Tyre Advice needed (Baffled!?)

MC2014

Hi all,

Need some advice on which new tyres to buy as im baffled with the choice!

Purchased my new bike a week ago (Boardman Pro HT) and it has come with "Continental Mountain King 26x2.2 wire bead black" tyres fitted.

Basically Im looking for some tyres to replace these which I would like to be puncture resistant and a good all rounder, price isn't an issue if there worth the money, also I am thinking of fitting the panaracer tyre liners for added puncture resistance.

Can I buy a tyre than I can run all year round? Or do I need to purchase winter tyres and summer tyres?

Which would you recommend for the front and back? and what width sizes?

How worried should I be about the weight of the tyre?

ill be riding bridleways, trials, woodlands and downhill etc.

Ive seen that the following tyres below have been recommended in the past but which would suit me? or any others that you would recommended?

Panaracer Fire XCs
Schwalbe Marathon Plus MTB Bike Tyre
specialized armadillo elite tyres (the captain)
Nevegals
Maxxis Ignitors
Specialized Captains
rubber queen 2.2 black chili
maxxis ardents
Maxxis High Rollers
Bontrager Hardcase
Schwalbe Nobby Nics
Schwalbe Racing Ralph Double Defence
Conti protection tyres

So much choice im baffled!

Thankyou in advance for any recommendations

Martin.

poah

the tyres fitted are a decent tread pattern and TBH more than suitable for what you ride. they are also not that heavy either. you can use this tyre all rear round but its not a mud tyre but how often are you going to be riding in pure mud.

The one thing I would ask is that your bike is a week old and you want to replace the tyres why?

MC2014

Just alittle unsure about the puncture resistance on them and thought whilst on the job of selecting the best options for puncture prevention, id just purchase some decent tyres to start off with as ive been recommended by a friend to do so.

Tom Barton

Have you tried the stock tyres yet - they are good tyres. That said, stock fitted tyres tend to not be the flagship ones you buy after market - they can have cheapy rubber compounds that make them an inferior tyre.

Assuming this is what your thinking expect many varying replies.

Personally I stopped switching tyres a couple of years ago because the British summer is so unpredictable half of it will be wet and muddy anyway. So I, like you use want/have an alrounder tyre that manages everything and saves me faffing about changing tyres (the only exception being if we do get a prolonged and exceptionally dry period of weather where I may pop a kenda small block eight on the back). If you ride in places where there is a lot of deep, claggy mud you may need narrow mud tyres to clear it when its wet - many do fine with an alrounder on wet all weather trails or where the mud isn't quite quagmire...

Tyres are a compromise. Too heavy with very soft grippy rubber and it'll be a pain to haul around. Too light and it will puncture easily and grip maybe compromised.

I'd look at the Rubber queen black chillis - big tyre for a 2.2 but weight is reasonable for a big grippy tyre. The magic rubber also provides excellent grip while somehow rolling well. A worthy choice and would suit your ride well.

The Schwalbe Hans Dampfs are very big tyres for their stated size and are aimed at enduro and trail riders. Somehow weight less than the contis although the drag is a little more noticeable. Use a grippy trailstar up front and a fast pacestar at the rear to minimise this. I personally find this a more confidence inspiring tyre than the conti on personal preference and use them on my bike.

The Maxxis highroller 2 is without doubt the daddy of grip for enduro bikes at the moment but it carries extra weight and drag (newer and more modern compounds make it less draggy the older maxxis options)

All three tyres will resist punctures well, even without extra sealants and tapes.

MC2014

wow thankyou for the in depth reply tom barton, really appreciated!

So from what you've said rubber queens would be best for me?

Regarding the maxxis highrollers, do you think the extra weight would effect me that much considering what I do?

And so the rule of thumb with the different tyres on the front and back is to have a tyre with plenty of grip up front to carve through the path and you don't need as much grip on the back? to aid speed?

poah

they are probably too big for your rims to start with - mavic 317s?

Tom Barton

@POAH - Mavic recommend 1.5 to 2.3 tyres for the mavic 317.

That said - POAHs right to raise the size issue - just had a look at the boardman and its a narrow frame. The Hans dampf and high roller may be very questionable on fitting. The RQ will probably fit though - in this thread below - someone seems to say they got the mahoosive 2.4s that rubbed the frame (unsurprisingly) but then the 2.2 RQs were fine. See if your local bike shop will let you fit one if its a major concern - its higher than your current tyre but not massively wider.

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12918557&p=18290459

Yes - I suspect the high roller 2 is more tyre than you need to haul around although it falls into 'alrounder' territory.

And yes many riders opt for different tyres with a grippier tyre up front and something quicker out back. Depends on tastes, style and the experience you build up. I went through a phase of spending loads on tyres and I eventually worked out what sorts of tyre combos I liked.

Kowalski675

Tom Barton wrote:

Have you tried the stock tyres yet - they are good tyres.

The wire bead, plastic compound OE ones aren't. (They're a pig to get off too, so a real PITA if he does get a puncture).

FWIW I swapped mine on my Boardman for Bontrager XR3 Team Issues. Great all rounder - grippy, but fast rolling (I imagine they'd be pants in thick mud, but then most tyres will be), they were half price, tubeless ready and 120g (each) lighter than the Mountain Kings.

passout

As all rounders I like the Maxxis advantage tyre - a little faster than high rollers but still grippy. You can get them for 20 quid each. You'd want 2.1 or 2.25 - the last of which is pretty wide (more like many 2.35s). For a summer tyre I like the Maxxis Aspens - again 2.1 or 2.25.

poah

Tom Barton wrote:

@POAH - Mavic recommend 1.5 to 2.3 tyres for the mavic 317.

nope, that's the 19mm rim, 17mm rims are up to 2.1 - I've got a 517 at the front of mine at the mo (until my crosstrail arrives today) and its the same as the XM317 1.5-2.1



The XR3's that Kowalski675 suggests are also good tyres.

