Winter tyre advice

[Mojonaut]

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

 

[e-rider]

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

 

[steve52]

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

 

[M1ke]

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!

 

[e-rider]

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!

 

[M1ke]

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.

 

[e-rider]

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.

 

[M1ke]

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/

 

[Mojonaut]

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

 

[Mojonaut]

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!

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

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

 

[Mojonaut]

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

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

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?

 

[Mojonaut]

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

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

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

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.