Wheels & Tyres > MTB Cross Country Tyres Wheels & Tyres

Advantages: kevlar reinforced belt, reflective sidewalls, design, on or off road suitable
Disadvantages: price is quite high but quality, safety and peace in mind costs

...about to achieve higher speed. Continental supplied some models with reflective sidewall to increase your safety during nigh. I got this model and have to say that it really works well. As long as you keep your tyres quite clean they will reflect light brilliantly. The weight of a tyre is: - 640g folding option - 690g wired and reflective option - 670g wired only option Installation I have done it myself as it is very easy. To do so you need ...
...rolling resistance low Some Continental tyres like Travel Contact have special tread design called "Endless Edge". Specially designed and shaped knobs with five edges and corners for better off camber grip or more precise steering. Altogether They are really good, heave duty slick tyres to be used on and of road (on road mostly). For harder terrain Continental offers other products. This One is more for commuters who have to or like to go off ... Read review

Advantages: Durability
Disadvantages: None

Been commuting with the 700x28c(622-28) Marathon plus tyre 4 months/2000km flatless on my city-bike. Every other trip I spot glass and the likes somewhere on my route, but I dont mind very much if I cant avoid running over it. Actually I've been running over large pieces of glass quite a few times while feeling it shatter under me even more, and without a worry in my mind. As for wear, the front tyre actually still has the thin rubber grate visible ...
...one you only see on all-new tyres. On the back tyre, this grate is all gone but no visible thread wear so far. I expect 5000+ km from these tyres before replacement. And that is the back tyre. Then when times comes, it is just a matter of replacing the rear wheel tyre with the old (but not so worn) front wheel tyre and then mounting all-new tyre to the front wheel. -You want to keep the front wheel safer than the rear. Some people wear these tyres ... Read review

Advantages: Comfortable, confidence building tyre, best in medium to soft terrain,
Disadvantages: Roling resistance penalty on hardpack and gravel

The Cinders so far are my favourite all-purpose trail tyre. I like them better than the Fire XC Pros, they're slower rolling, but inspire more confidence. I have the cinders in 2.1. And it is a full 2.1 carcass, unlike many manufacturers whose 2.1 carcasses look somewhat skinny. The tyre is best suited to medium to soft terrain, where it excels, hooking up really nicely finding plenty of traction in the soft stuff. I run them between 35-40 psi, ...
...shedding ability . In very thick/deep mud, they tend to spin rather than grip, and they don't clear quite as quickly as a mud-specific tyre, but otherwise as long as you keep the tyre pressures down, the gear low and go for it, they'll get you through most muddy sections. On hardpack and gravel, the high knobs makes their presence felt, and you'll pay for it in rolling resistance, but they seem to grip pretty well even when leant over. They're OK ... Read review

Advantages: Outstanding performance in mud
Disadvantages: performance on other surfaces is middle to poor

All tyres are a compromise. The mud Pro is a mud specific tyre, and at this it excels. However it's excellent mud performance is at the expense of it's performance on other terrains. On MUD: There are 2 thoughts for riding through mud 1) fat tyres run at low pressures to float over the surface. 2) thin tyres at high pressures to cut through the muck and find grip below. These are firmly in option 2. And in mud they are outstanding. I have personally ...
...up to 18 inches deep, and while my mates were left carrying their bikes, I just ploughed on through. Seems to work best at around 50 psi. The narrow profile and tall knobs really do cut through the surface, and where other tyres will just spin these will find grip. As long as you have the power to keep the rear wheel turning this tyre will push you through the muck. You're helped out by the narrow profile which prevents the mud getting as much of ... Read review

Advantages: Grip well in all conditions, durable, roll well
Disadvantages: None I can think of

...1.9's and going to the Panaracer 2.1's was a breath of fresh air. The increased grip, especially on the front, was amazing, and the rear tyre gripped like a mountain goat. Just make sure you put them on the right way around (follow the arrows on the side wall). As a tyre that can be used all year round, these are hard to beat. They grip well on the rocky bits, dig in on muddy climbs, and cope just fine on dusty fire road and singletrack. They don't ...
...corner very well, and I don't think I've ever had a front wheel wash out with these tyres, something that happened a few times to me with other tyres. The durability of the tyre is good, with a rear tyre normally lasting me about 6 months. The tyres are very predictable, and roll well, so aren't slow. I've used these tyres on both of my bikes for for a couple of years now and I'm sticking with them. If you want a tyre you can use all year round, ... Read review