# Favorite XC tire that works on Asphalt also



## centershot (Nov 21, 2008)

In need of some new rubber and looking for a great multi purpose tire. My trail riding consists of loose gravel over hardpack - some loose - some rocks, a bit of everything. Now here's the reality, about 20% of my riding is off road - the rest is commuting on paved roads. So I need a tire that rolls well on the asphalt as well as works good in the dirt. Is there a tire made that works well for my purpose?


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

I had the Tioga Extreme XC in 26x2.1 on my XC ride for about 10 years and they are now ready to be changed... But they had great traction on your type of off-road riding and good rolling on asphalt.

I use them for XC and road and was really great experience.

Give them a shot.

David


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## crewjones (Aug 24, 2007)

how about kenda K-Rad for an inexpensive option? I have one on the rear of my spare bike. Good on the road- good on hard pack if you're not cornering hard. they're only like $15


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## eric1115 (Jul 8, 2008)

That's pretty tough... loose conditions call for a tire with taller, more widely spaced knobs, which are the opposite of what you want for fast on-pavement performance. 

That said, a Maxxis Crossmark should do pretty well, or a Schwalbe Rocket Ron (though you likely won't get super long life out of the Ron, and it's pricey).


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## b0mb3r (Feb 12, 2011)

I like two tires; maxxis holy rollers and kenda small block eight. I find that holy rollers are a little bit better on the road while the small block eight are smooth enough for the asphalt but work great on the hard pack trails.


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## eric1115 (Jul 8, 2008)

b0mb3r said:


> I like two tires; maxxis holy rollers and kenda small block eight. I find that holy rollers are a little bit better on the road while the small block eight are smooth enough for the asphalt but work great on the hard pack trails.


I was thinking of recommending the SB8, but the loose conditions he mentioned kept that off the list for me. I've found them to be like velcro on hardpack, and very smooth on pavement, but way sketchy in loose conditions.


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## AntagonistHero (Mar 18, 2010)

The SB8 won't last long on asphalt. I just switched from the Kenda SB8 to the WTB Bronson 2.1 when the sidewall blew out on my SB8. Mine only lasted about a year and a half riding about 85% offroad, but I noticed the road riding burned those tyres down faster than the dirt.

I'd look more at something like the Kenda Kross Plus/Pathfinder or the Michelin Country Rock, which are smooth in the center but have some knobs on the outer sides. If you are riding offroad that little there is no reason to spend $50+ on a tyre that you will burn up on the asphalt.


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## centershot (Nov 21, 2008)

That little has been about 200 miles off road this year. Trails are typically described as moderate/difficult - so I need/want a little more agressive tire with a center ridge or knobbies close together near the center of the tire and wider knobs on the edges. Thanks for the suggestions so far.


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## dirtdan (Jun 27, 2011)

I don't think this tire exists, nor will it unless some insane technology is made where the tread of the tire can change with the switch of a button. The small block 8's will do both things that you ask of it (it's what my girlfriend is running), but you will yearn for more traction in loose terrain and you'll be saddened with how quickly your knobs wear out when on the asphalt... I'm running CST Cambers, which are very similar to the small block 8's in tread design (although it has about half the knobs and is much cheaper) but it seems those knobs wear down even more quickly than on the small block 8's.


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## GeremyHamlett (Feb 25, 2011)

I second the Maxxis Cross-marks. Work great on my local trails and decent on the road.


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## Ericmopar (Aug 23, 2003)

Maxxis: Advantage or Ardent. 
Larsen TT or Minion DHF in the smaller sizes. Like the 2.35 single ply folding. 
The Cross-Marks will roll well on pavment, but they won't grip as good as the others in loose climbing. 

Kenda: Small Block 8. 

All of these will wear quick on asphalt. 

My personal favorite is the 2.35 Minion DHF in the single ply folding Max Pro compound used on the front and rear.


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## yodaopie (Jun 24, 2008)

I recommend Maxxis Holy Rollers. I have a set on my bike in just about the same situation as you. In the sand they are super loose and I have washed out a few times but I commute almost daily on them and ride trails with them as well. They are pretty heavy...


