Tyre thread - Noob questions, beaded, folding, front & r

petemadoc

Looking to upgrade the naff tyres that came with my new hardtail but the choice is bewildering. I think I've settled on the Panaracer Fire XC Pro, not even sure why, they just seem popular. What I don't get is why the folding version costs around £26 but the bead version can be bought for around £15. Why the price difference and why should I pay an extra £22 for a folding pair?

Also some people seem to run different tyres on the front and back, what's the thinking behind this? I'm guessing a wider tyre with a deep tread on the back for more power transfer but what qualities do you want on the front tyre. I'm confused.

Any other tyre recommendations are welcome, I'll be doing mainly off road cross country, generally pretty muddy, grassy with some rocky descents. I have a road bike for the road so not interested in low rolling resistance from my MTB tyres.

Any help is appreciated

thebikeschool

I think the folding ones are a bit lighter. I have the wire bead ones and they are really a really good all round tyre. The 1.8in are quite skinny but roll really fast. I am sure the 2.1in will be fast enough and offer more grip.

Maxxis ignightors (2.1in) are also a fantastic tyre at a good price.

Harry

.blitz

Wired tyres use a steel cord for the bead and are conseqently heavier than folding tyres which use synthetic materials. Unless you are chasing grams, you may find that it doesn't really make much difference. The only other thing I would add is that folding tyres can be easier to remove & refit following a puncture.

With respect to width, the consensus is that the wider tyre goes up front. The reason for this is that the front tyre tends to clear a path for the rear and extra weight on the rear wheel is more noticeable.

As for specific tyre recommendations, it's an absolute minefield; light, cheap, grippy - choose any two.

petemadoc

.blitz wrote:

Wired tyres use a steel cord for the bead and are conseqently heavier than folding tyres which use synthetic materials. Unless you are chasing grams, you may find that it doesn't really make much difference. The only other thing I would add is that folding tyres can be easier to remove & refit following a puncture.

With respect to width, the consensus is that the wider tyre goes up front. The reason for this is that the front tyre tends to clear a path for the rear and extra weight on the rear wheel is more noticeable.

As for specific tyre recommendations, it's an absolute minefield; light, cheap, grippy - choose any two.

OK thanks for explanation. So it's the wider tyre that goes on front. Rather than recommending a brand of tyres could someone explain what qualities I should be looking for front and back. As I said before I'm not interested in how well they roll on the road, just off road performance.

getonyourbike

Like mentioned above the bigger tyre should be on the front as I know for sure that if i tyre was going to slide out then I'd much prefer the rear than the front. On the front you'll probably just splat on your side, if the rear steps out then it can just be left free to drift, following the front which still has traction.

The rolling resistance should still be thought about as if you used a big grippy tyre on hardpack it can make the riding a bit less fun, especially when you know that a tyre with a lighter tread would be faster and also less grippy.

A tyre like the Fire you mentioned would be a good allrounder unless you've got extreme mud and then you need a mud specific tyre. The best thing to do is choose a tyre for the current conditions as if you have a few different tyres for different conditions you would first of all perform better but second it may seem like a waste of money at the moment but the tyres won't receive a lot of use individually so they all last longer.

Something like a Bontrager MUD X in 2.0 size should be perfect for this time of year. When the trails are hardpack a Kenda Small Block Eight would be good and the Fire would be good for when you don't know what to expect on th trails or if the weather is changeable.

supersonic

It is a great weight to save weight, and weight that revolves.

Have a think about it - many people will happily sped 50 quid on a stem to save 20g, or on bars to save a little more, but for that extra £22 you may save 100g or more. Also the compounds tend to be better too, and/or sidewall construction.

petemadoc

supersonic wrote:

It is a great weight to save weight, and weight that revolves.

Have a think about it - many people will happily sped 50 quid on a stem to save 20g, or on bars to save a little more, but for that extra £22 you may save 100g or more. Also the compounds tend to be better too, and/or sidewall construction.

Good point! MTB tyres seem to have some pretty extreme weights, I found these on CRC which looked like a good deal but 860g! !

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=33290

That's nearly 1Kg per tyre!

I'm thinking I might go for the mud x as things are going to be pretty wet for a while.

getonyourbike

PeteMadoc wrote:

supersonic wrote:

It is a great weight to save weight, and weight that revolves.

Have a think about it - many people will happily sped 50 quid on a stem to save 20g, or on bars to save a little more, but for that extra £22 you may save 100g or more. Also the compounds tend to be better too, and/or sidewall construction.

Good point! MTB tyres seem to have some pretty extreme weights, I found these on CRC which looked like a good deal but 860g! !

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=33290

That's nearly 1Kg per tyre!

I'm thinking I might go for the mud x as things are going to be pretty wet for a while.

good choice, then when the ground dries out again in the summer, you can get something specific because the Mud X's will get a bit annoying in the dry and will wear out pretty fast too.

nick1962

+1 for folding tyres,usually Kevlar. As has already been said not only are they lighter but they are so much easier to get on and off. Just been struggling for 15 minutes in the house trying to get a wire beaded tyre off :twisted: Just glad I wasn't out in the hills in the cold and the wet.Well worth paying the extra money for folding IMHO.

getonyourbike

nick1962 wrote:

+1 for folding tyres,usually Kevlar. As has already been said not only are they lighter but they are so much easier to get on and off. Just been struggling for 15 minutes in the house trying to get a wire beaded tyre off :twisted: Just glad I wasn't out in the hills in the cold and the wet.Well worth paying the extra money for folding IMHO.

^^^ +1

beanieripper

what a load of pap...wire bead are just as easy to remove.. am i the only person in the world who actually prefers steel bead?? I find most kevlar bead tyre just too squirmy in the sidewalls without loads of pressure in them.....buy some reasonably light wire bead tyres and save the money for something else....

supersonic

The bead has nothing to do with the sidewalls - but often kevlar tyres are in a higher range, so can have a high tpi casing. Basic tyres can have thicker sidewalls which is what I think you are experiencing here. Certainly feel stiffer, like a UST tyre can.

cavegiant

I prefer wire too, not only are they cheaper but they are safer to mount ghetto tubeless.

The maxxis ignitor or kenda nevegal are great all round tyres.

just get 2.1 ignitors front and back, you will be happy.