Mountain bike tire recommendations?

[krisl6]

I've been riding on the road for serveral years now and recently got a mountain bike to mix things up a bit and use during the colder months. I usually ride trails that have a good bit of loose sand and dirt in spots and wonder if you gals have any recommendations on a good tire I could use? The ones the bike came with are pretty useless. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[crazycanuck]

What about Maxxis (can't remember the kind if have..will check)? They were recommended to me & use them with my tubeless tire setup. Seem to be fine n grippy!

RunningMommy & some of the racing chickas might have a better answer

[Becky]

I like Kenda Nevegals. 'Round here, we have a mix of dirt and sand, with lots of small roots and rocks. They're probably overkill if it's really dry and fast, but it's rarely super-dry here- always a little dampness. Time will tell how well they do when the ground is frozen

[SadieKate]

Tires are one of those things that are critical to the locality. I'd check around with the shops and local riders and ask what they like and why. And they may use different tires depending on the season.

[tzvia]

Loose sand? Loose sand with rocks, loose over hard, loose with roots; that's the stuff of all my rides out here in So Cal. In back, I like the WTB Weirwolf race 2.1. Enough bite to not spin in sand, but not a heavy slow tire like the Nevegal (which I have used). Up front, I prefer a wider tire to help float over the sand. Been using a WTB Wolverine 2.2 and find it a good performer. The Nevegal 2.1 up front wanders less in sand, but feels slow and heavy by comparison so it's a trade off. Next I plan to try the WTB Weirwolf race 2.3 up front. A bit heavier than the Wolverine and a bit wider than the rear tire. I had the Weirwolf 2.1 up front for a time, and it worked well for all but cornering, where it was a bit skittish. It is also narrower than the Nevegal (real width, not number on sidewall) so I am thinking that the 2.3 might do better. If only the Nevegal did not feel so heavy and slow... mine is gathering dust in the garage.

[sundial]

If it's primarily loose sand and not rocks and roots you might like the Kenda Small Block Eight or WTB Volpine.

If it's loose over packed with rocks and roots, take a look at WTB Velociraptor, Weirwolf and Kenda Nevegal.

[Running Mommy]

I actually know WAY more about this topic than I care to. But it's part of my job. And our shop seems to have a big mtb clientele.
I'll just throw out some general things..
(remember we are in the dessert. Loose rocks, sand, sharp rocks, and cacti that jumps out and attacks).

Kenda Nevegals seem to be every magazine editors favorite tire. So we sell them, but we don't particularly like them. We grade them about a B I guess, but we like others better.

We favor the maxxis line. Most popular overall tire is the Ignitor, followed by the advantage. Crossmarks are the tires our racers use.

We also carry the Kenda El Moco, but it wears out very fast, as it has a soft compound. "Sticky" wears quicker than DTC (dual tread compound)

I refer to the kenda small block eight as a hateful tire, as it does not do well in deep sand. I spent a miserable trip in moab riding my womens anthem on the stock small block eights.

We sell some of the wtb line, and the michelin dry xc, but not all that often. Like the nevegals, they are ok but our riders and staff prefer the maxxis line.

Tips about going tubeless....

Little known fact is that both kenda and maxxis (amongst others I'm sure) state that if a tubeless sealant such as Stans or slime pro are used it will void the tire warranty. - Not that anyone let's that stop them. But buyer beware..

Kenda tires, esp the small block eights do not take tubeless conversions well. The sidewalls are thin and the sealant literally seeps through them. W/Kendas you really need to use a tubeless tire.- tho the nevegal is the best of the line we have found so far.
OTOH the maxxis non "LUST" (tubeless) tires seem to take tubelesss conversions well. But it is nice having the thicker sidewalls of the UST or LUST tires. BUT they are more pricey.

We have had some maxxis warranty issues. The tires literally developed a "tumor" when the outer tread started to seperate from the inner casing. Think of it as a big pimple on your tire. But this has always been covered under warranty.

oh and one last thing. The guys do bot like the "exception" tires in the maxxis line. Tho I can't remember why.

OH! And tho I SWEAR by my continental road tires, we have had three sets of mtb tires blow off of rims mid ride. So we don't carry them anymore. Sad cause we LOVE their road tires.

[krisl6]

Thanks for all the great tips everyone. I apprecitate it. I definitely have a much better idea about the types of tires I should be looking into.

[ridebikeme]

Ahh some very good recommendations!! One of the favorite tires in New England is WTB Velocoraptor, this is a tire that has been rated very high for years. Although I find the knobs too big and they seem to make the bike rebound a bit off whatever I'm running over. (regardless of air pressure)

I tried the Kenda Small Block 8 yesterday and was in very loose sand, mud, a huge area of baby heads, and of course what NE is noted for roots! These tires did a GREATjob, so I definitely would recommend them very high!! I've also had alot of success with the Maxxis tires, simply pick the tire that suits your area the best.

I'm sure that all of you know this about riding in sand, but it seems that the faster you go, the easier it is to make it through without being thrown all over the place. Of course this is coming from someone that quite oftens finds herself in a position where the wheels are pointed toward the sky H

Have fun out there and ride with the rubber side down

[sundial]

Kenda tires, esp the small block eights do not take tubeless conversions well. The sidewalls are thin and the sealant literally seeps through them. W/Kendas you really need to use a tubeless tire.- tho the nevegal is the best of the line we have found so far.

That's interesting, RM. I'm on my second set of tubeless Small Block 8's and have not had any problems with them at all. I once mounted a new set of Specialized Captain tires and the sidewalls were so thin that the Stan's sealant bubbled out. I recently converted my Volpines to tubeless for dirt road riding and so far so good.

[michaelcali34]

While most beads are steel, some tires use Kevlar cord instead. Using Kevlar ® for this purpose typically saves about 50 grams (2 ounces) per tire. Since Kevlar is much more flexible than steel, tires with Kevlar beads can be folded up compactly, which is convenient for touring or other applications where it may be advisable to carry a spare tire.

[nerdgirl]

I was using a Specialized Captain in the front and a Kenda Nevagal in the rear. It worked well for Mammoth last year, as well as Big Bear and all my local trails. Mammoth is loose and pumicey, Big Bear is a combo of perfect soil and loose & rutted out, and my local trails are a combo of things.

However, since I started riding more aggressively, I needed a fatter tire in the front. I now use an Intense 2.5 in the front (the fattest tire my rim can handle) and the Kenda Nevegal 2.1 in the rear. A fatter tire will give you more traction (great for berms!), but definitely slows you on the uphill and requires more effort.