Most OEM tyres seem to be very poor and go on the give the that product a poor reputation. I understand a bike manufacturer wanting the spec sheet to look as good as possible by using branded product at a lower cost. What I don’t get is the tyre manufacturer supplying sub standard product and trashing their own brand. Kenda have to be one of the worst offenders for this. Their OEM Nevegals regularly get slated but the retail version are good tyres as long as you pick the right version. Nevegals, for example, are available with wire bead, folding, dual tread compound, Stick e, LR3, 60tpi 120tpi etc, etc. I use Stick e front and rear for trail centres and DTC front and LR3 on the rear for longer rides on the Downs.
I have just ordered a Bontrager XR4 folding which is also available in several other flavours. It was given an MBUK value award but I won’t let that put me off.
It is a complete mine field and hard to compare like with like.

Panaracer Fire XC

I agree. Absolute cack. They were *ace* on fire road climbs, mind.

+1 Conti Verts. Lull you into a false sense of security then break away with no warning. Horrible tyres.

^^ Yep Tioga Factory XC & DH both awful. Draggy and yet no grip

I found them good for the first 15-20 miles then something weird happened and they became entirely unpredictable. Same with Bonty Jones.

Anything I’ve tried by WTB, including Velociraptors and especially Moto Raptors are just ace. Anyone opinions on Nano Raptors?

Spec Eskar but only as far as the front goes. Any loose surface it did EXACTLY what it wanted at all times. If I happened to want to go where it wanted to, all good. On the rear it was fine but I swapped the front for something else and gave it to a mate to use as a rear tyre.

Probably the only tyre I’ve hated other than my own idiocy for riding twin-rails in wet forest once (had them for commuting, forgot to swap them for the weekend). Stupidity compounded with an inability to accept reality. I fell. A lot.

I concur with Samuri. This tyre is a **** embarrassment.
If I can go more than 10 miles without puncturing, I’m surprised and start wondering when I’m going to wake up from the dream.
Seems to puncture if you ride over a sharp sided speck of dust. Just dumping the tyre and riding on an inflated inner-tube would probably be more effective.
Next on my list would be Vapours – looked like they should grip, but don’t.

+1 for WTB tyres being great, got a set of Stouts/Prowlers on each bike and they are fantastic, if a little bit draggy at times.

Worst tyres? I’ve never really had any that were truly horrendous. Maybe Conti Mountain Kings, since everyone else hates them. 🙂

Original Nobby Nics on rocky and rooty trails (especially when wet) were the worst tires ever. I still have 2 pairs in the shed but I haven’t found anyone I’d dislike enough to give them to.

Anyone opinions on Nano Raptors?

Yes, I’m a big fan. For summer riding in the Chilterns, I love them. Fast as hell on the thin centre ridge line (hence a great Trailquest tyre), they stick well to hardpack singletrack corners, and even when you’re throwing the bike around corners full of leafmush and plant litter, they slide a little but predictably and fast. And I don’t suffer badly from punctures either even though they’re quite light.

Obviously it’s a limited tyre, for certain conditions, but they’re very good at that. Here’s one in its natural habitat.

I had a pair of Michellin All Mountains that were ok, pretty fast rolling and lasted well, until a dog bit the front one!.
So I replaced it with a Maxxis ADvantage, which i hated. I rode it twice on the front. both times were just canal towpath rides to and from work, the ground was damp, deff not wet, and it felt like i was gonna loose the front on every turn. Scared the life out of me.
I bought a HR put that on the front and put the ADvantage on the back and seems a great combo. HR on the front really feels planted to me.

ADvantage on the front was shocking though (for me). Oh and Tioga Factory XC’s also shocking tyres.

I’m amazed that no-one’s mentioned Trailrakers – desperately draggy, not all that grippy even in their intended mud, and going anywhere tree roots in the wet is a properly heart-in-mouth experience.

I used to ride IRC Mud Mads, which seemed perfect to me. They’d keep rolling through anything. The rest of the people I rode with mostly went for Trailrakers, and I never got more than a “Yeah, they’re okay” from them.

