ZSG Ultima compound Panaracer's latest ZSG compound utilizes a mixture of polymers and silica to produce a tire with unrivalled grip in wet conditions. ZSG Ultima is also more durable than other soft condition tire compounds.
Optimum Knob Pattern By arranging the knob pattern closer to the centre of the tire, the TrailRaker provides maximum grip on even the most extreme of cambers yet will not clog up, even in the muddiest of conditions.
Pyramid knobs At 5.5mm in height the centre and middle knobs are designed to dig deep into muddy ground providing maximum traction and performance in wet conditions.
"Double Decker" knobs The structure of the central "Double Decker" knobs increases stiffness for improved acceleration and braking.
ASB Chafer Panaracer's unique ASB (Anti Snake Bite) chafer is manufactured using anti-rebound rubber to prevent the chance of pinch flats by over 40%.
Submitted by
amt27
a Cross Country Rider
from Sussex & Glos, UK Date Reviewed: August 21, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Forest Of Dean
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$100.00
Purchased At:
Evans Cycles
Strengths:
None really, quite light weight, look nice.
Weaknesses:
They just loose traction with no warning and you have no way of recovering. I have had these for about 8 months and used them about 10 times. Its been raining in the UK quite a bit and my other tyres were loosing traction, so I thought I would try these for the summer mud, big mistake. The front tyre complete lost in on a slippery single track, it took me ages to gain control of the bike again, then I slowed down to carry on and it slipped again, I completely lost in and whiped out. My other tyres were fine on this section a few days ago. Now I have a busted derailleur hanger and my chain is pretty dead after I converted it to SS to get home.
I was literally cacking myself for the rest of the ride, waiting for them to whipe out again, not fun.
The nobbles are just too big and have no stability. Any climbing out of the saddle has no traction and the rear feels like a flat as the nobbles move around.
Mud clearance is slow.
I admit that no tyre is good on roots, but cos of the spacing of the nobbles and there size, this tyres looses it very quickly. The same goes for anything off camber.
They are not too bad on loose fire trails, but then so are many other tyres.
This tyre could probably handle a flat section of mud, but then who actually rides through that for 100% of their ride.
It also clogged quickly in chalky mud.
Similar Products Used:
in the 90s I used a Spike which was amazing
Specialised Resolution Pro
Bike Setup:
Stumpjumper Comp FSR 2008
Bottom Line:
dangerous and will cost you in spare parts when you whipe out,
they are also expensive from a shop, low score for that too,
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
shanedawg
a Weekend Warrior
from san jose, ca Date Reviewed: July 15, 2008
Favorite Trail:
na
Duration Product Used:
Tested or demo'ed only
Price Paid:
$1.00
Purchased At:
not
Strengths:
none
Weaknesses:
What a terrible name!!! Who was the moron who came up with this kind of junk. Might as well call the sierra club and tell them that people who ride these mtn bikes are messing up the trails.
Similar Products Used:
most any tire except panaracer
Bottom Line:
this company sucks. I talked to the owner at the sea otter about his naming choices for tires and how they might have a negative impact on the way that mtn bikers are viewed in trail access issues and he laughed in my face. What a jerk!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
timax
a Cross Country Rider
from Newark Date Reviewed: November 12, 2007
Favorite Trail:
all of them
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$20.00
Purchased At:
trade
Strengths:
Mud clearence, mud clearing, light weight.
Weaknesses:
Unpredictable. Clagg up in clay type mud.Roll way and break on losse stones to easey, even at low pressure.
Similar Products Used:
panaracer mud,schwalbe mud,conti mud..etc etc
Bike Setup:
whyte 19 race, Magura Durin 100mm forks, xt wheel set08,xtr chainset,xtr front mech. sram x9 rear mech, sram x9 shifters,USE carbon bars,USE alloy stem,USE carbon post. Magura marta sl disc brakes, crank brothers twin Ti pedals, kmc 9sl chain.... knobby nic and racing ralph tyres for the summer.
Bottom Line:
For very slow wet muddy rides only.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mat
a Weekend Warrior
from Nottingham, UK Date Reviewed: April 19, 2007
Favorite Trail:
The Pines
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Outstanding in mud and wet, damp conditions. Good on wet roots. Really dig in and do their job. Weight is pretty good too.
