tyres for wet roots?

mudsucker

Hi,

I went riding in the Surrey hills on saturday on my Stumpy FSR and there are lots of wet roots and mud at the moment and my Panaracer fire xc 2.1s didn't really cut it and i was sliding all over the place. Which tyres would be better for wet winter weather use? I have been looking and Bontrager mud x and Panaracer trailrakers both look good and both get good reviews.

Any recommendations between the two or any other tyres i should look at?

Thanks,

Ben

benpinnick

I've just added schwalbe hans dampfs to my blur, and I'm impressed, particularly on the off camber and roots. Theyre also great in the mud, which was a real surprise. They are the trail star compound, so they don't roll as well as some, And are 795g, but if you want some burly, go anywhere tyres they might be just the trick.

agg25

Nobby Nics aren't too bad, my Mud Xs were ok but I think the Nobbys being a softer compound are better on the wet roots

robertpb

Wet roots are the downfall of every tyre. Skill and tyre pressure are the two main saving graces for offs.

Muddy condition tyres, it's all about what kind of mud, clay mud is a lot different to mulch mud.

Nobby Nics are a good intermediate tyre but when it gets to a mudfest then it's time to change tyres.

Trailrakers are about as best as it gets, Mud Xs are great for mixed trails but if it's really sticky they clog, Dirty Dans are in the middle of the two, the tread keeps clean and at about 440g they are pretty light.

Last year I ran a Mud X on the back and a Trailracker on the front, I'm now using Mud X on the back with a Dirty Dan out front, but after Saturdays ride I'm thinking to get another Dirty Dan.

mudsucker

Thanks for the replies!

I understand that root riding is all about skill and i do try to hit them as squarely as possible but sometimes at not possible. I run my tires at about 35psi so that should be ok. I aslo want better mud tyres too as when it gets really sticky the panaracer fires just clog up.

Stu Coops

I ran Trailrakers last winter and really good in heavy mud but a sod on the road if you have to pedal any distance to get to a trail/forest

Northwind

Swampthing supertacky works well but is slower than continental drift and doesn't work well on some harder surfaces (knobs are too big, I think, no bite). A big sticky tyre can often find grip on roots that a small one can't, just because it's got more area so is more likely to find a knobbly bit on the root...

My first impressions of conti barons are excellent, if they're as good as I think they are then I'll never look at a swampdonkey again. But not sure yet, might just be new gear syndrome. They seem good in mud but with less tradeoff on everything else.

njee20

I use Mud Xs or Dirty Dans around the Surrey Hills and find them as good as anything. Personally go softer than 35psi, more like 25/30, but I'm reasonably light, and running tubeless.

agg25

True, don't run the psi too high or you'll slip easy. Weighting and unweighting the tyres is the key and what angle you hit the root, perpendicular is what you want if possible. I run mine at 35 back and 32 front for good grip on roots.

rockmonkeysc

Doesn't matter what tyre you use on wet roots. Best thing you can do is carry some speed over them & get the front wheel off the ground. Commitment is everything.
90% of the time it's the front wheel which will slide out on roots & the rear will just follow. If you can just set up your line and lift the front wheel up the rear will just follow, even off camber it will work and even if you hit them at an angle.
I use wet screams for racing DH in the wet & they are useless on roots but what makes a tyre good in mud makes it useless on roots.

FBM.BMX

No tyre is going to give grip on wet roots. Just chill and learn to deal with the bike not doing what you want it to do 100% of the time. Tyres normally start sliding, then eventually find bite on a different patch, you just have to bear with things until that grippy patch is found. Also NO BRAKING, you can do some a while before, but no braking at all until you're out of the slidey patch.

Drop the pressure on your front to atleast 25psi, larger volume than 2.1 will help too, more tyre to wrap around the root as it were.

Also you're riding a stumpy, a 140mm "do it all" bike, ie something that is capable of gobbling DH and climbs somewhat OK, aren't 2.1 XCs a bit XC for it?

Thewaylander

Using high roller on the rear, with a super tack minion up front, there good but the minion is more of a dry tyre and in the winter i go with a swap thing.

I normally ride on 2.35 maxxis and have only tried a nobby nic in 2.1 but it was awful with any water on routes/rocks and i crashed on every ride i did on them be it dry or wet they ended up in the bin in 2 weeks flat and that was when i was a more cross country orintated rider.

But my current choices i do run 2.5" up front and and 2.32 on the rear but maxxiss do tend to be undersized

Anonymous

mudsucker wrote:

I went riding in the Surrey hills on saturday on my Stumpy FSR

Did anyone talk to you?

Anyway - Minion front and High Roller rear, 2.35, single ply folding and generally good I find for Surrey Hills wet roots. I run them at 30psi-ish (no higher). Use them all year round generally, wet or dry. Good for roots, rocks, loose stuff, mud, the lot. No good for speedy smooth racing.

Don't blame the tyres entirely though. The line you take, the speed and how you do or don't unweight is a key factor.

mudsucker

deadkenny wrote:

mudsucker wrote:

I went riding in the Surrey hills on saturday on my Stumpy FSR

Did anyone talk to you? quote]

Lol! That vid is brilliant. I do ride a Specialized so yes i was ignored by most

Thanks for all the tips everyone, very helpfull as always. I feel better tyres would help but are not the be all and end all. As i don't ride Surrey much but think i might be alot more and that it is root city maybe i'm just a bit rusty on my technique. I weight 12st 10ish so i could get away with a bit less air in my tyres than 35psi. As someone also said, i could lift up more over some of them or even bunnyhop any nasty looking sections.

Also you're riding a stumpy, a 140mm "do it all" bike, ie something that is capable of gobbling DH and climbs somewhat OK, aren't 2.1 XCs a bit XC for it?

^^^^Good point, more rubber on the ground will help with grip. Maybe go up to 2.3?

Cheers

rockmonkeysc

I use big tyres on my XC bike, Schwalbe Muddy Mary 2.35 & you do get more grip but you also get an aweful lot of drag!
Less air isn't always the answer, my Muddy Mary's work best in mud with 40 psi