My stumpi came with a 2.2 on the front and a 2.0 on the back. I usually run my rear tyre backwards as I was told it gives more grip when you are pedalling.

So do you run different tyres, the back one the other way round or both identical?

Does it depend on the tyres or does it not actually matter in the slightest?

and here will begin the great debate!!

After years faffing about I still have not got my ideal tyres setup, vary what I use back / front and directions, and mfr during year and according to riding terrain. Only ones I usually settle on in winter are Schwalbe Black Shark 2.1 F&R, and as these have symetrical traed no issues about direction !!

I run a wtb stout f and a velociraptor on the back most of the time.

Big bike summer/dry

2.5inch dual ply minion on the front, 2.5inch dual ply high roller on the back

Bike bike winter

2.5inch dual ply wetscream on the front, and 2.5inch dual ply swampthing on the rear

xc bike summer/dry

2.25 nobbly nic front and 2.1 inch racing ralph rear

xc bike winter

2.25 inch nobbly nic front and rear

The old favourite, Minion DHF on the front, HighRoller on the rear. 2.5s on the DH bike and 2.35 folding on the 5 inch.

Find the DHF more ‘directional’ in the turns and the HighRoller nice and versaitile. DHF on the rear when its dry and dusty for railing.

For winter swap the DHF for a Swampy but at the moment its Michelin spikes F&R!

Summer – 2.3 60a Hirghollers f&r

Winter – 2.3 60a Swampthing rear, 42a Swampthing front

almost always!
Either a smaller version of the same tyre on the bullitt, or something completely different for normal xc. I like a grippy tyre at the front and quite like a slidey back. Outside mudfest xc racing, it is suprising how little tread you need to get up hills so i tend to go for less rolling resistance on road/hardpack with more grip on front for loose/mud. Examples being Small Block eight or Intense system 2 for the back and nobby nic or mud x for the front.

I am sure some people will come out in hives at not having matching front and back stuff: I also have or have had mismatched hubs, rims, shifters etc. Not had mismatched crank arms gloves or shoes but i’m sure i will at some point!

No mismatched rims/hubs/shifters/brakes here but yes different size/brand/direction tyres.

Summer XC – WTB Nanoraptor 2.1 rear, Panaracer Razer 2.3 Front
Winter XC – 2.1 Nobby Nic rear, 2.25 Nobby Nic Front

I’ll probably try a 2.1 Racing Ralph on the back with the NN on the front in the Spring…

Run mismatched tyres on the Anthem

Summer – 2.25 Nobby Nic front, 2.1 Racing Ralph rear
Winter – 2.25 Nobby Nic front, 2.0 Dirty Dan XC rear (unless it gets very gloopy then run a 2.0 Dirty Dan on the front too)

Run 2.1 Maxxis Advantage Exception front and rear on the Helius

2.2 purgatory on the front & 2.0 Captain on the rear. Came with the bike & now tubeless so won’t be taking them off in the near future. Seem to work well together so I might replace like for like.

On the hardtail though I tend to use the same tyre front & back. Speed Kings or Conti Edge if it’s persistently sloppy.

FWIW – 2.4 Mountain King front, 2.1 Maxxis Ignitor rear – 2.25 Nobby Nic rear if it’s particularly soft.

XC race bike – 2.25 NN front 2.1 RR rear – or Michelin Country Mud if it’s really claggy

2.4″ mountain king on the front and a 2.2″ spesh the captain on the rear. the rear is about the same size as the front though i bought it cos i need a tyre to fit my frame! it does fit, with about 2mm clearance on the chain stays…

like julianwilson much of my parts don’t match – different shifters, different brakes (shimano cantis on rear; avid disc on front), different hubs. the rims are the same though one is CD and the other silver!

Summer DH – Front – HR or Minion DHF
Rear – HR
XC – Front – HR
Rear – Larsen TT
Winter DH – Swampy Front & Rear
XC – HR Front & Rear

NO 2.35 High Rollers front and rear

But I feel I’m swimming against the tide.

