[dag560]

I looking to upgrade my tired tires.
I Currently have some Ritchey 26x2.1 Megabites (My bike has been in storage for a few years)

Most of my riding is in the dry on hard dirt. I want a tire with good grip but low rolling resistance since I'm on packed dirt most of the time.

Thanks

 

[JimC.]

get

the latest MBAction mag, they review all the tires this month. Some may not agree with what the say, but it's a goodd place to start, IMHO.

Jim

 

[HTail]

Agree

the latest MBAction mag, they review all the tires this month. Some may not agree with what the say, but it's a goodd place to start, IMHO.

Jim

Yes, MBAction does have a good review of tires in the current issue (I think Sept'04). In my experience, Hutchinson Pythons have been pretty good in hardpack dirt- they roll really well, high air volume and low profile tread.

 

[NappyT]

What kind of terrain do you ride?

Here in So Cal I have and see on the trail Panaracer XC Pro 2.1 Kevlar tires. I switched to these from Kenda Karma DTC which were great but sucked in loose sand and in the corners. If you look up the XC Pro in MBA they get a bad rating but if you check MTBR they get a great review. I personally like my XC Pro's.

 

[gabe0807]

Yes, MBAction does have a good review of tires in the current issue (I think Sept'04). In my experience, Hutchinson Pythons have been pretty good in hardpack dirt- they roll really well, high air volume and low profile tread.

I agree about the pythons but be careful. If you don't have a lot of exerpience be a little cautious when you run them through hard cornering in the dirt. They're incredibly fast rolling but they're slippery little buggers.....They would be what I'd run though. As an added bonus, with the lower pressure that you can run means awesome grip for pavement. I was able to ride up 45 degree concrete, etc.....lots of fun .

 

[Avalanche]

Wow... thought I was the only one still running Megabites!!

I recently had to swap out very worn Richey Megabite 2.1's on my hardtail, for some Pana.racer 2.1 Fire XC's. These are really superb tyres (tires), confidence inspiring off road and roll well on. If you liked the Megabite, you'll love the Fire which is a far superior tyre on all counts. Should be right at home in the terrain you described too.

Be aware that they are available in a variety of sidewall colours (colors) which can look odd, go for the black option unless you like your tyres to clash with your frame colour.... never thought I'd say that on a bike forum...

They are also head and shoulders above the WT.B's on my full..sus, which slip and slide all over the place, I will replace these with Fire XC's the first chance I get.

Av.

P.S. Check out the review section of this site and order the tyre (tire) reviews by 'no. of reviews'. The Fire is right at the top of the list with a big margin.... speaks volumes

 

[RED5]

Kenda Blue Groove, take your pick of sizes between 2.00 - 2.5 with a light XC casing.

 

[Lighty_]

I recommend WTB Mutanoraptors. I found them to be the best tires for any kind of terrain in dry conditions. They have good sidewall bite and are pretty fast rolling for big tires. The WTB web site lists the 2.4 version as less than 600g. Look at the reviews on this site, I'm not the only one who thinks Mutanoraptors are good. You can get them for $25 at www.performancebike.com , you can use the coupon code 6000387 to save another 20%.

 

[khill]

Recommendation

Try posting this question to the "Wheels and Tires" forum. You'll probably get a better set of answers there. You could also search that forum for "hardpack" and see what you get if you're a DIY type.

I don't ride fast hardpack so that's my only piece of advice.

- khill

 

[willtsmith_nwi]

Ditto on the Panaracers ...

Here in So Cal I have and see on the trail Panaracer XC Pro 2.1 Kevlar tires. I switched to these from Kenda Karma DTC which were great but sucked in loose sand and in the corners. If you look up the XC Pro in MBA they get a bad rating but if you check MTBR they get a great review. I personally like my XC Pro's.

They're awesome hardpack tires. They will also perform compentently when you need to go on road. They cake up in mud, but clear quickly.