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Hi all,
Looking for feedback on tyre choices to revive my early '90s rigid Trek 26" MTB. I'm hoping that the specifics of trying to support old 90s tech excuses me posting yet another tyre thread.
My riding is casual UK Trail/Light Trail: bridleways (often muddy), forest singletrack (roots/rocks), and gravel tracks. Often interspersed with tarmac in order to access the trails.
Need an all-rounder, fix and forget that's good in mud and durable.
Current thought (Schwalbe 26"):
Front: Magic Mary 2.35" Super Trail TLE Addix Soft
Rear: Nobby Nic 2.25" - Addix Speedgrip
Why this combo? MM for max front grip in wet/tech, NN for durable rear traction and rolling speed. Front fork spacing: 77mm (so ~8.5mm clearance either side), rear frame spacing 68mm (so ~5.5mm clearance either side).
Questions:
* Does this combo make sense for my riding?
* I'm running the original Matrix rims, which have an inner rim width of only 16mm! Will such a narrow rim present any problems?
* Will the 5.5mm rear clearance get clogged as soon as I hit mud?
* Is the Magic Mary Addix Soft going to wear really quickly on the gravel/tarmac?
* Alternative 26" tyre combos (Schwalbe/Maxxis etc.) for my needs?
Cheers!
I'm running Schwalbe Land Cruisers for a mix of on/off road on mine. But in 2.0. Fit the retro 'width' and the tyres are good all round and roll well. Also puncture resistant. I have run my 90's bike on 2.2/2.3 Planet X Chunky Monkey's before, and tight clearance wasn't a major issue. I've run all sorts of tyres on mine, from 1.2" slicks upwards.
That is the combo I run on my 27.5 Soul, if they fit it's a good, if slightly gravity based combo - given the narrowness of your rims you might be better off with a more trail specific rounder tyre.
Sounds too much for your intended use tbh. For similar I use a Nobby Nic up front and Racing Ralph out back.
Or go properly retro and get some re-issue Panaracer Smokes!
Panaracer Fire for that retro feel or just use Nobby Nics front and back?
Panaracer Smoke/Dart combo in a 2.1Â
Maxxis Crossmark 2 are surprisingly capable and roll well. Not sure what size will fit but they come in decent compound too. They may struggle in thick mud but are ideal for the riding you describe.Â
I have run land cruisers on cross bike in the past and they are also quite impressive for the price and appearance, although a bit inflexible but this is countered by their thorn resistance.Â
Thanks for all your suggestions. Shortlist came down to Nobby Nics and Panaracer Fire. I've taken the risk on clearance and gone for Nobby Nics because they have had more iterative innovations giving me the feeling that they might have the upper hand in performance, technology, and execution. If I struggle on clearance, I'll fall back to the Panaracer Fires.
I couldn't quite get my head around billy bonkers' little teeth and how they wouldn't just turn into slicks in mud.
Panaracer Smoke/Dart are widely liked off road (again from mid 2000's comments IIRC), but some suggesting they were really draggy on tarmac.
IRC Mythos - I didn't do enough info research to get inspired (e.g. don't know about compound performance, or how widely well received they are)
Marathons, Land cruisers etc - While a knobbly tyre can be a drag on tarmac/dry trail, you can keep going. However, wheels spinning or slipping in mud can bring everything to a halt or make things sketchy. For me, sub-optimal performance on long distances of hard surface doesn't drag me down, but getting stuck or falling in the mud can make me a bit miserable within an instant. So I've realised I've got a bias (rigthly or wrongly) to veer towards the knobbly end of the spectrum.
Magic Mary - I got the impression that this might be overkill or not targeted at my riding. Perhaps intended for a more aggressive, specific type of riding (gravity).