Just musing. This question was inspired by two thoughts:

I’ve never even considered buying a wired version of a tyre. I can’t understand spending a small fortune on a decent bike for its performance only to reduce its potential at the business end where it’s connecting with the ground with unnecessary weight.

I’ve often worn my rear tyres to a semi slick. This would seem to indicate that I don’t necessarily need the performance characteristics of the tyres I’ve chosen so carefully in the past ranging from 1.8″ to 2.4″. It’s almost as if anything would do as long as it doesn’t feel draggy and heavy.

Discuss.

on the rear it doesnt matter

but on the front if you ride anything vaguely moist and techy grip is the most important thing imho

grip = essential

weight = subjective

I’ve often worn my rear tyres to a semi slick. This would seem to indicate that I don’t necessarily need the performance characteristics of the tyres I’ve chosen so carefully in the past ranging from 1.8″ to 2.4″. It’s almost as if anything would do as long as it doesn’t feel draggy and heavy.

+1 for me (I mostly ride the Quantocks, so not the muddiest of places though).

I was running 2.3″ slicks for mixed road and fire road rides earlier this year. No grip to speak of (or needed). Very light. Went like the clappers.

Swapping to my other bike with 2.4″ rubber queens saw my ‘lap time’ drop; from 60 minutes to 90 minutes.

Grip may or may not be a good thing. Weight is certainly a bad thing.

votchy – Member
grip = essential

weight = subjective

POSTED 24 MINUTES AG
I’ll give you weight, grip/drag/sticking to the floorness is a mixed bag, once I understand a tyre the world changes, less grip different technique same speed.

Weight isn’t a simple better/worse thing, if I put my lightweight Karmas on the 224 they’ll not last a run, if I put my dualply butchers on the soda it’d ruin the ride. All relative. Sometimes weight doesn’t really add anything though.

Grip- depends where and how you ride I guess. Lots of surfaces are pretty undemanding. But others are treacherous and I’ll take any grip I can find and more.

On the front I’m not so keen on how most tyres reduce the tread in the transition, apparently for mud clearing purposes. I think my ideal front would have continuous knobs that increase in size and depth from the centre to the edge with no near empty transition.

I should mention conditions here are dry, sandy/gravelly, and rocky, so Crossmarks, Ikons, Racing Ralphs, and Fast Traks are often mentioned favourites, plus 29ers are popular to find extra grip.

Retaining the same speed on less grippy tyres comes down to the skill of the rider.

Think how much faster you’ll be when you put some grippier rubber back on?

Wired versions aren’t always just about the construction of the tyre though and the fact they are a bit heavier.
Often, as they are the ‘budget’ version, they have a harder compound rubber so aren’t as grippy but probably last longer.

xiphon – Member

Retaining the same speed on less grippy tyres comes down to the skill of the rider.

Think how much faster you’ll be when you put some grippier rubber back on?

Maybe none, I’m sure lots of people drag around a ton of extra grip (and drag) they don’t need tbh. I do 🙂

When changing frames recently (150mm FS to 140mm HT), I also changed the tyres (from Maxxis Minion FR ST 2.35″, to Scott Cougar 2.25″).

Riding the same trails, the new tyres made a huge (negative) difference in the grip available. Hitting things at the same speed was certainly an “interesting” experience, testing my limits to the edge.

If anything, I now prefer having less grip – kind of feel (in a strange way) I have more control over the bike…

Xiphon, I think my semi knob Fast Traks are faster and grippier because they’re more predictable than my theoretically grippier Nobby Nics with bigger knobs and a more open transition.

With our trail conditions I often find I need to surf the gravel which seems to rely on tyre volume and a close tread, particularly on the front.

Weight – not that important to me.

Grip – meh. I’ve long been on the opinion, a resilient tyre will provide far more speed than a grippy one. Everyone looks fast when you’re repairing a puncture. And dealing with a slippy tyre just adds to the fun. My cross bike has tough slicks on and has done all winter, I managed quite happily right through the snow and I’m managing quite happily now on muddy trails.

If I was in a short race or something I’d put some grippier things on. The rest of the time I’d rather not be changing tubes.

Maybe, over time, you are getting used to the lack of grip?

I think weight is really to do with ‘overall’ bike weight loss. Heavier tyres tend to be DH tyres and have deeper, softer tread, so there is more drag. Having said that, it is harder to get a heavier tyre rotating, but once they are, it’s harder to stop them rotating, good for DH, not so good for XC.

As for grip, the front needs the most, as this is the business end, this does all the steering, takes most of the weight in corners and under braking, the rear just follows. You need grip for braking and climbing.