Recommend me a MTB tire please!

[Hokiefyd]

Hey guys,

I have a "Motiv" 21-speed department store bike bought in 1991 (or thereabouts). It was a decent bike at the time. Chromoly frame, Shimano STX components, index rapidfire shifters, etc. Over the years, I've done a few things do it. I stripped it down and painted it with some pewter hammer-texture paint, added some ergo grips and a gel seat, and more recently a rack and bag.

I'm looking for some better tires now. Most of my riding is on asphalt and hard single track (think narrow fire roads and hard sand trails). Priorities in a tire are comfort and rolling resistance, but also some loose-stuff traction. I currently have some Innova IA-2066 tires, which are smooth in the center with some knobs on the outside.

I’d like to start doing a little more mixed-surface riding. I’m thinking about tires like the Continental Town & Country, but I’m certainly not married to those, and don’t really know what products are out there. I’m looking for something like a Michelin Cross Terrain SUV tire that’s on my MDX. It’s capable on the road, but has enough capability off-road to where I wouldn’t get stuck in most reasonable situations.

My size will be 26 by anywhere from 1.75 to 2.2” probably. Prefer close to 2” wide. Recommendations please!!

Thanks!

 

[JOD]

I like these here.

I'm a fan of semi-slicks. They work reasonably well on pavement/hard pack, and actually go well in mud since they don't pack up. They'll work will in dirt as well. Where they don't work well is really loose stuff, but no tire which is suitable for pavement is going to work well in really loose stuff.

If you're riding them off road, they'll perform reasonably well if you run the pressure low, say 20-30psi depending on your weight. For pavement, just pump them up to the sidewall limit.

The only downside to that tire is that for mixed use they wear quickly, but that's the cost of a reasonably fast tire.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Thanks! By fast-wearing, what are we talking here? Will the center nubs wear down in a matter of a few hundred miles? The only knobby tires I've had before are the stock-type full knobby that you get on a typical MTB, with lots of tread depth. I've not had a mini knob before.

I'm also really liking the:

Bontrager LT3 and the Revolt Super X
Specialized Crossroads
Continental Traffic

 

[Hokiefyd]

Also like that Michelin XC Dry 2. Seems like the more I look, the more aggressive of a tire I like.

 

[rshunter]

It's hard to beat Specialized's Armadillo equipped models. They are very tough tires. I've yet to get a flat with one, and believe me when I say I've done everything possible to get one. I've had tons of flats using other brands, in the same applications. They've also got just about every style and size covered in their range.

The last tires I bought from a different brand were Continental Grand Prix Four-Seasons, with their Kevlar DuraSkin construction. An excellent product, but they're road-racing tires. I rate their Continental Touring Plus very highly as well, I absolutely loved them. A tire that you may want to look at for your application is the Continental Country Plus. They'll provide plenty of traction without dragging you down with a lot of tread squirm.

Remember, the knobs may look cool but they create a lot of drag. If you're not riding in the kind of terrain that really requires them, they've got far more negatives than positives. Performance comes first, looks come last...

 

[dparm]

I've been fairly satisfied with my Hutchinson Spider tires. I've had them through hardpack and across wet rock and they've been surprisingly predictable and easy to handle. On pavement they are a bit noisy but the rolling resistance is acceptable given the tread design. So far the only thing they've been mediocre at is very wet mud.

Read some reviews and you'll see that they absolutely rock.

In the end you cannot get a tire with both low rolling resistance AND an aggressive tread. I suggest you just get two sets of tires and swap as needed. I run the Spiders for "most terrain" but switch to a WTB VelociRaptor when things get muddy and messy. My next set of all-terrain tires might be the WTB WeirWolf since the Spiders were recently discontinued.

 

[JOD]

Yeah, the center will start to wear in the rear in probably 500-700 miles, the front will go longer.

There's really no free lunch. The semi-slicks do the best job of being a street tire that you can ride off road, but it comes at a cost of wear, since there's not much "tread" on the center portion. Still, unless you do 2 sets of tires (or wheels), they're a great option. Guys who have pavement rides to the trail head like them a lot. I can use tires like that 10 months a year here--only when it turns into a dust bowl in the summer do they become hard to handle.

Another option would be this: http://www.michelinbicycletire.com/michelinbicycle/index.cfm?event=xchardterrain.view

The LT3/X-roads and Traffic are all tires that fall into that "mediocre at everything/good at nothing" category, IMO. They have a look that makes consumers think "this is a versatile tire", but most people end up being disappointed--and I sold a lot of similar tires in my bike industry days. The knobs are too short to really grip, too closely-spaced to shed dirt/mud, and too heavy to roll quickly on pavement. Urban commuters like them because they think the knobs offer more "protection", but the reality is they'd be better off with a heavy-duty slick tire.

