Are mtb tyres changing?

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Bikefayre
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Are mtb tyres changing?

Post by Bikefayre »

Is it me or are the days when you would see knobbly tyres with a sugar cube tread are becoming extinct? All seem to have wee blocks nowadays. Is there a reason for this?
hamster
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Re: Are mtb tyres changing?

Post by hamster »

I think it's largely because they were overkill for most things except sand and thick mud. Even thick mud just clogged them up. Smaller knobs seem to work just as well.
Mattyfez
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Re: Are mtb tyres changing?

Post by Mattyfez »

Pretty much agree with the above, smaller more spacial knobs shed mud much quicker, returning grip sooner and it allows for lighter construction.
Bikefayre
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Re: Are mtb tyres changing?

Post by Bikefayre »

Did notice on my absolutely pathetic Michelin Cycle Cross Mud 2 which has gone in the bin does grip better than my chunky Shcwalbe Snow Stud which has old fashioned toffee sized blocks, so thanks for that!
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Si
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Re: Are mtb tyres changing?

Post by Si »

I've a feeling that it's as much to do with marketing as improvement - but that's most of bike design :lol:

Anyway, I'm now starting to panic as the last of my stash of Panracer Smoke & Darts are reaching the end of their lives :?
hamster
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Re: Are mtb tyres changing?

Post by hamster »

I agree on the Panaracers - however they are being made again with the original tread patterns.

Having swapped off my (reissued) Smoke / Darts to Schwalbe Rocket Rons then firstly I notice the bike is about 700g lighter, plus the smaller knobs certainly don't squirm like the Smoke / Dart. I've run Rocket Rons for several years on my singlespeed and they definitely roll much faster and quieter. However the Smoke is brilliant in snow and sand, unlike almost any other tyre except the fabled and long-gone WTB Velociraptor.
Bikefayre
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Re: Are mtb tyres changing?

Post by Bikefayre »

Have you had a look at Bronx tyres as they do Old School Knobblies for 559 rims? These can be got from amazon.co.uk or woollyhatshop.com For myself are ditching knobblies for Trekking Slicks which are surprisingly good on muddy untarred tracks.
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Si
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Re: Are mtb tyres changing?

Post by Si »

However the Smoke is brilliant in snow and sand, unlike almost any other tyre except the fabled and long-gone WTB Velociraptor.


Did you ever try the old panracer Spike? The one with the health warning on it telling you that the tread was so extreme that you were sure to die if you used it on the road :lol: :lol:

Very good in sand, mud or snow. It was usable on the road but progress was not fast to say the least, and laying the bike down in tight bends was to be avoided!
Bikefayre
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Re: Are mtb tyres changing?

Post by Bikefayre »

Would say the Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro is probably the closest you would get to the old Panaracer.
hamster
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Re: Are mtb tyres changing?

Post by hamster »

Si wrote:Did you ever try the old panracer Spike? The one with the health warning on it telling you that the tread was so extreme that you were sure to die if you used it on the road :lol: :lol:

Very good in sand, mud or snow. It was usable on the road but progress was not fast to say the least, and laying the bike down in tight bends was to be avoided!


I never bothered as I always ended up riding very mixed terrain. It made sense if you lived somewhere with snowfall standing for a while. Probably nowadays fatbikes are a better solution.
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Si
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Re: Are mtb tyres changing?

Post by Si »

It wasn't a snow specific tyre - meant for claggy mud more than anything, and very good at it it was.
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Vantage
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Re: Are mtb tyres changing?

Post by Vantage »

Si wrote:It wasn't a snow specific tyre - meant for claggy mud more than anything, and very good at it it was.


Agreed.
I had a pair for a while and used them a couple times through snow covered moors and mudbaths and they were fantastic. Absolutely terrifying on hardpack trails or tarmac though!
Bill


“Ride as much or as little, or as long or as short as you feel. But ride.” ~ Eddy Merckx
It's a rich man whos children run to him when his pockets are empty.
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