planning on taking my bike down to northampton with me after xmas. I have only ridden it in the peakdistrict and lakedistrict and so run highrollers. I am looking to put on some tyres that are faster rolling to better handle the more xc style riding around northampton.I have been looking at the specialized s-works captain or geax saguaro (both 26×2.0) which are both 550g and so should make my bike a bit faster. any suggestions/recommendations on a tyre for this kind of riding or any suggestions on how to make my bike a bit faster and more xc oriented?

LT

Have you been to Northampton biking before? I live here and have biked a number of routes with the local MTB club – It’s not great and not a patch on Peaks etc. Many of these routes remain muddy and boggy throughout the year as they don’t drain as well as Peaks etc. Many of the riders run tyres like Bonty Mud X and Nobby Nics. I find the Mud X perfect for a majority of the year.

If it’s anything like where I live (Warwickshire/Northamptonshire) then its mainly claggy field edge, I end up running thin mud tyres most of the winter

I have ridden there a bit but not a lot (went out with treads a couple of times). I would obviously prefer to ride in the peaks but i have to move down there for a year and so need to adapt my bike for it. (2006 s-works stumpjumper)

Better off with a road bike around here tbh.

As above, claggy mud around flat fields. Thin mud tyres are your friend!

Agree with tom, buy a cheap road bike. One thing Northamptonshire has got is miles of quiet country roads.

Not all is lost! Yes, there are miles of muddy, claggy, bridleways and tracks, but also, there’s Woburn, ChickSands, Harlestone Firs et-al, all which offer quite good all weather riding. No, they aren’t the Peaks, but there is actually quite a bit of techy stuff around 😉

Harlestone firs! I’d forgotten about that place. Used to love it when I lived near

Harlestone firs! I’d forgotten about that place. Used to love it when I lived near

It’s still decent now – for a short blast! Best routes are off the main paths 🙂

Harlestone would be good if there was more distance. I don’t even mind that it’s flat as the tracks are fun enough, just wish they were longer so there was less looping.

What I do is use my road bike for local rides because there are loads of nice country roads, then take my mtb down to woburn/chicksands/aston hill when I want to have some fun. Or bmx at corby skatepark!

After making it through winter on the road bike I want to rejuvinate this thread. Based upon what I did in winter I have come to realise that I am on;y going to be riding MTB around here (northampton) in the summer/ dry so I’m looking for a predominantly dry tyre with good rolling resistance but obviously erring on the side of ‘all-rounder’ would be preferable.

I have been looking at some of the faster maxxis (crossmark, ranchero), s-works captain and racing ralph/ rocket ron.

Any opinions on these tyres?

summer / dry

*laughs*