I've used the earlier linked XC Dry in a 2.3. It's a great tire in soft stuff run at low PSI, but it wears really, really fast and the sidewalls are pretty flimsy. It's almost a race-only tire, IMO.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Thanks guys, again, for the continued responses.

Going along the lines of a semi-slick, is there anything too awfully wrong with what I already have (pic in top post). It's not a "semi-slick" in that it has mini knobs in the center, so I understand that it won't perform quite as good off-road. However, I should add that wet riding is very rare for me, and I don't anticipate much mud. I was originally looking for a mostly street tire with a smooth center tread, but one with some outer biting edges for when I do venture off the beaten bath. Deeper sand is about the worst I'll come across around here, and the ocassional path across some pine tree roots. Nothing too severe. No downhilling, no mudding, nothing like that.

I know Innova is not exactly leading edge, but for a recreational rider, do I stand to gain a significant amount of performance out of a better tire? For example, golf clubs: a pro can distinguish slight differences between different clubs that would go unnoticed by an amateur.

Just thinking out loud. Thanks again.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: JOD
I like these here.


I'm starting to like these more, as I look around. Their price is attractive for an entry-level rider like me: not too awful much of a gamble there. I also like the Michelins. Thanks for your comment about the thin sidewall on the XC Dry2s.

How are these semi-slicks on the road for noise? Are they almost as quiet as a true slick, similar to what I have now? I certainly prefer the quiet of my slicks over the knobbies that I used to have.

 

[rshunter]

Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
Thanks guys, again, for the continued responses.

Going along the lines of a semi-slick, is there anything too awfully wrong with what I already have (pic in top post). It's not a "semi-slick" in that it has mini knobs in the center, so I understand that it won't perform quite as good off-road. However, I should add that wet riding is very rare for me, and I don't anticipate much mud. I was originally looking for a mostly street tire with a smooth center tread, but one with some outer biting edges for when I do venture off the beaten bath. Deeper sand is about the worst I'll come across around here, and the ocassional path across some pine tree roots. Nothing too severe. No downhilling, no mudding, nothing like that.

I know Innova is not exactly leading edge, but for a recreational rider, do I stand to gain a significant amount of performance out of a better tire? For example, golf clubs: a pro can distinguish slight differences between different clubs that would go unnoticed by an amateur.

Just thinking out loud. Thanks again.

It sounds more like a cyclo-cross or "freeroad" tire would be the thing for you, rather than anything knobby oriented. I run a freeroad tire on my touring bike and am very happy with it in all conditions. Something like a Borough XC Sport Tire, or the Borough XC Pro Tire might be just the thing.

 

[Hokiefyd]

I like those Borough tires. They look extremely close to the Innovas that I have now. Think I'd see a dramatic difference in performance? I really like the Borough CX also.

 

[rshunter]

Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
I like those Borough tires. They look extremely close to the Innovas that I have now. Think I'd see a dramatic difference in performance? I really like the Borough CX also.

The Borough CX Armadillo Elite is actually the tire I was referring to, in regards to my tire of choice on my touring. The problem is that the CX models aren't available in a 26" size, being 700C specific designs. The XC models I linked are very similar though, as they are basically wider cross-section versions of the CX models that are available in a 26" version. The slick center section is wider, with larger knobs on the shoulders. A great tire design all-around, though I admit that I wish the XC was available in an Armadillo version. I'd just use a thorn resistant or desert protection tube since they don't.

Performance wise, the center section is truly a slick with some diagonal grooves on either side. This means minimized rolling resistance and smoother running when on hard surfaces. When on soft surfaces the tire will ride lower, bringing the knobs into play, giving you more mechanical traction when you really need it. But the nice thing is that the knobs are contoured so that they don't create an unstable feeling when you're leaned over on a hard surface.

 

[Hokiefyd]

D'oh! I didn't see that the CX was only available in 700C. I go back and forth whether I want to upgrade my bike to a true hybrid frame, because a lot of the tires I like are 700C-specific tires, and I understand that I'd pick up a smoother ride with a 700C wheel. Then again, most of the hybrids I've seen have a front suspension fork, and not high end forks at that, and I think if it came down to a cheap-to-medium suspension fork or a rigid fork, I'd rather just stick with the rigid fork.

Anyway...

