Mountain Biking - First time riding today/ Tires for a beginner.

Last year I bought a 2003 Specialized Hardrock that now has slicks and is used as a commuter and was used a lot on paved trails. It has about 2000 miles on it and until today it has not seen more than a smooth dirt trail. Today I went mountain biking for the first time at Alum Creek in Columbus, OH. It was very interesting and I learned a lot quickly. I rode on the stock Specialized Enduro tires that came with my bike. They have sat outside on a beater bike since last September and they are in pretty bad shape with the side walls cracked up and starting to bulge, etc. It had also rained for the last 12 hours before we went out, and the trail was just mud. We didnt come across any other bikers the 2-3 hours we were out. I seemed to have a much bigger problem just sinking in the mud than anyone else.

So basically, I need new tires. Not only do my old ones suck, but they look like they are going to explode after the ride. I am setting my budget to about $20 each and I would like to buy them from Performance Bike. I am currently looking at the Panaracer Dart/Smoke in 2.1" and the IRC Mythos XC in 2.1". Which of those would you recommend or should I look at others? I really don't know what kind of riding I will be doing or what I need so help is appreciated. There weren't any jumps on the trail, mainly small logs and lots of hills and similar stuff.

Thanks,.

IRC, require higher psi but the rubber compound and tread design is superior in my opinion.
Look at the Mythos\xc also.
http://www.bikeforums.net/showpost.php?p=453565&postcount=99
These are Kevlar ones, but the wire ones are very similar.

IRC, require higher psi but the rubber compound and tread design is superior in my opinion.
Look at the Mythos\xc also.

Thanks, I was actually looking at the Mythos XC. I will add that to my main post.

Performance also has the Panaracer Fire XC Pro on sale for $26.99 each. Should I consider those? They say red side wall and made in Japan, so they should be the good ones, right?

I read the Panaracer Dart is a somewhat crappy tire and the Fire XC Pros arent the best on mud. The Mythos XC seem to have weak side walls and people suffer a lot of pinch flats. I am overwhelmed. How would a Panaracer Smoke on the back and Fire XC Pro on the front do?

Dunno- The difference in IRC is red wall are Japan, Black, Korea.
Red IRC are Kevlar (the ones I have anyway) But spend x-tra if you can, if another $7 gets you quality\durability it's worth it.
Panaracer is O.K, I chewed them out and the knobs were cracking at the base.
Type the name into Google or go to mtbreview and see what other riders have said.

Pinched cause they are under inflated, The weight is rear so I would reverse, w\fire rear.
Front is steering,angled chevrons- rear is paddles\treads to keep the bike moving.

IMO of course.

Oh, I use the IRC because I'm on the road 60% of the time and they are PUMPED UP.
Fast and good cornering.

Mindyou they are a recent purchase and I need to grind them a summer to really know about the durability.

Personally, I've had nothing but bad luck with any IRC tires I've ever had. The knobbies have a tendency to RIP off the tires. I've spoken with several riders who've experienced similar problems.

My favorite all around tire that is relatively cheap and available in many places are the WTB Velociraptors. They are front and rear specific, and work well in a variety of terrains from rocks, to loose sand. They are decent in mud, not the best, but decent.

I've seen them on sale for $13-.

L8R

My favorite all around tire that is relatively cheap and available in many places are the WTB Velociraptors. They are front and rear specific, and work well in a variety of terrains from rocks, to loose sand. They are decent in mud, not the best, but decent.

I've seen them on sale for $13-.

L8R
Thats currently what i have on my bike and they do work great. Just dont understand why the front time is wider then the back. Well at least they are on my bike, they came stock on my bike, didnt purchase them.
Im not very familiar with tires but i have noticed some tires are made of kevlar or at least say kevlar bead. does that mean they get least puntures? Or should i say less likely to get puntures?

Personally, I've had nothing but bad luck with any IRC tires I've ever had. The knobbies have a tendency to RIP off the tires. I've spoken with several riders who've experienced similar problems.

My favorite all around tire that is relatively cheap and available in many places are the WTB Velociraptors. They are front and rear specific, and work well in a variety of terrains from rocks, to loose sand. They are decent in mud, not the best, but decent.

I've seen them on sale for $13-.

L8R
Funny..trying to wreck folks? nanananan.

O.k..INFLATE YOUR TIRE. If Your *** is making the a big puddle on the underside of your rim you are using your tire as a shock absorber.
You are incorrectly under inflating your tire.

Go buy a plastic tire if you like. rubber is a bit different. Dont leave your bike for months on the porch.

on a less snotty note- avoid storing rubbers in sunlight, No gas-solvents near or on. tire polish, cleaner ect for cars is not for hq softer rubber compounds used in these tires.

Another vote for WTB tires here. I use both Motoraptors and Nanoraptors with great results. For looser or muddy conditions I use the Motos, they hook up well and are reasonably good at shedding mud. When I'm gonna ride a hardpack trail with little loose stuff I like the Nanos. These things roll really fast. I inflate my tires to the minimum I can get away with and still not snakebite (pinch flat). When your tire can conform to the terrain a bit, you will corner and climb better, not to mention the small increase in comfort. You don't want to inflate your tire to max pressure for trail riding, just inflate it enough to avoid pinch flatting. I'm considering switching from tubes to a setup called Stan's no-tubes, which lets you use standard wheels and tires without tubes, and lets you get away with pressures as low as 20psi. The increase in climbing and cornering traction is phenomenal. I've ridden a bike set up with this stuff and it really is noticeable.

The panaracer I rode had the thinnest wall ever, like a dragster slick when flat.
Get the carbon aramid if you need to have stronger wall.
xc tires are o.k in mud, great dry, loose pack, good on ashphalt.
Most full tread mudboggers are straight line riding tires, guess high speed cornering in muds a bad idea anyway.
Cheng Shin is the same company as Maxxis.
Cheap tires feel lousy.
Softer rubbers grip better and wear down faster.
Put your money where you want.
WTB does not make tires, they market them.
WTB has a low standing as a parts supplier.
My new treads came to? $73.
There are 4 unmounted, rideable tires in my bedroom.
There are 3 mounted wheelsets in the basement.
I like the my new tires. :D

wtb's are AWESOME! Great tires, great price, best value for your money

I had irc's and they were good tires but the minute you ride on rocky tecnical trails the tread rips out like someone else mentioned.

Currently im running a michelin of some sort in the front, and a panaracer fire xc in the back .... the fire is aight but i dont really like it. I will likely replace both tires soon since the michelin is cracking.