I miss Mud Mads.

I love these sorts of discussions on tyres…

Maybe my rose tinted glasses but Vert Pros were considered the dog danglies a little way back, never gave me any trouble.

Mythos XCs, I remember me and mate both using them, he then had quite a big off, changed tyres and then asked me in a surprising way why I put up with them. As they didn’t give me any trouble and he didn’t drop me on the descents I didn’t really feel the need.

Currently using rocket rons and about to change the front to a nic…

So maybe it’s a confidence thing, what works for me might not work for you, doesn’t mean my tyre is worse..? (same thing motorbike circles to be fair)

I miss Mud Mads

Got a set in the garage 😀

Or buy some swamp things, they’re basically a mud mad copy.

Vert Pros and Panaracer Fire XC’s were all the rage when I got back into mountain biking around the mid 00’s

shwibbly shwabbly Nobby nics get the thumbs down from me

The Specialized Captain’s that came with my camber are quick in a straight line, just don’t try cornering on them… they don’t.

I also test rode an orange 5 with an Advantage front & rear, fine as a back tyre but frightening as front tyre, never knew when (if) it was going to grip…

garage-dweller – Member
You’re all clearly young whipper-snappers. If you want really awful tyres go back to the mid 90s and pick just about anything.

Ritchey Z-Max (or worse the Alpha and Omega bites)

Weird, I loved the z-max, but in those days I rode pretty much exclusively on dry dusty hardpack so it could be a regional thing.

My vote goes to Michelin Wildgrippers, pick your tread pattern all equally sketchy.

I like Crossmarks though!

Crossmarks, High Rollers, those cheap Michelin Dry2’s from On One… All excellent tyres! Highly recommended to anyone…

Worst tyre I’ve used? Any MTB tyre with “Schwalbe” written on the sidewall… Too expensive, too thin (sidewallas), tread patterns that don’t work (except unless you only want to go fast and don’t care about grip), soft compound that wears quickly but still doesn’t grip at all, weak construction that the knobbles tear off on etc… I could go on!

Have used a few other bad tyres in the day, those green compound michelins were as hard as bakelite (the tread patterns worked a lot better if you bought the black version not the green), Tioga DH’s (were just slow, heavy and not especially grippy), but definitely any Schwalbe’s I’ve tried have been the worst (well, most overrated at least) IMO.

No mention of Hutchinson tyres? I’ve never come across a decent one, but then the ones I’ve ridden have been OEM.

+1 Tioga Psychos. They would inspire fear when riding at 5mph on a fire road.

downthemiddle – Member

I’ve got some Specialized Sauserwinds that seem utterly crap, just no good at anything!

Blimey glad I read this, was about to buy a couple of Sauserwind for my marathon / race bike, as I had heard they are a good tyre for mixed conditions, I dont want to be changing tyres every race/event dependent on ground type, so thought an allrounder would be good for UK. What was not to like Njee ?
maybe I’d be better sticking to my Monorail / Crossmark combo, which has worked for me inthe past but I considered a bit too dry conditions only

I put 2″ Sauserwinds on for TransWales last year and they were fine. Quick enough and predictable across that sort of riding. I left them on the FS bike (in fact they are still on…) and the only problem I’ve had with them is that they are allergic to a particular sort of mud we get locally. I almost broke my kneecap coming off at speed just before Xmas in a place where I’ve never ever previously considered having an off.

The only tyre I’ve ever used the description ‘summer’ tyres. As it happens they feel great at the moment, with the baked trails.

Good call with the Hutchinson tyres – in about 1995 I had some replacing my trusty Smokes and they were a huge pile of steaming kak.

Porcupine tyres which have gained classic status make Conti Verticals look good on wet chalk. But worst of all is a wet pavement on Porcs, for a tyre that could grip all they did was slip.

Lawmanmx – Member

shwibbly shwabbly Nobby nics get the thumbs down from me

oh balls..

