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I'm stuck in an overthought bubble.
I want to buy some winter tires, but feel really confused by availability and what often feels like incomplete advice and articles online.
There are plenty of articles about, including one by Singletrack, however, they appear to focus on front tyres. Does anyone have any advice a good front and rear combo, that is available and preferably good value, (£100 for the pair)? To be used in the woods, on the moors, and travelling between. I've got a 29" hardtail and will be taking off Maxis Minion DHR, and would like something that cleans a little better and is more aggressive.
Tyres are so expensive, I'm worried that I'll pop for a mud tyre and then find the bike is un-rideable in anything but gloop, I want to change my tires once and then change them back when the clock changes and not really think about it in-between.
Thanks in advance, sorry if this sounds like "please google this for me", but it's the googling that's got me so stuck.
Shorty Maxx grip front.
Shorty rear (Maxxterra trail compound) if you need good self cleaning.
Michelin enduro rear clears loam and sandy soil ok but not clay like the South Downs. If. DHRII blocks it would too.
If it’s really bad Michelin’s mud enduro, but as a rear that would be E only unless you’re strong.
Magic Mary & Big Betty combo seems pretty decent as an all year round aggressive set up.
I’d second the MM BB combo as recommended above. No idea on cost tho.
I always think a dhr2 does well on the rear in winter - if your route is particularly muddy then the 2.4” over the 2.3” version.
If you need something chunkier on the back for that then not sure 100% - but would try a Big Betty.
If you want a matching brand front tyre then stick on a magic Mary - it’ll grip and steer better in mud than a dhr2 on there.
But for me the outgoing Specialized Hillbilly is the beatbture I’ve used in mud. The 2.6” grid trail / T7 compound is what I’ve got on my fs bike - it replaced a Wild enduro 2.4” Magi-X which was beginning to struggle in the slop.
R2 bike have decent deals on Schwalbe.
https://r2-bike.com/SCHWALBE-Tire-Magic-Mary-29-x-240-Super-Trail-ADDIX-Soft-EVO-SnakeSkin-TLE
They don't have the big Betty super trail 2.4 in stock though.
I've got Vittoria Goma's 2.4" still on my Scandal, they're a bit chunkier than I'd like but roll better than they look. Similar tread/size to a 2.6" Maxxis DHF.
Like you I avoid "mud" tyres as while they're great for 5 minutes on a descent, they're rubbish the rest of the winter if you ride anything vaguely firm.
Too many online reports of Big Betty being compromised on wet roots. We get a lot of those amongst the mud here. Magic Mary is excellent upfront but doesn’t clear clay mud quite as well as a Shorty. Plus the grippy version only comes 2.4 (is it) those Schwalbe tyres come up rather narrow these days. Maybe that’s no bad thing for mud.
A Mary rear works on soft ground but the edges gold on hardpack if you face any. Shorty has no such issues.
On the rear Mary edges FOLD on hardpack I meant.
Maxxis Shorty FR and Maxxis dissector RR is my fav winter tyre combo on my HT on the rear.
The Shorty just seems to be pretty competent every where except hard pack, clears mud well and has a decent carcass feel. The Dissector manages to split the difference between adequate edge grip, rolling speed and mud clearing - especially sticky mud.
But, that's for my riding style and conditions.
+1 For Shorty.
I did some experimenting last winter and these were my general findings:
Generally I use a DHR II Front and rear. A great all round combo for trail centres and shoulder season in the woods.
Around my local (filthy) Woods, I tried a shorty on the front. A huge success, game changing levels of grip. Adequate on hard pack/trail centre, although I wouldn't love long tarmac sections on it. I was so impressed with the front that I got one for the back too. Another success, although the drag on the climbs became more noticeable.
Having loved the shorty and with the rain still falling, I decided to try a proper mud spike - michelin wild mud I think. Now the grip was noticeably better than the Shorty again, but not the same huge step as going from the DHR to the Shorty. However, the drag was now ridiculous. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone unless you're on an uplift, or an ebike in total slop for miles on end.
In conclusion: You definitely want a shorty on the front at least. They're very versatile (or at least the 2.4 wt is). Mine usually goes on around November. The rear gets swapped over in the new year, if I'm doing lots of local riding, usually for 3-4 months. DHRs go back on (Rear then front) as it dries out.
Merlin have good prices at the moment (on 27.5 at least).
Finally I'd say if you're mostly at trail centres I wouldn't bother swapping at all.
Yep, we're a long way from where winter tyres could only do mud. Modern muddy tyres can do anything you ask, they're just slow is all, it's not like say a swampthing or a mud x where they were crap at everything but mud.
Magic Mary is a better allrounder than the shorty imo, if I was going to stick one tyre on the front for the whole year it'd be that. But the shorty is better when it's orrible and for me that wins. First impressions of the Argotal are really good too but it is a LOT of tyre. Pretty much all the modern "cut spikes" are good tbh, hillbilly, vigilante, all good but the shorty and magic mary are top of the heap imo.
Depends where you ride really - when I was down south it was a pair of narrow spiky tyres, in Scotland I just run the same tyres all year around.
Thanks everyone for the advice on this. Really helpful.
Shorty front and a fresh dhr on the back. If its really muddy, then the wet scream goes up front.
Dhr2 exo+ front and back, replace worn back tyre with slightly worn front and buy new dhr2 to stick on the front.
Separate front tyre with a shorty on for when it's muddy. (it lasts years and years!)
Repeat.
It seems the most effective way of using tyres, I got sick of front tyres that were worn enough to not be suitable for the front, but the wrong tread pattern for the rear.
Michelin crossclimate.
Wait… what forum is this?
Magic Mary. £35 on Merlin. Sorted.