Lake District Tyre Choice

compo

I'm off to the Lakes next week to ride Grisedale, Whinlatter and various tracks/bridleways etc around the area

I have a Carrera Vulcan (2008) and was wondering whcih tyre to put on

Out back I have the stock 2.35 unbranded tyre. Up front I have a Continental Mountian King 2.0, whcih I realise has to go.

Therefore I want a new tyre but only have these options as I can only get to Halfords in time:
Maxxis High Roller 2.35 (£19.99)
Maxxis Advantage 2.1 (£16.99)
Continental Mountain King 2.4 (£9.99)

Which does anyone recommend I buy, and should I put them on the back or front or swap things round or what?

Many thanks for your help

bennett_346

The high rollers.

compo

Hmmm, the High Rolelrs have now gone up to £24.99 though.

The Mountain kings look appealling at just a tenner

bennett_346

Theres a good reason theyre a tenner, theyre horrible for punctures, don't work in the slightest of wet and the compound is super cheap unless you pay for the £44.99 black chilli version.

Out of those choices i would certainly be going for the high rollers. Perhaps you could put a HR up front and the MK out back?

compo

Would that be a 2.1 MK or a 2.4 MK bennett_346?

bennett_346

Get the 2.4

compo

ok.

Would the stock 2.35 trye not do out back?

W00DENT0P

I run 2.4 Mountain Kings, granted their not to hot on wet rock but i can't fault them on everything else, i run them on a hardtail @ 30psi and only ever had 1 pinch flat and that was decending off Skiddaw onto Ullock Pike, do most of mmy riding around the lakes, for the price of them i think their alrite.

compo

Might buy 2 of the 2.4 Mountain Kings then

its still less than the High Roller and if they're bad, ah wel its only a tenner a tyre

kona_matt

out of those choices it has to be high roller 2.35 front and rear. a 2.1 advantage on the back would be ok if you wanted more speed but i feel it's a bit skinny for the lakes.

you'll have a great time btw, i've got a trip planned 12-15 nov up there. haven't been since aug 09 and my riding (and bike for that matter) has improved massively. looking forward to riding without the feeling that i'm right on the edge (and over it a few times last time).

grizedale is great fun, shortish but fun. whinlatter is epic for a trail centre, do the blue first then both red loops, great full day riding. try to do some natural routes too. if you haven't already got a route in mind drop into one of the bike shops and they sell little water proof route maps (only a few quid) and can advise on a route to suit your riding. we did a cracking route out of ambleside last time, think we got it from biketreks shop.

compo

Cheers for the info kona_matt. I think another member of the groups got some natural routes planned out which also include the best bits of TNF trail

stingmered

2.35 minions, 60a, single ply, same weight as HR's and waayyyyyyyy more grip out front. (maybe a HR out back to reduce the rolling resistance ever so slightly...

kona_matt

stingmered wrote:

2.35 minions, 60a, single ply, same weight as HR's and waayyyyyyyy more grip out front. (maybe a HR out back to reduce the rolling resistance ever so slightly...

he can only get to halfords before the trip and i'm pretty sure they don't stock minions

compo

They don't stingmered but thanks anyway

stingmered

you're probably right on the stocking of minions. however, there's loads of bike shops in the lakes (e.g. cyclewise at whinlatter would be useful here, but KMB are my preference). could pop in and purchase on the way up. i was just proffering my opinion on a good tyre choice for the lakes.

Good luck!

compo

Reserved two 2.4 Continental Mountain Kings online to pay in store, saving £12 over just going to the shop. Result

rowlers

High rollers suck at whinlatter!
I found I had no grip with exception series 2.1.
I run 2.2 MK Protections (black chilli) and are very very good.
My brother runs nobby nics/racing ralphs, also very good

Northwind

If those MKs aren't black chili - and I'm pretty sure they won't be- you do not want them. Standard compound MKs would have been pretty rubbish in the 90s but today there's no excuse for them still existing really, they are terrible. The black chili ones rise to the dizzying heights of "OK" but they're still not very good.

The advantage and the highroller will be OK. Supertacky highroller is slow and a bit skinny but it works, oldfashioned but effective.

Unless money's a real issue, forget halfords, their choice isn't really good enough. Stingmered is spot on, you should be able to find a bricks and mortar shop easily enough, Cyclewise maybe at Whinlatter. You'll pay more but you'll get better tyres. Or, if there's time go mail order and speedy delivery.

EarlofBarnet

I've been riding basic wire 2.4" MK's for the last 12 months around the lakes and they've been spot on. Run the right pressure's in them and they're grippy in the wet and the dry. I'd highly recommend them.

Northwind

Earl, what are your points of comparison though? Honestly the only tyres I've used this decade that were worse, were the terrible Tiogas that came on one bike and they were, well, terrible. Worse than the Panaracer Smoke/Dart set that I used to use

robertpb

EarlofBarnet, what are you calling 'the right pressures'.

Scottsparkrider

Like someone said earlier there are plenty of good bike shops in the Lakes - far better than Halfords.
Don't stick to the trail centres. Although they are good, the 'natural' stuff around the national park is second to none.