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IRC Mibro

Average Rating 4/5
# of Reviews 11
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    Submitted by dontpanic a Cross Country Rider from Maryland
    Date Reviewed: June 16, 2008
    Favoriate Trail:Loch Raven
    Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
    Strengths:Not sure. Didn't care much for them.
    Weaknesses:Floaty feeling in tight turns on dry hardpack, Awful in wet conditions.
    Similar Products Used:Kenda Nevegal, WTB Velociraptor
    Bike Setup:Rocky Mountain Slayer SXC50
    Bottom Line:As a front tire, these didn't track real well. They seemed to float in tight turns on dry trails, and in the wet, they just plain slide out. Also hit a couple wet logs at angles, and the front end slid right out from under me.

    As a rear tire, not much better, although it did do OK in the dry stuff. In the wet though, forget it. Zero traction. I looked down at one point to see a slick, brown, mud-ring instead of a tire. Not only no traction, but it must have weighed 20 pounds.

    So I only got about 25 miles on these tires before I called it quits. I put a Kenda Nevegal Stick-e on the front, and a WTB Velociraptor on the back. This combo seems to work way better in the dry, but I haven't tried it in the wet yet. I have used the Velociraptor on my other bike in the mud, and it seemed to do well, so that's why I chose it. The Nevegal decision was based on reviews here, and just that you see it standard on so many mid to high end bikes.

    Seems kind of weird to me that folks use the same tire front and back, even if you do reverse it. They are doing 2 totally different things. I know it's not easy, but I would like to see more tires made strictly for use on one wheel or the other. I'm no expert, just making an observation.

    2 chilis because the tire is not horrible as a rear in the dry.
    Value Rating:2Overall Rating:2

    Submitted by Steve a Cross Country Rider from NorCal
    Date Reviewed: June 3, 2008
    Duration Product Used:1 Year
    Strengths:Good grip on loose pack, rocks, and the occasional root. Tracks straight downhill. Lasted for a year's worth of riding including one trip to Downieville.
    Weaknesses:The front tire sidewall took a hit that created a slow leak but the tire was already one year old. Replacing both tires after one year instead of just the rear tire.
    Similar Products Used:Kenda, WTB, Panaracer
    Bike Setup:S-Works Stumpjumper FSR, XTR, Crossmax SLR
    Bottom Line:This is a great all around tire that works on the mix of terrain we have to ride in Northern Cal. Buying a replacement set.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Fabrice Paquet a Cross Country Rider from Sacré-Coeur,Québec,Canada
    Date Reviewed: February 11, 2008
    Duration Product Used:1 Year
    Strengths:Fast, good grip on hardpack and dry
    Weaknesses:very poor grip on wet and mud
    Similar Products Used:hutchinson phyton
    Bike Setup:2006 rocky mountaine fusion stock with upgrade fork.
    Bottom Line:This tire are fast, low friction i recomended it for xc rider on dry trail you will love theme. Just be cereful in hight speed corners it may cause surprise some time.
    Value Rating:4Overall Rating:3

    Submitted by Greg a Racer from CO/Midwest/VA
    Date Reviewed: November 17, 2007
    Duration Product Used:1 Year
    Price Paid: $20.00
    Purchased At:Random places
    Strengths:Cheap, Light, Good Grip
    Weaknesses:Quick wearing
    Similar Products Used:Years and years of Mythos'
    Bike Setup:Strange
    Bottom Line:They run small for the stated size and wear relatively fast. But that's the only bad things I can say. When IRC stopped making Kevlar Mythos I had to start looking for a new favorite tire. The 2.25 Mibro weighs about as much as the old Mythos, and has better grip and more volume. For the 15-20 bucks you can find these for you CAN'T beat them. They don't get the only they don't get a 5 overall is because of the quick wear, but that contributes to the excellent grip.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

    Submitted by R a Cross Country Rider from Colorado
    Date Reviewed: August 24, 2007
    Favoriate Trail:Apex, Hall, Waterton, Mt. Falcon
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Price Paid: $14.00
    Purchased At:Pricepoint
    Strengths:Excellent grip in loose stuff and on climbs. Lightweight, fast rolling, fairly tough.
    Weaknesses:none yet
    Similar Products Used:Mythos, Spiders, Karmas, Cinders.
    Bike Setup:Seven Sola
    Bottom Line:I have used the Mythos and the Mythos II off and on for years, but these Mibros are really nice. I picked up all three sizes on sale for $14 each... The 2.25 is up front and the 2.1 is on the rear of the Sola right now. Climbing is made easy, and holding a line is predictable. What more could one ask for?
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Tom a Weekend Warrior from Boise
    Date Reviewed: July 29, 2007
    Favoriate Trail:rideable
    Duration Product Used:6 months
    Price Paid: $18.00
    Purchased At:auction
    Strengths:Light, cheap, reasonable wear. Excellent grip/resistance compromise when ridden in front on sand. Even on sand, I love that these warn me when they're reaching their cornering limit and allow me to correct no problem with just the slightest bit of washout. They are nice and fast in all the dry riding i've been doing, including through the deep sand.
    Weaknesses:Took me a little while to get used to the round profile (which isn't the tire's fault, I'm using a 17mm rim).