Weaknesses:
No side grip when it dries out, not an all year tyre.
Similar Products Used:
WTB Motoraptor, Bontragers, Hutchinson Spider, Panaracer Fixe XC pro
Like someone else said, these tyres are mud specific. You can't expect them to run all year round and cope with a range of different conditions. All I know is that when it starts to get wet late autumn in the UK and the mud builds up and the roots get slippery these tyres are peerless. I have ridden them all winter through forest singletrack and they have taken much of the risk out of wet roots and rocks. Additionally they have dug into loose wet earth brilliantly and have powered through mud with ease. I'm no mud guru and I can't differentiate between sloppy, gloopy, sticky etc, all I can confirm is that they made my riding safer and more secure just at the time of year when conditions are at their trickiest.
Having said that, now it's all dried out come spring I can't get them off quick enough but that's not a critisicm. They have done their job and they will be back on the bike next autumn.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Joe Mulligan
a Weekend Warrior
from Manchester, U.K. Date Reviewed: February 23, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Marin Trail Gwydyr Forest
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
Merlin
Strengths:
O.K.Weight. Very good mud performance and mud shedding qualities.
Weaknesses:
In certain mud this tyre gets clogged just like all the rest and doesn't shed it that well. Pretty useless in anything else but mud.
Similar Products Used:
Too many to write down.
Bottom Line:
Not as good as I wanted. It is very good in soft mud but not so good in claggy mud. Biggest problem for me is the thing about mixed riding. I agree with Dean here, unless you ride in mud for the whole ride then you are going to find this tyre a real drag in every sence. I see that some riders find this tyre O.K. for wet stone and the like, maybe it needs careful pressure selection to get you there, but they don't work for me! Be careful with buying this tyre because it really is a mud specific, dedicated mud tyre only.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dean Winstun
a Cross Country Rider
from U.K Date Reviewed: February 21, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Ae
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
Mail order
Strengths:
Great mud grip. Unclogs mud extremely well.
Weaknesses:
This tyre drags more than any other tyre for its size that I have ever owned. It is pretty useless on dry hardpack or most conditions that are not extreme wet and muddy ones.
Similar Products Used:
Tons
Bike Setup:
2002 Intense Tracer
Bottom Line:
I like the idea of a thin fast tyre with good tread. Trouble is that other mud specific tyres....for example The Continental Survival Pro...are quite versatile and suitable for intermediate and dry riding too. These trailrakers are just too specific. I find that they drag so much on climbs and on flat ground if that ground isn't really soft. And the cornering isn't what I thought it was going to be either because there aren't enough knobs on the side of the tyre to lean the bike over confidently. This is too much of an extremely extreme tyre for me and I can't get enough out of it for comprehensive winter riding in the U.K. Expensive too!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mel
a Weekend Warrior
from Philippines Date Reviewed: January 23, 2007
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$40.00
Purchased At:
Ross Bikes
Strengths:
mounts perfectly on the rims with no wobbling; balanced weight distribution; high treads
Weaknesses:
none observed although I have been using it for a year already
Similar Products Used:
Nokian X-Trak, Michelin, Specialized, Continental, Geax
Bike Setup:
Jamis XLT 2.0 frame, Marzo fork, Shimano XT group, Single track rim
Bottom Line:
Best tyre I ever used by far. Never experienced at pinched flat despite tire pressure of 30 psi. Though rated as a wet condition tyre, it gives good traction on both wet and dry conditions, uphill, downhill,loose gravel, and river crossings. In the Philippines, this is an expensive tyres like the Kenda Nevegal but I still think the Trailraker is better. Haven't found anything better. I recommend you try it.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Hamish
a Weekend Warrior
from Edinburgh, Scotland Date Reviewed: December 13, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Glentress
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Good low weight, it doesn't drag too much on hardpack, exceptional in mud and very sloppy conditions both front and rear.
Weaknesses:
Narrow, and absolutely useless on hardpack or dry rock. Basically this is a winter, bad very soft conditions tyre.
Similar Products Used:
All sorts of tyres from Panaracer, Continental, Tioga, Geax, WTB, IRC and Maxxis.