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## TraumaARNP (Oct 13, 2005)

I've been using the Bontrager Comfort Hard Case with flat guard for a couple of years and have yet had a problem in hard pack, loose gravel, road, or wet weather. Heavy, uber flat resistant, and works better then advertised.


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## ninjammin (Aug 20, 2010)

The WTB Mutano has a center ridge that rolls well on road and It certainly works well enough off road. It's not my FAVORITE tire for off road, but you sacrifice a little for the on road rolling advantage.


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## willis.4 (Apr 22, 2005)

I've had great success commuting and trail riding (living in a college town I ride everywhere) Small Block 8's and Conti Mountain Kings. Surprisingly the MKs roll better on pavement esp when pumped up to 65PSI, just drop the pressure down to your favorite and let them rip on the trail.

I got over 6 months of daily road commute and trail riding out of a set of MKs and they are still in better than 50% shape, but the SB8's wear slightly faster.


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## Patterson (May 14, 2008)

SB8s are great on the road with high pressure but I really have a problem with them on trails when cornering hard. 

SB8s are ok for slow leisurely rides on trails but if you want to take aggressive corners I don't think they are good. They slipped out from under me a few times causing me to fall in places where I have never fallen.

I think if you are not super aggressive on the trails or riding in mud, SB8s are great.


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## norcalruckus (May 18, 2005)

*mythos*

i like the mythos xc slick


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## jlmuncie (Sep 10, 2010)

What about a second set of wheels & tires for commuting? That way you could have the best of both worlds.


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## TraumaARNP (Oct 13, 2005)

jlmuncie said:


> What about a second set of wheels & tires for commuting? That way you could have the best of both worlds.


That's exactly what I do.:thumbsup:


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## skullcap (Nov 4, 2010)

I have Maxxis Crossmarks for riding on open, flowy, hardpack trails. Those same trails have a connector that involves a section of asphalt-paved road and a section of gravel road. The Crossmarks handle both extremely well considering I run them (tubed) at pretty low pressures (28 front, 30 back). "Well" meaning fast on the pavement and don't wash out on the gravel curves even when running at 20+mph.

If I were to switch back and forth between strictly pavement or strictly trail I would up the pressure to the max or close to the max for pavement and then drop it down for trail. They're not so great on loose sand or mud. You can ride them you just have to be super careful with your balance and pedalling or you'll wash out. Reminds me of ice skating, actually. They're OK on rock and roots so long as you can roll them fast enough to "float" them. If you encounter those conditions more frequently than not on your trails you might want to consider a second wheelset instead. That way you could just run narrower rims and road tires when you're commuting and save the trail tires for all the rest. Just a thought.


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## J Rod (Aug 10, 2010)

Currently running the crossmarks and they are great for those conditions. You may also want to check out the Slant Six.


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## qbngringo (May 28, 2010)

I use the Slant Six and have do ride about 5 miles each way to my local trail which has a mix of hard pack, rocks, and loose over hardpack. The Slant Six works well, on both the pavement and trails. Not the lightest tire though and it does not do well for me tubeless, i have to put air in the rear everyday. I have been thinking about getting the Rocket Ron's or Specialized Captain Control 2bliss.


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## woodasptim (Apr 11, 2011)

I'm really liking the Bontrager XR2 right now.


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## SkaredShtles (May 13, 2007)

That type of tire does NOT exist. I used to swap tires when commuting... that became a real pain... so I used it as an excuse to get another mt bike and relegate my old one to commuting. 

Slicks are soooooooooooooooooooo much better for commuting than anything with any knobs at all. And semi-slick tires really suck nuts for the dirt conditions you're describing.


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## newfangled (Sep 13, 2010)

I put a schwalbe Smart Sam on the front a few months ago, and I'm liking it quite a bit.










It's good on the road, and rolls nicely through turns without getting squirrely. I'm running ghetto tubeless with fairly low pressures, but pumped up it would probably be quicker. (My commute is only 5mi one-way though, so for it's no big deal.)

