All round winter tyre.

grawp
grawp Posts: 46
edited January 2011 in MTB beginners
Hello.
Am new to the sport (since the invention of the front suss anyway). Bought a Boardman Comp off Ebay and absolutely love it.
I decided some biking was in order to keep me fit over winter - I windsurf and surf but am getting fed up with freezing my arse off these last two snowy winters. What I didn't expect was how instantly fascinating I would find mtb to be.
So anyway, to the point:
I'd like recomendations for tyres. I figure I want a front with good grip on the turns with maybe lots of smallish lugs and a softish compound rubber?
For the back perhaps something with well spaced tallish lugs to give me some grip in the mud?
Pedominantly I want tyres that roll pretty well though on the road because a lot of time is unavoidably spent on tarmac and I would rate high resistance to punctures and dependability way over low weight.
I ride on the North Downs and Bedgebuy predominantly.

Thanks in advance. I've tried to do my homework but my god there are a lot of tyres out there!

Comments

  • rockmonkeysc
    rockmonkeysc Posts: 14,774
    I'm using 2.2" Bontrager XR4's at the moment, excellent traction in the mud but a lot better than a mud tyre over rocky & rooty ground. I ride fairly aggressively on them & seem to grip well in all conditions.
    They aren't the best on road but not too bad, unfortunatly tyres that roll well on tarmac aren't too good in mud. You could try a 2.2" Continental Mountain King as more of a compromise, I use them on my hardtail which I commute on, they roll fairly well on road and are ok off road but no where near as good as the XR4's in winter off road conditions.

    http://www.pedalon.co.uk/acatalog/bontrager_xr4.html

    http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=24234
    Transition Patrol - viewtopic.php?f=10017&t=13070235
  • benpinnick
    benpinnick Posts: 4,148
    This time of year, bontrager mud x 2.0. Great thing about tyres is the more you have, the longer they last.... So always a good investment.
    A Flock of Birds
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  • grawp
    grawp Posts: 46
    That's good point. I now have 4 wetsuits (about £1200 worth!) but as I only wear one at a time then in theory in the long run it'll work out ok. Same as with tyres, I use the most suitable one for the occasion.
    In this case I think a mud bias would be a good thing. I'll check out those Bontragers.

    Edit: just read the review on the Bont. Mud. They sound great!
  • benpinnick
    benpinnick Posts: 4,148
    Should be able to find them for 20 notes. Try jejames to start.
    A Flock of Birds
    + some other bikes.
  • rockmonkeysc
    rockmonkeysc Posts: 14,774
    Try the XR4, I seem to find more grip in mud than mates who use Mud X's and they are FAR better when your not hub deep in mud. Better lateral grip in mud than the Mud X as well.
    Transition Patrol - viewtopic.php?f=10017&t=13070235
  • delta5
    delta5 Posts: 265
    RockmonkeySC wrote:
    I'm using 2.2" Bontrager XR4's at the moment, excellent traction in the mud but a lot better than a mud tyre over rocky & rooty ground. I ride fairly aggressively on them & seem to grip well in all conditions.
    They aren't the best on road but not too bad, unfortunatly tyres that roll well on tarmac aren't too good in mud.

    + brussel sprout (with maple syrup)

    Also run XR4s (2.35") - they are excellent in the dry, very good in wet and mud, and to my surprise have been brilliant in the snow. A bit draggy for sure, but laterally very grippy even on icy sections. They seem to just take everything in their stride.
    However, if I absolutely had to get a winter-specific tyre it would be the Mud X.
    My abundant supply of MTFU is reserved for use in dry, sunny conditions.
  • geoff93
    geoff93 Posts: 190
    edited December 2010
    I use 1.8 Mud X on the front, and currently have an XR2 on the rear, I will be running another 1.8 Mud X on the rear when I get round to changing it, but for now I find my setup acceptable, until I hit anything really grimy. The Mud Xs wear well, and are a good quality all round tire. And they're tubeless ready with it!
    Trek Madone 3.5 (RS80s, Arione)
    Trek Madone 3.1 (Upgraded)
    Ribble TT Bike
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  • nickel
    nickel Posts: 476
    I know they're not really dedicated winter/mud tyres but I've got High roller XC 2.1s front and rear and they're suprisingly good in the mud, haven't really had any problems with them in the snow either!
  • Dave_P1
    Dave_P1 Posts: 565
    I've just fitted a set of these to my XC bike.............

    http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=12593

    They seem to cope well in mud and they don't drag on the road either.
    Product & Race Reviews Here
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  • Catfish
    Catfish Posts: 141
    I've just ordered a pair of "Panaracer Trail Raker Tyre 2.1" Bike radar rate them "The best winter-specific tyre available"
  • getonyourbike
    getonyourbike Posts: 2,648
    Dave_P1 wrote:
    I've just fitted a set of these to my XC bike.............

    http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=12593

    They seem to cope well in mud and they don't drag on the road either.
    +1 for Maxxis Advantage but I've got them in the 2.25 size, they're high volume, so good for stopping those pesky snakebites and it makes them quite comfortable too. They roll quite well and have tenacious cornering grip too, the braking and acelerating grip isn't half bad either. I'll probably keep them on till summer and they'll go back on in Autumn, so a good 3 seasons tyre. I really do recommend them.

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