Worst tyre I’ve used? Any MTB tyre with “Schwalbe” written on the sidewall…

and double balls, think I’m gonna die 😯

“+1 for WTB tyres being great, got a set of Stouts/Prowlers”

My Stout has been very reliable up front in all conditions so far. The Prowler XT on the back has been a little worrying, but OK (has rather shallow tread)

Sam – you’re spot on. I used to ride with a wildgripper front and a Ritchey z max rear. I was damn fast in a straight line but frankly they scared the shite out of me!

Tioga Mud Dawg was another, I believe that ‘mud’ was due to what it attracted and absolutely not what it worked in (although it was crap in the dry and pinch flatted more than any other tyre I’ve ever encountered.

I didn’t like my Kenda Nevegal’s. They were really good on the climbs but rubbish for anything else I think.

I really like Maxxis Advantage they seem to be a really good all round tyre.

I’m glad we’re all agreed that z-maxes were shite. I’ll add to that the Maxxis Rendez.. Moderately fast rolling, but went round corners about as well as a curling stone.

Worst tyre for me today is my godforsaken Bontrager mud-x’s. They’re nice, grippy, pregressive, light weight tyres, but they seem to have sidewalls made from moth wings!

” orange 5 with an Advantage front & rear, fine as a back tyre but frightening as front tyre”
Dont think thatll have been a fair test for an advantage
IIRC Orange 5’s have until very recently been supplied with the very narrow Mavic XM317 rim. The supplied 2.25″ advantage is not narrow
2.25″ advantages are a push on the wider XM719 IMO, there seems to be a critical pressure where they do/dont grip (at least on 719s)
5’s now come with the wider (than 317) 119 or 319 (cant remember which)

Crossmarks, my 70a’s hardly encouraged committed cornering or big gear out the saddle climbing
My Dry2 2.0″s on the other hand I think are fantastic, but on my XC Hardtail, used mostly to the east of (And in the eastern edges of) the peak district/pennines, where for past couple of years its been mostly fairly dry
My 2.15″s Ive used up front before, but on my FS I prefer something alittle more ‘aggro’, out back (despite a little less climbing/braking grip) Ill be putting it back on for a while to speed the bike up a bit

Dry2s (theres a clue .. ) aren’t for wet rock, mud or moist grass though

Agree on OEM Kenda, though I gave up on the good ones because of the cr*p bead/sidewalls. 2 failed before the tread had started to round off and they seemed to pinchflat quite easily. Quite liked my 2.1″ DTC folders otherwisw (apart from wanted a 2.2″)

(non black chilli) 2008ish Conti MKs in 2.4″. Didnt get on with either. Granted had them in June Morzine mud on a hire FS (not insane psi’s). Seemed to have no directional control, whereas 50+psi hire bike nev’s could get by. Guessing down to the random triangles all over

High Rollers spinning out under pedalling. Who’d’a thunk it?
Guessing ramps (on top) were forward facing? So you’re pedalling on a load of ramps? Thats why
I liked my 2.35″ 60a folders in damp/wet conditions. ie what they’re for*. Though I got on with them in the dry (not awesome) and winter slop (again okay)
*minions for mostly dry, swampthing/wet scream etc for slop

Conti Speed Kings were a let down for me, or at least my 2nd set of non-black chillis. Way smaller than my 1st 2.3″s (also supposed to be 2.3″s) thought they were slower to roll, when the wore out, instead of the square edges rounding off, they wore from underneath to the point the tread was folding over at the point of contact with the ground, making them very slow! To the point I turned the tyre round once mid ride. It was better
Ive seen this ‘undermining’/folding tread thing with a mates OE conti mountain king too

My 2.2″ ACX TLR GumBi’s folding (55/62a) were pretty disapointing. Way smaller than my 2.2″ ACX folding (non GumBi), and showed serious wear (similar ‘undermining’ as contis?) within 3 rides. Granted probably gripped a little better (but not much) than my non TLR/GumBi ACXs but they lasted well
What I find most strange is that the MudX 2.0″ TLR is the same 62/55a compounds and have lasted a lot longer which also wore more normally, gradual rounding of tread edges

