Front/Rear Tyres

alomac

Hi all,

Three weeks after getting my Trek 6300, and I already want my first upgrade. The Bontrager Jones XR tyres it came with are bit sketchy in the wet (I'm in Sweden), so I'm planning to order up some Bonty Mud Xes.

The thing is that the tyres in the Jones XR set is specfically labelled as ''Front' and 'Rear' (the rear is slightly narrower at 26x2.20 vs. 26x2.25 for the front) while the Mud X just seems to come in one type.

Does this sound right? It looks like I'm going to have to order online, so I won't be able to actually inspect the things before I buy.

Cheers,
Adam

cgarossi

Should be no problems there.

Although plenty of people mix tyre types front and rear to suit their riding style. I also have the Jones XR tyres.

.blitz

What are the trail conditions like in Sweden? Mud tyres might be grippy but they can be draggy if you're not riding in 'proper' mud.

alomac

The trails I've been on tend to be very rooty and rocky, with the surface being either bare dirt or a gravelly surface with loose stones. There are also some very steep climbs, where I often lose traction and end up having to walk (regardless of conditions). These climbs are often very rocky or rooty and I don't know if they're actually climbable at all, or if I just suck.

The dirt surfaces naturally turns to mud when it rains, but the main mud problem I have is with what I call "mud pits". These are areas of soft mud where passing traffic has dug deep trenches into the trail surface, usually several in a row. They're fairly narrow (maybe 1-3 feet wide) but wide enough to swallow your wheels. Because these trenches collect water the mud in them is very soft, and they stay muddy for days after it rains. Sometimes I bog down in them, but even if I manage to crash through, the mud sticks to and clogs my current tyres.

I suppose what I ultimately want is something with good traction on steep climbs, secure, confident grip on roots and rocks and good mud resistance, preferably without sacrificing too much speed. And a pony.

Cheers,
Adam.

.blitz

Ah OK not too much mud then. The reason I asked was mud tyres have big blocky treads and soft, grippy compounds. Although they are great in mud, they tend to squirm and drag elsewhere.

alomac wrote:

I suppose what I ultimately want is something with good traction on steep climbs, secure, confident grip on roots and rocks and good mud resistance, preferably without sacrificing too much speed.

Nobby Nics are very good in these conditions. They are light, fast and grippy in all conditions except 'proper' mud and on smooth pebbles. The downside is they are expensive and unless you can find the 'sweet spot' for the pressure, they puncture a little bit too easily.

An alternative would be a High Roller XC on the front with a CrossMark on the back. Conti MKs are like Nobby Nics but less grippy and slightly faster.

alomac

Thanks a million for the recommendations. I think I'm too much of a beginner for the Nobby Nics, it sounds like my hamfisted banging into and against rocks etc. would damage them pretty quick.

Re. the High Roller/CrossMark combination, why the CrossMark? The review here paints it as pretty much a flat/dry trail option. I'm not trying to second guess you or anything, just learn and understand...

Thanks,
Adam.

Northwind

.blitz is spot on, mud tyres are very specialised, you tolerate them everywhere else in order to get the good performance in mud, they're not a good option for anything else really.

Kenda Nevegals would be another contender- grippy and tough, a wee bit draggy though.

.blitz

alomac wrote:

I think I'm too much of a beginner for the Nobby Nics, it sounds like my hamfisted banging into and against rocks etc. would damage them pretty quick.

They're not that bad The 2.1s are low volume skinny little things but the 2.25s are much better. The 2.4 Snakeskin is a full-on enduro tyre and would be great for the kind of terrain you're riding.

alomac wrote:

Re. the High Roller/CrossMark combination, why the CrossMark?

A High Roller up front will clear a path for the CrossMark on the back. A big, grippy tyre on the back feels draggy and although CrossMarks F+R are great in dry-ish conditions, a High Roller+CrossMark is more versatile - a bit like a heavy-duty version of the Nobby Nic/Racing Ralph combo.

And like Northwind says, the Nevegals are highly rated although I've not tried them myself.

RallyBiker

What about the Panaracer Fire on the rear?

alomac

I ended up ordering a pair Nobby Nics in the Double Defence version. They should be at my LBS tomorrow.

It's a bit late to ask now, but does anyone know how they wear on bitumen? I don't have a car, so I have to ride to the trailhead.

Thanks for everything and cheers,
Adam.

Turveyd38

If you want to keep the size and weight and price similar, then the Bonty ACX 2.1's are really good tyres for all round conditions, don't fall for the trick of running them soft on mud though, the nob's just push into the casing and they become slicks!!


WTB Stout 2.3 Front for me as I like the volume and the grip in all conditions heavy though.

WTB Prowler SS 2.3 Rear, it actually handles mud very well getting me up hills other mates where failing on, while rolling really fast on anything else to keep the speed up.

.blitz

alomac wrote:

I ended up ordering a pair Nobby Nics in the Double Defence version. They should be at my LBS tomorrow.

It must be nice to have lots of money

alomac wrote:

It's a bit late to ask now, but does anyone know how they wear on bitumen?

I only ride about a mile to-and-from the trail and although they roll pretty good, they wouldn't be my first choice if I was putting in a lot of road miles. The wear rate off-road isn't alarming but they're not exactly durable(YMMV).

nferrar

Mud-X's aren't F/R specific and are actually pretty good in a variety of conditions. I've only used one on the rear though as the profile looks a little sketchy for cornering fast on the front. I'd try a HR or Blue Groove on the front instead and see how it goes.