What was your first mtb tyre… and what followed…?

Mine, I’m pretty sure, were Farmer John’s Nephews.

Followed by Smoke’n’Dart, and then Ritchey V thing that looked good but did little (bought to match some Ritchey forks IIRC).

The first tyre I purposely bought (not what came with my first bike) was a Tioga(?) Mud Dawg. 30 years ago and I’ve still got it. It just looked so impressive in the magazines, I had to have one.

First tyres I purposely bought were IRC Kujo.

Big, relatively open blocky tread, think they had some sort of sidewall protection to help clumsy newbs not pinch flat whilst casing jumps.

I picked up a second hand 2.6″ one at the foot of the Avalanche race at Ft Bill, took about 30 seconds off my time next run 😁

It was one of those skinny things with a ridge down the middle for fast running on the road, hopeless in mud. Well under 2” wide as well. I don’t think it dawned on me that tyres could be replaced with different ones as an ‘80s kid on my first (15 speed) MTB! The bike after that had some kind of Farmer John copy, like tractor tread. Much better in the mud. Closer to 2” wide think but still tiny compared to now.

Ground Controls!!

Smoke and Dart then followed by WTB Velociraptor F&R. I’ve just looked those up and hadn’t realised the Velociraptors are still going!

fisher fat tracks followed by onza porcupines

edit: excellent nostalgia thread

Other than what came with the bike, the first tyres I purposely bought were Fire XC Pros, with red sidewalls.

Panaracer Smoke and Dart were the first I bought – tan walls 😎

First MTB tyres I bought we’re some Michelin ones with grey side walls.

Or could have been grey tread actually…

Smoke and darts obvs…it was a 2.2 dart too! When they wore out onza rip and rail (I think that’s what they were called)

No idea what the first tyres were, whatever came stock on a ‘93 Kona Hahannah.

I do remember that the first tyres I bought were a pair of green 1.9” Michelin wildgrippers once the first set wore out.

The rear wore out within a couple of months but I couldn’t afford to replace it (paper round cash didn’t stretch that far!) and I rode it down to the canvas.

I used to use Fred salmon grips too (because the ‘90s!) and they’d wear out within weeks and then spend months taped on to the bars until I could buy a new pair.

The first ones, I’ve no idea.

The first ones I remember buying were Farmer John’s.
I also remember mrs_oab’s first tyres to replace the awful OEM ones – Michelin Wild Grippers

Pretty sure that the first I bought was a WTB Velociraptor

No idea what came on first MTB (early 90s £300 DiamondBack) but defo first purchased tyre was a Panaracer Dart 2.2

The 2.2 was important.

No idea what was stock on my first MTB, a Raleigh Apex, but ones I remember buying

Panaracer Smoke and Dart were good until I bought some of those beige ones that weren’t
Onza Rip and Rail skinny but fast for summer with decent grip
Continental Pro 1 great rear for winter muck, can’t remember what was on the front
Ritchey Z-Max in soft red rubber wore out alarmingly fast, like ‘is it going to finish the ride with any knobs on’ fast.

I go back to the dawn of MTB. Safe to say tyres are far better now.

Panaracer Smoke, 1.95 for summer, 1.75 for winter. Tan walls, a few punctures from thorns I can only remember one snakebite. I started off fully rigid, did all the Peak District routes. Inserts, weight increasing sealant? Pah! It was a Saracen that cost me £279 that I bought on interest free credit.. all we could afford and probably the most fun I’ve had on a bike, an adventure.

First one I bought was a Tioga Factory DH 2.1, then a few IRC Kujos (2.35) and El Gatos (2.25).

Other than what came with the bike, the first tyres I purposely bought were Fire XC Pros, with red sidewalls.

Snap – went nicely with my blue and yellow Trek 7000

Dunno – but they were mega wide 1.8s in 1986

Don’t know about the absolute first, but the first i was excited about buying, that i actually cared about, were red Ritchey Megabites, which came before the Z-Maxes I think.

They looked cool and weighed about 50g each in a 1.75.

I think this was about 1993, and I was 18, so don’t judge!
(though tanwlalls still look lighter and faster)

First tyres I bought were Farmer Johns, they were garbage. The original Tioga Psychos were good and a huge improvement

Ground controls and then storm control

First branded tyre I remember were these Spesh Hardpack 1.5in jobbies…

Upgraded to a beefy 2in Ground Control S (with fancy kevlar bead) on the front after a bit.

None of us have time for me to list all the tyres I’ve had since, but other retro highlights included Smoke & Dart, Fire XCC Pros, WTB Velociraptors and WTB Weirwolf LTs.

Other than what came with the bike, the first tyres I purposely bought were Fire XC Pros, with red sidewalls.

Snap.

Bontrager Jones

Think it may have been an Onza Porcupine if I remember right.

I also remember that 2.2 Darts looked massive 😛

We used to swear by Conty Cross-Country 1.5s. On our rigid alu bikes. At 35psi. We must’ve been harder back then! 😀

Some 1.9″ centre-ridge rubbish on a 15 speed Raleigh. Then Marin Rockstars that came with my first really good bike, as name suggested they weren’t great in the wet but our local trails had a lot of sandstone and they were great there. Then the big version of the Specialized Hardpacks – 2.2″ I think but they seemed huge compared to others at the time.

First tyre I bought that seemed to change how I rode was the 2.35 Kujo DH, on a D521 rim. Z1s and Kujo DHs plus bigger bars and rims, was a good era.

No idea what the first tyres were, whatever came stock on a ‘93 Kona Hahannah.

Probably the old A:\DRIVE B:\DRIVE – that’s what was on my ‘93 Cinder Cone (had them in the loft until just a few years ago).

First ones I can remember purposefully buying were Panaracer Cinders – 2.25!

We used to swear by Conty Cross-Country 1.5s. On our rigid alu bikes. At 35psi. We must’ve been harder back then! 😀

Cross Countries were great, so fast, but I’d forgotten they were that narrow. My recollection would have been 1.9.

Not sure what came on my 1989 Saracen Eiger, but Farmer John’s Nephews were my first proper upgrade. Totally loved them. I was only about 13.

Pretty sure i only bought those for that bike. Which i left at home when i left the valleys for uni. My biggest regret is letting my folks get rid of it. They’ve kept all kinds of tatty nonsense, but needed that out of the way. I honestly can’t forgive myself.

Smoke and Dart on my ancient carrera. Ironically my first modern mtb had Tioga Factory XCs which were bloody worse.

Panracer Fire Xc’s in red. Then IRC Kujos and some sensible width/normal colour Nokians.

Fire were much later for me, a “DH” front and a “XC” rear. They were a big step up.
A great combo. Entirely ordinary by today’s standards, but not back then.

First tyres I bought were Farmer Johns, they were garbage.

Agreed. In the UK anyway.

Probably Farmer John’s or possibly Richie Z-Max. Followed by grey Tioga Psycho 2s, that lasted about 10 minutes.

Z-Max! That was it, not “V”, thanks.