A Quick Guide To Mountain Bike Tyres
If you’re an experienced mountain bike rider, you probably know exactly what you want when it comes to MTB tyres. But if you’re just starting out and you’re after mountain bike tyres in NZ, then you may need a little guidance. Of course, we’re happy to share our knowledge with you. All you have to do is contact us. But in the meantime, here is a very quick and general overview of tyres for mountain bikes.
In most cases, the front tyre has a slightly wider profile than a rear tyre. Also, they generally tend to have higher side lugs, but lower central lugs - this provides a higher degree of cornering confidence while retaining a low rolling resistance. On the other hand, the rear tyre on a mountain bike will typically feature more horizontal spanning knobs. These can help to improve traction by stopping the rear wheel from spinning in slippery or muddy conditions. A rear tyre can be narrower too, which improves mud clearance as the tyre begins to collect debris during your ride.
There are other differences to look out for too. For example, Cross Country (XC) tyres are designed to be fast rolling tyres, with smoother and smaller knobs, and narrow tyre width. These tyres maximise performance in relatively undemanding conditions, including normal trails and grass. When it’s wet, cross country riders might want to change their tyres to even narrower profiles, as this enhances mud clearance. At the same time, they may also move to larger profile knobs to increase their traction in rainy or muddy conditions.
Trail and 'Enduro' tyres are not quite the same as cross country tyres. With these tyres, the focus is on grip and durability. Therefore, these tyres usually consist of softer compounds that have better 'sticking' capabilities on rocky surfaces, while a wider profile is more adept at handling the more extreme cornering associated with this type of mountain biking.
These are just our general observations based on our experience as suppliers, and riders, of mountain bikes. Everyone rides differently, and some riders set up their bikes in such a way that the usual tyre “rules” no longer apply to them. So, to make sure you have the very best mountain bike tyres in NZ on your machine, contact us and tell us what you’re after. That way we can ensure that your tyre suits your bike, and you get maximum enjoyment and performance out of every single ride.