I've been really impressed with them on the dirt. Great on hardpack, handle loose stuff fine, surprisingly stable if things are a little wet, and no issues on roots. Not great on mud, but a lot of knobbies aren't either.

I went with it mostly to test the "Very Good" durability schwalbe says it has. After burning through a few Kendas I was looking for something that would last me longer than a few months. After maybe 1000mi of commute/dirt the dimpling has now started to wear off the centre knobs, but that's about it. I haven't tried it on the back, but probably will once the tire that I have on there needs replacing.


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## Pabs (Aug 4, 2007)

Nanoraptors pumped up for road, and pumped down for trail.


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## jay dee (Aug 26, 2010)

*xc tires for pave/dirt*

I've been really impressed with a Specialized Eskar I got recently, really knobby on the sides for hookup, but the center tread pattern rolls really smooth on hard surfaces.
Also, Conti Town and Country is hard to bee for 80/20 pave/dirt performance.... have them on my commuter.


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## Mtn-Rider (May 21, 2010)

WTB Mutano Raptors 2.4's are my favorite, the 2.24 narrow Mutanos suck, they're actually ok but the 2.4's are far better. The 2.4's have lasted me between 500 and 1000 miles depending on abuse and terrain. When pumped up for the road they offer fairly low rolling resistance. They're great on dirt all the way until heavily worn and can be used tubeless. They're at the top of my list, even as I look for something better.


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## GTR2ebike (May 3, 2010)

Specialized renegade (faster rolling) or fast trak (a little meatier)


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## flitzr951 (Mar 20, 2009)

norcalruckus said:


> i like the mythos xc slick


I was thinking the same thing, and if anything they favor trails a little more than pavement and are cheap enough to no worry about.


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## ferday (Jan 15, 2004)

NANORAPTORS!!!!!

i built a bike around this tire, it's _that_ good. wears like iron and corners well on pavement at speed. aired down, it's a reliable offroad tire...nothing extreme and doesn't like the mud too much but predictable and doesn't flat easily. my favorite all-conditions tire ever.


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

centershot said:


> That little has been about 200 miles off road this year. Trails are typically described as moderate/difficult - so I need/want a little more agressive tire with a center ridge or knobbies close together near the center of the tire and wider knobs on the edges. Thanks for the suggestions so far.


Get two sets of tires. Swap as needed


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## rafab (Aug 17, 2009)

eric1115 said:


> That said, a Maxxis Crossmark should do pretty well, or a Schwalbe Rocket Ron (though you likely won't get super long life out of the Ron, and it's pricey).


Indeed. I have to ride about 15 miles of pavement to get to trails. My Rocket Ron wore out really fast because this.


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## lidarman (Jan 12, 2004)

Easy. Kenda Klimax.


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## skullcap (Nov 4, 2010)

centershot said:


> That little has been about 200 miles off road this year. Trails are typically described as moderate/difficult - so I need/want a little more agressive tire with a center ridge or knobbies close together near the center of the tire and wider knobs on the edges. Thanks for the suggestions so far.


You might want to take a look at the Bontrager FR3. I haven't tried them but they fit that description to a T.


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## natrat (Mar 20, 2008)

i have 2 sets-one is nobs the other is 80/20 use- kenda small block 8 2.3 on the front, schwalbe super moto 2.3 on the back. This is the fastest rolling setup i have tried. Sucks in the wet but other than that good for what it is


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## singletrack lover (Jul 2, 2011)

woodasptim said:


> I'm really liking the Bontrager XR2 right now.


Me too! I FRIGGIN LOVE THOSE THINGS!!!!!! I actuually ride to the trail on road, run singletrack with mud and tight corners, and then commute back home. It's not a mud tire, but I never wiped out on the trails once!:thumbsup:


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## ProjectDan35 (Jul 19, 2010)

Specialized Captain tires work great on road due to their raised center ridge/knobs. I use them as my everyday tire, they see harsh trails, and lots of road. Don't wear to bad either.


