Panaracer Mountain Bike Fire XC Pro

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

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Light, excellent grip, fast rolling
Disadvantages: Fairly expensive, can puncture easily

...I have had a pair of these on my XC bike for about a year now and they perform brilliantly. They are very fast rolling and they provide excellent grip on medium to dry trails and the corner knobs allow the bike to be leaned right over into fast corners without sliding out. Although the tyres are a fairly soft compound they still last a decent amount of time on the road too so there are no worries of them wearing down too quickly if commuting to trails over a long distance. Their low weight ensures that they accelerate quickly and make climbing a breeze. There are only 2 downsides I can see with these tyres. First is the cost (although if you want quality they're not a lot more than the competition). Second is that I have found they puncture fairly easily if run at lower pressures due to their thin composition, although this is only... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

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

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful