My absolutely all time favourite mtb tire for all around riding

front: Continental Vertical Pro 2.3
rear: Continental Explorer Pro 2.1

DH does all the research, but boy oh boy can I ever tell the difference!

For racing, he gets me geared up with

front & rear: Continental Explorer Super Sonic 2.1 with Stans no-tubes.

The weight saving is about 200g, and the traction is very similar.

Better traction helps in lots of scenarios: climbing, obstacles, cornering, sketchy conditions.

I don't "read" the bike well, but I sure love the right rubber!

H&B
~T~