Are you using the right MTB tyres for the riding you do? Here's everything you need to know to get the perfect tyre setup

Modern bikes come loaded with rider aids and tech that allow us to ride faster than ever. However, without a doubt, one of the most important components of a bike are the tyres. Even if you have the fanciest drivetrains, the most sophisticated suspension, and the most powerful brakes, tyres are your sole connection to the ground, and if they aren’t up to the job or set up correctly, you'll be struggling on the trails.

If you're looking to upgrade your bike, opting for a set of the best MTB tyres is usually the best place to start. They will offer the best bang for your buck upgrade and can transform how a bike rides.

Choosing the right mountain bike tyres is a bit more complicated than just picking the grippiest-looking set off the shelf though. Most tyres are designed for specific types of riding or trail conditions, so it is important to do a little research to choose correctly. Here, I have broken down everything you need to know about tyres and tyre choice so you can easily choose the right tyres for your riding.

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Choosing the right size tyre

Before we delve too deep into tyre tech, you need to choose a tyre that is the right size for your bike. There are a few factors that should be considered when choosing a tyre so you know it will fit.

Firstly, mountain bike wheel size, most modern mountain bikes will have either 29in or 27.5in (sometimes referred to as 650b) diameter wheels. It may also have a mixture of both (29 front and 27.5in rear) if it has a mullet, aka MX setup. Older mountain bikes and dirt jump bikes will most likely use 26in wheels, and some smaller kids' bikes will have 24in wheels.

While inches are the most common unit of measurement for MTB wheels and tyres, they may also refer to the ISO size, which is the inner bead diameter of the tyre, measured in millimetres. For reference, 29in tyres are ISO size 622, 27.5in are ISO size 584, and 26in are ISO size 559. This sizing will be correct for the majority of all MTBs. In the unlikely event that you’re reading this and have a very old and obscure bike that doesn't use the above sizing, I suggest you head over to Sheldon Brown's website for all the niche information on tyre sizing you will ever need.

Next, you will need to consider frame clearance, as this will determine the maximum possible tyre width. Almost all frame and fork manufacturers will state the maximum tyre clearance of their product. Alternatively, you can simply measure the gap between the fork legs, chainstays, and seatstays yourself. If you are measuring clearance yourself, remember to factor in mud clearance, the International Organisation of Standards (ISO 4210) quotes a minimum of 6mm between the shoulder of the tyre and frame.

Unfortunately, even with these measurements, tyre clearance can be a bit of a guessing game. Not only are there discrepancies between different brands' measurements (some tyres are narrower or wider than stated), but the rim you mount the tyre on can have a massive effect on the tyre shape. Essentially, a narrow rim will give the tyre a taller light bulb shape, while a wider rim gives the tyre a rounder, wider profile.

A rim’s effect on the shape of the tyre will affect the performance, so it is worth checking that your rim's internal width is suited to the size of the tyre you are planning on using. We are seeing 30mm inner rim diameters becoming the standard and it's generally accepted that any tyre between 2.35in and 2.8in will work well with this inner rim width. Cross-country bikes may have narrower rims, which will work better with narrower tyres (2.35in and below), and ‘plus’ (2.8 to 3.0in) tyres will need the support of a wider rim (35mm to 40mm). Rim width and corresponding tyre size aren’t an exact science, however, staying within recommended sizing will ensure your tyre performs properly and safely.

If in doubt, it's worth checking with your wheel or tyre manufacturer to see if they have recommended guidelines for their products. Here are some quick links for the main tyre brands and their tyre/rim width charts:

• Schwalbe
• Maxxis
• WTB
• Kenda

Understanding MTB tyre construction and characteristics

To understand how a tyre will perform, we need to dissect the tyre and talk about its construction, as this affects how a tyre will ride on the trails.

The tread has the most obvious effect on how a tyre’s performance. There are a wide variety of different tread patterns, but they all essentially aim to do the same thing, grip the ground when cornering, pedalling, and braking. Brands can use different tread patterns, shapes, and spacing to change how the tyre interacts with the trail surface. Manipulating tread shape can play a huge role in how a tyre performs – square edges offer more traction, while adding forward-facing chamfers increases rolling speed.

The tread can also be sipped – these are the cuts or grooves in the tread block allowing more deformation to the blocks and another edge for grip. Horizontal sipping will affect braking and acceleration grip, while vertical sipping improves cornering performance. Tread patterns are often direction-specific and can also be front and rear-specific (more on that later).

The tyre tread is made from a rubber compound which can also be used to change the ride characteristics and durability of a tyre. Softer compounds are grippier and rebound slower to reduce vibrations, but wear faster and have more rolling resistance. Harder compounds last longer and roll faster, but don’t have as much grip. Many brands will use a combination of compounds (usually referred to as dual or triple), layering softer rubber over hard to get better performance.

The casing or carcass of the tyre is the base structure of the tyre to which the tread is attached. The casing will be made up of single or multiple layers (sometimes referred to as plys) and may feature cut and abrasion-resistant inserts on the side walls and under the tread to protect against punctures.

The casing is measured in TPI (Threads Per Inch). Casings with lower TPI numbers will be more durable but heavier than higher TPI casings. High TPI casings are lighter and more supple, allowing them to conform to the terrain, but are more fragile. Dual-ply casings will use two layers to give a better balance between strength, suppleness, and vibration dampening.

