 x 29 were also too wide on my XTC. Shall be running CX tyres next time, managed to rub the paint off the inside of my fork legs!

Shall be running CX tyres next time

Much better idea.

“I used Bonti Mud x 1.8 at mayhem and had no clearance issues at all on my scalpel. So glad i decided against SITS…. “

Mmm they might have clogged up on the third lap!

I think its not so much about grip for somewhere like SITS, more about the ability to shed the mud.

My Geax barro mud 1.7’s were amazing at this as the spacing between the knobs is massive. They are pretty sketchy for most stuff – especially loose surfaces and need to be run at 40psi, but they just don,t clog. I used mud x’s the last time I was at Catton and they were rubbish in comparison with the Geax’s.

I had many comments along the lines of ‘how the hell are you riding that’ on the weekend.

I hope you replied by saying “Skillzz”