New MTB tyres

[HughiusMaximus]

Thanks pal, I have a lot to learn!

[GravelBen]

take-good-care-of-the-forest-dewey said:

For properly muddy and clay trails, and if you're riding properly#, the rear tyre really doesn't matter that much.

Unless you want to ride up hills as well as down them?

I swapped my Epic from the original Fast-Trak tyres (quite XC tread) to Minion DHR2s for winter because I kept losing traction on muddy climbs, even seated with the rear wheel loaded as much as possible.

The Minions are quite draggy on dry hardpacked trails though, so I might try Ardents (at least on the rear) once it dries out.

Edited by GravelBen on Wednesday 20th November 23:28

[take-good-care-of-the-forest-dewey]

GravelBen said:

Unless you want to ride up hills as well as down them?

I swapped my Epic from the original Fast-Trak tyres (quite XC tread) to Minion DHR2s for winter because I kept losing traction on muddy climbs, even seated with the rear wheel loaded as much as possible.

The Minions are quite draggy on dry hardpacked trails though, so I might try Ardents (at least on the rear) once it dries out.

Edited by GravelBen on Wednesday 20th November 23:28

I take your point, but I'd suggest It make less difference than you think. As anyone who has raced CX will attest, the amount of grip you can find from a narrow tyre with very very small knobblies is surprising. These are tyres with theoretically far less grip than an MTB tyre.

Technique and fitness make a bigger difference. Being able to maintain speed and a high cadence - something I can't do these days as I'm not fit enough - is the biggest factor. I can climb almost as well using IKON rears as I can with DHR2s until I run out of fitness. At that point I'm likely off walking anyway.

I still think, for all round riding, you'll get more enjoyment out of a confident, grippy, front end, than a grippy rear.

[lickatysplit]

Just to add my piece, Michelin wild Enduro's have been mustard in the mud recently, even adding better grip over my mates riding the minions. bare in mind this isn't even Michelins mud plugging offering of tyre. the Block spacing is enough to plow through even some of the thickest of mud puddles and not allow the mud to collect too much between spaces.

[GravelBen]

take-good-care-of-the-forest-dewey said:

GravelBen said:

Unless you want to ride up hills as well as down them?

I swapped my Epic from the original Fast-Trak tyres (quite XC tread) to Minion DHR2s for winter because I kept losing traction on muddy climbs, even seated with the rear wheel loaded as much as possible.

I take your point, but I'd suggest It make less difference than you think. As anyone who has raced CX will attest, the amount of grip you can find from a narrow tyre with very very small knobblies is surprising. These are tyres with theoretically far less grip than an MTB tyre.

Technique and fitness make a bigger difference. Being able to maintain speed and a high cadence - something I can't do these days as I'm not fit enough - is the biggest factor. I can climb almost as well using IKON rears as I can with DHR2s until I run out of fitness. At that point I'm likely off walking anyway.

I still think, for all round riding, you'll get more enjoyment out of a confident, grippy, front end, than a grippy rear.

For me that extra traction made the difference between walking and riding some sections of my local trails, so thats not to be sneezed at!

I think it would depend a lot on the trails you're riding. For shorter steeper climbs I might agree, but I found a big difference on long steady easy/moderate climbs with patches of wet clay and muddy switchbacks. The lack of grip was the issue not the steepness of slope, there were even flat bits where the extra traction let me maintain just enough headway to get through puggy wet clay (trail work that got put on hold unfinished before winter hit to be fair) that had stopped me on the XC tyres.

I'm not disagreeing that a confident front end is good (and it helps you hit those sections faster), I'm just saying don't write off the value of having traction as well.

Edited by GravelBen on Saturday 23 November 06:06