Tyres for deep mud

twicemonkey
twicemonkey Posts: 94
edited June 2008 in XC and Enduro
Hi all.

I need some advice. I'm after some XC tyres that can deal with the deep mud, and by deep I mean taller than the sidewall of the tyre and rim when it digs in.

Main reason - there's a lot of horse riders using the same trails as me and they churn up the mud somewhat, plus it's still raining a lot.

I was thinking of maybe looking at some DH tyres, or would that be an over-exagerated action?

Your thoughts, please.
I may love XC, but I won't shave my legs, dammit!

Comments

  • god1406
    god1406 Posts: 554
    I'm currently running a 2.35 High Roller up front, and haven't slipped out once since fiting it, mainly riding muddy trails, and a bit of street.

    odd combination :?
  • Dannykona
    Dannykona Posts: 10
    Ive got a kona shred (i kno its a jump bike but i ride a lot of difrent stuff) i have high rollers 2.35 f and r and they still slip a little if there solid but; let sum air out and run them fairly softly there lyk velcro. (dont run them soft on street tho ull b kissin road)

    Danny.
  • ride_whenever
    ride_whenever Posts: 13,279
    Ignore the above, (sorry guys) for horse trails, you need really thin tyres, as it isn't usually that deep, but is normally quite sticky and has a solid base under it. I'd go for 1.9" trailrakers with the folding bead, although you'll find them a bit slow.
  • Um....sorry to sound like I'm putting down your advice, ride_whenever, but they are deep where I ride.

    It's not just the horses, but also the weather that's ruined them. I know they're deep cos when I put my foot down, the mud & water goes over the top of my shoes, sometimes even in between my ankles, lol.
    I may love XC, but I won't shave my legs, dammit!
  • Chaka Ping
    Chaka Ping Posts: 1,451
    I've recently put Conti Mountain King 2.4s on one bike and Bontrager Mud X 2.0s on another - and both have been a significant improvement over standard 2.1 tyres for very muddy patches.

    Not fair to contrast them as they're on different bikes, but both fat and thin approaches seem to work well.

    Thinner tyres do have the added advantage of being less likely to clog your frame in extremely muddy situations though.
  • S_J_P
    S_J_P Posts: 908
    For what it's worth, I find Bontrager Mud X's the best mud tyre i've used.

    They won the WMB winter roundup too.
  • BlackSpur
    BlackSpur Posts: 4,228
    Panaracer Trailrakers ar very good to - the mechanic at my lbs much prefers them to the Mud X's he had a while ago.
    "Melancholy is incompatible with bicycling." ~James E. Starrs
  • Justinjured
    Justinjured Posts: 142
    My vote goes for bonty muds as well. Have had them last 2 winters and i think that the narrow width as mentioned, is key.The muds are 2"
  • I was a little concerned that some people were saying wider tyres as I (before changing direction) was pursuing a career in motorsport and in rallying, thin tyres/wheels are best for deep, wet mud as is cuts through it better, getting down to the hard, grippy stuff more efficiantly.
    I may love XC, but I won't shave my legs, dammit!
  • streako
    streako Posts: 2,937
    Fat tyres wil also take more work to push through the clag.

    I tried Bonty muds and hated them. Fine for muddy fields, but for rocks and roots forget it.

    I much prefer Fire XC Pros.
  • Andy
    Andy Posts: 8,207
    Blackspur knows the stuff. Trailrakers all the way.
  • stumpyjon
    stumpyjon Posts: 4,069
    Another vote for the Trailraker, had one on my back wheel since November (recommended by my LBS) and it's been really good, even in deep mud. I've had very little slippage with it. I'm running a 2.1 version but it is still quite narrow (compared to the 2.1 Spesh Resolution Pro it replaced).

    It also seems to shed the mud easily, particularly noticeable when hosing the bike down post ride, what mud there is just slides off (unlike the front).

    Only down side is that it is slow on tarmac or hardpack, just have to convince the other half I now need a set of summer tyres :roll:
    It's easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission.

    I've bought a new bike....ouch - result
    Can I buy a new bike?...No - no result
  • ride_whenever
    ride_whenever Posts: 13,279
    Sorry bout the deep thing, but i've have rear derraileur going underground! If it is only ankledeep then you want to cut through, if you're going to go deeper than that then you need to float on top, or be sensible and not try and cycle through a swamp!
  • harry_jones1984
    harry_jones1984 Posts: 1,150
    i used some conti XC's over the winter, they're 1.5s so don't drag however are shit on anything but road/deep mud, they're bascially wide CX tyres
  • steelo
    steelo Posts: 542
    Panaracer Trailraker - Absolutely astonishingly fast through thick, deep, claggy mud. Saw me through the winter without any problems, consistently quicker than the rest of the group through anything vaguely damp or worse.

    I just need to sort some dry trail tyres out now! :lol:
    Specialized Rockhopper '07
    Trek Fuel EX8 '09
  • twicemonkey
    twicemonkey Posts: 94
    I think the Trailrakers are the winner. Did some research about it and apparently it was developed on Yorkshire trails, so it seems fitting that most brit XC riders like it.

    Cheers guys
    I may love XC, but I won't shave my legs, dammit!
  • Chaka Ping
    Chaka Ping Posts: 1,451
    Surely the mud must have dried by now though!
  • Lowride
    Lowride Posts: 214
    Kenda Kinetics...... absoloute gangsta when it comes to mud, a nightmare on the road!
    ________________
    Specialized til I die
  • bike-a-swan
    bike-a-swan Posts: 1,235
    i've been riding 2.1 fires on the same trails as you all winter and they're pretty good for the mud generally without becoming lethal on some of the excessively chalky bits. beyond that, most of the redhill lot who ride in the area swear by trailrakers, and they do seem to pull them up quite a bit of stuff. a mate of mine swears by nics, but they're a bit expensive for me
    Rock Lobster 853, Trek 1200 and a very old, tired and loved Apollo Javelin.
  • Dazzza
    Dazzza Posts: 2,364
    Im looking at either schwalbe black shark mud or michelin xcr mud tyres.

    The schwalbe have a rep for being scrabbly in anything hard while the michelin's wear fast due to their using a race compound.

    http://www.mtbr.com/cat/tires-and-wheel ... 51crx.aspx

    http://www.mtbr.com/cat/tires-and-wheel ... 51crx.aspx

    Also run wide up front to stop you sinking nose first and skinny rear to bite deep down and also to prevent it from blocking up with mud.
    The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it.
    Giant Anthem X