Bike Setup:
Giant Trance 3
Bottom Line:
This is a very soft conditions tyre only and in that department it really shines. It is honestly quite poor on all other conditions compared with all-round tyres. Frankly, up here in Scotland where it is mostly wet, this tyre shines but on purpose built trails with rock and hardpack....especially in the dry or dryish conditions this tyre is wanting. Not particularly cheap either.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ryan
a Racer
from Medford, MA, USA Date Reviewed: April 24, 2006
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$48.00
Purchased At:
Cambria
Strengths:
Unbelievable grip in mud, shed mud very well. They are a dedicated mud tire and do the job WELL.
Weaknesses:
A little slow on damp but firm ground, didn't do so well on wet sandy climbs. They are a dedicated mud tire, so be reasonable with your expectations on other conditions
Santa Cruz Superlight, SRAM 9.0 2x9, Hayes El Camino f/Avid Arch Deluxe r, etc.
Bottom Line:
I've been running the 2.1 in the front and 1.95 in the rear for mud rides and a mucky race. They are both narrower than you would imagine but it helps cut through the surface and dig in to the firm ground. I literally descended and hit 3" deep puddles with muddy ruts on a chewed up race course at full speed with no problem. Even cornering hard, I've experienced no washouts, wandering steering, etc. The compound is a little slick, so they won't pack up with mud (when I finished a race, they looked like I had hosed them off!) but they may be a little sketchy traversing wet roots (but they're not terrible).
These tires are seriously confidence-inspiring in mud, though be forewarned that they do not roll as fast on damp hardpack or anything where a more all-around tire would suffice. You may lose time on better ground with slightly higher rolling resistance, but being able to pick through deep mud sections with full traction has landed these tires as a permanent addition to my condition-specific tire stable.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dean Marshall
a Cross Country Rider
from Fordingbridge,Hampshire,UK Date Reviewed: March 20, 2006
Favorite Trail:
anywhere in Wales
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$52.00
Purchased At:
internet
Strengths:
Extremely grippy in deep mud
Weaknesses:
Absolutely useless in any other conditions
Similar Products Used:
Lots
Bike Setup:
Cannondal Scalpel 3000 (2005 model)
Bottom Line:
I am a pretty fit rider with a real quick bike but these tyres required at least 25% more effort to ride than any other tyre I have used. In fact they slowed me down so much that I went to the Doctor to see if I had a medical problem! But as soon as I changed them I was back to my usual form. They are amazingly grippy in very deep and sticky mud but in general given their performance and cost I could not recommend them to anyone.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Richard Green
a Cross Country Rider
from Berkeley, California, USA Date Reviewed: January 23, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Pine Mountain
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$70.00
Purchased At:
internet
Strengths:
Grip in wet or sticky mud.
Weaknesses:
Don't know yet
Similar Products Used:
Specialized, Kenda
Bike Setup:
Santa Cruz Blur XC
Bottom Line:
I have been getting wary of hitting mud or puddles fast as my front wheel would just slip all over the place. Not so with the Panaracer Trailraker; the front wheel just cuts through the mud. Back wheel slipping is much reduced too, so I can get through bad mud patches with ease. Some of these mud patches I have ridden through just recently have just sucked the bike down to a stop, so it has been a relief to be able to ride through them. They don't get clogged like the other tyres I have used, and they're good over harder, dryer ground and tarmac too. I will leave them on the bike as the weather gets dryer and see how I get on with them, but right now these are the best tyres I have fitted to this bike by far.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Richard
a Cross Country Rider
from Lymington, Hampshire, UK Date Reviewed: January 20, 2006
Favorite Trail:
New Forest
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$50.00
Purchased At:
New Forest Cycle Experiance
Strengths:
Grip is very muddy conditions. Good exercise due to excessive rolling resistance!!!
Weaknesses:
Unpredictable, skiddy in roots, climbs up ruts, Very high rolling resistance. I have the Puncture resistant version, but they seem to puncture just like any other tire!
These tires are hard work. They have good grip in sloppy mud but are rubbish in any other conditions. Beware of roots in mud. Beware of ruts in mud. Unpridictable. My punctur resistant version of this tire puncture just like any other MTB tire. I'm sticking to my IRC Mythos XC2 in future, which offer nearly as much grip in soft mud anyway!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Thomas
a Weekend Warrior
from Cambridge UK Date Reviewed: January 4, 2006
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$60.00
Purchased At:
Merlin
Strengths:
Excellent grip in mud and slop. Great in Wales on wet rocks, roots, and organic sandy mud
Weaknesses:
Too grippy (Hardwork), in stiff mud, such as Essex Clay.
