Tyres - Please don't kick me.

I know there's a brazillion threads on tyres, but I just can't pin down the info I need, and there's been some new rubber apparently so.....

Up to now I've ridden mostly on road, but soon I'll be taking the beast off road for a bit of playtime. Nothing too serious, mostly fire tracks, loose surface roads and fairly hard packed rough ground. I won't be fording any rivers, climbing hills or going the long or wrong way round or down.

What tyres, do you experienced off road riders recommend? Are knobblies going too far or will a decent set of dual purpose boots suffice?

also worth pointing out that the bike is in Turkey, so the road conditions are a little different to say the least!

You are quick off the mark old son, I'll give you that.

So yes, the conditions are different. Most roads here are quite poorly surfaced and in the hot weather some turn very glassy and some simply melt. Very few roads have good grippy surfaces. Having said that, knobblies on the road are not necessary.....most of the time.

ExpatinIstanbul said:

I know there's a brazillion threads on tyres, but I just can't pin down the info I need, and there's been some new rubber apparently so.....

Up to now I've ridden mostly on road, but soon I'll be taking the beast off road for a bit of playtime. Nothing too serious, mostly fire tracks, loose surface roads and fairly hard packed rough ground. I won't be fording any rivers, climbing hills or going the long or wrong way round or down.

What tyres, do you experienced off road riders recommend? Are knobblies going too far or will a decent set of dual purpose boots suffice?

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Dual purpose, will be fine.

Metzeler Tourance

TKC`s are a perfect tyre for light off road and will give you great grip on loose gravel roads. They are also damn good on the road as well

Sgt Bilco said:

TKC`s are a perfect tyre for light off road and will give you great grip on loose gravel roads. They are also damn good on the road as well

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I hate to cast a negative vibe here , but TKCs are shite on tarmac, tolerable if you wish to ride on the muddy stuff, but feckin dangerous if you're used to decent road tyres and by that I mean any of the Anakee, Tourance style stuff..

You are living in a dream world if you think TKCs come any where near purpose made road tyres.

As ever, all IMHO...

On the kind of 'off road' you describe I would probably want a 'road/dual purpose' tyre anyway. Tourances sound ideal. Off road to me means mud, mud, and more mud. And in these conditions TKC's are in a completely different league to Tourances.

But if you go for TKC's then they are fine on Tarmac. I have used these to go from London to Lahinch return (ie about 1000 miles) on motorways and main roads on several occassions. Several times in driving rain. Done the same on Tourances, BT020's and Conti Road Attacks.

TKC's have only one major downside as far as I am concerned, and that is longevity (about half the life of the road/dual purpose jobbies). They also have a minor downside in that they can feel a bit 'notchy' at walking pace. I have ridden as hard as I ever do on these in pretty appalling conditions, and trust them as much as I trust any other tyre (and more than the Conti's - which have more grip but less consistency IMHO)

When I went to Morocco I chose the Tourances, purely for the longevity. And I had no probs on unmetalled roads/tracks.