[mondaycurse]

I'm looking at the mtbr reviews for the tires and I've seen the ritchey Elevader and the IRC claw comp pretty cheap while getting over a 4.5 review. I ride in Western illinois where the terrain ranges from simple dirt, dust, slick rock(if you guys think of normal slick rock, think 10 times as slick), sand, rock, and almost anything else in between. I'm also wanting a tire that will hold up well to the road. Has anyone had any experience with either of these tires or have any other tire suggestions that stay under 50 dollars a pair?

 

[shiggy]

Close-outs. If you can find a set of Hutchinson Alligators (discontinued 2-3 years ago) they will do pretty well - except on the road. Any good off road tire will not last long if ridden regularly on pavement.

 

[AJ541]

Nashbar.com has some really good deals:

http://www.nashbar.com

The Geax Sedona had really good reviews and it is selling for around $18 each.

But like Shiggy says riding an off road tire on the road will wear it down really quickly.

 

[eatdrinkride]

haven't seen a good trail tire that holds up on pavement, thats just the way it is. If its a hard enough compound to not wear on the street then its way too hard to hook up well on rocks and dirt... If you are not a serious xc rider than look for something with small knobs and a hard compound.

 

[mondaycurse]

how much would it limit the tire span if it's used for 50% road? ?The only way I can get to most trails is simply by riding. The reason I have to go for cheaper tires is for that reason, but my brother has done the same thing on his tires (Revolt ST2) and they've held out for around 2 years while riding more than I have.

 

[Burkeman]

You can usually get IRC Mythos from Pricepoint for $25 for a pair. Decent rolling resistence and perform pretty well offroad. Probably one of the better bang for your buck tires around. At that price, if they don't last super long then you don't have that much replacement down the road either. If I'm paying $40 apiece for a tire I get more concerned if they only last a few months.

 

[sirkrameroy]

You can usually get IRC Mythos from Pricepoint for $25 for a pair. Decent rolling resistence and perform pretty well offroad. Probably one of the better bang for your buck tires around. At that price, if they don't last super long then you don't have that much replacement down the road either. If I'm paying $40 apiece for a tire I get more concerned if they only last a few months.

Pricepoint, Nashbar, JensonUSA, Performance, and Cambria Bike are all good places to hunt for cheap deals on good tires.

I just picked up some Maxxis Harddrive 2.1 tires for $9 each from Cambria, and they seem to be a good all-around cross country tire. Similarly, Jenson has the 1.9 Maxxis highrollers for $11.

If you're looking for beefier treads, Performance has IRC trailbears on sale for $12, and Continental Vertical Pros for $17. At that price, you can afford to wear them out!