Mountain Biking - The Tire Buying Guide

Edit: I should probably call this the Freeriding/Urban/Dirtjumping/Downhill/Cyclocross/Cross Country tire buying guide because if it was just the tire buying guide it would include road tires and all sorts of other kinds.

Ok so alot of people are asking questions and they want to know if the tire(s) they decided on are right for the kind of riding they're doing so I've come up with this guide. I will be adding more as I go but I'll try to put quite a few down now. Freeriding/Urban/Dirtjumping/Downhill/Cyclocross/Cross Country are all fast growing forms of biking that require certain parts that specialize in that field. For instance; you wouldn't use a downhill tire for cross country riding so I have made this guide to help you chose the tire that suits you best.
Freeride/Urban/Dirtjumping all fall into the same category because they mostly use all of the same components and they each involve a little bit of each. Freeride tires should be chosen by the kind of freeriding you're going to do, i.e. urban or dirt (on pavement or soil). Dirt freeride tires should have deeper groves for traction on dirt and have a harder compound to absorb the drops and stunts your do. Urban should be more slick for traction on pavement and faster rolling speed. Dirtjumping involves both because the urban tires have a greater air volume for landing on hard paved surfaces while the dirt has the groves for off road.
Downhill riding involves thick mud, dirt, and gravel surfaces that you have to run over. The deep groves and ridges dig into the mud and gravel while the thick out side walls allow high speed cornering in these conditions.
Cyclocross tires should be light and yet have effective enough grip onto mud and pavement. Slick tred design allows maximum traction on paved surfaces and ridges allow for off road capibilites. The tire also has to be light because you have to carry your bike so you want to save as muc weight as possible.
Cross Country riding is on dry dirt and sometimes paved surfaces that are hard packed, a slick tred design allows for maximum speed/traction.

Freeride/Urban/Dirtjump

Maxxis
-Holy Roller - Best for:urban riding & dirtjumps in dry conditions. Benefits/Downside:Lightweight single ply casing
-Hookworm - Urban riding on pavement in dry conditions. Downside: heavy and hard to remove from rims.
-Ignitor - Lightweight single ply casing, foldable bead. Ramped knob design for traction.
-Lopes Bling Bling Dual - Lightweight single ply casing. Hardpack, loose-over-hardpack, medium soil.
-Larsen TT- Hardpack, loose-over-hardpack, medium soil. Directional specific tire tred.
-Minion DH F- Hardpack, loose-over-hardpack, medium soil
-Minion DH R- Hardpack, loose-over-hardpack, medium soil
-High Roller- Lightweight single ply casing. Hardpack, loose-over-hardpack, medium soil, loose terrain
-Hansventure- Hardpack, loose-over-hardpack, medium soil, and rocky conditions
-Swampthing- Loose soil to deep mud downhill tire for front and rear. Widely spaced, cleated knob design.
-Mobster- Hardpack, loose-over-hardpack, medium soil. Counter-sunk knob design
-High Roller Semi-Slick- Hardpack, loose-over-hardpack

Kenda
-Blue Groove- hard packed and rocky conditions.
-Kinetics- High traction tread design.
-Kinption-Knurledfilled tread surface for traction and control
-K-Rad-Knurled tread surface for traction and control
-Nevegal-Tall knobs designed to penetrate and hold on loose terrain.

Nokian
-XXX 2.4-(50A) tread
-Assault X 2.4-Gumwall casing & fast Dual Rubber (55A) tread
-Ragahit-New Pinchflat protected MX casing & New Soft Rubber
-Gotthit-New Pinchflat protected MX casing & New Soft Rubber
-NBX 2.3-New Pinchflat protected MX casing & New Soft Rubber
-Gazzaloddi Dual 2.3-New Pinchflat protected MX casing & New Soft Rubber
-Gazzaloddi Dual 2.1-New Pinchflat protected MX casing & New Soft Rubber

Hutchinson
-Octopus-

Downhill
Maxxis
-High roller- Grooved center. Hardpack and medium terrain downhill tire for front or rear
-Minion DHF- 2-ply DH casings with butyl protected sidewalls
-Minion DHR- 2-ply DH casings with butyl protected sidewalls
-Mobster- Dual-ply casing with butyl inserts. Downhill hardpack.
-Swampthing- Loose soil to deep mud downhill tire for front and rear.

