Tyres for muddy conditions

gabriel959

So I am currently running Kenda Small Blocks which are great for dry conditions but a bit rubbish in the mud and was thinking on getting some new tyres for when it gets muddy, what do you guys recommend? I am running clinchers at the moment btw

gabriel959

No one? I am after something relatively cheap, I have seen the Challenge Limus at the top end and they look lush but too expensive.

How about the Rigid Challenge Grifos? They are only 15 quid. Or the Schwalbe Rocket Rons (also rigid) at £18 a pop?

tgotb

I was about to recommend Clement PDX, but at the wrong end of the price spectrum I'm afraid...

gabriel959

They don't look that expensive at £25 from Hargroves - http://www.hargrovescycles.co.uk/clemen ... oCzADw_wcB

Is it really a muddy tyre? the pattern looks more like an intermediate tyre... like the Michelin Mud 2?

tgotb

That link is for the MXP, which is indeed an intermediate tyre. PDX is a proper mud tyre, and very effective imo; very good value if you can find them at £25 a pop.

veronese68

CRC have Vittoria XG Pro at £25.99 or XM Pro at £24.99 for 34 mm or £26.99 in 32mm. Not sure which is better or how they would compare to the Clements mentioned. I want to get something better than my wire bead Conti Speed King that keep flatting. I'm very happy with my Vittoria Randonneur so would have high hopes for these.

Edit: looks like the Vittorias are cheaper at Hargroves.

gabriel959

Veronese68 wrote:

CRC have Vittoria XG Pro at £25.99 or XM Pro at £24.99 for 34 mm or £26.99 in 32mm. Not sure which is better or how they would compare to the Clements mentioned. I want to get something better than my wire bead Conti Speed King that keep flatting. I'm very happy with my Vittoria Randonneur so would have high hopes for these.

Edit: looks like the Vittorias are cheaper at Hargroves.

£20 each on Ribble. I have heard Ugo recommending them but... he runs them tubeless.

ugo.santalucia

The XG is not a mud tyre... never tried the XM but I don't think the Vittoria range is the best for real mud

Monty Dog

I run some XM tubs - it's fine as a rear tyre but doesn't work too well on the front. Michelin Muds work pretty well, plus there's Challenge Limus and Clement PDX which are dedicated mud tyres.

gabriel959

Monty Dog wrote:

I run some XM tubs - it's fine as a rear tyre but doesn't work too well on the front. Michelin Muds work pretty well, plus there's Challenge Limus and Clement PDX which are dedicated mud tyres.

Thanks Monty, I will probably get some PDX or Muds as they can be had for £25 each.

tgotb

I found the PDXs better at clearing sticky mud than Mud 2s, but both are good tyres. PDX is still my favourite, though I'm hoping to find FMB Supermuds even better :-)

Managed to lay my hands on some original green Muds recently but haven't had a chance to try them out yet; if they're good enough I might get them made into tubs...

gabriel959

Sounds far too pro for me!

From reviews it looks like you can run the PDX as clinchers at fairly low PSI without puncturing, which is good. I might add some of that Panaracer Flataway strips - to the rear anyway - as I am going to be doing some night riding with them and can't be bothered with punctures.

I still have the Kenda's for when it is dry in any case.

psterdeacon

The Michelin muds are intermediates really- the name's kind of confusing.
Vittoria's are just okay.

Really good mud tyres have been mentioned here:
Clements PDX
Challenge Limus
FMB supermuds

Biggest gains can be had by taking the plunge and buying some tubulars then you can run them at very low pressures and get lots more grip. But obviously this is a proper financial commitment.

Chris James

I've used mud2's in fairly muddy conditions and they have been good.

They are good all-rounders really, suitable for most winter cross courses. Most courses aren't total mud baths requiring a mud specific tyre in my (admittedly limited!) experience.

tgotb

Chris James wrote:

I've used mud2's in fairly muddy conditions and they have been good.

They are good all-rounders really, suitable for most winter cross courses. Most courses aren't total mud baths requiring a mud specific tyre in my (admittedly limited!) experience.

I've just looked back at my race diary from last season. Of the 7 races I did up to the end of November, I reckon mud tyres would only have been an advantage for one (I had intermediates and struggled accordingly). Of the 9 races after that, one (at a well drained venue) was fine on intermediates, and I used mud tyres at all the rest. Of those, one might have been just about OK on intermediates, but every one of the others had significant course features that would have been unrideable by someone of my ability on intermediate tyres. It's not so much the mud baths that make the difference, as the slippery off-camber sections, and the slippery bits on climbs that force a dismount if you run out of traction.

If I was forced to race a whole season on one set of tyres, I'd either go for a proper mud tyre and take the hit on early-season rolling resistance, or possible put something like a PDX on the front and a Grifo on the back.

As an aside, the new FMB slalom could be interesting as an all-rounder, but anyone keen enough to be buying FMBs is going to have more than one set anyway.

gabriel959

This is most likely not for racing, most likely it is only for me mucking about in bridleways, thetford forest, paths, byways, etc in Cambs!!! I have looked at some of the cx races about and might enter one or two but nothing serious.

Paul 8v

I tried to pre-empt this a while back, maybe time for a bump!

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