Right, I’ve been biking since the early 90’s. In that time my tyres have been:
’92 ish – 2001: Panaracer Smoke/Dart or Smoke/Smoke combo with occasional dalliance with with onza porcupine around ’94ish
2001 – present day: Tioga Factory DH, 2.1 for general use, 2.3 for DH and ALps etc.

And that’s it.

Umm, really, I really haven’t used any other tyres and can’t help thinking that I might be missing out!

So…my paramaters…need to be CHEAP cos I’m skint…no more than £40 for front and rear combined.
Weight isn’t too much of an issue (cos my wheels weigh a ton, as does my Stinky)
Must be biggish volume. My riding is generally going to be confined to Afan/Brechfa cos I’m in Pembrokeshire and I’m not able to travel too far cos of work and family stuff.
So when I get out I like riding stuff fast and fairly out of control with very little finesse, so a tyre that is good at not pinching is a must…

Over to you, I genuinely have no idea!

Thanks 🙂

2.35 highrollers

High rollers are about the best tyres I’ve used, Minions are also very nice, I’d like to try out the ardent’s or the advantages too. I’m an utter maxxis slut for some reason, probably because they just work. (UST)

Well you are in for a treat. High Rollers are just an amazing all rounder of a tyre. The 2 ply variety will take an almighty amount of force to pinch flat if you run dh tubes (or even if you dont).

High Rollers are one of the better tyres you could have in 90% of conditions or trail types. Tbh I’d be hard pressed to tell the diffence between minions and high rollers in most conditions…..the only thing that is noticeable is that high rollers roll faster and seem to break away in a more predictable manner.

When things get muddy you could opt for some swamp thing, or when things get biblical there is the Wet Scream, which for all out grip simply have to be experienced to be believed.

All of the above come in variety of compounds (except the wet scream). Slow reazay is a very very soft and sticky compound, the softest maxxis do….a pair of high rollers in slow reazy will give you some degree of grip even over wet roots and rocks. Super Tacky is still extremely soft and grippy, just not as much as the slow reazay. Then you have 60a which is more like the normal compound you are accustomed to.

With tubes? Maxxis of course, Probably Advantage which are only £15 and way grippier than you think at 60a. Roll OK too, and have decent sidewalls.

don’t get me wrong, I love my Tiogas but I was getting abit skerfy on the berms at BRechfa yesterday and I just started thinking there might be something better…

So far it’s either Maxxis Advantages or High Rollers…I take it 60a won’t wear stupidly quick?

lister
don’t get me wrong, I love my Tiogas but I was getting abit skerfy on the berms at BRechfa yesterday and I just started thinking there might be something better…

So far it’s either Maxxis Advantages or High Rollers…I take it 60a won’t wear stupidly quick?

No, they’ll last for ages. If you mainly ride at the weekends you might get the best part of a year out of them. Even when the centre blocks are totally gone they still provide a lot of grip from the huge side luggs.

The diff between the tioga dh and HRs is night and day especially if you go for one of the more trick compounds. Initially you might be puzzled as to what all the fuss was but once you start cornering aggressively* it all starts to make sense.

On the limits of grip where other tyres can catch you out and be unpredicatble HRs just slide is very controlled predictable manner…then they grip again with no drama or fuss.

*No doubt people will question what aggressive corning is and whether it involves swearing or fist shaking so here is a visual aid for all the pootlers and mincers

The diff between the tioga dh and HRs is night and day

no mate, no night rides here, evenings are sofa time.

😉 don’t need a coat thanks, it’s quite mild.

ps, thanks for the advice

The advise here is good, single plys are light and thin but probably more pinch resistant than your current tyres. The dual plys very strong. Don’t bother with dh tubes.

gnargnar, those aren’t highrollers though

they look like timberwolfs to me!

Plus on that loose surface, sticky wouldn’t make much difference, tyre pressure more than compound

Big thumbs up to Maxxis had a pair of minions on last bike soft compound front (on front) harder compound front on rear. Yes really! amazing grip on wet slippery lose dry rooty slaty everything just all good. And a total transformation from the absolute crap Michelins that they replaced. The maxxis were about £34 the pair wire beed but not too heavy.

New bike has tubeless High rollers. Still very good, feel great run a bit softer cause i feel braver about pinch flats with tubless. Grip is good but i still think the minions had the edge! Iv seen them for sale around £40 a pair which is fairly good value.