Kenda
-Nevegal- STICK-E rubber and CAP PLY casing with bead insert
-Kolossal DH-Aggressive braking and cornering knobs. CAP Ply casing helps prevent punctures and slices.
-Kinetics-Stick-E compound
-Blue Groove-STICK-E rubber and CAP PLY casing with bead insert

Nokian
-Gazzaloddi G- Pinchflat protected DH casing with extra stiff sidewalls
-Gazzaloddi 3.0-Pinchflat protected DH casing with extra stiff sidewalls
-Gazzaloddi JR-Pinchflat protected DH casing with extra stiff sidewalls
-Gazzaloddi 2.3-Pinchflat protected DH casing with extra stiff sidewalls
-Gazzaloddi Mud-Pinchflat protected DH casing with extra stiff sidewalls
-Gazza-Pinchflat protected DH casing with extra stiff sidewalls
-NBX DH 2.5-Pinchflat protected DH casing with extra stiff sidewalls
-NBX DH 2.3-Pinchflat protected DH casing with extra stiff sidewalls

Hutchinson
-Octopus

Tioga
-FACTORY DH 2.5"-
-FACTORY DH 2.1" & 2.3"-2.1" -2.1 950g folding bead; 980g steel bead, 2.3" - 1050g folding bead; 1080g steel bead


Cyclocross

Maxxis
-Larsen MiMo- lower rolling resistance.
-Locust- Low rolling resistance.

Kenda
-Kwick-Great as a mud tire and hard-pack race tire.

Nokian
-Ravagozzi Cross-Light & durable 65TPI OLC skinwall structure w/ folding Aramid bead. For extreme conditions.
-Ravagozzi Cross S-Fast & grippy Nokian Carbon Silica (61A) tread. For hardpacked dirt.

Hutchinson
-Cross Comp

Cross Country

Maxxis
-ADvantage- aggressive side knob.
-Ranchero- Diamond center ridge.
-Ignitor- loose conditions, fast rolling.
-High Roller- Hardpack, loose-over-hardpack, medium soil.
-Larsen TT- Low rolling resistance. Trailing edges allows greater climbing and breaking power capabilities.
-Larsen MiMo- lower rolling resistance when the trail gets firm.
-Mobster- sunk center knobs increase braking and handling.
-Medusa- Loose terrain, wet, and muddy conditions.
-Swampthing- Loose soil to deep mud. Allows acceleration in extremely loose, wet, and muddy conditions.
-High Roller type R- Low profile directional ramped knob design.
-Larsen Oriflamme- Single ply casing. Hardpack, loose-over-hardpack, medium soil.
-Hard Drive- Low knob height excels in dry conditions.
-Minotaur Full Knob-
-Hard Drive Dual Compound- rolls fast in one direction, climbs hard in other.

Kenda
-Karma-Low-profile square knobs offer plenty of grip.
-Karma DTC-L3R Pro/Stick-E DUAL tread compound
-Khan-Semi aggressive side knobs.
-Kharisma Lite / Kharisma-Low profile knobby tread with L3R lightweight rubber compound.
-Klaw XT-Wide spaced knobs to clear mud easily
-Klimax Lite-Super lightweight with L3R tread compound and lightweight 120 TPI casing.
-Komodo- Great in the mud
-Kozmik Lite II-greater traction with L3R Pro rubber compound
-Kwick-Great as a mud tire and hard-pack race tire

Nokian
-Ravagozzi Cross-Light & durable 65TPI OLC skinwall structure w/ folding Aramid bead
-Ravagozzi Cross S-Fast & grippy Nokian Carbon Silica (61A) tread

