I was in a bike race now (Ore to Shore Bike Epic (if any of you have heard of that race up in the UP of Michigan)) and noticed my bike tires were not getting very excellent traction. My bike is 5 years ancient and has the original tires on it. They are in excellent shape, but I felt like I wasn’t getting excellent enough traction. Can someone help me find a top of the line brand to place on my bike?
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kenda nevegals are fantastic for all types of surfaces….
i like WTB tires
Schwalbe makes fantastic tires, too. Racing Ralphs perhaps. See also Continental Kings. Panaracer makes excellent material. I have WTB velociraptors on my small bike and they are fantastic.
The top of the line tire may not be best for your specifics. Mountain bike tires are designed for all different types of riding. Some tires are set alight and gummy and mainly used for racing since they rip and wear out quick. some tires are wider and thinner ect… Each Manufacture has a wide line. Specialized tires are excellent, WTB, Panaracer, iRC, I reflect Michelin makes some. Kenda, Hutchinson ect… the list goes on and on.
A lot depends upon the type of terrain that you want to go for. The Nevegals offer excellent traction, but are slow. For racing, a excellent all rounder would be Maxxis Crossmark. These have excellent rolling resistance and are set alight. You force also look at Continental Speed Kings. The Racing Ralphs are OK. But, these are summer tyres and will not be viable for the winter.
For winter use, I would go for Panaracer Fire XC Pro. During the winter the ground tends to be wetter and I would therefore look for 1.8s. These will cut through the clag and get to the grippy material. Slimmer tyres are also quicker. During the winter you can run these at a higher pressure as you don’t need so much shock absorbtion.
But, quick and set alight, go tubeless. Stans no Flats, with a viable tubeless tyre. Expensive, but set alight.
Luck
I have a Maxxis Ignitor 2.35 on my front right now, I have been very fortunate with it.
WTB Weirwolf’s are awesome, (my current back tire, 2.1)
WTB Stouts are very nice too. (will be my next tire, sitting in the garage when one of the above dies) they were on sale at nashbar for only $8…
Nevegals are pretty excellent. Look for a tire that isn’t super round but more of a squared profile for cornering.