MTB
Sick of slipping and sliding down the trails? Conquer the slop with some winter-specific rubber.
Winter means lots of things to the budding mountain biker, but perhaps more than anything else it means riding in mud, slop and grime. The first point of contact with said unsavoury conditions is your tyres, so it’s important to choose the right ones to help you dig in and get the best possible grip.
Granted, you'll have to spend a bit of cash but unlocking your bike's full potential when the weather is at its worst is well worth it. Plus, with only a few months use, you'll easily get a couple of winters out of them so it's technically an investment!
Top Tip: Swap your dry-weather front tyre on to the rear and purchase a single winter-specific to replace it. Maximum grip with minimal outlay.
Read on for the lowdown on what to look for in winter mountain bike tyres:
Tread pattern
Perhaps the most obvious feature a winter tyre must have is a tread pattern designed to suit winter riding. This means longer, deeper knobs/spikes that are spaced further apart, giving the tyre the best possible chance to dig in and grip in the wet, while preventing mud from sticking to the tyre and jamming up your fork or rear stays.
Whereas DH mud tyres of the past used to offer dagger-like knobs, new tyres like Maxxis's excellent Shorty offer a 'half spike' design for less rolling resistance but maximum grip.
If you’re riding in snow and ice a) you’re a true winter shredder, but more importantly b) you can get tyres with small metal spikes that dig in to the frozen surface for maximum grip. They’re awesome, but just make sure you don’t fall on them!
Compound
Less obvious, but just as important, is the tyre compound. While all tyres look alike (black and rubbery), companies put a lot of effort into designing tyres with the correct compound to suit various conditions. For winter riding this means a soft, sticky compound that will allow the tyre to grip on wet rocks and roots. This does have the effect of slightly increased rolling resistance over a harder compound, but we’d take grip and control over rolling resistance any day during winter.
If you want the best of both worlds, some manufacturers offer dual compound tyres, with a harder centre compound for reduced rolling resistance and a soft shoulder/edge to help you dig in on the corners. A final consideration is that a softer compound works better in extremely cold conditions.
Width/size
Depending on where you ride and the type of mud you deal with, there are two schools of thought when it comes to the size of your winter tyres. Riding a narrower tyre with a larger tread makes it easier to dig in and grip in deep mud, while also giving a little more clearance around your fork and rear stays. The compromise is that you increase your risk of punctures and thinner tyres can be pretty slippery on wet roots and small rocks.
The other style to go for is a larger tyre that'll float over the mud and slop – the trade-off being that they can easily clog your frame up with mud, due to the tighter clearance.
There’s no one-size-fits-all and it’s down to the surface where you ride – so get out there and experiment to see which works best for you.
Standard features
Don’t forget all the optional features that come with most tyres. Setting them up tubeless will allow you to run lower pressures, resulting in more grip – so that’s a winner. A tyre with extra sidewall protection will help prevent punctures at the expense of some extra weight, so you have to decide whether to risk a lighter tyre or play it safe with a weightier model. When you consider how much weight all that mud attached to your bike adds on, we think the thicker sidewall makes sense.
Fancy winter tyres can be expensive, especially for something that may not last more than one season. But they make a real difference to how your bike handles and ultimately how much fun you have. We think it’s a price worth paying.
