Bike
MTB
The ultimate guide to winter MTB tyres
Sick of slipping and sliding down the trails? Conquer the slop with some winter-specific rubber.
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Winter means lots of things to mountain bikers, 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.
Maximum drift in the snow for Richie Rude
© Matthew DeLorme
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 onto the rear and purchase a single winter-specific one 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
Deeper tread can prevent mud sticking to the tyre
© Nathan Hughes
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.
A tyre's ability to clear slop is almost as important as its ability to bite into it.
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.
The Maxxis Shorty tyre is ideal for loose terrain
© Bartek Woliński
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 into the frozen surface for maximum grip. They’re awesome, but just make sure you don’t fall on them! They're also pricy.
Watch snow tyres deployed fairly successfully in this Fabio Wibmer video:
1 min
Fabio Wibmer's perspective
MTB pro Fabio Wibmer makes a spectacular escape across snow-covered rooftops. Watch it from his point of view.
Be sure to download the free Red Bull TV app and catch the MTB action on all your devices! Get the app here
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.
Final checks before lining up for race start
© Ewald Sadie
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
There’s no one-size-fits-all
© Brian Nevins/Red Bull Content Pool
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.
In 2018, we've seen a rise in companies producing wider 'wide trail' tyres. The theory is that they're simply mirroring the increase in width seen in rim technology. As a result, their tyres are far less deformed in terms of shape when mounted to 30mm+ rims.
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
Running lower pressure can give you more grip
© Nathan Hughes
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.
Top tip: Don't forget to invest in good quality tubeless tyre sealant and decent valves. Make sure you select a long enough valve if using double walled rims.
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.
Looking for some more cold weather inspiration? Then try these on for size:
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