Replacing IRC PIRANHAPRO Tires

revrnd said:

I see this tire is not listed on the IRC website.

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Wow, nice find. I haven't seen much of those tires since the last time the Olympics were here; here in America that is! I think it was around that time that the Mythos was introduced and the Piranha was let out to sea.

Anyway it sounds like the Hutchinson Python would be a good tire for you. It has a very low profile tread and rolls pretty easy on pavement, but has a surprising amount of traction on dirt as long as its not too loose or wet. In the mud they will not have as much ultimate grip as a full knobby and will take a bit more attention, but they don't pack up too bad either like many knobbies are prone to.

Durability is decent as well (anything with much bigger knobs will suffer from too many road miles), and they can easily be had for under $50 a pair. Greenfish Sports usually has good deals on Hutchinson tires. Do a search on the forums and check out the reviews to see if others might suggest a similar tire, but I really don't think you can go wrong with the Pythons.

revrnd said:

I purchased a MTB this summer and it came with IRC PIRANHAPRO tires. I see this tire is not listed on the IRC website. Could you folks recommend a replacement tire? I'm a casual, not competitive rider and about a third of my riding is on pavement. The majority of my riding is dry weather, but I will encounter mud occasionally.

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The PiranhaPros came out at least 5 years ago, and honestly, weren't that great. They are a decent all-arounder, but don't excel in anything, either.

For your conditions, I'd agree with both posts above. Pythons do reasonably well in mud, due to their width (they're bigger than the advertised size, and can be run pretty soft), and roll reasonably well on pavement, too. Much better in dry conditions than wet, and not great in looser stuff, but dirt-cheap on Ebay, and pretty durable.

The Geax Blades are much more a mud tire, but manage to roll really nicely on pavement, and somehow don't wear down that fast, either. I have a set of 1.85"s, which look wider when mounted, though they are lower-profile. The knobs are pretty tall, but wide enough at the base to not flex badly, so hardpack performance is good. Also cheap on the 'bay.

Can't think of anything else, off the top of my head, but I'm sure there's others. Pairing a semi-slick on the rear with a full-knob up front will do well on the road, and still give good traction off-road, and not hinder you badly in the mud, though you'll need to pay a little more attention.

Jon.