Michelin Country Rock is a semi-slick street tread pattern. It maximizes the contact patch for dependable grip on wet or dry pavement; channels away water while maintaining low rolling resistance. 26 x 1.75. An excellent urban tire.
Similar Products Used: Tioga city slicker. Continental travel contact
Bike Setup: OrangeG2. Recons
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Submitted by
chilone
a Cross Country Rider
from Divide, Colorado
Date Reviewed: July 31, 2010
Strengths: Michelin (say na-more). Cheap, minimal rolling resistance, easy to change/mount, good looks. Oh, did I mention cheap?
Weaknesses: Not self propelled.
Bottom Line:
Highly recommended!! I started commuting (part dirt road, part pavement) as sort of a fluke and at 9200 feet above sea level, I need all the help I can get. These tires are as close to a road bike tire as far as resistance and feel that I can imagine that will also work on moderate dirt roads. I'm surprised they are not more prevalent. Maybe people think because they are so cheap, they can't be good. Uhh.. wait... don't buy 'em. The price will go up!!!
Similar Products Used: I've never used anything similar other than road bike tires.
Bike Setup: 1995ish Haro Extreme, Dart-3, old 7 speed Deore XT and hubs, Easton EA50 bars, EA70 stem, Cane Creek S3, Ritchey rims, WTB saddle, Oury shiznits.
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Submitted by
deezledubb
a Weekend Warrior
from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Date Reviewed: November 21, 2009
Strengths: Durability is second to none. I have nearly 4000kms on my first set and they are still going. I had to rotate front to back around 3000kms due to wear on the rear tire but they are still holding up well. Not sure how much longer they will last but I am extremely satisfied for their longevity. Tires perform well in the rain and moderate cold weather. I weigh in around 230lbs and have them mounted on a GT Avalanche 1.0 if this will help gauge the bike and user for any readers.
Weaknesses: Got a lot of punctures around 50% tire wear stage. I put some Mr. Tuffy to protect my inner tube and this solved the problem. Also found that tires do not do well on loose sand or mud, but this is not their design.
Bottom Line:
If you want something smaller than the 2" or so you find on mountain bike tires, or like to use your mountain bike for city commutes, I highly recommend Michelin Country Rock. I cannot say you will find any better for their application.
Similar Products Used: I migrated to these tires from the Michelin Country Gravel which had a more agressive grip pattern. Nothing else was tried afterward due to satisfaction garnered from these tires. I wanted something for pavement but also allowed for hard packed mud riding - they have performed beyond expectations.
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Submitted by
Swedja
a Cross Country Rider
from Belgrade,Serbia
Date Reviewed: December 8, 2008
Strengths: quiet,very low rolling resistance,just for city and cross country,no flats so far,high psi(I am 202cm-6'7 and 110kg-240),in the beginning tires r really thin and skinny but over time they r kinda wider and look better on your bike...
Weaknesses: no mud,no rain...but 4 that I use different set of wheels with Schwalbe Smart Sam 26x2.1
Bottom Line:
I will buy them again and again and again...so far I roll them 2.300 km and they look fine...
Submitted by
GroverTheClover
a Cross Country Rider
from Boston, MA
Date Reviewed: September 1, 2008
Strengths: Very quiet and grippy on the pavement (Compared to dedicated trail tire). Can handle some hardpack fireroads. Cheap! Although I purchased them on sale, the full price is still $20 per tire.
Weaknesses: None so far.
Bottom Line:
These tires are an excellent bang for the buck and can convert your mountain bike into a road friendlier bike. I primarily use them for doing rail trails or riding with my roadie buddies on the street. As a bonus, they've got enough tread for hardpack fire roads and don't seem to lose too much traction in wet conditions. If you plan on riding on pavement recreationally, they're a great fit for a mountain bike.
Similar Products Used: Nothing else was recommended by the tech for my needs (recreational rail trail/road use).
Bike Setup: IH Maverick 5.0, BB7, SD7, Full Metal Jacket, and Panaracer XC Fire Pro (for the trail)
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Submitted by
brandonbacc
a Weekend Warrior
from Rochester, MA
Date Reviewed: July 15, 2008
Strengths: Little to no rolling resistance. Smooth ride.
Weaknesses: None so far!
Bottom Line:
I have really only used these tires on the road/hardpack so far. Pulling my kids in a trailer and easy rides. Never a problem with traction in hardpack. Very high psi for a wide tire. No flats yet :) Recomended them to other riders looking for a good street/hardpack tire.
Bike Setup: Kona FireMountain, upgraded components
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Submitted by
306maxi
a Cross Country Rider
from United Kingdom
Date Reviewed: June 21, 2008
Strengths: Inexpensive, low rolling resistance, good handling on road, quiet and just an all round good tyre for hardpacked trails
Weaknesses: Treads seem to clog up easily in wet/damp conditions and I can imagine it's not the best in very wet, muddy or rough conditions but by the same token you wouldn't expect it to be with the way it's tread is.
Bottom Line:
Took it out for a ride on a 2.4 mile trail I ride on every day and gained about 1 mph in average speed even though I had to stop 4 times because dogs were chasing me (a problem as it's a shared trail) so I think on a clean run it would be about 2-3 mph faster which is a lot when I only do about 11 mph usually. Not tried it out on anything particularly rough and probably won't as I have a set of XC Dry 2's for that. If you ride on hard packed trains that aren't rough and don't have any loose stuff then this tyre is the one for you.