Similar Products Used:
Panaracer Fire Mud, and Panaracer Fire XC
Bike Setup:
Marin Mount Vision
Bottom Line:
Beware the wrong kind of Mud! In sticky mud, these tyres grip so well, they slow me down, and I can't keep up with my riding partners. In all other types of mud, they are brilliant. They are also good on wet rocks and tree roots. Where mud is sticky, the Fire XCs are faster for me. I have 2.1 tyres, friends with 1.9s seem happier with them in the sticky mud.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Stuart B
a Cross Country Rider
from Dorset, UK Date Reviewed: January 3, 2006
I like these tyres alot. Really good for UK autumn, winter and spring and wet summers. These things just dig in and find grip on soft and muddy earth. They only reallu clofg up if its really claggy. They can be a bit squirmy on hardpack, but nothing like as bad as a dedicated mud tyre. Their only weakness is loose stuff, but they can't be blamed for that! Anfd they aren't a very high volum tyre so pressures are a little higher than XC fires. Used them in wales yesterday, they were perfect. They aren't heavy either.
I'd recommend em to anyone who rides on moderatly soft to muddy stuff more than hardpack.
Stu
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Justin
a Cross Country Rider
from England Date Reviewed: November 7, 2005
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Excellent grip, even in the deepest mud
Weaknesses:
Can drag a little on the road, but you're a cross country rider right?!
Similar Products Used:
Trailblasters, Tioga Factory XC
Bike Setup:
Cove Hustler with bells and whistles
Bottom Line:
Best mud tyre out there by a country mile
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Spangels aregreat
a Weekend Warrior
from Kirknewton Date Reviewed: August 7, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Cambusbarron - North Third
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$35.00
Purchased At:
Wheelcraft
Strengths:
Great grip in mud, hardpack, roots etc etc. Seems to hold on in anything.
Weaknesses:
Can be a too grippy on some muddy bits so racers might find it drags to much. Longer term it will be intersting to see what the wear rate is.
I have been looking for an all year round tyre for sometime now as I can't be bothered switching tyres for each condition. I also wanted something which rolled well. Despite some reviews stating this tyre drags alot I have to say I didn't notice that much difference between it and the Michelin Comps I had before.
Due to some unseasonably dry weather of late I have used them mainly on dry hard pack and it has gripped admirally. Today on Glentree Red they never missed a beat. I have used them on a couple of wet muddy days and the grip is superb from roots (as much as can be expected)to mud to wet grass.
I have been running them with tubes until the other day. I had one impact puncture so I put my Eclipse tubeless on the back and it worked fine (some people have had problems sealing them but it worked fine after a ride to settle them in). Will set the front up with the tubeless this week.
For Scottish trails I don't think you can get much better.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
James
a
from Cheshire Date Reviewed: May 12, 2005
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
Cycle Centre
Strengths:
Excelent grip, rolls well, predictable
Weaknesses:
Non so far
Similar Products Used:
Specialized team/control, tioga xc...
Bike Setup:
Kona kula, sid 100's, xt, race face and Easton
Bottom Line:
This tyre has an almost magical avbility to grip, wether it is dry,wet,muddy or snow this trye cant slip! Even if your up out of the saddle weight forward going up it doesent slip unlike others I've ridden.A great tyre I love em!Mostly where I ride the terrain is rocky and the weather is wet, if this sound familiar tistyre is for you!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Nick Rorke
a Cross Country Rider
from North Yorkshire Date Reviewed: April 17, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Peebles
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
Stiff
Strengths:
Great grip in all gnarly off-road conditions. Fit and forget functionality. Despite very aggressive knobbly tread design the tyre rolls very smoothly and easily over even the most hard packed terrain.
Weaknesses:
None so far. Probably not a good tyre choice for tarmac or bone-dry summer conditions.
Similar Products Used:
Many and various - Conti, Specialized, Panaracer, IRC...
Bike Setup:
'98 GT LTS XC1000 (yes, still going strong - mainly due to heavily tweaked and re-engineered back end pivots) with original Marzocchi Z1's (to be changed soon for something with more travel and less floppy).
