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Bit out of season, I know, but tyres are cheap on Wiggle today and I have tyres for other conditions.
I usually use Nevegals for winter, but find them lacking once the water table rises and the mud gets persistent. I am looking for a front tyre that will still find some cornering traction in muddy conditions and is a similar volume to my rear Kenda 2.1" tyre - I realise this probably goes against the grain of the 'narrow tyres for mud' philosophy but hey ho.
Looking at the Kenda range, the King of Traction looks like the only mud tyre they do. It sounds interesting - the tyre is made of firm rubber, with a layer of soft rubber on top, so the knobs dig in but are still sticky. Whether it works or not I have no idea.
Any opinions? Alternatives?
winter mud = narrow tire - using fat mud tires defeats purpose really- unless you go endomorph. even then in claggy mud youll find your self wheel spinning on top - you want to be cutting down to the hard stuff to get traction
1.8 panaracer muds inflated hard(also good in the snow) or if its not rocky 1.3 schwalbe black sharks - used to like th 1.5 conti XC but they seem to be discontinued !
Bonty Mud X is probably the best front tyre around for winter
But then I would have to buy two tyres! Argh.
Spesh storm control 2bliss 2.0
£23
For proper mud on XC = Panaracer Trailraker.
Oh, and I tried a set of trailrakers last year when it was particularly muddy.
They were horribly slow for 95% of the ride, but there was one climb that I could clean that no one else could.
Ultimately, i'd rather enjoy the other 95% of the ride though, so I would say they are a little 'too' mud specific for my tastes!
Fussy, aren't I?
I've left my Mud x on the front through the summer. Many others on here seemed to be doing the same so I gave it a go and been very pleased with it.I find them a really good in the mud and make my commute possible all year round.
Mud-X for me, they're just so versatile. I used to use Trailrakers but agree that unless most of the ride is through thick gloopy mud then they're too much of a compromise. Mud-X might be slightly worse in thick mud but corner far more predictably, aren't too draggy and work well on rocks & roots.
First ride with 2.35 60A Swampthings yesterday and the grip in the mud was phenomenal. Winched myself up steep, rooty, muddy climbs that I never thought I'd get up. Even though they're 2.35s they come up really narrow.
Mud X is a great 'winter' tyre, when it's just generally wet and a bit rocky and rooty and slidey and what not, if it's 100% mud you're after then the Black Shark Mud is an awesome tyre.
I hear a lot of good things about the Bontys. They sound like the 'sensible' choice, but mean I would have to fork out for two tyres. 😕
Just get one for the front now then (I used a 2.1 Mud-X up front and a Nevegal rear last winter and it seemed OK)
Ooh, I didn't realise you could get Mud-X in 2.1?! I thought they were 2.0 only
err sorry it is a 2.0 (vs the 1.8 option they also do), it's not a narrow 2.0 though (I usually ride tyres around the 2.3 mark and it doesn't seem overly skinny).