Tyres

steelo

I recently gashed my rear tyre on a piece of flint and have been advised to get a new one. So this morning I took ownership of a new folding Spesh Resolution Pro 26x2.1. Its fitted and looks nice and shiny.

However, i'm a bit confused as now I have a 26x2.0 on the front and 2.1 on the back, both are foldable tyres. Would I be better off with solid bead tyres and using the foldables as back-pack kit during rides or emergency spares?

Also, is there a preferred british summer trail tyre? XC and singletrack use mainly.

j4m

Tyres with a foldable bead are considered better than tyres with wire beads, so I would stick with what you've got.

Why are foldable tyre better (I hear you ask!)? They are lighter and have stronger beads (often made of kevlar).

Panaracer Fire XC tyres are a popular XC/trail tyre for the summer (but tyres are a very personal choice).

steelo

How important is it to have a matching pair though? Especially for trail riding (7stanes).

extreme__dude

as long as theyre round, with nobbly bits on 'em theyre fine!

S_J_P

General thinking is to have the wider/more grippy tyre on the front, as rear-tyre slides are easier to manage that front, so it's better to have more front grip.

It is just a rule of thumb though, and I run a 2.1" front and 2.25".