The right tyres change everything. They can make the difference between riding and sliding, railing or crashing, puncturing or ploughing. Bump absorption, damping and rolling resistance are also very important. We’ve tested a range of tyres to see you through the winter slop, from aggro all-rounders to spiky mud munchers and these were the best performers of the bunch. We’ve gone for 29in rubber here, but most are available in 650b and 26in versions too.
How we tested
To keep things consistent, we used the same bike with the same wheelset (DT Swiss EX1501 with 25mm internal width) and used exactly 23psi front and 25psi rear throughout testing. We used tubeless tyres and inflated them with a track pump to check for sealing and burping issues. We then measured each tyre’s width and height with a Vernier gauge and the hardness of the tread with a durometer before hitting the trails.
First up was a roll-down test. We took an average over three timed runs down a fireroad (without pedalling) to gauge rolling resistance. We then did back-to-back runs of several muddy, rocky and rooty tracks, taking two or three runs before swapping tyres and repeating to get the most direct comparison possible.
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We did this several times on a range of different tracks at a few different riding spots, often using a stopwatch to put a number to the tyres’ performance. We hope this thorough testing helps you pick the best bike boots for your needs.
What to look for
Profile: The cross-section shape of a tyre. Squarer tyres bite harder into slippery turns and off-cambers. Rounder tyres offer a more predictable drift — they generally roll faster and carry speed better through flat corners. Remember wider rims make a given tyre squarer.
Casing: Often overlooked, the casing (or carcass) is the nylon-reinforced body of the tyre. Its construction balances weight and rolling resistance on one hand, with puncture-resistance, damping and stability on the other. It has a huge effect on rolling drag and traction.
Maxxis Shorty 3C EXO 29x2.3
- Price: £56 / $78 / AU$99
- Weight: 885g
- Width: 2.11
- Height: 2.07in
e*thirteen TRSr / TRS+ 29x2.35
- TRSr (front): £68 / $72 / AU$116
- TSR+ (rear): £57 / $59 / AU$100
- Weight: 964g
- Width: 2.30in
- Height: 2.15in
Specialized Hillbilly Grid 29x2.3
- Price: £35 / $60 / AU$TBC
- Weight: 960g
- Width: 2.13in
- Height: 2.09in
Schwalbe Magic Mary SuperGravity TrailStar 29x2.35
- Price: £65 / $98 / AU$100
- Weight: 1,145g
- Width: 2.35in
- Height: 2.2in
Maxxis Minion DHF 3C EXO 29x2.5
- Price: £56 / $60 / AU$110
- Weight: 1,000g
- Width: 2.25in
- Height: 2.14in
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