Big, knobbly, cheap, light. Tyres, which 3 can I have?*

456 Evo singlespeed. It’s got a set of well worn Jones Mud X 2.0 on at the moment but the rear really is past it now so it is time for a Christmas list addition.
Something big and fairly chunky is what I want, but nothing too full on downhill knobbly.
Got some old Bakelite Continental Gravity’s that could go on but they aren’t that knobbly, really like the Big Earl Wet on the front of the other bike but haven’t seen any bargains around.
So, what have you seen/swear by?

*assuming all 4 is unlikely…

Continental Mountain kings? Orr, if your after a ton of speed and can deal with less nobbly-ness race kings =] (They have pulled my arse out of a wet root infested demise every time)

On one ones?

Classifieds here for the best bargains.

Are race kings that good? Need something grippy on routes and if they are that good might invest.

Eskar is discontinued but would probably fit your bill pretty well if you can find one- sensible weight, good size (hair under the claimed 2.3). Not very grippy for a 2.3 but then also not very draggy for a 2.3

I have 2.25 Bontrager xr4. A reasonabley close approach to all

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/bontrager/xr4-team-issue-tlr-tubeless-ready-tyre-ec032918?utm_source=froogle&utm_medium=froogle&utm_campaign=froogle

I don’t have the XR4 2.2 TLR but that’s what I’d recommend too – I had the old ones and they were pretty good and by all reports these are better!

Bonty XR4s are the thing to have. Big Earls are sluggish.

XR4 2.2 TLR but that’s what I’d recommend too

And only cost £25 for a pair off here. Great, grippy tyres.

Only £25 a pair? Do I need to hunt the classifieds?
XR4’s seemed to fit the bill after a quick look but it seems my look wasn’t thorough enough! Mountain Kings also seemed to fit the bill but seem to be a fair bit more money.
Oh, and a Big Earl Wet might well be sluggish but our really is confidence inspiring 🙂

Conti Barons??nice and nobbly but fast enough rolling….

i see that there are still a number of retailers still selling the Panaracer Fire FR’s. Fantastic tyre. I’m not sure if 2.4 will be too big for your frame but they may be worth looking at. They’re only available in a steel bead so i’m not sure how heavy they are as mine are the folding version and they seem pretty light and fast considering the size
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+1 for XR4. I run the 2.2 on the back, 2.35 on the front.
Makes sure its the 2012/3013 model though. Earlier ones weren’t as good.

Pedalon had them at a good price for a while.

+1 xr4’s run same sizes as bandito on my h/t, there big, comfy,can be sketchy in gloop when pushed hard but good for non mud tyres. Oh and fast, and some great bargins to be had.

I used bontrager big earl 2.5 wet compound – wer4e about £16

not sure if they are discontinued now though

My last two tyre purchases are as follows:

Conti x king 2.2 (standard folding) – worst tyre I have ever owned.

Conti Mountain King 2.4 (expensive protection / chilli one) – best tyre I have ever owned.

I currently have the MK on the front and have gone back to an old baldish spesh tyre on the back. The x king is sat in the back of the shed after a handful of miserable rides where it just kept deforming and spinning on the rim (even when pumped like a rock), useless.

Properbikeco, I think you are right, discontinued although some varieties of stock seem to crop up occasionally. Gonzy, those Panaracer Fire FR’s look pretty tempting actually! Fairly cheap as well but blimey, about as heavy as the ones on the car! Maybe one of those up front and a straight Fire on the back…
Looking like XR4’s might well be what I end up with eventually… Unless I have a go with one of On-Ones own brand tyres, had spotted them too Roschach.

Have a look on bike-discount.de folding Nobby Nics & MTN Kings for £10-15. Just got a pair of the ORC Nobby Nics in 29er sizing and they went up tubelessly with no hassles at all.

Keep meaning to look at the German sites, will do now 🙂

In reply:

Yes the race kings are, but for deep mud they slide a bit. However on rocks, roots and wood from wet to dry they’ve never failed me

Mountain kings: worth it, especially the race version black chillies.. also you can often pick them up cheaper if you shop around! (If your in a desperate rush, i have some spares rolling around 1x brand new 2.2 MK sport black chilli mark 2 version and 1x MK 2.2 standard MK1 version with a bit of wear on the centre tread – email in prof)

Really pleased with cheap ass conti mk 2s 2.4″. They seem to shed mud well enough to retain grip when needed. Don’t run em hard though. They size small so are not total balloons like the monstrous pana FR mentioned above.

“only available in a steel bead so i’m not sure how heavy they are”
iirc claimed weight was about 1000g, ie heavy

Maurizio, no desperate rush but thanks for the offer, Buzz, I quite fancy some monstrous balloons to bounce around on although the Panaracer is a little weighty. On place quoted 1.1kg so you may be a little optimistic James 😉
I may not be able to go too large though, hadn’t considered the effect of rim width on bigger tyres though. Need to measure the cheapo rims that are on it and see what I am playing with.

Yikes! 1000g is heavy!
my folding versions weigh in at a claimed 850g and in the company named below its not too bad IMO.

conti mountain king 2.4 – 740g(steel)/680g(folding)
bonty big earl 2.35 – 750g(folding)
maxxis minion dhf 2.35 – 785g(steel)/700g(folding)
maxxis advantage 2.4 – 935g(steel)
maxxis high roller 2.4 – 855g(steel)

you can easily be able to run them as a front tyre, but for the back they fit my full sus bike but are a very tight squeeze on the hardtail so you will have to check that it fits first.
also the tread compound is very hard wearing. mine are now nearly 6 years old but still look pretty new!!
you can get the folding version on amazon from a US supplier called Niagra Cycle Works