You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Time for some new tyres on my Trek fuel ex9. I have been running Bontrager Xr4 front and Xr 3 rear up till now, they have been pretty good but i fancy a change. i ride on and around Dartmoor, so it tends to be rocky and rooty. i am looking for all year round tyres i can fit and forget. What do you go for?
Thanks 🙂
And here was me going to suggest XR4s 🙂
In the spirit of recommending what you own.
On one smorgasbords or chunky monkeys, both tubeless ready and available in different compounds.
Have fitted a chunky on the front and move between a smorgasbord or chunk on the back.
Both been fantastic value for very little money, very happy and will replace with same when done in
Michelin WildGripr 2 advanced. Spectacularly good tyre, roll well and front grip is so confidence inspiring. I love mine, best tyres I've ever owned.
I use maxxis high roller 2s front and rear all year round for Dartmoor.
Good grip fastish rolling.
Well, in 26", I love my trail king (rubber queen) with the UST sidewalls. However, the nearest they do in 650b is the apex/protection. By comparison, it appears to be utter bobbins in terms or robustness/reliability. I've had two sidewalls fail in as many months. One of them, about a centimetre of bead decided it no longer wanted to be part of the tyre, the second split/cut the sidewall on a bit of man made trail on the south downs. No point me trying them again in my usual Peak District riding spots if they're proving to be so unreliable.
I've currently got 3 bikes running the 26" ust in 2.2 and 2.4 several times over. If suffered a couple of carcass wobbles which have been warranted but I've never had a sidewall let me down on those. Maybe I've been unlucky, but at £50 each, I'd have to be bloody stupid to keep trying.
For an all round all year tyre you wont go far wrong with a Butcher/Purgatory combination
What about wtb vigilante/trail boss combination? has anyone used these?
To quote enduro-mtb magazine.
It’s also worth crediting the underdog as the WTB Vigilante and WTC Trail Boss took us by surprise in this group test, leaving us convinced of their aptitude for long-rides given their great rolling characteristics and high level of traction.
I have butchers and Purg (both grid) on one set of wheels and chunky monkey/smorg (both sticky) on another. I love the spesh tyres, but them on one tyres are even better! Amazing value too. I suspect they don't have such a big following because they are cheap. Whack up the price and change the label, they'd be right up there
Chunky monkey is great up front, unless it's muddy, but both the on one tyres aren't tough enough on the rear for the likes of the lakes IME.
I'm loving the magic Mary on the front of the capra, but the 2.4 HR2 on the rear will be leaving us, too draggy. Maybe go back to a purgatory grid
In Lakes I like maxis dhf dhr combo in 3c compound. Tough, cool and fat!!
Tracey - Member
For an all round all year tyre you wont go far wrong with a Butcher/Purgatory combination
This.
Although currently rolling on a Butcher/Slaughter combo. Even in the slightly muddy conditions round here right now, the semi-slick has been great (as long as I don't want to brake in a straight line too much!).
Another here for purgatorys (grid), excellent tyres in all conditions. Good value to
Purgatory seems to be a contender, good price too. Would it work with a wtb trail boss on the back or the other way round.
Minion front with ardent or crossmark on the rear for me.
Always run our Purgatorys on the rear.
Butcher perg combo.
is it worth going for the more expensive version of the purg/butcher combo?
Grid? If you ride rocky descents, then yes.
Been very impressed with the recent WTB tired. Vigilante, Trail Boss, and Bronsons all seem to work well in a mix of conditions. Work very well tubeless too. I'm SW based too, so similar conditions.
edging towards a vigilante , should work well with a trail boss on the rear. seem to be about £35-£40 🙂
Thanks for the suggestions
My Capra came with 2.4 HR2's fitted front and rear, immediately whipped the front off and fitted a Magic Mary for Tweedlove. The rear has been on for 6 rides, and it's just too draggy for me, really noticeable - ordered a WTB Trail Boss for the rear.
I have a WTB breakout on the rear of my Spectral, it's bombproof but fast rolling, and there's no way you're gonna burp it!.
I like mismatched tyre brands. 😆
On-One Smorg on rear isnt very good in the wet as I found out yesterday! Think I'll go back to Purg which TBF has been fine. Chunky Monkey on front was good though, not much in it between that and Butcher
My Capra came with 2.4 HR2's fitted front and rear, immediately whipped the front off and fitted a Magic Mary for Tweedlove. The rear has been on for 6 rides, and it's just too draggy for me, really noticeable
Ditto
Managed two rides and swapped them for Butcher/Purgatory - made a world of difference
I have tried purg grids on the rear a few times and always ripped them, butchers on the front were ok. I am still looking for the tough, fast rolling reasonably grippy rear. I like ardent s but have just split a new one of them. Never considered the trail boss before so may have a look at them.
Be aware though that WTBs do come up big. The 2.4 Trail Boss is mahoosive, bigger than the equivalent Rubber Queen/ Trail King.
I've got some 2.3 Bronsons and they are more like 2.4 when measured with my verniers.