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MTB Tyres, what to get?


rvdm1

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The best tyres are the cheapest foldable (i.e. non tubeless) ones that I can find on either CWC, CRC or Buycycle..

 

And that I can mount tubeless.

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You will get the rich riding the Schwalbes and just "got to have" guys only riding the newest Ikons or Conti Xkings.

I am past the stage where I will pay half my salary for a Scwalbe that will only last 1000km. Or the newest Conti X King or an Ikon at R600+ a pop. A tire is a tire.

I'm still on tubes, Schalbe Smart Sam wire beads for both: R300-00. not bad hey? yet to test them on really hectic trails, but they should be ok.

I agree, a tire is a tire!

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I am past the stage where I will pay half my salary for a Scwalbe that will only last 1000km. Or the newest Conti X King or an Ikon at R600+ a pop. A tire is a tire.

 

 

Even worse if you don't earn a salary yet...

 

 

I'll be going to the bike shop today, will keep all the advice in mind and then buy whatever I can afford. Thanks for the help everybody, much appreciated.

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my 2c

 

I run Mountain Kings front and back.

Had them on for over a year (just recently replacing my worn rear with a new model Mountain King) and never had a problem,

love these tyres.thumbup1.gif

Edited by L.T.G
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  • 2 months later...

Ive fitted a 2.2 MK in front and 2.0 Race king at the back. Really enjoy the MK but need some more grip than what the RK offers. Was thinking of a XKing at the rear. any thoughts?

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This is just one guy's opinion, so take it for what it is.

I really, really hate Continental Race Kings. Sure, they're fast. Around the 16km track that I used to train on I got my best times with them. But, and this is a big "but", they have very little grip. In fact, I'd say they have worse grip than my lawnmower's plastic wheels...and at anything below 45psi they'd pinch flat virtually every time I ride.

So while they're fast and easy rolling, I didn't have fun on my bike. At all!

You have to take corners carefully, because they wash out without warning, they're rubbish on technical bits, and if you're not careful you'll be changing tubes alot. The Conti's recommended 50psi, they're rock hard, which makes them rattle your teeth out, if you're on a hardtail.

I also hate the fact that they're not as wide as Continental claims. The 2.2 is generally narrower than most 2.0s so if you think you're getting a fatter tyre, not so.

 

In short, if you're only interested in XC racing on smooth dirt roads and mostly hardpack, get race kings. Otherwise stay away.

For about a half of the price, you can rather fit El cheapo Michelin country dry's. I ran those at 30 psi with no problems, they roll pretty quick and they have mucho better cornering grip. They suck in the mud though, but then again so do race kings.

 

My favourite tyre thus far is the Kenda Nevegal. They're 2 minutes slower round my 16km training track, but I have fun riding them. You can clamber up stuff, take corners hard, power through mud, and they just don't give up their grip. Rocks, mud, sand, snow, glass, whatever, bring it on.

They are hard to peddle though, because they don't roll smoothly, and many people hate them because of this, but in the end you get a better workout and I think you have more fun.

 

I'll probably try Monorails next. Their tread pattern makes sense to me. Small tight knobs down the middle for easy rolling. Fat knobs on the outside for cornering grip.

 

But thus far, I love my Nevegals. Oh and another thing, because Nevegals are often fitted standard on bikes, and most people swop the stock tyres out for Race Kings, you can generally get Nevegals cheaply if you can find 'em.

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What? No one mentioned WTB tires yet? Probably cause you won't find them in any shop and if you want 2.3 or 2.4, importing is your only option.

 

I have the Weirwolf 2.2 up front (going 2.4 next time :D ) and Wolverine 2.3 on the rear, awesome tires and an awesome combination!

Edited by Tankman
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What? No one mentioned WTB tires yet? Probably cause you won't find them in any shop and if you want 2.3 or 2.4, importing is your only option.

 

I have the Weirwolf 2.2 up front (going 2.4 next time :D ) and Wolverine 2.3 on the rear, awesome tires and an awesome combination!

 

did see on mtbr they get the best reviews, but i am on contis now and think i want to give it a go. i used hutchingson python lights up till now and were very happy with them but at >R800 a tyre need to loook at something else

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What type of riding do you prefer?

What is important to you? We all want tyres that can do it all, but that is never achievable.

Never skimp on tyres (not on your bike or on your car). Its the only thing on your bike touching the ground and its a surprisingly small patch of it that needs to handle all your riding needs (and often mistakes).

The more aggressive tyre you choose, the quicker they tend to run down when riding on tar.

Here are my 3 favorite front and rear tyres and why:

Front

1. Geax Saguro 2.2 (Bi Directional tread allowing you to change them around for more grip on the front if required, very durable, so worth spending the extra cash on these)

2. Conti Mountain King II 2.2 (Durable tyre and withstands most conditions - my training tyre of choice)

3. Kenda Nevegal (Durable, but on the slow side. My wet weather tyre of choice)

Rear

 

Geax AKA 2.2 (super fast with plenty of grip, runs off quickly, so not a first choice training tyre)

Conti XKing (Durable and predictable on most surfaces, reasonable wet weather handling unless its a mud bath)

Geax Saguro 2.0 (Best training tyre as they last for ever and have good all round traction and corners well too)

 

I am not a huge Crossmark / Monorail fan. It does not suite my riding style and the type of races / training rides I do in the Western Cape. These tyres don't like rock gardens or tree roots very much. Not so much an issue if you ride in Gauteng / KZN.

 

I cannot comment on Schalbe's range as I have not tried them before.

 

+1 on the Geax! I recently put a Saguaro-AKA combo on my bike and I'm seriously impressed.

 

However I do run them on the other way around. AKA front and Saguaro rear (both the 2.2 TNT versions)

 

AKA front because that thing is grips like a beast!

Saguaro rear because it's slower wearing. Also grips like hell!

 

I'm running this setup on a jump/4X bike, for jumping, fast cornering and "aggressive" trail riding (yes, riding trails when you're angry :P ). I have given it some thrashing and it's very hard to get these tyres to start washing out. In fact a friend stated that they grip "too well", meaning when you expect the tail to start sliding out as you rail a berm... it does not... it stays in line, sending you around the corner at one heck of a speed.

 

So yeah, Geax AKA front, Saguaro Rear is my recommendation.

You.will.not.be.dissapointed.

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+1 on the Geax! I recently put a Saguaro-AKA combo on my bike and I'm seriously impressed.

 

However I do run them on the other way around. AKA front and Saguaro rear (both the 2.2 TNT versions)

 

AKA front because that thing is grips like a beast!

Saguaro rear because it's slower wearing. Also grips like hell!

 

I'm running this setup on a jump/4X bike, for jumping, fast cornering and "aggressive" trail riding (yes, riding trails when you're angry :P ). I have given it some thrashing and it's very hard to get these tyres to start washing out. In fact a friend stated that they grip "too well", meaning when you expect the tail to start sliding out as you rail a berm... it does not... it stays in line, sending you around the corner at one heck of a speed.

 

So yeah, Geax AKA front, Saguaro Rear is my recommendation.

You.will.not.be.dissapointed.

 

 

Also run Saguaro front and rear, best of both worlds IMO. That's if you can find then a a realistic price!

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