I keep thinking I should buy a less knobbly rear. But at the monet I’m just waiting fot it to wear out……

I agree some tyres run better when mounted backwards (High Rollers) but not all.

I’m using Bonty XR4 2.35 front and rear and they’re the best tyres I’ve ever had.

FS has 2.25 NN up front all year and either a 2.1 RR or a 2.1NN out back, pending weather conditions

Summer: 2.1 Racing Ralph Evo F/R

Winter/Muddy/Wet: either 2.0 Mud X Front with a 2.1 Trailraker Rear or 2.1 Nobby Nic Evo F/R

Summer Race Only: Either 2.1 Racing Ralph or 2.1 Rocket Ron Front with a 2.0 Continental Race King Supersonic Rear

my DH i have a minion F and a minion F on the back

on my 6″ im running fat alberts F&R

im thinking of trying next maybe a maxxis ardent 2.4 front and a minion or high roller on the back

for the xc stuff:

I’ve got a bit of a pile of tyres in the garage & 5 bikes which need something at each end (inc. wifes & kids).
I try not to be too anal about tyres, but always maintain something fatter & more nobbly on the front than the rear (unless it’s slicks at both ends).
for current sloppy conditions my favoured combo is bonty (2.0?) mud-x at front & 2.1 trailraker out back

The high rollers on my FS are fried so I’m looking out for something 2.35-ish for AM & rockier trails… what’s good?

Yeah I always have a High Roller on the back, mostly out of habit just becuase that’s what my first mtb came like. I read somewhere that it’s good to have a slightly less grippy one on the rear because if it goes it lets you know to ease up a bit, but also because I’ve discovered that rear wheel drift can be fun 😆 I don’t actually know whether the HR I run is less grippy than the Minion DHF though.

Chop and change all the time, but the only tyres I tend to match is Mud X’s in winter, or Rocket Rons, otherwise tend to run one of a Nobby Nic, Racing Ralph or Furious Fred. The latter being a cracking example of how little tread you need to make reasonable progress!

Summer 2.25 (?) PR Rampage front, 2.1 (?) PR Fire XC rear, both going the way the manufacturers intended them to go.

Winter 2.0 Bonty MudX front, and a 1.8 on rear, maybe its backwards as the writing says “regartnoB” 😆

I do but I forget what it is and to be honest once it was put on by the LBS I just forgot about it and cracked on with the riding really, not even stopping to change it for anything else this winter I am that gnar I don’t need no added traction control or owt 😀

Mud X’s currently both ends, but for non-winter I usually run a ‘faster’ tyre on the rear – and since I’ve had my Ti HT found that I’ve needed a ‘stouter’ one on the rear too, so mostly UST.

I just chuck any tyres on and dont change for winter/summer or wet and dry.It just seems a lot of faffing about to be honest

No. They must match. Anything else is just wrong.

As long as the bike has a more knobbly tyre at the front who cares.It seems irrelevant as many time have I seen the latest super tyre be no better than anything else.

2.35 super tacky Minion DHF front 2.35 60a Minion DHF rear, if dry and dusty 2.25 Ardent 60a rear on my full sus

2.25 Advantage front 2.25 Cross mark rear hardtail

Yes. Almost always.

Actually – always. I need the back to climb, I need the front to stop / corner. It’s different job I guess.

I’ve been pondering the reversed rear tyre thing recently – it seems that you can either have more braking traction or more driving traction, hence one way for the front, one way for the back. However, the front way round has the ramped side hitting the ground first, the rear way has the steep side hitting the ground first, which must have greater rolling resistance. Thus unless the extra traction is critical you’re probably better running the rear tyre the front way, so you have less rolling resistance (where it matters).

My final thought is that if I run the same tyre front and back when the rear tyre wears too low (and its always the quickest to wear) I can put the new tyre on the front where the grip is most important and then switch the old front tyre to the back and bin the old rear tyre.