Choosing MTB tyres...
Discussion
... how do you do it???!
Road tyres is easy. Conti Gp5000s in your preferred width and off you go.
My new-to-me mtb needs some new tyres.
The XC style ones it came on are pretty much worn out; the spare mud ones that came and I fitted are near new, but obviously rather dedicated to the one surface... and while there's plenty of mud around if I want it, one morning of Welsh singletrack (even on those knobblies) tells me I don't need lots of mud in my life
However, despite having good old fashioned 26"wheels, there appears to be approximately eleventy hundred different tyres to choose from, and even ruling out the obviously-super-mud (all ready got) and the commuter/super cheap rubbish, there's still enough variety to make my head spin.
And that's before the frequent suggestion of fitting completely different tyres, not to mention widths, front and rear!
I certainly had the back end skipping around a bit in the mud, less so on the singletrack; and I'm a way off attacking berms at all... should I worry about finding the perfect front/rear balance at this stage? I can't see I'll be pushing anything that hard, but do understand the benefit of a rear that lets go first (I'm reasonably happy with the back end being somewhere else).
Help! My head hurts!
Road tyres is easy. Conti Gp5000s in your preferred width and off you go.
My new-to-me mtb needs some new tyres.
The XC style ones it came on are pretty much worn out; the spare mud ones that came and I fitted are near new, but obviously rather dedicated to the one surface... and while there's plenty of mud around if I want it, one morning of Welsh singletrack (even on those knobblies) tells me I don't need lots of mud in my life
However, despite having good old fashioned 26"wheels, there appears to be approximately eleventy hundred different tyres to choose from, and even ruling out the obviously-super-mud (all ready got) and the commuter/super cheap rubbish, there's still enough variety to make my head spin.
And that's before the frequent suggestion of fitting completely different tyres, not to mention widths, front and rear!
I certainly had the back end skipping around a bit in the mud, less so on the singletrack; and I'm a way off attacking berms at all... should I worry about finding the perfect front/rear balance at this stage? I can't see I'll be pushing anything that hard, but do understand the benefit of a rear that lets go first (I'm reasonably happy with the back end being somewhere else).
Help! My head hurts!
I find these to be great all-rounders: https://www.maxxis.com/uk/tyre/high-roller-ii/
WindyCommon said:
I find these to be great all-rounders: https://www.maxxis.com/uk/tyre/high-roller-ii/
I only use Maxxis tyres, brilliant grip and fantastic quality. I used Maxxis DHR And DHF for the Downhill Full Susp bikes and Maxxis High Roller 2 for the Hard tails.I tried Conti but couldn't get on with them. Most of our new bikes came with Kenda Small Block which are more road tyres and zero grip on off road stuff.
defblade said:
Road tyres is easy. Conti Gp5000s in your preferred width and off you go.
If you dont know where to start, MTB tyres are easy. Maxxis Minions in your preferred width and off you go.
(See, its all a matter of perspective. I wouldnt have a clue where to start but I could talk for hours about MTB tyres, combos, pressures, weights, casings. You just need to buy a pair of Maxxis Minions).
thewarlock said:
Can't go far wrong with a DHR on the back and a DHF on the front.
Great grip, but they are rather draggy.I prefer the Maxxis Dissector as an all-round trail tyre if you ride up a lot of hills as well as down them - not too far off the DHF/DHR for cornering grip, a bit less braking traction, but much less drag.
I think my favourite trail all-rounder combo so far is the Bontrager SE5 front / SE4 rear.
For the OP as a fairly new MTBer on 26", I'd suggest something mid-spectrum like Maxxis Rekons (front a bit wider than rear), and just get used to riding the bike offroad and learning to manage available grip rather than going straight to chunkier more downhill oriented tyres.
GravelBen said:
thewarlock said:
Can't go far wrong with a DHR on the back and a DHF on the front.
Great grip, but they are rather draggy.I prefer the Maxxis Dissector as an all-round trail tyre if you ride up a lot of hills as well as down them - not too far off the DHF/DHR for cornering grip, a bit less braking traction, but much less drag.
I think my favourite trail all-rounder combo so far is the Bontrager SE5 front / SE4 rear.
