Panaracer Fire Freeride Tyre

Advantages: Grip well in all conditions, durable, roll well
Disadvantages: None I can think of

...I live and ride in South Wales. The man made trais around Afan Argoed and Glyncorrwg, plus all the natural stuff in between, is where you'll most likely find me on my bike. It's wet down here in Wales, but thankfully, there's not much clay, so that really sticky mud you get in some parts of the country isn't too much of a problem down here. I'd experimented with many different types of tyre, before stumbling across these. I'd been riding Tioga 1.9's and going to the Panaracer 2.1's was a breath of fresh air. The increased grip, especially on the front, was amazing, and the rear tyre gripped like a mountain goat. Just make sure you put them on the right way around (follow the arrows on the side wall). As a tyre that can be used all year round, these are hard to beat. They grip well on the rocky bits, dig in on muddy climbs, and cope... Read review

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Advantages: Good durability, great for all day rides
Disadvantages: None

...Although to many tyre choice on a bike tends to come down to what the local bike shop have that's cheap, there's a few things beyond that which mountain bikers look at when buying tyres. The first main thing tends to be the use that the tyre's going to get. Shove a slick tyre with no tread on a bike that's going to get used in the mud, and you're going nowhere. Put a mud tyre on and go and ride on a hard surface and you'll be puffing and panting like Ivor the Engine with the flu. The Fire XC Pros fit in somewhere in the middle of the two extremes. As the XC in the name implies, this is a cross country tyre. Cross country riders expect some grip in the mud, but not at the expense of putting so much grip on the tyre that it's hard going all the time. Panaracer seem to have managed that quite well with the Fire XC Pro, although... Read review

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Advantages: Grip, durability and looks
Disadvantages: Costly

...The Panaracer Fire XC Pro has proven itself to be one of the wisest, if costly, upgrades to my Cannondale Jekyll. In our murky winter (and summer) months you need a tyre that will cope in the claggy conditions, providing grip and shedding mud quickly and efficiently, but not so aggressive in tread pattern that it hinders progress on fire-roads and tarmac – The Panarcaer achieves this and is one of the most striking designs available, with its white writing emblazoned on the sidewall. It has performed admirably in the mulched leaves of the Dorking Redlands Trails; it kept my fatigued body moving on the punishing mud, roots, rock gardens, hairpins and drop-offs of the Afan Skyline Trail and has dug me out of the sticky Cotswold clay. A true all-round performer that is perfectly suited to our changeable climate. There are a great... Read review

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