Before requesting a pricematch onThis item, check ifThe competition is sellingTheTrue, made in JapanTop-quality 127TPI Fire XC Pro. Watch out for inferior, 66TPITaiwan versions ofThisTire which are much heavier. The Panaracer Fire XC Pro isThe recipient of Bicycling Magazines 2004 "Editors Choice" award for "Best all-mountainTire". Give em aTry and find out whyThey areThe choice ofThousands of riders. Lightweight all conditionTire with a splash of color (all color styles have red bead). Japan.
Strengths: Great traction climbing and cornering. Price. Rolls fairly well for an aggressive tread.
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
Have had this tire on the back of two of my bikes and am always amazed that a cheap tire like this hooks up so well. I ride on the dry, gravel on hardpack kind of trails and have had great luck with this tire. Ran it tubeless and with tubes. I would definitely reccomend this tire.
Weaknesses: Aging design, hard to find the 26x1.8 size, colors are a little over done.
Bottom Line:
I have been running the 26x1.8 size on one of my bikes for a long time. It has been a really good recreational tire. Moderate XC is not a problem for these and they are perfectly fine for commuting as well. The tread design is getting quite old, but it seems to still be comparible to new designs. I have had a hard time finding the 1.8 size.
Strengths: a good all-arounder. decent grip, decent weight, decently low rolling resistance, decent price, decent longevity.
Weaknesses: mud is not as great. smaller than most 2.1 currently found today. could also be expensive since a lot of people like these
Bottom Line:
this is a good tire. it lasts for a long time. not exactly "exceptional" on any particular characteristics but could be rated "very good" for most characteristics except for maybe mud which i would rate as "average"
Strengths: Great tire no matter where I ride, from NC, GA to the sand in FL. Great tire for training. I never did Tubeless, just run standard inner tubes and flats are really rare, even with those FL sand spurs.
Weaknesses: Cornering in sandy conditions is a bit tough, but I have not found one that really works with sand anyway. I prefer a smaller knob for racing.
Bottom Line:
A great tire that won't break the bank, is useful in many conditions, and comes in complementary colors.
Strengths: Supple 120 TPI casing, at lower pressures feels like springy extra suspension. Feels great to ride on.
Great grip on hardpack, pavement and rock
Can be run front or rear
Not terrible on weight
COLORS.
Good value
Weaknesses: Slow on pavement (obviously)
older tire design
Bottom Line:
This is a great go-to tire for the average mountain biker with average terrain. If most of your riding is on hardpack or tacky dirt and you want a tire that goes up as well as it goes down, look to the XC Pro. Works great as a front tire and a rear tire, but the tire's a bit on the small side. Awesome hook up on hardpack, not shabby in the shallow sand. Not heavy but man is the casing supple! I love running these at a lower pressure but there are definitely possibilities to pinch flat. Seems to run best around 35 in the rear and 30 in the front. Lower if you run tubeless but I have no experience running these tubeless, and I wouldn't recommend it as the sidewalls are pretty thin.
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Submitted by
jav280zx
a Weekend Warrior
from Centennial, CO
Date Reviewed: February 24, 2012
Strengths: Price, great grip, long lasting. Okay, I like the color too.
Weaknesses: They have spun out on a few climbs but generally these are great all around tires.
Bottom Line:
These tires are great for XC. I have been very happy with the traction and I have had no issues. I purchased these tires after reading the reviews on MTBR.com, so I figured I would add to the collection. I'm also a fan of the color. It is nice to have something a little different.
Submitted by
Pulli
a Cross Country Rider
from Philly
Date Reviewed: December 13, 2011
Strengths: I am riding the 650B 2.1 IRD Fire XC Pro...same tread as the Panareacer.
It fits in my made for 26" Seven frame with even a smidge more room than the Pacenti 2.0 Quasi.
Weaknesses: It's small casing...it's a bit of a weakness, but for me was the key feature because it fits in the rear triangle of my Seven 26'
Bottom Line:
The 650B Fire XC Pros work in my 26" Seven frame...yeah...big knobs and they fit..(squeak in there some how! I am happy to have a bit more aggressive tire for Winter that fits!! A bit bigger knob but smaller casing than the Pacenti 2.0 fast rolling Quasi. I still love the Quasi, just not while it's greasy on the trail as much...I still have the Neo on the front in 2.3 !!!
Similar Products Used: I've used the Panaracer Fire XC pro for years and years. It is a great tire that hooks up everywhere and roolls relatively fast, yet not as fast as some of the newer small block tread designs...but, they fail in the late Fall and Winter where these hang in..so, it's a great tire!
Bike Setup: Seven Verve...thumb shifters, Lefty Pbr, 650B American Classic Wheels 2.35 Pacenti Front tire (awesome!) XT and XTR mix Avid BB7 Groovy Ti Love Handles , Tittec TI seatpost. An awesome Eastern Singletracker!
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Submitted by
Mike R
a Weekend Warrior
from Baltimore, MD USA
Date Reviewed: November 29, 2011
Strengths: This review is for the 2.1". Ran it "backwards" on my rear wheel, and got amazing traction on climbs- like tires twice as burly.