For the OP as a fairly new MTBer on 26", I'd suggest something mid-spectrum like Maxxis Rekons (front a bit wider than rear), and just get used to riding the bike offroad and learning to manage available grip rather than going straight to chunkier more downhill oriented tyres.
I'm kinda drawn to Schwalbe's range as they seem a little more just-riding-along focused (which is me) than 110% shredding... modern Nobby Nics seem to get a good write up as an all-rounder (the old version gets slagged); although I don't see that for what/how I'm looking at riding, Rocket Rons might not suit me just as well - at least I'd find it a bit easier to get back some of the pace I lose on the brakes!
Edited to add: quite like the look and price of these Specialized Ground Control Sports too, and they get reasonable reviews. At this price, I'd be happy swapping them out for something more aggressive once my confidence and speed come up.
As for different widths, stock troubles look to be biting there as well - would running the same tyre maybe 10psi higher in the rear have much the same effect on grip balance? (Or, from the above, a NN/RRon pairing)
Edited by defblade on Friday 28th January 01:00
There's a guide to Maxxis tyres at https://www.worldwidecyclery.com/blogs/worldwide-c... which might be useful.
I'm definitely more than a potterer than a shredder, so I wonder whether the Minions that came standard on my bike might be a bit of an overkill, but they seem to grip well where they need to. I can't think of anything to complain about with them, aside from being draggy on road.
I'm definitely more than a potterer than a shredder, so I wonder whether the Minions that came standard on my bike might be a bit of an overkill, but they seem to grip well where they need to. I can't think of anything to complain about with them, aside from being draggy on road.
defblade said:
This is the bit that's concerning me. Oh, and stock availability of half the tyres mentioned!
I'm kinda drawn to Schwalbe's range as they seem a little more just-riding-along focused (which is me) than 110% shredding... modern Nobby Nics seem to get a good write up as an all-rounder (the old version gets slagged); although I don't see that for what/how I'm looking at riding, Rocket Rons might not suit me just as well - at least I'd find it a bit easier to get back some of the pace I lose on the brakes!
Edited to add: quite like the look and price of these Specialized Ground Control Sports too, and they get reasonable reviews. At this price, I'd be happy swapping them out for something more aggressive once my confidence and speed come up.
As for different widths, stock troubles look to be biting there as well - would running the same tyre maybe 10psi higher in the rear have much the same effect on grip balance? (Or, from the above, a NN/RRon pairing)
I've never tried Schwalbe tyres to comment on them, they generally seem to be priced a higher than the other brands here in NZ and I haven't seen any reason to spend more on them.I'm kinda drawn to Schwalbe's range as they seem a little more just-riding-along focused (which is me) than 110% shredding... modern Nobby Nics seem to get a good write up as an all-rounder (the old version gets slagged); although I don't see that for what/how I'm looking at riding, Rocket Rons might not suit me just as well - at least I'd find it a bit easier to get back some of the pace I lose on the brakes!
Edited to add: quite like the look and price of these Specialized Ground Control Sports too, and they get reasonable reviews. At this price, I'd be happy swapping them out for something more aggressive once my confidence and speed come up.
As for different widths, stock troubles look to be biting there as well - would running the same tyre maybe 10psi higher in the rear have much the same effect on grip balance? (Or, from the above, a NN/RRon pairing)
Specialized Ground Controls are popular with some good riders I know in my area, haven't tried them myself but I've heard positive comments.
I tend to run the rear about 5psi higher than the front, no problem with that - just experiment with pressures to find what works for you.
Running a chunkier pattern on the front is common and I do that with most bikes too, just don't go for too extreme a difference front/rear - one step of chunkiness is usually a good difference.
At a beginner level there probably isn't much gain from overthinking the decision - just find something in stock in the ranges you are looking at, fit them up and go riding.
If your MTB addiction level increases later then you will have a better idea what you want by the time it matters.GravelBen said:
thewarlock said:
Can't go far wrong with a DHR on the back and a DHF on the front.
Great grip, but they are rather draggy.I prefer the Maxxis Dissector as an all-round trail tyre if you ride up a lot of hills as well as down them - not too far off the DHF/DHR for cornering grip, a bit less braking traction, but much less drag.
I think my favourite trail all-rounder combo so far is the Bontrager SE5 front / SE4 rear.