The Rookie

As noted, the stock wire bead 'plastic compound' tread tyres are not at all good, despite earlier assurances by people who I assume have never ridden on them.

There are lots of good tyres out there that work fairly well all year round, but nothing at it's best on a hot dry smooth trail will also be at it's best in a UK winter's gloop, they will always be a compromise.

Surfaces you ride/expect to ride on will tell you what sort of tread you need while a decent compound will ensure that tread pattern can work at it's best.

For an all round tyre the Panaracer Fire XC Pro is hard to beat as a 'jack of all trades' (the wired (heavier) tyre is the same compound and can be had from circa £10 each) tyre as are Nobby Nic's (In Trailstar, I feel the Pacestar lack grip on slippery hard surfaces), not ridden on XR3's so can't comment

Lighter tyres will make the bike fell sharper and more responsive, so if buying new I'd always suggest looking at weight as A PART (not the whole) of the buying decision, also with the style of bike you have, a narrower lighter tyre is more in keeping than some of the larger ones mentioned.

MC2014

ok guys thanks for the great info

From what im reading it really is down to personal choice then aslong as I stick as close to 2.2 or lower width size?

I do like the look of the panaracer xc pro's aswell as a select few others.

I think im going to search each individual tyre ive stated at the top and select the ones that I can get in 2.25 or lower then compare the remaining from reviews and weight etc and hopefully get it down to a couple of possible winners,

Once ive done this ill post my final 3 on here to see what you guys think?

Thankyou again for all your time,info and effort in replying to my rookie questions, really appreciated!

MC2014

Right guys here's where im up to at the moment,

After doing a lot of research ive narrowed it down the these tyres below,

Maxxis Minions (currently favourite for Front tyre and possibly rear aswell) 2.35 width but apprantly are only 2.2 width really?

maxxis crossmark (rear tyre? for summer only?) 2.1 width

Schwalbe Nobby Nics evolution snakeskin (read mixed reviews?) 2.25 width

maxxis ardents (rear tyre?) 2.25 width

rubber queen black chili ( read on the bike radar review that there puncture prone?) 2.2 width

bontrager xr4 2013 clincher (only suitable for winter?) 2" or 2.2" width

so first of all would I have any issues fitting any of these tyres on the mavic 317 rims?

And what would you guys say is the best combo I could make with the above? or there any other tyres I really should be looking at?

I really do like the look of the maxxis minions from what ive read etc

poah

I think you need to go out and ride the bike and see what the tyres are like first then think about what to replace them with

kirby700

I'm completely happy with what I run at the moment on my Boardman Team FS.

Specialized Butcher on front
Specialized Ground control.

I agree with Kowalski675 the stock tyres are shocking in the damp and scary in wet.

Kowalski675

kirby700 wrote:

I agree with Kowalski675 the stock tyres are shocking in the damp and scary in wet.

Heard so many bad reports on them I took mine straight off my Team FS before even riding it (they were a bugger to get off, even snapping a tyre lever). Every bike test I've read that featured them said they were scarily bad and should be binned straight away. My mate had them OE on his Team FS and took them off after the first wet ride - said they were terrifying in wet conditions.

I'm currently debating what to put on my hardtail - think it's gonna be another pair of XR3 team Issues, since they're still half price at my LBS.

poah

Kowalski675 wrote:

kirby700 wrote:

I agree with Kowalski675 the stock tyres are shocking in the damp and scary in wet.

Heard so many bad reports on them I took mine straight off my Team FS before even riding it (they were a bugger to get off, even snapping a tyre lever). Every bike test I've read that featured them said they were scarily bad and should be binned straight away. My mate had them OE on his Team FS and took them off after the first wet ride - said they were terrifying in wet conditions.

I'm currently debating what to put on my hardtail - think it's gonna be another pair of XR3 team Issues, since they're still half price at my LBS.

even the BC are not confidence inspiring in the wet. however, tyre pressure makes a big difference.

beverick

Re MTB

I've run Specialized armadillo elite tyres (the captain) for three years now for the 10 mile commute n a mixture of road, hardpack, woodland trail, loose and muddy surfaces. Up side is that they're very puncture resistant until they're about 70% warn. They're quite free rolling on hard surfaces (thanks to the block pattern in the centre of the tread). Down side puncture resistance reduces as wear sets in, and they wear quite quickly - probably less than 500 miles will see the centre tread warn almost smooth. On loose surfaces, and even in light mud they're a handful and are more likely to go sideways - with little warning - than straight on. They also tend to spin out in mud.

Schwalbe Nobby Nics and Racing Ralph. I have a set in the garage (and a Rocket Ron for that matter). These are good tyres and quite free rolling but, in their unprotected form, are about as puncture resistant as an inner tube. I think the Double Defence versions would be better but I'd still be sceptical about them without an extended trial. Alternatively, use self-seal/slime.

I've used Specialized Crossroads Armadillo Tyres for the three previous winters (Nov-Feb). Up side: bomb proof, fast narrow pseudo road-tyre (they seem narrower than their 1.95 nominal) and very hard wearing. Down side: Little grip on anything other than a hard surface.

Bob

Long_Time_Lurker

I love my Racing Ralph DDs; fast rolling and the puncture protection has done it's job for 8 months, but they aren't built for the weather we are having at the moment. Mud, leaves and wet smooth tarmac aren't the best places to be using them, and at times have been downright dangerous.

At the moment the local trails are thick claggy mud, forcing me to go to a set of Mud Kings (first time I've really needed them).