At £8 per tyre I think they're very good value too.
Submitted by
Igor
a Cross Country Rider
from Moscow, Russia
Date Reviewed: May 29, 2008
Strengths: narrow, holds surface great for semislick, average price, also quiet
Weaknesses: almost none for its class
Bottom Line:
great tires, my first demislick yet but this one is pretty amazing - it works on dry and wet pretty well, and it sure riders easier then aggressive tires. not that good on dirt or wet sand/grass. for 1 year no flats due to puncture. i bought them for weekend runs/city but used on a trail this spring under a pretty "dirty" conditions, and they worked very well. as already been said, great for trail/dry/city, i would definitely by a new pair if these are stolen :)
Bike Setup: Merida TFS with some custom stuff on it
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Submitted by
Oscar
a Weekend Warrior
from Omaha, NE
Date Reviewed: May 18, 2008
Strengths: Quiet, low rolling resistance, no-nonsense labeling on sidewalls, and no cheesy reflective sidewall (just not my thing...remind me of whitewall tires)
Weaknesses: None so far.
Bottom Line:
Swapped my OEM knobbies for a more comfortable, smooth-riding tire that made for better paved trail riding (which is all that I ride on). So far, I am enjoying them, and I hope for a continued flat-free break-in period. I bought Michelin Butyl tubes as well, so we'll see how those do (they claim a thicker ply of rubber for more puncture resistance).
Strengths: light for the size, flexible casing gives very low rolling resistance and very comfortable ride,fairly high pressure rating for such a wide tire
Weaknesses: too soon to tell about puncture resistance, I had to pay too much because I live in Canada
Bottom Line:
I bought these for a winter tire for my touring bike. I have not noticed any difference in speed with the wider tire( pressure is just below 50 psi for improved traction). Tires mounted very easy and run true.I feel quite confident on wet pavement and the occasional bits of ice I ride over.For a test I (carefully)rode down a flat trail with packed snow and soft ice surface and had no traction problems.
Seems strong, I took many stairs. They run great on hardpack, but do not expect extreme cornering. I use them on trail, no flat yet. Using at 73 PSI (max)(im 58kg)
Strengths: Fast, good grip, seems ok on the wet stuff, seems to work better than the panaracer speed blasters they replaced (for my needs anyway)
Weaknesses: none yet although I did get a flat on my first day. I think I pinched the tube on install.
Bottom Line:
I picked up- 2/4 km per hour with the same cadence and gear ratio. They seem to hold a good line on the pavement and since I only really ride hardpack with some rock here and there they work great, not much smaller than the speedblasters they replaced, and feel just as confidet and the 2.3 k-rads I have on my other bike. I ride the city and spend a small portion on the trails, so for that purpose they do a really good job.
Similar Products Used: the old onza porc 2s, pana racer speed blasters
Bike Setup: Sooma groove XTR drive train, custom wheels, ritchey WCS cockpit, hope moto minis and brooks saddle
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Submitted by
XLAXX
a Cross Country Rider
from Fairfax, VA USA
Date Reviewed: July 26, 2007
Strengths: Low profile, well-designed tire. Practical tread for urban/city riding, dry condition XC, and hardpack use. Michelin name means quality, no nonsense tire.
Weaknesses: None as of yet, but will highlight any as they come along,...hopefully not!
Bottom Line:
Hey, when there's "so much riding on your tires", one wants the best, right? The same goes for MTB tires. Well, Michelin is a great name in the car and truck tire industry, so how can one go wrong by purchasing a pair from the Michelin Man? These tires are great. Very low profile, no razza-ma-taz print and color on the sidewalls, and one fantastic tread pattern. They look like my Michelin LTX-M/S radials on my truck, just narrower!;) Good bite on the asphalt, low wear, and decent in the dry stuff. I probably paid too much for mine ($26/ea. MSRP), but I was looking to buy something fast to ride the MTB on the road with my son. You can probably get them cheaper somewhere else. Can't go wrong with these tires.
Bike Setup: Overkill for the kind of riding I'm doing!
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Submitted by
Dalton
a Weekend Warrior
from Ringgold, GA, USA
Date Reviewed: March 26, 2007
Strengths: EXCELLENT Grip on anything dry and hard.
Weaknesses: Loose pack isn't it's thing, but it's not supposed to be.
Bottom Line:
If you like doing urban rides and a little play in the rocks and hardpack off road, then these tires are it! They grip like a slick almost on the road, and instead of drag they allow you to roll on asphalt (I suppose there is almost no rolling resistance).
If you get into small loose pack stuff, they aren't going to be the best, but they aren't made for that. They also won't do you much good in high grass climbing uphill (I tried that specific scenario avoiding a LONG set of stairs).
I rode yesterday on a bike path that was gravel/asphalt, and they did better than my buddies Panaracer full mountain tire. If they have anything hard to bite on, they will!
I would buy theses tires over in a heartbeat. I did have 1 flat on the rear (with a new tube), not sure why, I had good pressure in them. So you may have to run some pretty thick tubes with them, I am going to experiment. Well worth it either way.
Good price, good tire. Try them if you like a little road, and a little offroad that's not in the mud.