For the OP as a fairly new MTBer on 26", I'd suggest something mid-spectrum like Maxxis Rekons (front a bit wider than rear), and just get used to riding the bike offroad and learning to manage available grip rather than going straight to chunkier more downhill oriented tyres.
Ok, went off and looked at the High Rollers... again, reviews say they (like all the Maxxis it seems) respond well to confident cornering with good lean and less so to the opposite... I'm just not there yet 
But a few mentions in those reviews of the HR being aimed at the same area as the Nobby Nics, and I found a couple of comparison articles:
https://www.dirtmerchantbikes.com/special-events/2...
https://www.dirtmerchantbikes.com/special-events/2...
:and again, the description of the Schwalbes sounds much more like what I'm looking for.
So, hunting through stock actually available (there's a lot of the hard'n'nasty cheap versions of all the Maxxis and Schwalbe tyres around, but the nicer ones can be thin on the ground), and on the back of those articles, I've ordered a Hans Dampf Super Trail 2.35 for the front, and a Nobby Nic Super Ground 2.25 for the rear. I would have preferred a Super Trail (ST stronger than SG) Nic too, but I could find zero in stock anywhere... guess I'll just have to find out how tough I am on them the hard way!
But a few mentions in those reviews of the HR being aimed at the same area as the Nobby Nics, and I found a couple of comparison articles:
https://www.dirtmerchantbikes.com/special-events/2...
https://www.dirtmerchantbikes.com/special-events/2...
:and again, the description of the Schwalbes sounds much more like what I'm looking for.
So, hunting through stock actually available (there's a lot of the hard'n'nasty cheap versions of all the Maxxis and Schwalbe tyres around, but the nicer ones can be thin on the ground), and on the back of those articles, I've ordered a Hans Dampf Super Trail 2.35 for the front, and a Nobby Nic Super Ground 2.25 for the rear. I would have preferred a Super Trail (ST stronger than SG) Nic too, but I could find zero in stock anywhere... guess I'll just have to find out how tough I am on them the hard way!
I’m a big fan of Schwalbe and use a mixture of Nobby Nick’s, Magic Mary’s & Hans Dampf in their Addix compounds depending on the time of year/where I’m riding etc.
I know this won’t go down well, and I also know they get good reviews, but I wouldn’t fit Maxxis tyres to my car, so I could never fit them to my bike.
I know this won’t go down well, and I also know they get good reviews, but I wouldn’t fit Maxxis tyres to my car, so I could never fit them to my bike.
MarkJS said:
I know this won’t go down well, and I also know they get good reviews, but I wouldn’t fit Maxxis tyres to my car, so I could never fit them to my bike.
Would you fit Schwalbe tyres to your car? Not sure about road-focussed car tyres, but Maxxis are pretty well regarded when it comes to 4wd tyres (you know, cars that go off road like MTBs do).
GravelBen said:
MarkJS said:
I know this won’t go down well, and I also know they get good reviews, but I wouldn’t fit Maxxis tyres to my car, so I could never fit them to my bike.
Would you fit Schwalbe tyres to your car? Not sure about road-focussed car tyres, but Maxxis are pretty well regarded when it comes to 4wd tyres (you know, cars that go off road like MTBs do).
Depends on the terrain and surface. Maxxis Ardent work well for me - rocky, sandy, loose stuff with not much mud. Decent grip and able to roll easily without feeling draggy. I had these on my old FS 26” and now on my current FS 29”
Another good combo for me in the dry was Crossmark on the front and Larsen TT on the back. Fast but not much cop in the mud.
I tend to ride to the ride, rather than put the bike on the car, so accept some compromises. Minion/DHF/DHR feel like having the brakes on all the time.
Another good combo for me in the dry was Crossmark on the front and Larsen TT on the back. Fast but not much cop in the mud.
I tend to ride to the ride, rather than put the bike on the car, so accept some compromises. Minion/DHF/DHR feel like having the brakes on all the time.
thewarlock said:
Can't go far wrong with a DHR on the back and a DHF on the front
Although the tan sidewalls certainly split opinion!
Well, when I say that, I love them, and everyone else seems to hate them.
I absolutely hate them. Have done for decades. Find them too narrow for their tall height. Although the tan sidewalls certainly split opinion!
Well, when I say that, I love them, and everyone else seems to hate them.
Forekasters are awesome in 2.4 front and large ardent rear!
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