Which Tyres?

Gary026
Gary026 Posts: 5
edited May 2009 in MTB buying advice
Hello All

I am new to all this review / blog business :)

Can anyone point me in the right direction for some new tyres. I have ordered some Maxxis Ignitor tyres only to be told that they are out of stock at the retailers and the suppliers have said they are now out of production?

Firstly can anyone clarify this, secondly can anyone recommend a suitable replacement? The Maxxis Advantage Tyre has been mentioned to me but I’ve seen no reviews.

I currently ride a specialized hardtail. I like to ride XC trails etc but my dilemma is I have about a 4 mile commute to my nearest trails (Lyme Park & Moors, Macclesfield Forest if anybody knows the areas) so am after a tyre with low rolling resistance without the compromise of losing the traction on the trails.

Any help on the above would be greatly appreciated

Cheers

Gary

Comments

  • bellys
    bellys Posts: 456
    i was just about to post the same looks like you saved me a job.
    a mate told me to try http://leisurelakesbikes.com/product/pa ... x?&id=6836 panaracer cinders but im not sure what there like over tree rootes and wet grass/mud
  • Gary026
    Gary026 Posts: 5
    Cheers for the link, those panaracer cinders look a bit gnarly! They look as if they will do the job out on the trails but what about the road as the don’t look as if they have ramped blocks to aid the rolling resistance. Let’s see if we get some more response :)
  • bellys
    bellys Posts: 456
    im off to the shop to have a better look at them i will pm you later to let you know what there like
  • LoUiS1985
    LoUiS1985 Posts: 841
    kenda small blcok 8's seem to get excellent reviews throught, although they are not particularly cheap, depends on your budget
  • Zeroman_IR
    Zeroman_IR Posts: 290
    Got a Conti Mountain King 2.2 for the back recently. Grips surprisingly well and rolls pretty easy on the road (granted that's compared to the Panaracer Trailraker I had on for the Winter which has pretty bonkers rolling resistance). But much better grip that the High Roller 2.1 the bike came with so happy with it. That said, I've been very happy with the High Roller 2.35 on the front, loads of grip.
  • bellys
    bellys Posts: 456
    Gary026 wrote:
    Cheers for the link, those panaracer cinders look a bit gnarly! They look as if they will do the job out on the trails but what about the road as the don’t look as if they have ramped blocks to aid the rolling resistance. Let’s see if we get some more response :)

    sent you a PM
  • Northwind
    Northwind Posts: 14,675
    I had conti mountain king supersonic 2.2s for 2 rides, hated them. Nothing like fast enough to justify the poor grip, IMO.

    Look at Kenda Small Block 8s, maybe. I think they'd fit your bill- they use a lot of small blocks rather than a few large blocks, so the rolling edge is actually pretty smooth, they go pretty well on tarmac. But offroad, they don't sacrifice grip, I've just gone from my regular nevegal/blue groove combo to the small blocks in 2.35 and they have every bit as much grip in the dry, if not more. They're certainly not mud tyres though, I wouldn't attempt to use them in winter but they clear well and they do grip well on wet surfaces. I've been very impressed so far. They're both faster and grippier than the Mountain Kings anyway.
    Uncompromising extremist
  • Surf-Matt
    Surf-Matt Posts: 5,952
    I have Continental Mountain Kings Protections (2.2) and cannot find a better all round tyre that grips, roll well on a road and last a long time. AND manages to be light (Kendas and Maxxis weigh a tonne)

    Different strokes for different folks I guess.
  • bellys
    bellys Posts: 456
    just got a maxxis advantage hc 2.1 for the front and a maxxis ignitor 2.1 for the rear £29 both going to give them a try tonight :lol:
  • blister pus
    blister pus Posts: 5,610
    Northwind wrote:
    Look at Kenda Small Block 8s, maybe. I think they'd fit your bill- they use a lot of small blocks rather than a few large blocks, so the rolling edge is actually pretty smooth, they go pretty well on tarmac. But offroad, they don't sacrifice grip, I've just gone from my regular nevegal/blue groove combo to the small blocks in 2.35 and they have every bit as much grip in the dry, if not more. They're certainly not mud tyres though, I wouldn't attempt to use them in winter but they clear well and they do grip well on wet surfaces. I've been very impressed so far. They're both faster and grippier than the Mountain Kings anyway.

    Is there two versions of those, NW? I've seen some £26 at 450, 518, 646g and some at £17 weighing 800g.

    Edt forget that, the 800g ones were 20s, just checked.
  • Northwind
    Northwind Posts: 14,675
    It's a pain that if you're trying to find cheap ones :lol: There's a 2.1 and a 2.35 but I think they're all DTC, no downhill or stick-e for these. Maybe there will be, I don't know.

    Tempted to grab a 2.1 as well, the 2.35 is fast but it's kind of overkill on the rear I think. Then again, the comfort on a hardtail is nice, fat rims plus fat tyres...
    Uncompromising extremist
  • blister pus
    blister pus Posts: 5,610
    I remember seeing Eight's on CRC for 17 but didn't pay much attention at the time. I just looked on wiggle before and 26 - i had to go back to CRC and check exactly what i looked at. 8)

    Still, they look my kind of tyre as an all-rounder, might even wean me off weighty Traffics if they proved hard wearing on road and trail.
  • Northwind
    Northwind Posts: 14,675
    Wear is the only thing I'd wonder about, mine are too new to show any but I've noticed my other kendas don't seem to last particularily well so we'll see. I think they're too new a tyre to have much long-term feedback, I couldn't find much, just launch reviews etc.
    Uncompromising extremist
  • passout
    passout Posts: 4,425
    Panaracer Cinders aren't fast but are very grippy - great in the rough stuff.
    'Happiness serves hardly any other purpose than to make unhappiness possible' Marcel Proust.
  • warrerj
    warrerj Posts: 665
    Maxxis Crossmark is on the back and advantage of the front is what they use on all thier bike at Glyncorrwg. The MRB testers user Crossmark on all thier test bikes as well.

    They are very fast rollign and seem to grip as well as most as long as it's not too muddy. If it's Muddy then Trailrakers it is.