Which tire is best for all around XC riding?

[p_coutermarsh]

Hi Everyone!

I am pretty new to riding in New England and I was wondering what the prefered tires are for all around cross country riding. It's cold, there's snow on the ground, so there's nothing better to do than think about setting up my bike for spring!

Peace ;D

Hey Hey Yogi,

The best tire for this time of year is the Nokian Extreme 296. I'm sure you will find little argument on that.

As far as the rest of the year goes i would recomend the Panaracer Fire xc pro. Many of the people i have ridden with are on these or have used them and you cant beat them for value. Check out the 2 tire deal at PricePoint. Also you can get them in colors

[AGENTGRAPE]

hi yogi i have been using intense cc 2.25 tires for the last 3 months they are very good in all conditions they are expensive about $30.00 each but worth it. michelin wildgrippers are good tires and much less expensive. what kind of setup and riding are you doing. this makes choosing a good tire critical.

[SloMoJo]

What do you guys think of the Wilderness Velociraptors?
They been good by me.

[xtrxtlx]

I've had good luck with the IRC kevlar RUSTWALL Mythos XC , they have a reinforced sidewall which is good for riding on snow.

[C.P.]

Hey Yogi,
Tires are a very personal thing. A good way to ask the group is to let us know what tires you currently run, what you like/dislike about them, what type of terrain your coming from, being new to New England, and what type of riding you do - is it really mostly XC riding?
For XC riding in New England, the typical XC tires seen marketed to "XC" riding all over the US will work great, some include the IRC Mythos XC, Panaracer Fire XC etc. as mentioned. If your gonna get a little more extreme for riding, again it's personal, but many riders are getting larger volume tires outfitted for their bikes -something like 2.2 or bigger.
I run Tioga DH 2.10 tires on my bike. I also run a stans notubes setup. (www.notubes.com). This is my tire preferance b/c I am big, beat on my tires, and demand a lot as far as flat proofing. I don't particularly care about weight savings.

[gungywump]

I know I've said this at least a dozen times but;

Rear: Tioga DH 2.1
Front: Tioga Extreme XC 2.1

The Tioga Factory XC 1.95 is also a great tire but, if you ride where there are rocks and roots the extra size of the 2.1 will roll better.

[NEMBA_bkr-dude]

I love my tires: front: Nokian Gazzallodi Core 2.1 rear:Maxxis Mobster 2.1 great all around tires with very aggressive tread patterns. Nice and light too.

[Big Game]

Tioga DH 2.3 are superb (unless you are in the middle of a x-c race). There are heavy, but have great traction and are very rugged, so it is unlikey you'll rip a side wall. A big casing means fewer pinch flats.

[johnbryanpeters]

What do you guys think of the Wilderness Velociraptors?
They been good by me.

I run the WTB Velociraptors, which are, I think, 2.1", and am quite happy with them.

Two recent bikes came with 2.3" MotoRaptors (anybody want a deal on about four of them?) and I hated them. Rear end kept kicking out on rocks, roots, etc.

It depends a lot on your personal definition of xc, though... I do a lot of rocks and roots.

J