Assume they grip well in the usual UK conditions – but too draggy on the road for all around winter use?
Any experience gratefully received

Only way I’d run either is if I was doing an uplift on muddy as f@ck trails
Pedalling with any of these on the rear would be horrendous

Seen people put a MM on the rear, but never a Shorty.

What tyre are you using that’s not doing the job now?

MM on the rear is like an anchor. There are obvious advantages with that, also obvious disadvantages.

I wouldn’t run it if I were pedalling for any length of time.

Shorty is draggy enough on the front, on the rear sounds a nightmare.Mary maybe a touch better but I wouldn’t want that either

I lost about 10% range on my eBike when I fitted a MM. I’d been running a DHR2 before. I’ve just fitted an HR2, so hopefully some of the range will return at the expense of outright grip.

Depends where you plan on using it,
I’ve used a Magic Mary on the rear (front as well) and it did the job, which was a very wet and muddy Naughty Northumbrian. Tried it around Hamsterley forest trail centre a week later and it came off as soon as I got home, steep wet muddy races or uplift days would be the only time I’d put it on the rear again as the extra grip made up for the drag when pedaling. Running a Shorty exo 2.5 / DHR2 2.3 doubledown at the minute, both 3c and so far so good, personally find the Shorty better than the MM up front but I know many people say the opposite, horses for courses I suppose

What’s a good burly winter tyre for the rear without insane drag then? Running a Michelin E-Wild 2.6 on my ebike at the mo, cornering is great but it lacks a big centre paddle for climbing and braking traction in the mud. Also a bit wide for mud, something 2.3 – 2.4 would be better. Must have strong sidewalls and wide spaced lugs to allow South Downs clay to clear

DHR or DHF. The former grips better, the latter is less draggy.

JP

… And if you are going to be riding on lots of roads a minion SS or aggressor perhaps?

Seen someone on Sunday with a shorty on the rear, she wasn’t hanging around.

What’s a good burly winter tyre for the rear without insane drag then?

Did you try the DHR2? That probably comes in 2.4in with the Double Down carcass.

Never have as a matter of fact. Have run the DHF which doesn’t really cut it in the mud IMO, is the DHR much better? Seen the EXO dual compound 2.4 for about £32, haven’t had too much luck with EXO in recent years though

i’ve used a worn 2.3 shorty rear. all good.

Baron is bearable on the back drag-wise and wears well.

DHR2 works great behind a shorty or mary ime. The 2.4 is a bit knobblier than the 2.3 so it’s a little slower but also a bit grippier, brakes really well.

Exo is a bit weedy, I usually get on fine with it but that’s just because I’m not hard on tyres for some reason, maybe because I weigh nowt.

Both are brilliant front tyres, but I’d never run either on the rear!

I’ve run Shorty 2.3 front and rear and also Shorty 2.5 front / 2.3 rear. I wouldn’t do it again, a DHR2 has so much less drag and enough grip.

is the DHR much better?

Yeah it’s about the best all-rounder I’ve tried on the rear, but I can’t afford the DD casing myself and ride the Hans Dampf SG instead. I’m lucky that I can avoid claggier trails in winter though.

Was running a Dhr 2.4 29 for the last 6 months and briefly tried a Mary 2.35 on the rear and it was a little draggier.
Completely inappropriate for the conditions but I tried a 2.3 WTB Breakout (Tough High Grip) and I love it. Weighs a ton, very slow on tarmac and clogs easily but when the centre tread is clear or when you lean the bike its amazing.

I have a Shorty on the front, Beaver on the rear.

Shorty front and Bontrager XR5 rear. Works very well for me. Have a read of the reviews of the XR5, very impressed with it.
Shorty is a great front tyre but no chance would I use it on the rear, not for where I ride anyway. (Forest trails mainly, soft, muddy and loamy)

Winter setup is WT shorty on front, worn shorty on rear for the god-forsaken scottish bog I live in.

Shorty 2.5 front and Shorty 2.3 rear until it stops raining, then back to a DHR 2.4 WT !

I’m with Binman. 2.5 shorty front, 2.3 rear on the winter hardtaik. Eats it’s way through the claggy slop round here just fine.

Not much road on the way to my trails tho’, so it’s rideable for shorter distances. The rest of the time I ride 2.4 DHR’s front and back.

I run a magic mary on the rear all year round, love it. I did 2 years ago for the summer swap to a rock razor for the summer and couldn’t notice any rolling gains really only that the braking traction was much worse!

I rarely ride trail centres or XC style stuff, more winch and plummet.

I put the Mary that I’ve had on the front over the summer onto the rear and a nice new Mary on the front, works a treat.

Bontrager XR5 is not a burly tyre. I holed an XR3 pretty quickly in the summer so won’t be using an XR version on the back again (front would probably fair well enough).
The G5 would be my suggestion (or SE5 if you don’t want DH burly). They are one of the best rolling of the Minion style tread pattern so make a great all round rear.

Other options:
– Hutchinson Griffus
– Specialized Eliminator Blck Dmnd

chiefgrooveguru

Member

a DHR2 has so much less drag and enough grip.

I find they land in the same place as the old butcher- as you say not too much drag, and enough grip. But also when it slides, it slides really nicely rather than being all grip-or-death.

And after taking my dh carcass DHF 2.5s out to the Mega I’ve got a new appreciation for the DHR’s ability to be grippier most of the time, but to let you slide more easily and better when you want to

In winter I run Shorty Front, DHR2 rear, with the option to also run a Shorty on the back.

That option is only used when I know I’m going to be somewhere thats an absolute clag fest and I need uphill drive on sloppy mud or grass etc.

Anything remotely ‘solid’ and the DHR2 is a lot faster.

Shorty is ACE on the front though.

I like the Hans Dampf for the back all year round, although it’s a little out of its depth in proper clarty mud. I’m light enough to get away with snakeskin but I have a foam in.

I really liked the 2.4 DHR2 on the back but it developed the dreaded Maxxis Wobble after only a few hundred miles and I’m not keen to burn £50 on another

Has anyone tried a Shorty 2.5 and a Mary 2.6 on the front? Interested to hear how they compare for general (lakes, trail centre, woodsy) winter riding