Recommendation for winter MTB tyres

"Mike_P" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Can anybody recommend a set of winter mtb tyres suitable for off-road peak
district mud.

I'm currently using Specialized Adrenaline Pro 26x2.0 inch and I'm finding

I

Quoted message said:

clog up more and bog down easier than the guys I'm riding with.

I was thinking 26x1.95 might give a bit more clearance and bite, but

what's

Quoted message said:

a good tyre?

Any suggestions appreciated.

Panaracer Fire Mud Pros are supposedly designed for muddy conditions (oddly
enough :-) but I've never used them nor know anyone who has so can't proffer
an opinion on their effectiveness.
Currently I'm mostly using Panaracer Cinders which while a good tyre do clog
on the worst bits of the Dark Peak but we don't come across a lot of clay
type stuff there as a rule, it's mainly just very wet gritty peat IMO.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=7799
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=538
--
Pete
http:[email hidden]/Stuff

in message <[email hidden]>, Mike_P

(') said:

Can anybody recommend a set of winter mtb tyres suitable for off-road
peak district mud.

I'm currently using Specialized Adrenaline Pro 26x2.0 inch and I'm
finding I clog up more and bog down easier than the guys I'm riding
with.

I was thinking 26x1.95 might give a bit more clearance and bite, but
what's a good tyre?

Any tyre which claims to be good for both the front and the back wheel of
a mountain bike in mud is clearly not very serious, as the job the front
and rear tyres have to do is very different. My personal preference is
for the WTB Velociraptor set - not the fastest or lightest tyre but lots
of grip in mud and copes well with a wide range of other surfaces. Avoid
the Hutchinson Scorpions - sold as mud tyres but won't grip on anything
at all.

I still miss the old Panaracer Smoke/Dart combination, which suited me
very well indeed, but you can't get them any more.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; this is not a .sig

"Simon Brooke" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Any tyre which claims to be good for both the front and the back wheel of
a mountain bike in mud is clearly not very serious, as the job the front
and rear tyres have to do is very different. My personal preference is
for the WTB Velociraptor set - not the fastest or lightest tyre but lots
of grip in mud and copes well with a wide range of other surfaces. Avoid
the Hutchinson Scorpions - sold as mud tyres but won't grip on anything
at all.

I still miss the old Panaracer Smoke/Dart combination, which suited me
very well indeed, but you can't get them any more.

Re. Hutchinson Scorpions: My riding buddy bought a pair...absolute rubbish
with a phenomenal wear rate. Still at least the rapid wear means you have an
excuse for getting rid ASAP.

Re.Panaracer Smoke/Dart combination: A classic set of tyres, I used them a
lot.

For real mud years ago I bought a pair of Panaracer Spikes, the problem was
that on anything other than mud the rear was less than ideal, the front not
nice and positively terrifying on tarmac sections.

Re. Front & rear specific. Yes I agree in principle but tyres have not only
different jobs to do, front & rear, but for many of us have to work on a
wide variety of surfaces in differing conditions (even on a given ride) so
what we're after is the best functional compromise and also something that
gives faith.
So while a specific hard-pack front tyre should work best on hard pack a
non-specific (front or rear) general purpose XC tyre may work better in mud
thus having better all-round capabilites. YMMV.
The problem is that for most of us it's very subjective and we can't try
many tyres in a lifetime!

http://www.mtbr.com/reviews/tire/

http://www.bikemagic.com/review/reviewCategoryProducts.asp?rpn=0&rcn=132&rgn=6&ubn=0&ob=0&oborder=0&sp=&v=1&p=9

--
Pete
http:[email hidden]/Stuff

Simon Brooke said:

My personal preference is
for the WTB Velociraptor set - not the fastest or lightest tyre but lots
of grip in mud and copes well with a wide range of other surfaces.
I still miss the old Panaracer Smoke/Dart combination, which suited me
very well indeed, but you can't get them any more.

I'm still using my Panaracer D...er, D...<runs to garage to check>...Duster
Pro on the front. Was it like the Dart at all? It has long arrow-shaped
knobbles down the centre and square knobbles alongside. It's a wee bit more
confidence-inspiring than my usual Paselas when the snow comes! I use a
Specialized Team Master on the back, and that really digs in. Yes, both of
my winter tyres are several seasons-old now and I'm quite out of touch with
modern offroad stuff.

In my mountain biking days I was very fond of the Smoke Lite - just about as
gnarly as the tractor tyre Smoke was but not quite so heavy. Heck, my
mountain biking days were along the lines of 'Ground Control to Farmer
John'.

Becky

in message <[email hidden]>, Arellcat

(') said:

Simon Brooke said:

My personal preference is
for the WTB Velociraptor set - not the fastest or lightest tyre but
lots of grip in mud and copes well with a wide range of other
surfaces. I still miss the old Panaracer Smoke/Dart combination, which
suited me very well indeed, but you can't get them any more.

