Two criteria to choose the right mountain bike tires
1. Be sure to pick the right MTB tire size
As mentioned in MICHELIN guide to understanding bike tire size , MTB tires should be sized correctly for your bicycle's wheel. Tire size is important in tire choice and is indicated on the tire wall. The documents provided by the bike manufacturer will give you the recommended tire size and maximum tire width. To make sure your tires are correctly fitted, only choose MICHELIN MTB tires with the matching diameter.
2. Choose the right MTB tire for the right usage
Picking the right tire size is only a part of the story. Casual mountain bikers and cyclists who take part in competitive events expect different performance from the tires they select. While some just want to cycle on soft trail, others aspire to more advanced uses.
The good news is that MICHELIN has produced a selection of mountain bike tires subdivided into different ranges for the various MTB activities. Whatever kind of cycling you plan to do, we have the right range for you.
For example, if you want high-performance MTB tires built for enduro, our MICHELIN Enduro range. will meet your needs. If you are involved in other disciplines, we also offer tires for Cross Country, E-Bike tires, and a Downhill range. You can also find Freestyle tires within the MTB products as well as an Everyday tire range designed for general use.
Some of our tires, such as those in the MICHELIN Cross Country range, offer a low-profile tread, which makes them suitable for hard surfaces and provides better performance in terms of rolling resistance than a downhill tire (which is more focused on grip). Others, such as the MICHELIN mud tires, provide specific tread blocks. This feature helps to provide better grip and stability on wet or soft ground, while giving a good all-round performance in dry conditions, too.
What are the best MICHELIN mountain bike tires?
No single range of mountain bike tires can be said to be the best – because they are all designed for different purposes.
For example, even if you feel you have chosen the best MTB mud tires, they may not perform as well on hard surfaces as tires specifically designed for those conditions. It is therefore important to choose your tires according to their intended use.
Identifying the best MTB tires for your use should be fairly simple as all the MICHELIN mountain bike tires ranges are logically named according to their discipline. For example: Force XC is for Cross Country, Force or Wild AM for All Mountain, Wild ENDURO for Enduro, DH for DownHill…
Don’t forget that the performance of all mountain bike tires can be adjusted and fine-tuned by carefully altering the air pressure level.
Can you use road tires on a mountain bike?
Using road tires for mountain biking is not recommended.
Why? Simply because slick treads and compound of road tires are not designed for off-road uses. Road and city tires are only compatible with asphalt or gravel paths. And as we shall see, there is also a question of wheel size.
Why road bike tires are not suitable for MTB wheels
There are several differences between road and MTB wheels. To begin with, on road bikes the wheel size is expressed in millimetres, while on mountain bikes it is expressed in inches. But the main difference is that their width is different.
Even though it’s now fashionable to have slightly wider road bike wheels, the vast majority of MTBs still have far wider wheels. Even on hybrid and city bicycles, which usually have wider wheels than road bikes, the rims are not wide enough for mountain biking. The tire could come off the rim and affect your safety during the ride.
Find out more about tire/rim compatibility
Mountain bikes have wider rims to accommodate wider tires because they provide the greater stability, traction and handling that’s needed when riding across rough terrain. Even if you found a matching set and fitted road bike tires to your MTB, the resulting lack of grip and poor handling would be very disappointing – as well as dangerous.
If you are wondering how to ride your mountain bike safely on the road with a better rolling efficiency, the best way is to get another set of wheels with road tires and put them on your MTB for your road trips. Otherwise, you should choose mountain bike tires that are also suitable for road use.
What Mountain bike tires are suitable for the road?
The best MTB tires for road use are ones with slick surfaces and fewer knobbly sections. For example, tires from MICHELIN cross country ranges fall into the category of suitable mountain bike tires for road and trail and will allow cyclists to ride faster on harder surfaces. So, if you plan to use your mountain bike on the road, these are the tires to go for. In addition, they will also continue to perform well if you ride on off-road trails.
Can I put wider tires on my mountain bike?
Fitting wider tires on a mountain bike is possible if there is sufficient clearance to do so. It depends on the frame specifications. The maximum tire widths are defined by the bicycle manufacturers. It is usually not hard to fit wider mountain bike tires to a mountain bike wheel, provided you buy the right diameter.