Weaknesses: Hardest tire to replace a pinch I've ever used. Made worse because I got so many- now running a Continental Trail King 2.2 with thicker sidewalls after getting frustrated in Moab, where I ran an excess of 50 psi in the panaracer and still got pinches.
Bottom Line:
While this was a great all seasons tire in MD/PA, as soon as I took it out west, I wanted something with stiffer sidewalls I could run at lower pressure. I loved the traction on climbs, but couldn't change another pinch- only really doable with water and 2 tire levers.
Similar Products Used: Continental Trail King, Bontrager Jones AC
Bike Setup: 2001 Trek 6700
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Submitted by
dnnandxc
a Weekend Warrior
from Vancouver
Date Reviewed: August 14, 2011
Strengths: Cornering, Durability
Weaknesses: Price, weight
Bottom Line:
This is a review for the Fire FR 2.4 I've been riding this as a front tire for over 2 years on my main bike and it still looks new. The center knobs are maybe %20 worn at most and the side knobs are still looking new. At %20 PSI this tire grips corners like it's on rails, no matter what condition.
I've tried the regular fire XC's on my lighter bikes and they're pretty good too. When pushed hard the fire 2.1's corner well too, but not quite in the same league as the Fire FR 2.4's
Similar Products Used: Hutchison Python, Intense (various)
Bike Setup: Brodie Zealot, Giant NRS
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Submitted by
Miguello
a Weekend Warrior
from Lake Charles, LA USA
Date Reviewed: August 8, 2011
Strengths: Grippy!! Very nice traction in semi hard dirt and roots. Nice ride when run with lower pressures. Good for technical roots and dirt.
Weaknesses: A little heavy, but lighter than Specialized Resolution. No flat protection. Some mention the graphics, but not a big deal to me. Will spin in VERY wet mud, while standing.
Bottom Line:
I will be honest I bought these tires mostly on looks alone, and knowing the stock Resolution tires were horrible for the local terrain. The Reso's Slipped badly on roots. Think about it this way... You hit a root, and they'd slide sideways to the end of it before finally regaining traction. Not good! These tires were a revelation! It hits the root, stays on track, and there's an audible pop when the back tire clears, like it doesn't want to let go. Cornering is excellent where I ride, as there aren't many high speed corners to take. I am not racing, just out to get excercise and have fun. I am very impressed with these tires, as are most here. If you're having a harsh ride with traction problems on these, you're either running too much pressure, or riding beyond your means, hehe.
Similar Products Used: Tioga Psycho, Specialized Resolution, etc etc...
Bike Setup: 2009 Specialized P-1 All Mountain(No, not the dirt jumper) Stock rear Sram X-4 and Shimano front der. Origin 8 Pro Sweep 31.8 bars with 2011 Specialized Epic takeoff stem. Specialized Rival 143 saddle. Shimano SPD's and Specialized Sport MTB shoes.
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Submitted by
kzeiszler
a Cross Country Rider
from Bismarck, ND
Date Reviewed: August 1, 2011
Strengths: Great grip, good in mud, last pretty good, great cornering
Weaknesses: Very slow rolling, In narrow trails side nobs can cause you to get tossed around a bit but pick a good line and you will be good
Bottom Line:
Good tires, bit of over kill for most riders but if your not most riders they work like a charm.
Strengths: good at nearly everything i have tackled , superb on cornering and at fast speeds aswell. not let me down yet..
Weaknesses: no as good as some tires on the flat for rolling but mainly you are off road so that doesn't bother me that much.
Bottom Line:
Im'e going to stick with these tyres as they are good for me and they dont cost a arm and a leg. Also i have just had another pair recently and i have done just under 400 miles on them in a month and the still have the little bits off rubber on the tread ..
Strengths: Great grip in mud and wet trails, snow, sand, loose gravel, semi-hardpack, whatever. easy to find, usually on sale. The cornering knobs wear really well and stay sharp despite a lot of hard cornering.
Weaknesses: not super light, but the better grip adds weight. noisy and slow on paved surfaces.
Bottom Line:
Best all-around tire for western WA conditions where we get a lot of precipitation; when it's super muddy to when it gets dry and dusty. I have them on 3 of my bikes and all my friends ride 'em too. Similar performance to Nevegals but lighter. If you are looking for a good, versatile tire for all but the firmest conditions this is your best bet.
Submitted by
Eldridgegrade
a Cross Country Rider
from Swansea, UK
Date Reviewed: February 26, 2011
Strengths: Grips really well in both wet and dry conditions.
Highly recommended for wet/muddy UK XC trails.
Keep you and the bike upright going into speedy corners.
Weaknesses: The rolling resistance is quite high and this slows you down somewhat and requires more leg power. Grip compensates for this IMO.
Bottom Line:
A very grippy tyre in wet/damp conditions. Perfect for XC.
Leave friends behind on steep slippery slopes as they wheelspin at the base. :P