I'm still using my Panaracer D...er, D...<runs to garage to
check>...Duster
Pro on the front. Was it like the Dart at all? It has long
arrow-shaped
knobbles down the centre and square knobbles alongside.

Certainly similar. The Dart's central tread was, as you say, long arrow
shaped wedges - see
<URL:http://www.epinions.com/bike-Tires-All-Smoke_Dart_Classic/display_~reviews>

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

Due to financial constraints, the light at the end of the tunnel
has been switched off.

Peter B said:

Panaracer Fire Mud Pros are supposedly designed for muddy conditions (oddly
enough :-) but I've never used them nor know anyone who has so can't proffer
an opinion on their effectiveness.

That's what I'm running this winter in 2.1" and they are excellent in mud.

Maybe not so hot on rocks and roots mind ;(

Arthur

--
Arthur Clune

Mike_P said:

Can anybody recommend a set of winter mtb tyres suitable for off-road peak
district mud.

I'm currently using Specialized Adrenaline Pro 26x2.0 inch and I'm finding I
clog up more and bog down easier than the guys I'm riding with.

I was thinking 26x1.95 might give a bit more clearance and bite, but what's
a good tyre?

Any suggestions appreciated.

Do you want a mud tyre or a winter tyre? The two are different. If it
is muddy it isn't winter ;-)

...d

"Mike_P" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Can anybody recommend a set of winter mtb tyres suitable for off-road peak
district mud.

I'm currently using Specialized Adrenaline Pro 26x2.0 inch and I'm finding
I clog up more and bog down easier than the guys I'm riding with.

I was thinking 26x1.95 might give a bit more clearance and bite, but
what's a good tyre?

Any suggestions appreciated.

Velociraptors. The only thing they can't grip is Welsh tree root.

John

Arellcat said:

In my mountain biking days I was very fond of the Smoke Lite - just about as
gnarly as the tractor tyre Smoke was but not quite so heavy. Heck, my
mountain biking days were along the lines of 'Ground Control to Farmer
John'.

Why have I got a David Bowie tune going through my head..? There must
be some lyrics that can be put to that..

'This is Ground Control to Farmer John, it's time to do the black run
if you dare..'

I went into the LBS to get some off road tyres and just bought whatever
came to hand at the bottom of the price range. Bontrager Jones AC for
the rear, which seemed quite light and suitable, and a noname something
for the front with longer longitudinal lumps for the front. I have come
to quite like Bontrager kit.

Can't say I've given them much of a workout, but it seemed that tyre
pressure was absolutely critical and getting it low enough (for a
roadie) took some courage (you can't ride on tyres that soft, surely?)

Of course for winter there are other things to consider. If you are
riding mixed tarmac/sheet ice then you want something akin to a road or
hybrid tyre, such as the Haakepellitta A10. It's not so good if youve
got more than about 10cm of new snow though as it has quite a fine
tread. If it is a bit softer but still mixed then the W102 is a good
compromise, otherwise the mud equivalent would be one of the extreme
tyres. Never needed to try those, but I have ridden the A10 (700c and
26"😉 and the W102 (26"😉 and they are excellent.

...d

David Martin said:

Arellcat said:

In my mountain biking days I was very fond of the Smoke Lite
- just about as gnarly as the tractor tyre Smoke was but not
quite so heavy. Heck, my mountain biking days were along the
lines of 'Ground Control to Farmer John'.

Why have I got a David Bowie tune going through my head..?
There must be some lyrics that can be put to that..

'This is Ground Control to Farmer John, it's time to do the
black run if you dare..'

I went into the LBS to get some off road tyres and just bought
whatever came to hand at the bottom of the price range.
Bontrager Jones AC for the rear, which seemed quite light and
suitable, and a noname something for the front with longer
longitudinal lumps for the front. I have come to quite like
Bontrager kit.

Can't say I've given them much of a workout, but it seemed
that tyre pressure was absolutely critical and getting it low
enough (for a roadie) took some courage (you can't ride on
tyres that soft, surely?)

Of course for winter there are other things to consider. If
you are riding mixed tarmac/sheet ice then you want something
akin to a road or hybrid tyre, such as the Haakepellitta A10.
It's not so good if youve got more than about 10cm of new snow
though as it has quite a fine tread. If it is a bit softer but
still mixed then the W102 is a good compromise, otherwise the
mud equivalent would be one of the extreme tyres. Never needed
to try those, but I have ridden the A10 (700c and 26"😉 and the
W102 (26"😉 and they are excellent.

..d

I'll tell you what's not good for winter riding, Specialized Nimbus.
It was just a bit scary coming home from work Friday afternoon on
sheet ice.
--
Cheers
the.Mark