MICHELIN WILD XC RACING LINE
£61.99 www.silverfish-uk.com
SO GOOD… If you’re after pure pace, the lightweight Wild XC is way faster than you’d expect from the tread pattern, plus the blocky, spaced-out knobs clear mud well. The Cross Shield2 fine-weave casing feels incredibly supple and flexible, too.
NO GOOD… It’s easily the least comfortable tyre on test, with an undamped, harsh ride, partly due to the big gaps in the tread, which expose the fragile carcass to damage. The very thin casing lacks stability, too, so needs pumping up hard to resist squirming when cornering. Also, Michelin’s single-compound Gum-X rubber seriously lacks grip.
VITTORIA SYERRA 4C
£54.99 www.freewheel.co.uk
SO GOOD… The tread pattern is far spikier than most XC-derived designs and rips into dry earth to deliver tons of traction,…
