Hi all,

Been riding my 905 through the slop and as always, plus size tyres really struggle in the mud. Was having a think and came up with the (probably stupid) idea of putting say a 2.35/2.5 DHF up front and leaving the 2.8 Rekon on the back. Thought being the front should bite more in turns while the wider rear will grip on climbs and a bit more give on rocky stuff. Has anyone tried anything like this, or should I seek medical help as I’ve gone mad?

Cheers

Been riding 2.5in 29er front and 2.8in 650b rear this summer and it does do what you suggest.

Not sure you’d get the same effect going from 2.8 to 2.5 on a 650b front – depends how much the BB and HA change would bother you maybe?

What tyres are you running at the moment? I’ve found the 2.8 Minion DHF quite bitey up front, then again I don’t have a lot of proper mud locally – said the man who was about to stick a 2.6 Rock Razor out back with the 2.8 DHF up front. Maybe 2.6″ all round would be better, though I doubt the 2.6 is really any larger than a 2.5 WT in the real world. Can’t help feeling the 2.6 or 29er / 2.8 rear combo will look proper wrong, but I guess if it works, it works.

I have no idea if it does work though 🙂

29er front and + rear gets ridden by a mate of mine. Looks proper shit but he seems to like it. As above 2.8 dhf on the front works pretty well.

29 x 3.0 DHF front and 27.5 x 2.8 NN rear – works for me, although not what what you were looking for!

Cheers guys.
Currently running a 2.8 high roller up front and a 2.8 Rekon on the back. Its a reasonable set up that rolls nicely and works really well for trail centres which I guess is what all bikes are apparently designed for these days, but useless in the real world peat bog forests out beyond the groomed man made stuff. Might try the 2.8 out front like badlywiredog suggested first, if that doesn’t work, go 2.6 or 2.3 both ends as can’t really afford a second wheel. Just quite like the tractor like grip from the rear when it cones to going up.

Probably my fault for mostly riding in the rain, as if its sunny I get sucked into roadie mode!

You could try a magic Mary on the front but basically I think you’ve got the wrong bike for that kind of riding.

Does the frame take 29in wheels too?

We should have multiple words for mud – like the inuit (allegedly) and snow – to cover stuff from Eastnor Mayhem-style frame-clogging natural concrete through to the watery, gritty gruel that the Dark Peak produces over winter and everything in between.

My experience is that toothy plus tyres are fine for the gruel-type stuff, but less clever on real gloop where they tend to mud-plane rather than bite. I suspect, though I can’t prove it, that there’s some sort of scientific relationship between optimal tyre width, tread depth and pattern and the viscosity and depth of the mud.

Maybe one day someone’ll produce a masters dissertation focussed on just that, but I’m not holding my breath.

“We should have multiple words for mud – like the inuit (allegedly) and snow – to cover stuff from Eastnor Mayhem-style frame-clogging natural concrete through to the watery, gritty gruel that the Dark Peak produces over winter and everything in between”

Oh for the Dark Peak brake pad removing, shiny component eating grinding paste. This is more your top of Bleaklow peat sludge with the frictional coefficient of a wet soap bar coated in Vaseline. I’m suffering from the mud plane phenomena you describe, so fear that I may indeed have been riding something more suited to Cairngorm Rock Slabs in a pine forest planed on a peat hag. Might just stick a pair of 2.3 DHF’s on through the winter and go old school before all this plus stuff. At least I won’t have an issue with frame clearance.

Mountain biking eh, so much for ‘grab bike, open door, go ride’!

Quite happy with 2.8F and 2.6R NN in the mud. Probably not optimised for all conditions but rather good overall.