    Biggest weakness is in the hairpins with deep sand I think something with a more continuous center would track better. However if they had a continuous center I doubt they would be this predictable in other situations.
    Similar Products Used:IRC mythos slicks for dirt and commuting on the SS, Nokian Gazzaloddi Dual 2.3's on my old FR (liked these but heavy and bad on hardpack), Panaracer Smoke-->my current rear tire for sand (like it but wish for higher volume), really didn't like the Fire XC.
    Bike Setup:These are the 2.25" UST mibros, but I use them with tubes. I run them up front on my hardtail with a fairly narrow rim (Mavic xc317), this gives them a pretty round profile, and I run them at around 40 psi.
    Bottom Line:A great tire to try if you think the tread matches your area/style.

    These are actually really fast on pavement for a knobby. I find myself 2 gears from the top while riding to/from the trailhead on flat road and it feels easy. I wouldn't recommend them for rear tires because of their round knob profile, they are at home with a slightly higher PSI and would not get good enough contact on the rear for me. but for front tires I think I will stick with these (Might try the Rampage next but I bet these are faster rollers). I don't know why people have said these wear fast, perhaps its because mine are tubeless or because I only use them on the front: they seem to wear slower than average. I prefer something paddle-shaped on the rear because I go through loose sand, which explains why I am riding a Smoke.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Scott a Cross Country Rider from Victoria, Australia
    Date Reviewed: July 15, 2007
    Favoriate Trail:Various central Victorian trails
    Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
    Price Paid: $25.00
    Purchased At:Ebay!
    Strengths:Light. Roll very well. Supple. Good climbing rip on the back. Square edge suits my riding and corners well. Predictable. Cheap.
    Weaknesses:Not a chunky 2.1 by any means - small volume. Appear to be soft in the sidewalls - the price you pay for the light weight and suppleness.
    Similar Products Used:Various Tioga, Maxxis, Panaracer, Michelin, Hutchinson, Syncros and other IRC XC tyres.
    Bike Setup:Tomac Taos hardtail - 100mm Reba SL, X9, 28 hole Mavic 317 on DT hubs, truvative Stylo crank and BB, carbon post, easton bar / stem. XC bike, basically.
    Bottom Line:I saw these on ebay and they were cheap, so I got 'em to try. Lots of mould whiskers - don't know if they are all like that. I've used other IRC rubber before (1.9 Notos) so knew they weren't going to be a Nevegal or Tioga sized 2.1. About the same size as the 2.1 High Rollers they replaced, or the 2.1 Fire XC. These have a very supple casing, appear to be a fairly soft rubber too - the tread pattern is not dissimilar to the Nevegal but have ramped centre tread. The front and rear are supposed to run opposite. I tried the rear both ways - the climbing knobs get torn a bit run in the "front" direction from braking, so I ran the rear in the recommended direction in the end. These pedal very nicely above mid speed - take little effort to keep them rolling. Like many full knobbies, they feel a little slower at low speed, but spin up quick on account of the light weight. I run mine as soft as I can - sidewall float / flex is evident at low pressures. They give a fairly compliant ride for a thinner tyre. Plenty of climbing traction in the loose, rocky and gravelly terrain I normally ride, and the square profile hooks up well in the corners without needing crazy lean angles to get the edging knobs over. I'd really like a 2.25 for the front, to add a bit more corner bite in the really loose stuff, but as they are the 2.1's aren't bad. Performance wise they are better in all respects than the 2.0 Spiders I ran a while back on the same bike, grip and corner as well as the High Rollers they just replaced, but roll better. These would suit a racer looking for a grippy but light and easy pedalling knobby, or trail riders not encountering huge rock gardens etc. Those who go huge or who are slammers best not apply, but they probably already know that anyway. IRC rubber isn't all that well appreciated IMO, but the ones I have used exceeded my expectations. Lost one hot chilli due to the low volume casing.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:3

