Same tyres front and rear?

[anonymous-user]

I've got some Continental Vapor tyres on my MTB currently but the front one has a cut in the side wall and was about to order another to replace it.

After reading reviews it seems people often use it as a rear tyre rather than a front one. I always assumed everyone used the same type of tyre on front and rear wheels but after looking into it, it seems people use all sorts of combinations?

What do people here have?

[anonymous-user]

i run panaracer xc pro (2.1s) front and rear in the winter and at the moment, maxxix larsen tts in the drier seasons... i have never felt that i could identify what advantage different tyres on the front/rear would make.

[anonymous-user]

Im sure quite a lot of tyres come in pairs where the tread is different front and rear!

[anonymous-user]

MonkeyMatt said:

Im sure quite a lot of tyres come in pairs where the tread is different front and rear!

I didn't know that. I assumed bike tyres were usually the same from and rear. Is that for any particular kind of bike?

[MrTom]

I only fit different compounds and tyres to my DH bike, this is because the front and rears perform different tasks.
Hardest compound on the rear with the best tyre for breaking, softer compound upfront with best tyre for cornering (usually wider too).

My current winter DH setup is:
Front - Intense fro lite 2.5 50
Rear - Maxxis swampthing 2.5 60a

[naetype]

Another Intense fan

However with the ground as sodden as it is I'm running an Intense FRO Spike up front and a Maxxis swampthing out back. In general though having the grippier tyre on the back just makes you crash... a lot. Using the grippier tyre on the front means you can drift the back... a lot

Edited by naetype on Saturday 5th December 22:55

[pdV6]

Even where tyres come in identical matched pairs, you often find that the fitting instructions will tell you to mount them in opposite directions front & rear.

Basically, as has been mentioned, the front & rear tyres perform very different jobs on your bike, so it's no surprise that they can be optimised for the roles required.

See here for useful information explained better than I or most on here could manage.

[theboymoon]

in general i like to run a more grippy tire on the front than the back, as we all know on PH oversteer is more fun than understeer

As for what the tyres in question are, well that depends, got a selection that goes from 2.5 dual ply minions for the Alps down to little 2.1 Kenda nevegals for all day slogs round the peak district.

[MrTom]

naetype said:

Another Intense fan

However with the ground as sodden as it is I'm running an Intense FRO Spike up front and a Maxxis swampthing out back.
]

The Intense tyres don't seem to get good write ups, my mate didn't want them (he didn't even fit them up) so I got them £20 for a pair. They were excellent yesterday at Wharncliffe in the rain, out performed my brothers maxxis swampys in 2.5.

[Progressive]

I have been involved in a few different styles of riding over the years and generally have always run different front and rear tires.

When riding bmx I usually went for a grippy dirt jumping tyre up front and a pretty much slick on the rear for speed and little rolling resistance.

When riding trials it was the other way rounf to keep the front end light.

For my current situation, riding light XC, I have almost hybrid tires front and rear. May change for something a little more grippy. Looking forward to the better weather when I can get something a little slicker on there.

[Agoogy]

I've also read about serious off-roading types putting a fat 2.2 upwarsd on the front for front end grip and steering control and a thinner 1.75-2.1 on the back to reduce friction and reduce the chnace of getting bogged down and clogged up...??