Best mtb tyres for spring/summer?

Naveed

Hi everyone,

Just decided to join the forum today after finding myself glued to Bikeradar in general. Hope you are all enjoying the dryer weather. The question I wanted to ask was this: with winter now but a distant memory, what tyres are you going with for spring/summer?

For winter I had my dependable Bontrager Mud X tyres - superb. I've now got some Kendal Nevegal 2.35's on but I want something quicker in that size, as these tyres don't roll as well as the reviews I've read.

Anyone got any spring/summer tyres they swear by?

geordiefreerider

depends what riding your doing mate ???

supersonic

Hello Naveed (or is it SamHillDriftslikeNoOther? ;-))

For the drier, gravelly and/or hardpacked surfaces I am going for Conti SpeedKings for my Carbon Zaskar.

Naveed

Hi Supersonic

Dunno who samhil is but thanks for that advice

nferrar

It does depend where you're riding, for hardpack stuff I usually use Panaracer Razer XC's but for loose/variable conditions I have a Maxxis High Roller on the front and an Advantage on the rear. The High Roller is small for a 2.35 but the Advantage is normal/correctly sized

robmanic1

Racing Ralph's for me, or maybe Rocket Ron's if we get the summer we've been promised.

Naveed

Alright I'll come clean. I used to be Samhill but the moderator's banned me, so now I'm posting under my real name as myself.

Be nice

supersonic

Hehe,

Well I didn't ban you, but play nice too.

Naveed

Supersonic what do you do exactly?

I could swear I read something about you in MBUK once

geordiefreerider

I think supersonic is really steve peat :roll:

supersonic

I give lots of advice hehe

Naveed

More like Rob Warner

supersonic

Not that old!

Anyway, now we have cleared a few things up lol, lets get back on topic.

SpeedKings seem to be getting good reviews for the low rolling resistance in the dry, and are lightweight so are the choice for me. Depending on what you ride, you may want the largest size if you go with them.

I also use older Vertical Pros - as above, good in dry, roll really well, but slidy in the wet.

geordiefreerider

I like my speed kings but they seem to wear fast down the middle tread if you do any decent amount of road work, although they still worked a treat in a wet hamsterley forest yesterday I was amazed as I expected to be all over the shop with the downpour we had the night before and I was too lazy to change over but they didnt falter, so yeah highly reccomended, definately exceeded my expectations !

Northwind

I'm thinking of picking up a set of kenda small block 8s, they don't seem to get much attention but people who've tried them tend to love them for drier conditions. And also I'm a Kenda fanboy, but that's just coincidence.

_Ferret_

I've just switched back to my racing ralphs 2,25s . Damn they are quick!
I'll probably switch between them and my nobby nics this summer for quicker XC stuff. But as soon as it gets really dry and I'm after some choice DH I'll switch to my Maxiss Minion Fs (kevlar) - they hold onto the dirt like you wouldn't believe...

BlackSpur

Northwind wrote:

I'm thinking of picking up a set of kenda small block 8s, they don't seem to get much attention but people who've tried them tend to love them for drier conditions. And also I'm a Kenda fanboy, but that's just coincidence.

Go for it! You'll love them If not I'll buy them off you as spares

GHill

Highroller on the front and a Larsen TT on the rear? Probably best to avoid the super sticky compound given your experience with the Nevegals.

Northwind

Oh, one of the demo bikes I rode at the weekend had Larsen TTs on it, they looked like they'd be pure death on mud but they worked surprisingly well.

cullen_bay

apparently panaracer fire xc pro 2.35 are amazing, although personally i love schwalbe fat alberts. i used nevegals all winter and the were average, a good all rounder.

realnumber 1

cullen_bay wrote:

apparently panaracer fire xc pro 2.35 are amazing, although personally i love schwalbe fat alberts. i used nevegals all winter and the were average, a good all rounder.

I think you mean 2.1 on the XC pro and they are very good for the size imo. I've been running the cinder 2.25 and it is great so far for the riding I'm doing. Much better for me than the fire xc. pro.

Grimy

I run the 2.1 pananracer fire xc pro's and I've no complaints. They've been great through all weather conditions and on all terains. No punctures or pinch flats either, and I aint gracefull over the rocks either.

diddyfunk

+1 for the Panaracer fire XC pros.

I run these front and back for medium XC stuff.

Am thinking of purchasing a small block 8 for the rear though to see what differene it makes.
All reviews on tinternet love the small blocks but supposidly on for reallt dry terrain.

Anyone tried the small blocks on damp / little bit muddy terrain? - how do they perform?

butcher of bakersfield

The ground was rock solid all winter here. Generally with a layer of ice, but rock solid non the less. For the sumer I predict lots of mud. Where are you guys riding?

amt27

diddyfunk wrote:

Anyone tried the small blocks on damp / little bit muddy terrain? - how do they perform?

yeh i used one on the rear well into the autumn, they work pretty well,
useless on the front in any conditions, imo