# Winter tyre advice



## Mojonaut (25 Oct 2013)

my 29er came fitted with Specialized Ground Control Sports (29x2.1).

Whilst these seem quite knobbly to me, past few days off road I've found they easily clog up with mud and quickly lose traction.

I've been looking at winter tyres but to me, tred photos don't seem too different to the tread I already have.

I appreciate it might be down to the rubber compounds that are used, just wondering where my current ones lie on the scale of summer-winter use.

Would I see any benefit changing them for the coming season? most of my riding is on muddy bridleways rather than of firetrack surfaces.

thanks

Bob


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## e-rider (25 Oct 2013)

Continental Mud King 1.8" are great for muddy XC conditions - not the cheapest tyres though, but very good!
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/continental...m_medium=base&utm_campaign=uk&kpid=5360418460


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## steve52 (25 Oct 2013)

i think the best option is to ride my summer tyers south for the winter.


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## M1ke (25 Oct 2013)

I had the same tyres on my bike and took them off because they were too knobbly and not good at all for tarmac use. I changed them for these http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/wtb-nano-comp-tyre-2013/rp-prod71247 
Superb on tarmac and excellent off road, but I have to admit that I have not yet tried them in mud. They are cheap as chips too!


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## e-rider (25 Oct 2013)

M1ke said:


> I had the same tyres on my bike and took them off because they were too knobbly and not good at all for tarmac use. I changed them for these http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/wtb-nano-comp-tyre-2013/rp-prod71247
> Superb on tarmac and excellent off road, but I have to admit that I have not yet tried them in mud. They are cheap as chips too!


those tyres are clearly going to be fairly useless in muddy conditions!


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## M1ke (26 Oct 2013)

e-rider said:


> those tyres are clearly going to be fairly useless in muddy conditions!


Yes they may well be but the OP will need some kind of tread and the one's he has now are too knobbly.


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## e-rider (26 Oct 2013)

M1ke said:


> Yes they may well be but the OP will need some kind of tread and the one's he has now are too knobbly.


I don't think they are too knobbly, I think they are just poor tyres.


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## M1ke (27 Oct 2013)

e-rider said:


> I don't think they are too knobbly, I think they are just poor tyres.



They get a pretty good write up http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/gear/c...iew-specialized-ground-control-tire-12-46627/


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## Mojonaut (27 Oct 2013)

M1ke said:


> They get a pretty good write up http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/gear/c...iew-specialized-ground-control-tire-12-46627/



I've nothing really to compare them with as this is my first mtb (it's a Rockhopper btw) on tarmac/hard surfaces they seem to roll better than my mates though he's on a 26" so maybe not a fair comparison. During summer they've been fine offroad, but the recent wet spell has turned our local trails into a mudbath and they clog easily. Interesting the top comment in the link you posted M1ke is "... Generally a good tyre, but is poor in deep mud, wet roots and snow". 

I don't mind the outlay if I'll see a noticeable difference, as said I've nothing to compare with so was interested in seeing what more experienced riders were using.

After much searching I seem to have a list: (in no particular order)


Continental Mud King 
Bontrager Mud
Schwalbe Dirty Dan
Specialized Storm
Maxxis Beaver

thanks for your comments

Bob


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## Mojonaut (10 Nov 2013)

Just a update:

I opted for Bontrager Mud Team Issue 29x2.0 as the Continentals are not available in 29" this year (so sayeth the man at Continental)

Anyway they seem to be performing well, it is quite claggy out there around the fields at the moment - yay!


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## Mr Haematocrit (10 Nov 2013)

What pressure are you running the tyres at?
Ground control tyres are great at the right pressures, sounds like you have them quite hard.


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## Mojonaut (11 Nov 2013)

Mr Haematocrit said:


> What pressure are you running the tyres at?
> Ground control tyres are great at the right pressures, sounds like you have them quite hard.



I've been running at 40, the range on the tyre says 35-65


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## Mr Haematocrit (11 Nov 2013)

Mojonaut said:


> I've been running at 40, the range on the tyre says 35-65



sounds about right, are you running tubes, or have you gone tubeless?


