Bike
Getting the right tyres will maximise the fun on a mountain bike – learn about different weather tyres and get some set-up tips here.
If you’re a keen mountain biker, eventually you’re going to encounter some wet, sloppy mud, especially if you live in the UK. This means it could be time to start thinking about switching to a set of wet weather tyres.
In this article we go over the differences between wet and dry weather tyres, what to look out for when choosing a tyre, and some set-up considerations for your fresh rubber.
Dry weather tyres
When it’s nice and sunny out, you’ll obviously want dry weather tyres. Most of the time these will have a less aggressive tread pattern and the tyre knobs will be shorter, as they don’t need to dig as deep into the ground to find that all important traction.
The knobs will be spaced much closer together, as they don’t need to shed as much dirt and grime, and often the tyre will have a much rounder profile. Also, the knobs will be the same or similar height from the middle to the edges of the tyre.
Manufacturers can often get away with running a slightly harder rubber compound on dry tyres, in an effort to reduce the rolling resistance. The theory being that this makes for a faster tyre. However, the harder compound will not cope as well in wet conditions, but as it’s dry specific, that shouldn’t matter as much.
Tyre width is very much a personal preference, but wider is usually the way to go with dry tyres, so anywhere from 2.2 and up is usually standard on XC/trail tyres.
Wet weather tyres
True wet weather tyres are easy to spot, as the tread design will be more aggressive, with higher knobs, which are spaced further apart.
The higher knobs allow the tyre to dig deep down into the mud, aiding grip, whilst the wider spacing helps the tyre to shed mud – very important when you’re riding through a vast bog of brown goop.
The tyre compound will also be much softer, which increases grip on wet and greasy surfaces, e.g. roots and rocks. This has the knock-on effect of increasing the tyres rolling resistance, but hey, it’s a mud tyre, so grip is far more important than out-and-out speed.
Manufacturers often spec their wet tyres with plenty of siping on the tread. These are basically small slits in the tyre knobs, which allows them to squirm and deform better on wet and greasy surfaces.
Finally, wet weather tyres are often (but not always) narrower than a dry tyre. A narrower tyre will be able to bite down deeper into the mud, once again for that all-important grip, and will also give more clearance around your forks and chain stays – vital if you’re riding in super sticky stuff that clings to tyres and frames.
The middle ground
It’s worth mentioning that there’s also a middle ground, often known as intermediate tyres. Not quite full mud tyres and not quite full dry; intermediates aim to be a do-it-all tyre, albeit with some compromises.
They usually have relatively low knobs down the centre of the tyre for reduced rolling resistance, and more aggressive side knobs to help you dig in on corners.
Intermediate tyres have become incredibly popular, as they allow you to get away with a lot; meaning they’re well worth considering for riders who frequent temperate climates. E.g. some rain, some sun and everything in-between.
Think about going tubeless
Setting your tyres up tubeless is a great idea. This reduces your chances of an untimely puncture, but more importantly, allows you to run lower pressures, thus increasing your grip.
When it’s wet you can experiment with lowering tyre pressures even further in an effort to increase grip, but be warned – too far and you may end up burping the tyre or dinging the rim. So best tread (pun intended) carefully when dropping your tyre pressure.
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