A mountain bike trail tire is something you should look into before you buy. Because different types of tires are good for different types of terrain. And how efficient their roll resistance is plays a big factor in some types of terrain.
For me where I ride you need a tire that rolls good but still grips decent for when its muddy. I am going to show you some different kinds of tires.
So you can make a good decision on what tire to go with. So your ride will be more enjoyable. Because the right tire makes a big difference in how your bike rides and handles.
TIRE SIZES
A while back 26 inch wheels were pretty much the standard and still are on a lot of bikes. But now they use 18 inch,20 inch,24 inch, 27.5 inch and 29 inch. What I see is that 27.5 inch and 29 inch are used on most of the higher end mountain bikes.
TIRE WIDTH
Tire width sizes depend a lot on the terrain you ride in. If you ride smooth flow trails and pedal a lot up hills you want a tire that rolls really good especially if you climb a lot of hills.
Where I ride I prefer a 2.4 in front and a 2.35 in the back. We have a lot of rocks and roots here but that size tire does really good for me in my terrain in the wv hills.
If you ride where rocks is an issue I would go for maybe a 2.5 or a 2.6 if it will fit on your bike and if rolling resistance is not an issue. because the bigger the tire the more rolling resistance. But the bigger tires will be more stable in rocks and roots and they soak up more of the terrain.
KNOB SIZE AND DEPTH
Larger knobs do not always do the best.they have more rolling resistance and they make the tire heavier. Depth taller knobs will give you more grip in the mud or loose ground but they have more rolling resistance.finding the medium between depth and size for the terrain you ride in is important.
TPI THREADS PER INCH
Thread density of a tire is known as TPI threads per square inch. They run at a 45 degree angle across a single ply of the tire. Higher tpi conforms better to the terrain and gives a smoother ride.
While reducing weight of the tire but is less puncture resistance.lower tpi gives better cut, puncture and abrasion resistance but is heavier.some tires come with puncture protection.which are a extremely cut and abrasion resistance material added to the side wall of some tires.
This fabric is densely woven and also light weight and flexible so that the performance of the tire is not affected. As for me I always get the ones with puncture protection especially if you ride where there are a lot of rocks.
TUBELESS OR TUBE
Tubeless is the best option because tubes are easy to get pinched on rocks.tubeless you can run a little lower pressure and not have to worry about getting a flat.
MY TIRE CHOICES FOR TRAIL
MAXXIS ARDENT EXO The ardent are a good rolling tire and still grips good when it is slick. A lot of people use the ardent as a front tire but does well on the back to. I am running mine on the front and rear.
MAXXIS MINION The minion are a good tire for the mud it grips really good.they roll decent but if you ride a lot in the mud or loose soil, roots and rocks they are a really good tire.
SCHWALBE HANS DAMPF This is another good tire most I have seen run this as a front tire. It is a good rolling tire that sticks good when it is slick. I have run this tire an they are a very good tire.they run these on the front because they have staggered knobs which grips a lot better.
SCHWALBE NOBBY NIC This is some of my favorite tires it rolls really good and grips good when it is slick.a lot of people run this tire on the back paired with the Hans dampf on the front.this makes a really good combination.
SCHWALBE MAGIC MARY This are a good tire they have a hard compound and a softer compound. so be sure to get the one you need. They have good knobs and grip good.
CONTINENTAL TRAIL KING These are good tires. I have run these in the past they are good rolling tires and they have a good grip when it is slick.
SUMMARY
I have covered the basics of some of the best mountain bike trail tires.there are many more out there and I hope this information helps you on your way to finding the right tire you need for the type of terrain you are riding on.
Thanks, Dave