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## Mojonaut (11 Nov 2013)

Mr Haematocrit said:


> sounds about right, are you running tubes, or have you gone tubeless?


I'm running tubes as tubeless sounds like witchcraft to me


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## Mr Haematocrit (11 Nov 2013)

I find the Ground Control tyres to perform remarkably well and remain stable, I'm using similar pressures to you but I am using tubeless.
I don't find they clog excessively.


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## VamP (12 Nov 2013)

I run my MTB tyres at 20 psi, might drop to 15 if its really muddy. 40 is way hard.


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## Crackle (12 Nov 2013)

I only use 40psi on the road.


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## lukesdad (13 Nov 2013)

Crackle said:


> I only use 40psi on the road.


Why ?

fat tyres and low pressures = no grip

..most of the time.


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## lukesdad (13 Nov 2013)

What you should be asking yourselves is, do I need to find grip or, do I need to stop grip breaking away cos they 2 completely different animals.


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## VamP (13 Nov 2013)

lukesdad said:


> Why ?
> 
> fat tyres and low pressures = no grip
> 
> ..most of the time.





are you talking on road or off road?


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## lukesdad (13 Nov 2013)

VamP said:


> are you talking on road or off road?


 erm off it is the mtb section after all


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## VamP (13 Nov 2013)

lukesdad said:


> erm off it is the mtb section after all



Well in that case I have to strongly disagree. Lower pressures give more grip and better rolling resistance. The only reason to run high pressures off road is in very rocky environments to protect against punctures.


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## e-rider (13 Nov 2013)

Conti mud kings at 40 psi
looks like your mud is super sticky


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## Crackle (14 Nov 2013)

lukesdad said:


> Why ?
> 
> fat tyres and low pressures = no grip
> 
> ..most of the time.


 Not much lower but around 35, maybe 30. Might change with 29ers and on hard ground no need for the lower pressures.

@VamP do you run tubeless at those pressures and isn't that just so low as to create a lot of drag, I notice it at 30, it has to be real muddy to go that low for me?


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## VamP (14 Nov 2013)

Crackle said:


> Not much lower but around 35, maybe 30. Might change with 29ers and on hard ground no need for the lower pressures.
> 
> @VamP do you run tubeless at those pressures and isn't that just so low as to create a lot of drag, I notice it at 30, it has to be real muddy to go that low for me?


 
With good quality tyres with high TPI sidewalls, you get great terrain compliance at low pressures. The drag actually reduces. Schwalbe did a lot of testing on Crr for off road tyres at different pressures and published their findings to that effect - I'll have a dig around and see if I can find it. I never go above 25-30 off road, even in dry conditions, unless it's very rocky, but even then I won't go much above. Have a play, you'll be astounded how much grip there is to be found.

I run latex tubes rather than tubeless, but the guys racing on tubeless that I know all use similar pressures to me.


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## Crackle (14 Nov 2013)

I will, especially as I was using some quite old Velociraptors.


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## VamP (14 Nov 2013)

Crackle said:


> I will, especially as I was using some quite old Velociraptors.


 
I can't find the whole study, but here is a reference with a summary of findings...


Edit: Ah no, here is the whole thing...


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## lukesdad (14 Nov 2013)

VamP said:


> Well in that case I have to strongly disagree. Lower pressures give more grip and better rolling resistance. The only reason to run high pressures off road is in very rocky environments to protect against punctures.


 


VamP said:


> I can't find the whole study, but here is a reference with a summary of findings...
> 
> 
> Edit: Ah no, here is the whole thing...


 
3 tyres the narrowest being 2.1 ( the widest I run is 1.95) and its a bit wishy washy with the terrrain is it on clay, chalk, deep sand ? I can't find the full study on either of those links Vamp


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## lukesdad (14 Nov 2013)

I'm just wondering how they can slate 1.7 @40+ psi XCers when they havn't even tested 'em ffs, don't ride schwalbes do you Vamp


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## VamP (14 Nov 2013)

The link works for me.

The surfaces are road, meadow and gravel but the methodology is described in full.

Works for narrower tyres too. Standard cyclocross racing pressures 20 to 30 psi, the top guys go as low as 18.


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