A specific tyre may come in different widths as a tyre width can have a dramatic effect on how it performs. Increasing the width of a tyre also increases its footprint, overall diameter, and air volume. That means narrower tyres will roll faster on smooth terrain while larger tyres with bigger air volume will have more grip and float over rough terrain better.

None of these elements work in isolation and will have effects on other characteristics of the tyre. So while all these different parts of a tyre's construction are important, they must be considered as a system.

Tailoring tyres to your riding and the conditions

Tyres are often MTB discipline or terrain-specific and all the big manufacturers have a range of tyres to cater to every type of mountain biking, all you need to do is pick the right one. Well sort of, there is a lot of cross over and often manufacturers will have multiple different versions and price points of the same tyre, all with different characteristics. Let's break it down.

Unfortunately, it’s a little more complicated than just picking the best MTB as tyres fall into an “iron triangle”, aka a three-constraints scenario. These are grip, speed, and durability. Fast and grippy tyres will have thinner sidewalls and are more prone to punctures. Start beefing up those sidewalls though and the tyres will become heavier and feel numb and disconnected in corners. The extra rubber and protection to make a grippy, durable tyre adds a lot of weight and rolling resistance. Choosing the right model is about finding a compromise.

From discipline to discipline, tyres will have different tread patterns, compounds, and casing construction. Cross-country tyres will have a shallower tread designed to roll quickly and less puncture protection to keep weight to a minimum. Enduro, downhill, and e-MTB tyres prioritise grip and sidewall protection. Using large tread blocks and multilayered and reinforced sidewalls to protect against sharp rocks and race-ending punctures while giving more support on high-speed descents. Trail tyres sit in between the two, although a lot of trail models are becoming more heavy-duty as bikes become more capable and progressive.

The trail conditions you ride in will also play a major role in which tyre will perform the best. These are often broken down into the following tyre categories by manufacturers to make it easier:

• Mixed terrain - This usually indicates the do-everything tyre in the range, capable of performing well in a wide range of terrain and weather conditions.
• Loose - Rocky, gravelly, or sandy surfaces can shift around under the tyre and demands supportive, well-spaced knobs to search for solid ground under the loose stuff.
• Hardpack - Hard compacted dirt or slick rock in the dry. A low-profile tread or semi-slick with a soft compound is a good option as it increases the tyre contact with the surface and allows the rubber to do its work. Minimal tread severely limits loose surfaces and wet weather traction.
• Rocky - Rocky terrain has some crossover with loose and hardpack but usually indicates that a tyre has increased puncture protection against jagged edges.
• Mud - Deep mud, soft and very loose trail conditions. Mud tyres (or spikes) are usually reserved as race-only due to their very specific use case. They feature wide-spaced tall lugs and a narrow tyre width to dig into the soft surface and avoid getting clogged up. If the tread can't dig into the trail surface, they struggle for grip, making mud tyres lethal on rock slabs and hardpack sections. Back in the day, World Cup downhill mechanics used to cut the blocks on mud tyres shorter, since then some brands have released cut-spike-specific tyres that share the same wide spacing but with a more versatile tread block height.

The gradient of a trail will also play a role in choosing a tread pattern. Steeper trails demand more braking performance, so speccing a tyre with a broad soft tread pattern will help slow you down faster. On flatter trails, braking performance isn’t as demanding, however, without gravity pushing you down the hill, you will want to prioritise rolling speed.

As we previously mentioned, tread patterns can be front and rear-specific. The front and rear tyres perform very different tasks, with the front wheel handling cornering and the rear braking and acceleration. With that in mind, it makes sense to tailor the tread pattern accordingly, particularly with gravity-orientated tyres where grip is of the most importance. That doesn’t mean they can’t be run as a matching pair, Maxxis’ Minion DHF and Minion DHR II are the perfect examples of this. Using two DHFs or DHR IIs is a popular setup, with the front and rear DHR IIs proving to be a quick rolling cornering combo, while two DHFs are almost unbeatable on steep, fast terrain.

Mixing and matching different models of tyres is also a great way to tailor performance. Running a soft grippy tyre up front and a harder compound or lower profile tyre at the rear is a go-to for most rugged XC, downcountry, and trail riders as it helps enhance cornering grip without sacrificing too much rolling speed. On the other hand, e-MTBs and downhill bikes may run a thicker casing rear tyre with a thinner front enduro tyre to help save a little weight.

How much should you spend on tyres?

With tyres, you can absolutely buy speed. Better materials, more advanced rubber compounds, and improved manufacturing processes all add up to faster, grippier, and lighter tyres. That's not to say you should go out and spend all your money on tyres, as ultra-grippy models may be overkill for your type of riding and will usually wear out a lot faster as well.

As a general rule, for dry weather XC and trail riding, an endurance rubber or dual-compound tyre will have adequate grip and roll quickly. For wet weather or a more gravity-focused, softer rubber and triple compounds are the way to go. For full enduro and downhill, look at getting the stickiest rubber and most robust sidewalls.

For a good quality MTB tyre, prices range between $60 / £40 and $90 / £70.