    Submitted by Luke a Cross Country Rider from Mt. Hope, WV
    Date Reviewed: June 29, 2007
    Favoriate Trail:all of them
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Purchased At:Came w/bike
    Strengths:Super fast rolling! and well super fast rolling
    Weaknesses:No grip in mud or any type of wet conditions.
    Similar Products Used:IRC Trail Bear, Mythos
    Bike Setup:ETSX 30
    Bottom Line:It is fast and great in DRY hardpack, but if you are looking for an all around tire I'd look somewhere else. I ride rocky, rooty & wet stuff and they just don't feel super solid. I really do enjoy them when the conditions are right. I really liked my Mythos & am concidering getting another pair or maybe the Nevegal.
    Value Rating:3Overall Rating:3

    Submitted by Torry a Cross Country Rider from Barrie, Ontario, Canada
    Date Reviewed: June 21, 2007
    Favoriate Trail:Narly
    Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
    Price Paid: $40.00
    Purchased At:Sport Swap
    Strengths:Light, easy rolling, good grip.
    Weaknesses:Rear tire seems to be wearing quickly.
    Similar Products Used:Maxxis Minion DH.
    Bike Setup:2006 Rocky Mountain Slayer 30, stock.
    Bottom Line:Last month after tearing a sidewall on a thorn bush, I was looking forward to trying a different tire. I decided on the Mibro 2.35. Wow.. what a difference. The Mibro rolls MUCH faster than the Minion. I was surprised how the tire transformed the feel of the bike. Once I began to trust the Mibros a little, I couldn't help but push harder and harder through the turns. Two wheel drifts are now common and my average speed has increased considerably. The Mibros give warning as they start to let go unlike the Minions allowing me to corner like a scene from "Tokyo Drift". Just stick the front end and carve. Even when running wide in the turn and hitting the soft stuff I have yet to lose the front end. Traction on the climbs and under breaking have been excellent so far as well. I havn't ridden in wet conditions yet so I can't comment on that. These tires have seen some pretty rough stuff and so far so good. I don't think I'll be trying a different tire for a while... It doesn't surprise me that all the 2007 Slayer SXC are equiped with Mibros!
    4 chilis on value only because the rear tire seems to be wearing on the quick side.
    Value Rating:4Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Benjamin a Cross Country Rider from Calgary AB Canada
    Date Reviewed: June 12, 2007
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Strengths:They're cheap if you have to buy them.. came stock on my bike.
    Weaknesses:Where to start? They can't even grip concrete let alone dirt/sand/gravel.
    Similar Products Used:Richey Speedmax (even those had better traction)
    Bike Setup:Rocky Mountain Element 30
    Bottom Line:Horrible tire.. for 2.25 I'd expect decent performance. Eventually had to take the air pressure pretty low to get moderate grip on anything. Unimpressed to say the least. Can spin them out when accelerating on concrete. Lame.
    Value Rating:4Overall Rating:2

    Submitted by JSatch a Weekend Warrior from San Diego
    Date Reviewed: December 21, 2006
    Favoriate Trail:the one to the pool
    Duration Product Used:6 months
    Price Paid: $19.00
    Purchased At:LBS
    Strengths:Fast, low rolling resistance, corners very well, high volume
    Weaknesses:wears fast
    Similar Products Used:lots
    Bike Setup:Stumpy Pro FSR
    Bottom Line:Very good tire that can be had for a song.
    Nice tire in So Cal; hardpack, loose over hardpack, rocks. Don't know about wet/muddy conditions.
    This tire is 'similar' to the highly regarded Kenda Nevegal (which is now my rear tire), except, the knobs are smaller and spaced further apart for a fast roll. The center knobs are very soft and stick, the outer a good size for cornering.
    I run the tire at less than 30 psi and no problems yet. However, I don't jump.
    As a rear (reverse direction from front, as recommended), it wears too fast and the soft, smallish knobs can spin out in the really loose dusty/sandy stuff we get here. The denser knobs of the Navegal (2.1) do a slightly better job. The larger Navegal would do even better, but I'm avoiding such slow rolling tractor tires. They're just no fun.
    The 2.25 version has a nice high-volume feel, more so than the 2.1 Neve (seems more than just the small diff in volume).
    I would recommend this as front specific, dry tire. Should last longer there too.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

    Submitted by Eddie Jones a Weekend Warrior from Gardendale, AL
    Date Reviewed: November 13, 2006
    Favoriate Trail:Oak Mtn State Park
    Duration Product Used:6 months
    Price Paid: $39.00
    Purchased At:Online distributor
    Strengths:Good volume, sticky compound
    Weaknesses:none noted
    Similar Products Used:Nevegal, High Roller and many other simialarly treaded tires
    Bike Setup:Titus Motolite with all the good stuff
    Bottom Line:These tires have the ramped center knobs and sticky outer lugs that allow them to roll fast and corner great. They are easy to put on and can work well at low pressures. I think that IRC and GEAX are two of the most under rated mountain bike tire manufacturers around. Give them a try. Be sure and get the 2.25 version.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5






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