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## meinderh (Jul 26, 2011)

that's a lot of options like to try every one out, i too commute about 20 km a day and like to ride trails when not working... thanks for all the ideas


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## digital_exhaust (Sep 22, 2010)

b0mb3r said:


> I like two tires; maxxis holy rollers <snip>





yodaopie said:


> I recommend Maxxis Holy Rollers.<snip>


Me too. Been riding them for the last year and very impressed. Great tire in my opinion, for what ever it's worth.


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## AndyRx7 (Feb 27, 2007)

I tried Club Roost Cross Terra for this purpose, love them.


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## 918biker (Jan 23, 2011)

CST Cheyenne's in 2.1 rolls pretty fast on the pavement and grips really nice on hard pack to loose and they are pretty cheap 16.99 a tire.


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## borbntm (May 4, 2011)

WTB Nanoraptor's are the best that I have tried. I ride to the trailhead about 90% of the time. The raised center section makes them very fast on the pavement. They have decent grip on the trail also, in dry conditions.


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## natrat (Mar 20, 2008)

i have read good things about schwalbe marathon extreme. Its a trekking tire, whatever that is, but more importantly it is folding bead so only 650 grams in 2.25 and 570 2.0 so good performance and durable. Pricey though


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## uzisuicide (May 22, 2009)

*+1 for WTB Mutanoraptor 2.4*
WTB tires are durable, grip in wet conditions
and let you control drift/cornering in general.








Once a week on Wednesday,
I ride 50 miles on paved road to a group ride
(than 10 miles on trails) and 50 miles back. :arf:
The front tire is set to tubeless and pumped up. 
WTB Velociraptor or Schwalbe Fast Fred for rear.

In June I rode 1500 miles about
70% on asphalt using knobba-rubba:
https://app.strava.com/komchallenge/kornel-cseri-5869/results/june


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## ProjectDan35 (Jul 19, 2010)

^
Reminds me of the Spesh Captain.


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## Bicycleez (Jul 30, 2004)

+ another 1 for the Mutanoraptor. This is the best tire I've tried yet. They wear down quick (at least mine did), but I beat the hell out of them. I commuted on them, cruised around the city on them and take them on the trail. Rain or shine, snow or heat they're great.

Once the back tire's tread wore down a lot they got really fast on hardpack/asphalt. Even though the tread was worn off, the casing was still in great shape, so I kept it on the bike. The big knobs on the sides are still there for hooking up on turns through loose stuff.

I also learned a technique of leaning the bike sideways to "dig" with the side knobs while climbing in loose/wet stuff.

The only flats I've had on these are from nails and large pieces of glass that would blow any tire.


Then I got a dedicated commuter bike and got a set of Forte Gotham tires. I take them on trails too. They're fine as long as the trail is dry and hard packed. Very heavy but very durable.


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## OLx6 (Feb 5, 2011)

The Conti RK SS work pretty well for this IMO. The black chilli wears well, the roll extremely fast, and hook up well in most conditions.


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## Dagger (Dec 11, 2005)

Kenda 'Alphabite', also known as the K-831. Every set dry rots before tread wears out, and I ride at least 5 days a week. I would like to try the Michelin 'Country Gravel' also.


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## rockerc (Nov 22, 2010)

Enough choices here to keep you guessing at least until the technology you need arrives! One that I have not seen mentioned is a Geax AKA. I just put one on the front of my XC bike, and it works great on asphalt and in the loose over hardpack on the trails here. Don't know about longevity yet tho, but I doubt it is much worse than anything here.


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

Nvm


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## David C (May 25, 2011)

Nvm


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## daponik (Apr 22, 2011)

I've been using Schwalbe Fast Freds 2.25 with Stans for a couple weeks now. I am about 90% on road with a few off road trails tossed in. At 40 psi these things roll fast. Noticably faster than the SB8s they replaced. Those Marathons look promising to try next time I need tires...considering how much more time I've been on the roads training lately.


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## jimmy (Jan 19, 2004)

*Crossmarks*

Crossmarks will do it. Frankly, how many folks don't ever ride some pavement to get to the trail? Unless you are driving to every trailhead I guess. I ride to most of my trails ( in CO) and the Crossmark in the rear works well.


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