All-terrain MTB tyres?

[weasley]

I went out last night with a group I recently discovered rides out from my village. We did around 16 miles at a good pace and ended up at a pub. I will be going again!

Before meeting them I gave my bike the once over. I finessed the gears and lubed the chain, cables etc. Whilst up close and personal with the bike I noticed the tyres (OEM Maxxis Ignitors) were getting a bit thin.

During the ride we covered around 90% off-road which included:

- dry, hard-packed
- flinty
- muddy puddles
- slimy ruts
- tree roots

The worst part was the muddy rutty bits. I got a lot of sideways movements which was un-nerving, especially as I was clipped in.

So, with all that pre-amble, any recommendations for a decent, durable, multi-purpose tyre that can deal with mud? I am not bothered about on-road performance - I ride for fitness not speed, so if I have to work harder on road because of tread blocks, fine by me.

I don't really want to have to change tyres/wheels season-to-season, although will consider this if it is genuinely beneficial (for a hobbyist).

Bike is a 2007 Kona Caldera on OEM components, 26x2.1 tyre size.
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Yamaha XJ600 | Yamaha YZF600R Thundercat | KTM 990 SMT | BMW F900XR TE

[UnknownStuntm...]

Michelin Country Mud. Lightweight and responsive. I've found them pretty much uncloggable, and they have good edge grip.

[arry]

[stinkwheel]

I'm rocking Schwalbe Smart Sams on my MTB.

Been doing quite a lot of mountain biking on my week off last week on a variety of surfaces including gravel, slabs and slimy mud and have no problems to report. The edge blocks catch you and maintain traction in a slide where others would let you down.

I've had Schwalbe Hans Dampfs before too. Their grip offroad was nothing short of superb but they tend to "walk" on tarmac.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[weasley]

Cheers guys.

It seems the Michelins don't come in 26x2.1 (although I guess a 26x2.0 is close enough). The Schwalbes look good and are attractively priced, plus have an anti-puncture belt (the flint can get a bit pointy and has caused me a couple of punctures).

Might give them a try.
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Yamaha XJ600 | Yamaha YZF600R Thundercat | KTM 990 SMT | BMW F900XR TE

[chris-red]

[The Tot]

If you want a good balance between grip and something rollable

A few of the local trail guys run these on their hard tails and full sussers

Schwalbe Hans Dampf front
Schwalbe Nobby Nic rear

This is my recommended choice to you, if you're a casual trail rider who doesn't do much technical descents OR go down fast downhills.

or my mates who mostly ride/race XC have

Specialized ground control front
Specialized fast track rear

My personal preference on my Enduro 29er is

Schwalbe Magic Mary front
Schwalbe Hans Dampf rear

That said, 60% of the racers at the FOD enduro had this combo.

But I use that bike for everything from commuting (5 miles to work and maybe 10 miles on the way back with 1500ft of climbing and downhill runs), enduro racing, downhill sessions, XC rides and 15-20 mile aggressive trail rides. It's excessive, but if you do a lot of technical riding or steep, gnarly descents with swithcbacks and roots and off-camber stuff, it's worth the weight penalty. I run a ghetto tubeless setup on the Enduro, so I can run 25psi front and rear.
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[weasley]

UPDATE

I dillied and dallied and never got around to it. Last week I went out on a night ride with a group from the village and suffered three punctures on the same wheel, all in different areas of the wheel and all pushed through the centre of the tyre. After the third one I was out of tubes and the group wanted to get going, so I called the wife who drove out to collect me.

Yesterday I did receive the new tyres and tubes I subsequently ordered from Chain Reaction - I got the Schwalbe Smart Sams in the end. I fitted them and went out with the same group last night. Not a single puncture (which I would expect) but also some noticeable differences in the tyres compared to the old Maxxis Ignitors.

Firstly fitting - the Maxxis were very tight and difficult to get the bead over the rim; the Schwalbe were snug but easier. Next, when fitted, the Schwalbe had a more rounded, 'balloon' appearance to their profile, compared to the more straight-sided Maxxis. On the road the Schwalbe were noticeably quieter and rolled more smoothly and yet in the mud (of which we encountered a lot) they were grippy and maintaned traction. They also cleared well. We were on some deep-rutted tracks in places and where the old tyres would tend to slide down into the rut if you went near the sides, these I could hear chewing at the grass and attempting to climb up the rut walls.

Overall, based on one 15 mile ride in mixed conditions, I'm very happy at £17 each (plus tubes). And I never needed the three spare tubes and puncture repair kit I took out with me!
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Yamaha XJ600 | Yamaha YZF600R Thundercat | KTM 990 SMT | BMW F900XR TE

[Ste]

To name a few:

Panaracer Fire XC Pro
Maxxis High Roller II 62a/60a EXO TR
Continental Mud King ProTection
Schwalbe Nobby Nic Evo
Continental Mountain King II ProTection

Have used all of those and would buy again apart from maybe the Nobby Nic's cos they were puncture prone. First three I've used on an 2008 Caldera.

Maxxis High Rollers or Continental Mud Kings would be my first choices.

Offroading on bridleways and byways needs different tyres to when riding at park parks or man made trails.

Wet roots are lethal regardless of what tyres you have. Cold damp country lanes covered in leaves aren't ideal either.

You need a choice of tyres.

[sidewinder]

Kenda nevegals 2.3's
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