A friend of mine runs the GP4000 Black Chilis on his custom Seven frame, and he likes those a lot, and recommended that I look at some Conti tires. I like the Travel Contact as well, from Conti. It's got a slick center section with some biting edges on the outer edge. The new Double Fighter II also looks like it'd serve my needs.

Thanks to you all for the excellent recommendations. You all have given me a lot to go on. Now I guess I need to ease into my LBS and see who has what, and for how much.

 

[JOD]

Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd

I know Innova is not exactly leading edge, but for a recreational rider, do I stand to gain a significant amount of performance out of a better tire? For example, golf clubs: a pro can distinguish slight differences between different clubs that would go unnoticed by an amateur.

Just thinking out loud. Thanks again.



You have some good options to explore, so the one additional thing I'll mention is that tires really make a difference, probably more than any component on a bicycle. Compared to an OEM tire or very inexpensive aftermarket tire (like the Innova), the casings will be higher thread count and better materials, the tread compounds will be superior and the quality of construction will be better. The end result will be a tire that is more comfortable, more flat-resistance and faster rolling.

Once you're looking at a good quality tire, then you get some choices within those parameters, and some of those choices are competing; a faster-rolling tire is going to be more flat-prone, a more comfortable tire will have a more flexible (and damage-prone) sidewall. So, kinda like oil, there's no 'perfect tire'. It just depends on what your requirements are for a tire. (Michelin actually has a graph on its website showing the various parameters of it's bike tires, and it's done in a format almost identical to the Lubrizol or Dexos charts!).

In general, the semi-slick ATB tires will be better off road, but wear a little faster and be a little more annoying on-road. The "free-road" type tires will be better on road but have less off-road capabilities. So, take an honest assesment of where you'll actually be riding. Also, remember, they're just tires. You can have two sets and switch them around depending on your riding.

The one recommendation I will make is to get the widest tire (of whichever model you decide) which will fit in your frame. Wider tires will offer more sidewall/flat protection off road, roll faster on or off road (yes, unlike car tires, wider bicycle tires universally have lower Crr), and be more comfortable. The only downside is weight, and weight really doesn't matter.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Thanks. I didn't know wider tires have lower rolling resistance. Even with bicycle tires, I often read the opposite. Maybe that's a common misconception. Many of the "city" or urbanized MTB tires I've seen are available in a 1.75" width, but I'd really prefer to stay at least 1.95" wide. My Kenda knobbies that I still have (hanging up) are 2.10" wide, and that's a good width I think. I definitely prefer wider...as I understand, there really is no "aspect ratio" on a bicycle tire, so the more width you have, the more height you ALSO have. Which would give you more impact absorbtion, etc.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Alright, I'm looking at the Specialized Crossroads. It's got a solid center rib that I like for street riding, but just off-center, there are lots of biting edges. The tread also looks rather deep, and they get rave reviews for shedding road hazards and avoiding punctures. They also appear to perform well on light singletracking and even sand. No mud, the reviews warn. That should be fine for my application. One of my LBSs is a Specialized dealer. I need to look them up and see how much a pair of these goes for.

 

[Hokiefyd]

I pulled the trigger today, on a pair of Bontrager LT3s. They are a REALLY nice looking tire, with smart-looking sidewall markings. I was going after the Specialized Crossroads I mentioned above, but they didn't stock those. I saw these Bontragers on a Trek and fell in love. The tread pattern itself reminds me of a BFGoodrich All Terran T/A KO or similar. It's fairly civil on the road, but not afraid to get dirty either. Obviously not as serene as a slick tire, and not as gnarly as a full-on knobby.

They really do ride nice. The silkskin sidewalls are nice; I'm used to cheap tires that use thick rubber sidewalls. Even at 60 PSI, the ride is comfortable and quiet. I have not lost any speed to the semi-slick Innovas I had before. Bontrager markets this tireas a true all-purpose tire, and I think that's what it is. I hope to hit some light trails this weekend and be able to report back good news.

And here they are on my bike.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Just an update on these tires. They work really nice for a compromise tire. I have the bike at work now, and ride on a closed golf course across the street. All the cart paths are still there (and paved), but there's some sand as well. Rolling resistance seems low enough (I do have them aired down slightly for comfort) and they're quiet on the pavement. I've ridden them probably 30 miles and there's no wear that I can tell.

Negative is they pick up small pebbles in the deep tread. And if I'm on a long downhill and come to a sweeping turn at the bottom, I prefer to slow down some as they feel the slightest bit squirrely leaned way over. The cart paths are also covered with pine straw in a lot of places, too, so that doesn't help.

Overall, I'm happy with them, and happy with the value ($25/each and available locally).