Hutchinson
-Python
-Scorpion
-Spider
-Mosquito
-Cameleon
-On the rocks
-Rock

All mountain (Multiple uses for each tire)

Tioga
-White Tiger-Multi-Condition DH & FR Tire
-Black Turtle-Severe Conditions DH & FR tire
-Yellow Kirin-26"x2.3" 840g*, Magnum66 casing
-BLue Dragon-Magnum66 casing
-Red Phoenix-SRR & CYLEX
-Factory Extreme XC-Ultimate XC, FR & 4X tire
-Factory XC-All Around XC, FR tire
-Factory XC Slick-Low Rolling XC tire
-Factory Mud-Muddy Conditions XC, FR & 4X tire
-Terra Firma-66 TPI casing

P.S.
All tire prices vary depending on where you live, and I cannot list all companies but I will try to list as many as I can so that I can make this as usefull as possible.

How do you expect this to work if you don't have enough information, you also forgot schwalbe, continental, Specialized, Tioga, Michelin, IRC, Intense, hutchinson. Also, if you are going to be making a buying guide you should also go into what tire would work the best in a certain condition, and also list the tire compounds available for each tire. Other than that you are off to a good start.

Ya im working on it, it will take awhile.

and eventually whenever people say "what tire should I get" we will have people yell at them and say "LOOK AT THE TIRE BUYING GUIDE THREAD" just like the 500$mtb thead. Keep it up though, it will be helpful to all :)

You also need to seperate tires used for hardpack...mud...pack soil....roots...sandy ground, have fun with this.

i use downhill tires for cross country :eek: works great for my single speed, grips like crazy you can lean into the turns like a mad man :D

I'm finding the Minions are a really good northeast tire, haven't had a grip issue in the mud, soft, and hard pack situations.

Hard to believe I've only run two of those listed.... Must be different rubber plants in my neck of the woods....

I think there's another issue. Those who run tubeless and at very low pressure will get totally different performance from the same tire in the same conditions than those who run significantly higher pressures. If this is in fact the case, and I think it is, a useful buying guide is not feasible.

I'm a Ritchey fan myself, however, I've got an '05 Specialized design on order because the tread design appeals to me and I want to experiment to get a little more speed in my local conditions.

Al

you might want to stick in a catagory for 26" slicks too, i know on my MTB i run slicks for city riding and whatnot, i doubt im the only one. I think i would start with Tom slicks :)

this is a really good thread, with a little extra work, it could be really excellent. like that guy said about the $500 MTB thread, we can just point them in the direction of the Tire Thread. good idea.

Thanks...the whole idea was to help people with their tire selection, I keep adding new info to it so it could take a while to complete.

I would also add WTB. I like their XC tires.

Heh
Don't forget what kicks ass in one geographic region will absolutly suck in another

*cough*

Wow, dusty old thread! Anyway, it would be great if someone has already done this, or wants to take it on... based on the follow-ups in this thread it's obvious to me this really calls for a small database in order to make the relations between tires and specs... And of course an extra field for reviews/comments and maybe even links to sellers...

Anyone seen such a beast?

In answer to my own question, I did find this... (not perfect, but it's something...)

http://www.roadbikereview.com/cat/wheels/tires-clincher/hutchinson/PRD_291942_2489crx.aspx

Kenda Excavator, Telonix, Dred Tread, El Moco, Small Block Eight, Short Tracker

I can say that the SB8's suck. But in all actuality, they just don't work for me, my style, or my terrain. This thread sucks.



Don't forget UmmaGumma

OP- FYI you may want to check out Shiggy's site:

http://mtbtires.com/

Whoops, oh yeah, the OP is prob. long gone!

What's the deal lately with folks diggin' up these old threads?

What's the deal lately with folks diggin' up these old threads?

It's called searching for an answer instead of shotgunning new threads into the forum :lol: