Confused about what tires to buy? You are not alone. There is a dizzying array of mountain bike tires on the market today. You have your 350 gram one use racing slicks. Then there are 3lb motorcycle, oops, I mean downhill tires. Many people don't want or need a single purpose tire. What most mountain bikers need is a tire that is good in all conditions.

When I bought my new bike, I used 1.8 Huthcinson semi slicks. I hated them; they were too small, had too little tread, and wore too quickly. I then decided to use WTB Velocirators. They gripped great, but were so heavy and slow rolling I had to get rid of them. On the recommendation of a local rider, I purchased the IRC Mythos XC 2.1. I live in the southeast and figured these tires would work great for me since they are designed for the 96 Olympics in Georgia.

These tires are wonderful. They are a high volume tire, which allows me to run low pressure to get extra traction without pinch-flatting. They are reasonably light at 560 grams each. At $15 each from most mail-order companies, they are cheap. These tires work great in loose, rocky conditions. They also excel in hardpack and wet conditions. They do not roll as fast as some tires, but I will give up some speed for traction. Their one weakness is sticky red clay. I have raced these tires in 6 races so far this year and have not been let down once. The whole purpose of mountain biking is to have fun. You can't have fun if you are worrying about whether or not your tires will work. Don't worry, be happy. Pick up some IRC Mythos XC. Happy Trails!

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