Bottom Line:
Have had this tyre for 2 weeks and ridden it at Glentress, Peebles and Dalby forest, Scarborough and am already completely convinced that it is one of the best rear tyres I've ever used. Riding today in very muddy, slippery conditions familiar to all who ride Dably. Tyre enabled me to clean steep, technical, loose sections I am rarely able to clean. It also allowed me to ride through very muddy singletrack sections through the trees without the back end slipping out at all. Seems to gobble-up all that Peebles could throw at it too.
Brilliant. A revelation.
Now need to find similarly good front tyre to match! ;-)
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Chris Leary
a Weekend Warrior
from UK Date Reviewed: February 25, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Marin Trail, North Wales
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$40.00
Purchased At:
Bike Factory, Chester
Strengths:
Sticky Excellent traction in slippy stuff Relatively light compared with many other knobbly tyres
Weaknesses:
Less puncture resistant than DH or puncture-proof tyres Tough to get on/off
Similar Products Used:
Specialized Team Master/Control Armadillo Tioga XC & DH
Bike Setup:
Marin Rock Springs, 125mm travel front and rear, 190lb rider, Mavic Crossmax Enduro
Bottom Line:
Fantastic tyres. Have renewed by confidence in staying on the bike in damp/wet conditions. Tenacious over almost anything, even copes with occasional slimy diagonal tree root. Bugger to get off/on with tubeless-compatible wheels. Punctured once on each of first three outings. Recommended to anyone who cycles XC or purpose-built trails out of the summer season. Might have a bit too much tread/weight on it for racers, but what do I know.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Stefan
a Weekend Warrior
from Bristol, UK Date Reviewed: February 11, 2005
Favorite Trail:
White's Level, Afan Forest
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$40.00
Purchased At:
wiggle.co.uk
Strengths:
Very grippy, sheds mud quickly.
Weaknesses:
None if you ride off-road in wet muddy conditions. Not the fastest on hard-pack but this is a winter tyre.
Similar Products Used:
Tioga Factory XC
Bike Setup:
Kona Hardtail with Avid Discs and SPDs
Bottom Line:
I regularly ride in wet, muddy (some would say swampy) and hilly terrain, traction can be a real problem or at least it was until I got these!
I can climb hills that defeated me before, I can wade through the bogs without coming off and tree roots that used to throw me do not cause a problem.
Very, very grippy. Work well on rock and loose-pack too
Unless all your trails are dry and dusty you need these tyres in your life!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Peter Brown
a Cross Country Rider
from England Date Reviewed: April 13, 2004
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Good in soft conditions
Weaknesses:
Exposed sidewalls are easily cut
Similar Products Used:
Fire XC Pro
Bike Setup:
Stumpjumper, Yeti ASR
Bottom Line:
Great traction and control on soft ground. The tyres shed mud quickly. However the narrow tread leaves the sidewalls very exposed to any sharp rocks. The wear rate is great on mud (as you'd expect), so you'll be lucky not to trash the sidewalls first, if my experience is anything to go by.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Al me
a Cross Country Rider
from UK Date Reviewed: March 21, 2004
Favorite Trail:
The Lookout - Bracknell
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$45.00
Purchased At:
wiggle.co.uk
Strengths:
Grip in damp to wet conditions
Weaknesses:
Tarmac!
Similar Products Used:
Panaracer Fire XC, Trailblasters
Bike Setup:
Specialized Epic S-works, Fox F100x forks. XTchainset. Thomson Stem, seatpost.
Bottom Line:
I can't believe there's not a single review for these tyres, they are amazing, if you live in the UK (specifically designed for UK) you really should check these tyres out. Just got back from The lookout - Bracknell, on/off rain these tyres excel, way better than my old Fire XC's and riding with a friend running brand new Trailblasters on a 04 Stumjumper there was no comparism. Due to the depth of the tyre pattern there is so much traction. And ive not enjoyed handling like this on my bike for a while. Bottom line, just try them once, i'll be very surprised if you're dissapointed. I reckon on a DRY summer day maybe the Trailblasters will perform slightly better. Otherwise these are for the rest of the season IMHO!
BTW yes they do slip a bit over roots on neg or pos cambered paths, but i defy ANYONE to find a rubber compound that grips on a slimy surface!
$
Overall Rating:
Overall Rating:
Overall Rating:
Overall Rating:
Overall Rating:
