Winter tyre combo

mathematics

Hi

I need to replace the original spec Nobby Nics on my giant trance V.soon. So I'm looking for XC/Enduro tyres. I ride locally around hull and the east riding. Wet mud and clay is the usual order for a ride. I also venture to Dalby when possible.

I was initially considering a Magic Mary for the front, or is there a better option out there? But what to go for on the rear?

It needs to be tubeless.

Thanks in advance

Chris

JBA

If they were the Performance flavour NN's then most decent tyres will be an improvement.
NN's in Evolution compound are good (Pacestar Rear, Trailstar front).

midgehulluk

I bike in same area as you and I use nobby nics in winter

The Rookie

Very clayee soil here, NN both ends, pacestar for normal riding and a Gatestar for when I want something stickier.

joshuagame94

I have a go to winter set which is a Magic Mary up front, and then a minion DHR II on the rear. Never hand any issues

slc123

I've just started to look into winter tyre options again ahead of the beautiful British weather that I am sure will descend on us shortly...

I've decided to move the Maxxis DHF from the front to the rear as it's in a good condition and then I am going to run a Maxxis Shorty upfront, which should provide ample grip. Anyone tried this combo?

cycleclinic

The ops riding is surely like riding in Suffolk. I use the IRC serrac xc tyres in winter. Conti mud kings are normally quite good.

Any tyre with a open tread pattern normally works well. I like narrow in winter.

joebristol

I like the Magic Mary front / Dhr2 rear so far this autumn. More confidence inspiring on steep off piste stuff which has started to see a bit of mud. In the summer I was running a DHF front and Aggressor rear. The winter combo is definitely draggier on open flat trails like at trail centres but it’s worth it for the confidence it gives on steep slippery trails with roots / rocks / hairpins etc.

Not sure about the Mary in clay mud as not tried it yet - hopefully it’ll clear instead of clogging. I understand if it’s really really muddy the Maxxis shorty might be the better option, but the MM is a better allrounder.

billycool

I run Conti Trail Kings front and rear all year round. They cope in most conditions and I don't really have a specific winter tyre.

Wet clay is a b!tch with most tyres as its so slippery when wet and you're bordering on using specific mud tyres.

It might just be a case of trial and error as we all have our preferred combinations.

figbat

I tend not to swap tyres per season, but my current Maxxis HRII/Ardent setup is getting a bit too holey for the Stan's to deal with (one has a split that is leaking slowly and looks ready to burst). I considered the fact the winter is coming and have a Minion DHF/DHRII pair arriving today. I ride a mix of clay and mud in the winter, but nothing properly boggy. The old tyres made it through last winter with no drama.

swod1

Anyone tried a DHF front with a high roller 2 on the rear?

My rear tyre minion DHR 2 has worn so i'm thinking move front tyre to rear and fit a minion dhf to the front.

steve_sordy

BillyCool wrote:

I run Conti Trail Kings front and rear all year round. They cope in most conditions and I don't really have a specific winter tyre.

..............

I too would be very comfortable with Conti TKs front and rear (with the black chilli compound). They are not specific mud tyres so they can't compete with Magic Marys or other specific mud tyres when it is really muddy. But how many places do you ride where it is mud from start to finish?

My current set up is the original equipment 27.5 x 2.35 Maxxis High Roller II 3C on the front and I have a 27.5 x 2.2 Conti TK (with BCC) on the rear in place of the original equipment 27.5 x 2.25 Maxxis Crossmark II which spun out in anything that wasn't bone dry. I am quite happy to go all year round on those two tyres. Where I ride the most in winter, there is mud, snow and watery holes for certain, but there is also ice, frozen gravel, tree roots, loose aggregate and forest roads.

swod1

Trail kings have a open tread pattern so should be good for clearing mud. Never been a fan of continental tyres they are too hard to get on/off my mavic wheels the bead is really tight.

slc123

swod1 wrote:

Anyone tried a DHF front with a high roller 2 on the rear?

My rear tyre minion DHR 2 has worn so i'm thinking move front tyre to rear and fit a minion dhf to the front.

That's what I actually run now. The HR2 isn't strictly a rear tyre but it's worked for me. What I did notice was the HR2 has worn pretty quickly, but been great for grip. For winter I am going to move the DHF to the back and put a Shorty on the front for additional grip.

swod1

slc123 wrote:

swod1 wrote:

Anyone tried a DHF front with a high roller 2 on the rear?

My rear tyre minion DHR 2 has worn so i'm thinking move front tyre to rear and fit a minion dhf to the front.

That's what I actually run now. The HR2 isn't strictly a rear tyre but it's worked for me. What I did notice was the HR2 has worn pretty quickly, but been great for grip. For winter I am going to move the DHF to the back and put a Shorty on the front for additional grip.

I was wondering that as the high roller 2 I've got on the front is 3c compound and thought it might wear quicker being on the back.

I've seen people run dhf on front and back wonder how well that works?

slc123

I really like the DHF tyres, they give you some serious traction, although I would always like a less grippy tyre on the rear. Much easy to control a rear end slide and gives you better climbing potential as your not dragging the rear tyre so much.

The Rookie

slc123 wrote:

I really like the DHF tyres, they give you some serious traction.

Unless your bike is front wheel drive, I presume you mean grip not traction!

figbat

The Rookie wrote:

slc123 wrote:

I really like the DHF tyres, they give you some serious traction.

Unless your bike is front wheel drive, I presume you mean grip not traction!

traction
/ˈtrakʃ(ə)n/
noun
1. the action of drawing or pulling something over a surface, especially a road or track.
"a primitive vehicle used in animal traction"
2. the grip of a tyre on a road or a wheel on a rail.
"his car hit a patch of ice and lost traction"
synonyms: grip, friction, adhesion, purchase, resistance

figbat

figbat wrote:

I tend not to swap tyres per season, but my current Maxxis HRII/Ardent setup is getting a bit too holey for the Stan's to deal with (one has a split that is leaking slowly and looks ready to burst). I considered the fact the winter is coming and have a Minion DHF/DHRII pair arriving today. I ride a mix of clay and mud in the winter, but nothing properly boggy. The old tyres made it through last winter with no drama.

First ride last night, in balmy autumnal moonlight on hard-packed dry mud, gravel and flint with a little bit of road.

Fitting was a breeze - they popped on as tubeless easily and stayed inflated for 3 days before I rode them.
Last night they offered no particular unwanted characteristics, climbed as well as anything else I have used and seemed to 'hum' a little more quietly on tarmac than the previous setup. Not the most arduous of tests, I'll admit, but the fitting was easy (regular rims, prepped with Gorilla tape).

slc123

Had a first ride out on he shorty front and DHF on the back. Had a few problems getting the DHF setup tubeless again not sure if the old residue makes that more tricky, but got there in the end!

The new combination seems good. The shorty is awful on anything flat/smooth as expected just grips too much, but I think the tread pattern should be good in winter as there’s quite a bit of space between the tread pattern for mud to clear.

In terms of grip/traction (whatever the correct terminology is) I didn’t really put them to the test but they felt pretty good!

steve_sordy

slc123 wrote:

..........Had a few problems getting the DHF setup tubeless again not sure if the old residue makes that more tricky, but got there in the end!

...............

If all you are doing is loosening one side to add some more sealant, leave the old gunk in place, as the tyre bead will go back in the same place. But if the whole tyre is coming off, or if you are fitting a new tyre, then clean up the dried up sealant. If you don't, then all it does is create a load of new places where the new sealant has to do its job. Yes, I know that is what it is for, but somehow it slows down the sealing process. Cleaning up is especially required if you are changing the type of sealant (say from latex to non-latex), as there is the risk of some kind of chemical reaction. Nothing will go bang, but the sealant may go off more quickly, or some other undesirable consequence. Removing old latex from the tyre bead can be a pain, but it comes off the rim easily enough.