"Mark J. Rosen" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:I've had my first mountain bike for a couple of months and a couple of hundred miles (a Rocky
Mountain hardtail). It has 1.95 maxxis mofo xc tires on it, and I've been considering getting 2.1
tires. What sorts of benefits are there to slightly fatter tires? Will I end up with higher
rolling resistance and thus slower speeds when riding on roads or trails? Does the extra rubber
help a lot in the trails?
I've looked at many of the reviews on mtbr.com, and for my 185 lb. weight, two tires look good to
me: the Geax Sturdy and the IRC Serac. Any thoughts on these tires? Both use the same tire for the
front and back, unlike my mofos which have different front and back designs. Is there a benefit
with different front and backs?
Thanks for any help.
Mark [email hidden]
Mark: All things being equal - namely inflation pressure and tire construction (sidewall/rubber
stiffness, rubber compound, casing thickness) - a fatter tire will roll slower, grip better, and
provide more cush than a narrow one. So, an IRC Mythos K Redwall in 1.85 will be faster/less
plush/breakout easier than an IRC Mythos K Redwall 2.1 (assuming both of those tires exist, but you
get the idea). Now, when you start changing brands/models/thicknesses, all rules go to [censored]. There
are too many variables.
Some very general rules of thumb: If you want to new tires for more traction, go fatter. If you want
to go faster on your local trails, find out where you have problems with your current tires, then
ask us about what we've found works well in your specific problem areas. If you want to go slower on
trails, go sit in the corner.
The IRC Serac, while the same tire front and rear, is mounted "backwards" on the rear so you get a
different style of tread making contact in back as you do up front. Lots and lots and lots of
tires do this.
FWIW, I run IRC Serac 2.1 (tubeless) on every bike I ride off pavement. I find they're very fast,
very smooth, grip awesome in everything but swampmud, and when they do get all swampmuddy, they shed
[censored] fast. Of course, I ride on usually hard, kind of rocky, every-now-and-then-a-water-crossing
trails in Maryland. If you're in, say, Moab, my tire advice means nothing. But for me, it's my
perfect tire. As of yet.
I'm also 185(ish), if that means anything.
The best way to learn about tires is to (drumroll) try them out. Buy a few pairs (scandalous! The
money involved!) and find out what works. Give the ones you don't want to friends, neighbors, a-mb
posters, Ebay, etc.
Chris