Somebody mentioned Schwalbes being terrible
I quite like my 2.25″ Alberts. The difference being they come with the excelent Snakeskin sidewalls as standard (IIRC Nobby Nics only have it on the massive 2.4″s). The standard versions can be a bit sketch y on wet rock, but let them down to quite soft and theyre great. The ‘front only’ soft version is better in the wet, I cant say Ive noticed front drag with it either

No-one’s mentioned the Continental Double Fighter! A semi-slick of late 1990’s vintage that looks a bit like a Furious Fred. Fast as ****, but after factoring in the time required to fix punctures (lots & lots of punctures…) your average speed was in single figures. Also ****-all grip and lethal if used on the front!

+1 for Tioga Factory XC, IRC Mythos, both awful. And special mention for Trailrakers and Ignitors, both draggy as hell

Panaracer Fire’s are the worst if for no other reason then the coloured edges make any bike look mince.

Never had a problem with Kenda’s. Had Nevegal f+r on my new 2006 5 and am now running a Blue Groove/Nevegal combo on my current 5. Great all rounders. Pal runs Small Block 8’s on his 29er all year round and loves them. Saying that, the Kenda’s that came on his old Marin were quite possibly the worst tyres ever as they didn’t grip on anything and were simply dangerous if there was a bit of ice/frost about.

Amazing thread, how can people not like High Rollers and Advantages?

LOL. It’s hard to imagine how anyone can not find Maxxis ADvantages grippy. YOu can ride upside down on glass on ADvantages! I think tyre pressures are something to do with this. Perhaps some are riding too high a pressure ???

I actually prefer a Nevegal DTC up front to a High Roller…will I die? Have I got it horribly wrong? And as much as I love Ardents on the back, I find them lacking bite up front.

I did see an offer for Panaracer Rampages a couple of years back, they were giving them away at less than £20 each and I didn’t bother to pony up for them. Did I miss much? I guess it’s going to be WTB Bronsons for my big bike’s trip to Scotland in the summer.

Other nomination for most over hyped tyre? Small Block Eight. Poor braking grip, thin carcass prone to punctures and they wear quickly. Ace for commuting though.

sorry micky but, imo, you’re talking sh**, there are a lot of reviews of advantages that say they are great until you come across something wet or rooty.

Mine is great as an all rounder on the back , but on the front on a mavic 521 at about 40psi it was scary. HR’s on the other hand are awesome!

EDIT: Actually, thinking about it, I might have had the advantage on the front before i bought the new wheel (521) so it could have been on the old mavic 317 which according to the post above would be bad. Maybe i should try it on the front again now i have a wider rim!!

kona scratch and sniff. I once did a two wheel slide, in the dry, on tarmac.

Three pages and no mention of these monstrosities?

Ahh, scratch and sniff, circa ’96. Happy memories and the 4 year old loved the name.

Went out on a set of mountain kings round gisburn last night and had one of those rides where you feel like a god, no problems at all. It was drier than a kent reservoir so that might have been something to do with it.

panaracer, they be stuck in the 1990’s! they need a good shaking!

did see an offer for Panaracer Rampages a couple of years back, they were giving them away at less than £20 each and I didn’t bother to pony up for them.

Panracer Rampage SC’s are pretty decent I get on really well with them as a front tyre. They are basically a Nevegal copy

Never got on with Ritchey Z-Max tyres except on the back of the tandem.

But absolute worst for me would be Kenda Small Block 8s on anything. IIRC STW review was practically orgasmic about how brilliant they were. That’s when I started paying more attention to who wrote reviews.

Oh – the double fighters, with the grey bit down the middle, they were exceedingly quick, but very fragile! I remember using them with those super thick green Hutchinson tubes (which probably weighed more than the tyres) to try to cut down on the punctures…